Tips for weight fluctuations during menstruation

Does this sound familiar? You've been exercising enough in your daily life and managing to eat as healthily as possible—but your weight still increases as you approach your period. It can be quite frustrating when your efforts don't reflect on the scale the way you'd like.

This isn't just you, but many women whose weight fluctuates throughout their cycle. Cravings, water retention, or even a bloated stomach can cause weight gain, or at least appear that way – is this the case for you too?

If so, you shouldn't be too hard on yourself, as weight fluctuations can be hormonal. That's easier said than done. Therefore, we've prepared this article to explain what helps combat weight fluctuations during menstruation and why your blood sugar plays an important role in this.

Weight gain during menstruation – causes

How is your menstrual cycle? Does your body feel heavy during certain phases, or does your stomach bloat, even though you've avoided foods you don't tolerate or even barely eaten anything? Various causes are at play here, especially female sex hormones like progesterone.

Depending on the phase of your cycle, your body produces different hormones. You can find more information in our article about the female cycle and hormones .

Why do I gain weight during my period?

An unexpectedly higher number on the scale or a larger waistline? Even though you shouldn't let numbers determine your well-being down to the smallest detail, it's frustrating for many. The following reasons could be behind it:

• Your body retains water.
• Your blood sugar fluctuates more than in the first half of your cycle and you experience strong cravings.
• Your digestion works slower than in the middle of your cycle and you experience bloating.

Tip: To better assess weight fluctuations, don't weigh yourself and compare your weight every day. Instead, it's better to measure your weight during the different menstrual phases and then compare it from month to month. Please don't let the numbers get you down and stress you out. A healthy body weight is important, but you should always approach this topic calmly. And by the way: Stress causes your blood sugar to rise. You'll learn why this makes it more difficult to lose weight later in this article.

Water retention – edema

As your hormone levels constantly fluctuate throughout your cycle, your body undergoes many changes. In the initial phase , water retention can build up in your body. This water retention is medically known as edema , which can make you appear puffy. Unfortunately, it can also be painful.

You may have experienced swelling of your face, breasts, stomach, arms or legs.

Important: Edema is primarily caused by hormones. You can't influence it much, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try the following tips. They won't cause any disadvantages [1] !

What helps against water retention during your period?

Water retention usually disappears after menstruation. These two tips will help your body drain more effectively:

• Watch your salt intake.
• Make sure you get enough exercise.

Eat less salt if you have water retention.

We suspect your food is salty. Common table salt contains sodium. This is usually a good thing. However, too much can lead to water retention.

For your health, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends consuming no more than five grams of salt per day. This corresponds to approximately one teaspoon [2] .

Our tip: Salt is a powerful flavor carrier and enhances our meals. It can be difficult to do without it. But to enhance your food, you can use a variety of other spices and herbs [3] .

Exercise helps with water retention.

Exercise helps with water retention. However, not every woman is able to exercise during menstruation. Severe pain can often prevent exercise.

If you're not in pain, try to incorporate some exercise into your daily routine. This doesn't mean you have to completely exhaust yourself or do a strenuous workout. Yoga or a gentle bike ride can also help.

Further tips:

• A contrast shower can stimulate circulation, which helps transport water further to the limbs. To do this, rinse the affected area alternately with warm and cold water for a few minutes.
• Herbal teas like nettle tea are said to have a diuretic effect, making them ideal for edema. Be careful not to sweeten them with honey or sugar, as this negatively affects your blood sugar.

The role of blood sugar in weight fluctuations

Your blood sugar is not immune to the hormonal fluctuations of the female cycle . Often, your blood sugar is the reason you get cravings.

This makes cravings with your blood sugar

When cravings set in, you quickly reach for sweets and snacks, which drive your blood sugar up. Your body counteracts this with the hormone insulin , which quickly lowers the high blood sugar. Before you think your cravings have been satisfied, the sharp drop in blood sugar causes your body to crave sugar again. Does this also affect your mood? The onset of hypoglycemia can put a damper on your mood and make you feel run down. Then it all starts again. For many menstruating women, the cravings are particularly extreme during the luteal phase. During this phase, the body produces increased amounts of the hormone progesterone , which stimulates the appetite for sweets and makes the body less sensitive to insulin [4] .

Important: By constantly eating, you not only consume more calories than you need, but your body also constantly produces insulin. Every time your pancreas produces and releases this hormone, fat burning stops. This means that if you constantly raise your blood sugar through eating, your body has no way to burn fat. This means that instead of losing weight, you unintentionally gain weight [5] .

How do I keep my blood sugar stable?

To prevent fluctuations in your blood sugar and your mood, you should first and foremost prevent food cravings. To achieve this, avoid white flour products , potatoes, soft drinks, and sweets. These raise blood sugar quickly and sharply, causing the body to produce high levels of insulin, which in turn lowers blood sugar too low.

To avoid this vicious cycle, you should replace these foods with fiber-rich whole grain products, oatmeal, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Fiber keeps you full for longer, and it raises blood sugar slowly. This way, you'll experience fewer cravings and avoid constant blood sugar spikes. Your pancreas and your mood will thank you [6] .

Tip: Sometimes the urge overwhelms your willpower, and you still want to snack on something sweet. Try some fruit and nuts or nut butter with a glass of water. If that doesn't satisfy your craving, grab a small piece of chocolate and let it melt in your mouth. This will trick your body and make the cravings disappear.

Check your blood sugar regularly

We generally recommend checking your blood sugar regularly if you experience significant weight fluctuations during your period. Why? Everyone reacts differently to foods. While certain foods barely affect blood sugar for some, others experience significant blood sugar fluctuations—and thus, potentially weight gain.

By looking at which foods affect your blood sugar and how, you can create the optimal diet for yourself without blood sugar and weight fluctuations.

Important: Your weight isn't the only thing affected by blood sugar. Have you ever heard of premenstrual syndrome (PMS)? It occurs approximately one to two weeks before your period begins and is accompanied by severe physical and psychological symptoms. Are you one of those women who struggle with digestive problems, headaches, and cravings during this time? Learn more in our article on PMS .

Bloated stomach during menstruation

As the female menstrual cycle approaches its final phase, many women experience digestive issues—whether it's digestive problems like constipation or bloating . Digestive problems are often a side effect of premenstrual syndrome.

Why does a bloated stomach occur?

During menstruation, the hormone progesterone causes the abdominal muscles to relax. This not only loosens the cervical mucus, but also slows down bowel movements . You'll notice this because your food feels heavy in your stomach and digests slowly. Your stomach may growl more often, and more gas builds up in your intestines, causing your stomach to bloat. Unfortunately, a bloated stomach can be uncomfortable because it feels tight and painful [7] .

What helps with a bloated stomach?

These tips will help you combat an unpleasant bloated stomach:

• Prefer water over carbonated and caffeinated drinks.
• Try to avoid foods that cause bloating, such as cabbage and legumes.
• Pay attention to daily exercise
• Eat easily digestible foods, such as well-cooked vegetables and fewer whole grains.
• Herbal teas and a hot water bottle also soothe the stomach and provide a pleasant feeling.

Tip: If you suffer from constipation , high-fiber foods can provide relief. You've probably also heard of psyllium husk or flaxseed. Drink a crushed tablespoon of psyllium husk or flaxseed with some warm water to stimulate digestion.

In short – weight fluctuations during your period are normal

It's frustrating when you put a lot of time and effort into your body to maintain or achieve a certain weight. That's completely understandable. However, since hormones are involved, it's difficult to maintain a consistent weight. Your frustration is probably compounded by stress, which also drags your mood down.

However, we can still share two pieces of good news with you: if you follow our healthy tips, you'll fight the fluctuations. It's important that you take time for yourself and don't stress yourself out.

Weight fluctuations during menstruation are completely normal. You're not alone! Our tips are also great boosters for your overall well-being. Eat healthily and maintain stable blood sugar levels: your body will thank you, and hopefully, many annoying symptoms will be a thing of the past. Don't let the numbers on the scale stress you out, because stress and blood sugar don't mix.

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