During menstruation, strong hunger wakes up, why does this happen? How to beat ZhOR during PMS: four very simple ways Why when you want to eat PMS.

Probably, every girl had to deal with irresistible zhor and cravings for sweets during PMS. Why this is happening and how to deal with such an evolutionary habit - we learned from nutritionist-endocrinologist Marina Maximova and obstetrician-gynecologist Olga Klekovkina.

Why do you want to eat during PMS?

Appetite and, accordingly, the amount of food eaten varies depending on the phase of the cycle, since sex hormones are directly involved in metabolism and regulate feelings of hunger or satiety. The hunger that occurs in the run-up to the menstrual cycle, in fact, comes down to the primordial instinct. During ovulation, the body begins to prepare for a potential pregnancy. It must have nutrient reserves, and we often want to eat high-calorie foods (although high calorie content does not always mean the presence of a large amount of nutrients).

Marina Maksimova

nutritionist-endocrinologist, head physician of the clinic for weight correction and figure correction HB Clinic

In the female body, hormones work cyclically: immediately after the critical days, the pituitary gland begins to work actively, activating the ovaries for the maturation of eggs, and by the middle of the cycle, estrogens, the main female hormones, are actively produced. This is the brightest time for a woman - the peak of sexual activity and attractiveness. But in the second phase of the cycle, a dominant follicle appears that produces progesterone, the hormone of motherhood, and this is calmness, some slowness of exchange with pastosity, moisture of tissues, possibly preparing for bearing a child. The peak of changes on the eve of the menstrual cycle is almost like despair about a missed pregnancy and the absence of an assistant to a woman in the form of a placenta with an additional source of hormones. And this time is the most critical for the emotional background: mood swings, taste preferences, tearfulness, irritability, stagnation of fluid in the body with swelling, apparent weight gain and a deterioration in metabolic rate. Therefore, there is a craving for sweets as a source of easily digestible energy sources. The time of hormone deficiency in the body and the duration, severity and variety of symptoms depend on the timely response of other systems: the adrenal glands, the thyroid gland and the correct regulation of the central sections of the hormonal system - the pituitary and nipothalamus. If initially a woman has a deficiency in other systems, then PMS proceeds with pronounced mood swings.

Olga Klekovkina

During the phases of the menstrual cycle, hormone levels fluctuate. During the first phase (the production of the hormone estrogen increases), the woman feels great, but with the onset of the second phase, during which the level of estrogen decreases, mood and well-being deteriorate, and appetite increases. This condition can be explained by several reasons:

• an increase in the level of progesterone in the blood provokes an increase in the production of adrenaline and norepinephrine. They, in turn, increase the secretion of gastric juice. Food that enters the digestive tract is digested in a shorter period;
• in the second phase of the menstrual cycle, due to the influence of hormones and in particular progesterone, the substance that regulates blood sugar levels (insulin) is produced in smaller quantities. Feeling the need for sugar, our body compensates for its lack of chocolate, sweets, buns and cakes, that is, products containing carbohydrates;
• the desire to constantly eat all kinds of sweets - the possibility of pregnancy. The body receives a signal that it needs to accumulate nutrients, so girls feel an increased appetite before the menstrual cycle.

What to do

Add iron-rich foods to your diet. Red meat, fish or greens will replenish the iron that you lost on the eve of critical days. This will create some kind of “feedback” with the body: you give it what it needs at this moment.

If you are faced with unbearable, as it seems to you, hunger, but ate only an hour ago, wait another 20 minutes. Perhaps the feeling of hunger will disappear. If not, then do not torture yourself, the main thing is to snack on healthy food.

Don't limit yourself to food completely. Whether you like it or not, this is the body's natural need for more energy. And in order not to bring yourself to breakdowns, slightly increase your calorie intake during PMS.

Try replacing your sugar cravings with something healthier, like fruit. When choosing milk or dark chocolate, give preference to the latter.

Salty food during PMS is best kept to a minimum, as it will only aggravate puffiness by retaining water in the body.

Olga Klekovkina

doctor, obstetrician-gynecologist German Medical Technology Clinic GMTClinic

If you cannot control the feeling of hunger during PMS, when metabolic processes are slowed down, I recommend that you monitor the quality of products, use only healthy ingredients, such as complex carbohydrates (cereals, fruits, vegetables, pasta, whole grain bread) and proteins (lean meats, fish , low-fat cottage cheese and kefir, legumes). It is better during this period to limit the consumption of fatty, salty and smoked foods, sweets, sugar, carbonated drinks, alcohol and coffee.

Very often, women ask the question - why do you want to eat a lot before menstruation and how to moderate your appetite at the end of the cycle? And in general, is this phenomenon normal, or does it indicate any deviations in the hormonal plan.

In the previous article, we dwelled in detail on such an unpleasant problem as bloating. This trouble also often accompanies women during PMS. with the help of medicines, home remedies and special gymnastics - read on the website.

Today our topic concerns another unpleasant sensation. Women are very familiar with the state of hunger and duty in the kitchen during the second phase of the menstrual cycle. In addition to having to control your changeable mood, your appetite also becomes indomitable and all the work on the figure in a month seems in vain.

Why do you want to eat a lot before menstruation? We asked this question to several experts, gynecologists and endocrinologists of the highest category. An increase in appetite before menstruation is a normal natural physiological need of the female body. Nature is so conceived in order to ensure a full conception, the body needs strength and balance of sex hormones. The physiological resource is replenished through the intake of healthy calories, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, trace elements and minerals.

How does this happen

The second phase of the cycle is under the influence of progesterone, a hormone responsible for the successful conception and implantation of the embryo. The endometrium in the uterus serves as a breeding ground for implantation, if pregnancy does not occur, the endometrium exfoliates (in the form of menstrual bleeding) and the level of progesterone in the blood drops sharply. And again hunger "falls asleep" until the next second phase.

Each month, the body prepares for pregnancy and tries to replenish its stores with the nutrients that can come from your diet.
That's why we don't leave the refrigerator every month! During PMS, increased appetite is normal, so do not worry.
But as soon as menstruation begins, appetite returns to normal, weight is restored, and a couple of kilograms gained disappear with the onset of a new cycle.

What to do to curb your appetite

It is in your power to organize meals evenly throughout the day. There were cases when women tried to restrain their appetite, which increased irritability and lethargy, eventually causing gluttony at night.

Useful advice: eat for health, but do not allow overeating, otherwise it will bring heaviness in the stomach and harm other organs. Eat meat, fish, porridge with meat, tea with honey and bread with butter and cheese are especially good for satisfying hunger. It will be better if you distribute the main meals and snacks 5-7 times.

To tame the appetite means to disagree with nature. Include more protein foods in the menu, this will satisfy your hunger and not reach for harmful sweets. It is noted that during this period there may be special preferences for sweet, flour and chocolate products or meat, pickles, salted fish.

What to do to keep fit

Read on topic: - how and how much you can do.

From puberty to menopause, the female body is subject to cyclical changes. With their help, he is prepared for possible fertilization and bearing a child. These changes occur at the cellular, hormonal and psychological levels and are called the menstrual cycle. It normally lasts from 25 to 32 days (in the absence of symptoms of pathology and the regularity of the cycle, its duration is 21-35 days).

One of its most noticeable manifestations is menstrual bleeding, which indicates the beginning of a new cycle. But there are other symptoms as well. For example, swelling, increased appetite, mood swings, and even anxiety. Their causes lie in the body of a woman, in her behavior and nutrition. Consider why you want to eat a lot before menstruation, in more detail.

want to eat before menstruation - doctor's answer

There are two scientifically proven reasons for an increase in appetite in the period before menstruation and during the first couple of days of a new cycle.

That is why before menstruation I want to eat a lot:

1. A sharp jump in progesterone levels. Progesterone, together with estrogen, regulates the "women's clock". It is also considered a pregnancy hormone. It helps to keep the embryo in the period until the placenta has formed. The fact that you want to eat a lot in the first trimester of pregnancy is a well-known fact that does not bother anyone. But a high level of progesterone leads to the same effect at the beginning of the menstrual cycle.
2. An increase in the concentration of stress hormones in the blood (adrenaline, cortisone), which are strong fat burners. And since during this period the body is preparing for the onset of pregnancy, the amygdala of the brain begins to actively send impulses to the center of hunger. A woman is "programmed" to accumulate calories. That is why before menstruation and during the period of discharge, appetite increases, pulls on more high-calorie and fatty foods.

But it is fatty foods and fast-digesting carbohydrates that should not be in large quantities in a woman's diet before menstruation. Their presence potentiates the accumulation of excess fluid in the body (edema), bloating, headaches and even discontent.

Studies show that only 30% of women have premenstrual syndrome (PMS), one of the manifestations of which is increased appetite. But it has also been proven that a special diet before menstruation helps to significantly reduce the pain of critical days and even completely eliminate the mood swings characteristic of PMS. Next, let's talk more about proper nutrition before and during menstruation.

Hello Victoria, 26 years old. I have menstruation for 5 days after 26 days, I don’t feel any special discomfort at this time. But before the critical days, I really want to eat. Tell me why appetite increases before menstruation, and is this normal?

Good afternoon Victoria. Increased appetite is one of the manifestations of premenstrual syndrome. It occurs in a third of women, and there is still no consensus among doctors whether this condition is normal or a pathology. In those periods when you want to eat a lot, control your appetite and do not allow yourself to eat sweet, fatty, salty. Your diet at this time should include a lot of plant and protein foods. And if you give in to the desire to eat a lot, this can lead to a set of extra pounds.

Do you want to eat a lot of sweets during your period?

The desire to eat a lot of sweets, as well as salty foods - these are all manifestations of a high level of progesterone. It is not necessary to completely deny yourself the use of such products. But at the same time, it is important to be able to replace them with less high-calorie and harmful counterparts. For example, if you're craving chocolate, dark dark chocolate with a high cocoa content is better than its milk counterpart. And it is better to replace fast-digesting carbohydrates and bakery products with plant foods, slow carbohydrates and protein-rich foods.

If you do not eat sweets during critical days, then you can not only improve your well-being, but also lose an extra kilogram, or maybe two. It is better to control your appetite at this time with the help of a diary, as well as a clear planning of the day's schedule (without empty windows for extra snacks). And if at first before menstruation you want to eat a lot, then as a result of such control, your appetite will normalize, and the desire to eat a lot will go away.

Good afternoon, I always want to eat before my period. In addition, a couple of days before the start of the discharge, I feel overwhelmed, anxious, unwilling to do anything, and even have a headache. Tell me how you can improve your well-being? Lilia, 27 years old.

Good afternoon, Lily. The condition you experience before your period is called PMS, or premenstrual syndrome. And if at this time you have a real depression, then you can even talk about premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). To improve your well-being, you can consult a doctor to prescribe mild antidepressants and modify your diet for these days.

Everything you can not eat during menstruation

There are no categorical prohibitions for healthy women on the use of certain products before and during menstruation. But there are nutritional recommendations, the observance of which will make it much easier to endure critical days.

Good afternoon, is it possible to eat strawberries during menstruation, if usually there is no allergy to it? Thank you, Larisa, 24 years old.

Good afternoon. The fact that it is absolutely impossible for women to eat any foods during menstruation is nothing more than a myth. If you are not allergic to strawberries, then during critical days this berry will not bring you any problems.

It has been proven that to reduce menstrual pain and mood swings, a woman during this period should limit her fat intake to 10% (30% on normal days is required) of the total diet. Drinks high in caffeine and alcohol should also be avoided. Spicy spices and foods high in irritants (onion, garlic, red pepper) should also be removed from the diet at this time.

To reduce swelling and prevent excessive bloating, you need to give up products that increase gas formation in the intestines during menstruation. These are cabbage, legumes, fast food.

Hello, what can not be eaten during menstruation girls? Anya, 14 years old, menstruation since the age of 12.

Hello Anya, thanks for your question. For girls of your age, there are no significant prohibitions on eating foods in the diet.

Products that need to eat during menstruation

Ideally, if a woman refuses sweet, salty and fatty in favor of a diet rich in plant foods and lean meat. Of course, if you really want to eat a cake, refusing it will lead to an even worse mood. But this does not mean that appetite control is not necessary.

Hello, before my period I want to eat a lot of sweet and salty. During this time, I gain a few kilograms of excess weight. Why does this happen, and how to reduce appetite? Oksana, 36 years old.

Good afternoon, Oksana, normalization of the daily routine will help you reduce your appetite. Avoid stress these days, and take care of proper nutrition. Your diet should contain a reduced amount of table salt so that you do not gain extra pounds.

Before menstruation and during critical days, it is important to include the following foods in your diet:

• containing a high amount of iron (pork and beef liver, eggs, lentils, tomato juice, dried fruits, nuts);
• food rich in B vitamins (mainly cereals, especially buckwheat, vegetables);
• foods high in magnesium (it helps transport a number of B vitamins);
• saffron (this spice is the best natural remedy for menstrual cramps).

It also happens that there is no appetite at all during critical days. But even in this case, you should diversify your diet with the above products. And do not forget about the correct mode of drinking. A person should drink 100 ml of water per day for every kilogram of his weight. And women during menstruation or breastfeeding should increase this dose by 500-1000 ml.

Hello, I have absolutely no appetite during my period. As I do not force myself to eat, nothing climbs. In addition, the lower abdomen hurts a lot. After menstruation, the aversion to food disappears. Susanna, 19 years old.

Hello Suzanne, thanks for asking, poor appetite during menstruation is probably due to the presence of severe pain. I would recommend you to use an anesthetic, for example, Ketanov (Ketolong), to normalize sleep and wakefulness for this time. This will help relieve pain in the lower abdomen and improve appetite.

Ask a doctor a free question

The question often arises among the female half of the population: why do you want to eat so much before menstruation? Many girls envy men because they have an almost stable hormonal background. The female representatives are arranged differently: every 28-35 days in the female body changes of a cyclical nature occur - menstruation, manifested in the form of bleeding from the penis. Usually their duration is from 3 to 5 days. During such a cycle, some changes occur in the well-being of women for some time, one of them is an increased appetite.

Physiology of the female body

To make it easier to understand the causes of increased appetite during menstruation, let us recall some physiological properties of the female body. Every healthy woman has her period every month. The menstrual cycle consists of two phases of approximately the same duration. In the first phase, the level of the hormone estrogen slowly increases in the female body, which contributes to the maturation of the egg.

During this period, the woman feels great, she is efficient and has no complaints. When the peak concentration of estrogen hormones is reached, ovulation occurs: the egg leaves the ovaries and enters the fallopian tubes, ready for fertilization.

After that, the body no longer needs such an amount of estrogen hormones - their level slowly decreases, but the amount of the hormone progesterone increases. It prepares the woman's body for a probable pregnancy and creates all the conditions for the safe settlement of the embryo in the uterus.

If the egg did not wait for the male cell and fertilization did not occur, it dies in a day, is rejected along with the cells of the uterus and exits through the genital tract in the form of bleeding - menstruation.

During the increase in the level of the hormone progesterone in the female body, the woman's well-being changes. Indifference, drowsiness, nervousness appear, acne, swelling may occur, before menstruation you want to eat a lot, especially sweets.

And all due to the fact that the female body prepares for pregnancy every month. Under the influence of certain hormones, the energy of brain structures changes.

Read also: How to get pregnant with a violation of the cycle and irregular periods?

The nutrition center is activated, an increase in the activity of the glands of the digestive tract appears, zhor attacks before menstruation, although there seems to be no reason for hunger.

Just under the influence of hormones, changes occur in the work of the gastrointestinal tract, the central nervous system, and other organs. A woman cannot influence this.

Also, the cause of increased appetite may be weakness, irritability, general malaise before menstruation, because of which a woman wants to treat herself to something sweet.

But not all of the fair sex suffer from excessive appetite before menstruation. Many do not perceive bursts of hormones, do not treat others with aggression, do not cry and do not eat all the food in the refrigerator. Most of the fairer sex continues to live a normal life, not reacting to menstruation in any way.

There are those for whom PMS does not cause an increase in appetite, but entails an aversion to any food, nausea and even vomiting. Everything is strictly individual. Therefore, if you constantly want to eat before menstruation, do not deny yourself, eat.

How to fight hunger

Changes in the female body that occur before menstruation, leading to an increased feeling of hunger, do not obey the will of the woman in any way, they cannot be controlled. It is impossible to order the ovaries to change the mode of operation. Although there is still one way - the adoption of hormonal contraceptives. It reduces or completely eliminates the signs of PMS, including excessive appetite. The hormonal balance is evened out when they are taken, which makes it possible for the weak half of humanity to feel much better.

Other methods to overcome hunger are ineffective. You have to rely only on your willpower, stick to a moderate diet, eat more cereals, fruits and vegetables, and replace flour and chocolate with dried fruits or other sweets that are less high-calorie and less dangerous for the figure. You just need to control your food intake.

I would like to exclaim: “Lucky for those girls who do not have PMS!”. In the majority of the female population, premenstrual syndrome manifests itself in various symptoms. In some, the physical condition worsens (fatigue, weakness, drowsiness). Others have a painful condition (dizziness, pain in the lower abdomen, headaches, vomiting). Still others experience psychological disorders (psychosis, irritability, hysteria, tearfulness). There is a fourth category of the weaker sex, who, like pregnant women, suffer from bouts of bulimia. They are ready to eat everything that is in the refrigerator, sometimes indiscriminately, salty and sweet. Unfortunately, this does not always pass without a trace for the waist and general well-being.

So ? Is this a sign of some kind of disorder in your health? These questions will pop up in your head sooner or later. On the site "" you can find answers to the questions that tormented you during the next attack of premenstrual gluttony.

Each woman has her own biological "clock", according to which changes in the female body are cyclical. In each cycle, 2 phases are distinguished, characterized by the release of various hormones by the ovaries. In the 1st phase of the cycle, estrogenic hormones are released, the action of which is manifested in a good mood, increased activity, a surge of positive emotions and optimism. The first phase is the major phase of the cycle.

In phase 2, progesterone is released, which changes the mood and well-being of a woman in the opposite direction, and minor tones predominate in it - a change in mood, increased appetite, and poor health. The premenstrual cycle occurs precisely in the 2nd phase of the cycle in individuals with increased sensitivity to their hormones.

Reasons why you want to eat before your period.

So, it remains to find out why you want to eat before your period, linking it with the hormonal background of your body:

1. So, estrogen hormones of joy are produced in sufficient quantities only in the 1st phase of the menstrual cycle, in the 2nd phase of these hormones the female body lacks, and therefore we try to compensate for it from the outside: we greedily eat chocolate and everything sweet;

2. Lack of hormones - estrogens can weaken the production of insulin (blood sugar regulator), which also causes the body to compensate for the loss of sugar with carbohydrate-rich foods. That is why before menstruation I want to eat large quantities of bread and bakery products - pies, buns, cakes, pastries;

3. Changes in the level of estrogens and progesterone cause, respectively, an acceleration or slowdown of the metabolic reactions of the body, including enhancing the process of digestion. The production of gastric juice increases, the digestion of food accelerates, therefore, rapid impulses from the “hungry stomach” enter the brain;

4. Another answer to the question “why do you want to eat before menstruation?” It is the preparation of the body for a future pregnancy. After ovulation, the concentration of progesterone rises in anticipation of the fertilization of the egg. As a result of exposure to progesterone, signals are sent to the centers of the brain, for the acceleration of metabolism and the accumulation of a reserve of nutrients in order to support the fetus. Therefore, at this moment, before menstruation, I want to eat as much as possible. This coincides with the 2nd phase of the menstrual cycle. If pregnancy does not occur, the concentration of progesterone gradually decreases, and you stop experiencing increased appetite.

Is it possible to control the feeling of increased hunger before menstruation?

Subject to certain rules, you can ease the course of PMS, in particular, reduce the feeling of hunger:

1. Adhere to a sparing diet: limit the consumption of coffee, sugar, animal fat, flour. Increase in your diet the amount of vegetables, fruits, slow carbohydrates (hercules, buckwheat, etc.), whole grain bread;
2. Add positive emotions that will increase the production of endorphins (hormones of joy), which compensates for the lack of estrogen;