hey y'all.

just wanted to check on 2 things..

a) if this is normal.

b) what i can do about it ehehe



About a week before my period get the typical cravings, but like...baaaad. for things i dont eat, things that make me sick even, and not just that, also just...CALORIES. like i dont care where they come from. its a crazy light headed shaking type hunger even though each of these days I eat almost double the calories i normally do. its not just a 'man i feel like bread' thing...its honest to god like a 'im gonna pass out, without a whole LOAF and then more stuff.'

And..if this is normal...how do u guys deal? ive stuck with high qual. dark chocolate (my wonderful vice) buuuut....i can't keep that and my jeans both. eheh . i didn't stress coz i was underweight...but i dont want this to keep goin!! What else satisfies?!? nothing works! I ate all my housemates food just now, AND went out for dinner and im shaking again!!

cheers guys ...xoxo

Ummm... you can eat a whole loaf of bread and still feel hungry? Eat a house full of food and not be satiated? Wow. Definitely not "normal". most people have PMS food cravings, the trick is to not overeat. Binge eating is not good for you, it can cause a hernia in your esophogus. Eat normal, nutrient rich, healthy meals throughout the day.



I would instead eat fat calories, not just carbs. It will make you feel more full. Have some avocado, chocolate, peanut butter - something dense and rich that might trigger your "satisfaction" level.

If you eat a whole loaf of bread and still feel actually, physically hungry (not that you just want to eat), I'd see a doctor. That is really not normal and considered a binge. If you are just craving food, eat something healthy and remind yourself only a few more hours until your next meal.

Honestly, I do not think you need to see a doctor.



Look at Dosh. He needs a lot (five times the amount of some people) of food to get full, satisfied, and to maintain his weight/energy needs.



Since you are underweight, your body is probably just crying out for nourishment...when you are underweight, your body knows it. It wants to rebuild. So it needs all the fuel it can get to rebuild and restore itself. And the more you eat, the faster your metabolism tends to get...so it can sometimes seem like a never ending cycle. I'm very underweight myself and sometimes eat every 1.5 - 2 hours ...from TRUE hunger, not from just a craving or a want...and it hasn't made me gain at a crazy pace yet.



You are NOT binging because you are truly hungry. Eating a whole loaf of bread and more is not considered a binge, if you are hungry.



It is only a binge if you are not hungry and eating for emotional/mental reasons and you feel out of control.



HOWEVER, if you feel that no matter what you do you cannot get satisfied and it is controlling your life and making you feel awful..then see a doctor. It could possibly be worms, or "bugs" in your stomach.....aka bacteria. Which is treatable and cureable. Or, it could be that you are simply growing or it could be the underweight thing.



Or you could just have a really superfast metabolism like Dosh and not know it.

Also, if you want to stay satisified for a longer period of time, I'd suggest the following:



*nut butters

*nuts

*avocados

*bananas

*fresh fruit

*raw or cooked vegetables..especially starchy ones, such as potatoes, corn, peas, greenbeans, squash, etc.

*whole grain breads, whole grain pasta, brown rice

*granola

*tofu, tempeh

*olive oil

*kashi golean bars (tons of protein and fiber)

*slow-cooked oatmeal

*beans

*soymilk



I'd avoid having a lot of chocolate because even though it is dark chocolate, it still has SOME sugar and that can cause you to be hungrier.



Avoid sugary products, and refined white carbs...avoid celery sticks, because they just give you something to munch on and they won't help much with hunger. Avoid chips and snack foods such as crackers, cookies, grain bars, energy bars, etc, they don't do much at all to fill you up.



If you are a vegetarian and NOT vegan, then I also suggest:

*cheese, cottage cheese, cream top yogurts, and eggs.

these are all high protein and have a decent amount of fat in them, they should keep you full longer.



You also might want to try a protein shake, they are really filling.



Blend 1 cup of chocolate soymilk, 1/2 cup of soy ice cream, 2 tbsps nut butter, 1 - 2 banana, 1 tbsp wheat germ, and 1 serv of protein powder. It tastes like a chocolate-pb-banana sandwich! Delicious. You could also substitue the chocolate soymilk for vanilla or original, and add 1 -2 tbsps of preserves of some fresh/frozen berries...then it would be like a pb&j sandwich.

If you want calories that much, try putting more healthy foods in there. Make a big salad with nuts, have a bowl of fruit, eat a large serving of (veg*n) spaghetti. Don't stick to one type of food and overindulge; eat a variety, and make most of it healthy.

wow you guys ROCK?!?!?

ROCK i tell you. such wise advice. I love it!! And yeah, lots of peanut butter this morning. loooots. and am currently making a big salad with cashews and sauteed vegetables and stuff. mind you the cravings have passed now (and given way to the cramps...joy! I never used to get cramps at all. but then i didn't get the whole monthly thing for a while, and now its back, complete with cramps. but thats normal!) but still a good idea to eat all the peanut butter etc coz when im not on that crazy calorie frenzy my stomach tends to be pretty tiny and i just eat like 1 bite of everything...so if its full of (good ) fat and protein and denser calories, probably wise.

thanks again!

Glad we could help! You weren't getting your period for a while? Probably from being underweight I'm guessing? Are you vegan or vegetarian? If you are vegetarian I second Bluewisdom - cottage cheese is a great source of protein - add some fruit to it for a great, satisfying treat. Great idea for the cashews in the salad. Make a satisfying salad with nuts, garbanzo/kidney or edamame beans, seeds, avocado, etc.... very delicious, nutritious and filling!

I never feel light headed from my pms cravings, but I do yearn for food, to the point of braking good habbits (ex: not drinking soda for nearly a month, then pms/period days, and I'm drinking soda again- chugging it! Even though I don't particually like the taste any more!)



I havn't tried this for cravings, but perhaps you could eat a Luna bar. If you havn't tried one before: they are awsome tasting, and they give you an energy boost. It also clears up your head (particually, in my opinion, the lemon kind). And they are very natural.

can you get those in australia (haven't been to this thread in a while but its that time of the month again so...)? eheheh

Can you get Luna Bars in Australia? I don't know, but try out a HFS, or you can order some off line for next month. They are 1.50 each in the united states, but they are sooooooooooooooo good and so worth the price.