Tips for weight fluctuations during menstruation

In your day-to-day life, you've been exercising enough and also managing to eat healthy as best you can - but still, your weight goes up as you approach your period. This can be quite frustrating when your efforts don't show up on the scale the way you want them to.

It's not just you, many women's weight fluctuates during their cycle. Cravings, water retention, or even a bloated belly can make your weight go up or at least look like did - does this sound familiar?

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

Weight gain during menstruation

What is your menstrual cycle like? Does your body feel heavy or does your belly bloat even though you've kept your hands off foods you don't tolerate or you've even hardly eaten anything? The cause behind these discomforts can be your hormones, especially the female sex hormone - progesterone.

Depending on the menstrual cycle phase, your body produces more of different types of hormones. You can read more about this in our article on the female cycle and hormones.

Causes of weight fluctuations

Do you see an unexpected higher number on the scale or a bigger belly? Even though you shouldn't let numbers determine your well-being, it can be frustrating to see them. The following causes can be behind it:

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

Tip: To better assess weight fluctuations, you should not weigh yourself every day and compare your weight day-to-day. Instead, it’s better to weigh yourself at different menstrual periods and then compare it from month to month. Please don't let the numbers drag you down and stress you out. While a healthy body weight is important, you should always approach this topic with patience. Remember, stress makes your blood sugar rise. Why this makes it more difficult to lose weight, you will learn in the course of the article.

Water retention - edema

As hormone levels fluctuate throughout your cycle, your body experiences many changes. Maybe you notice that your face as well as your breasts, belly, arms, or legs swell up. In the initial phase of your period, water can become trapped in your body. These water deposits are also called edema, which can make you look puffy. Unfortunately, they can also be painful.

Maybe you've noticed that your face as well as your breasts, belly, arms or legs swell during this time.

Important: Edema is mainly hormonal. There is little you can do about it, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try the following tips. They can only help (1)!

Tips to fight water retention during your period

Water retention usually disappears after your period. In the meantime these two tips can help you:

• Eat less salt 
• Get enough exercise 

Eat less salt 

Most meals contain some salt usually the common household salt which contains sodium. This is no problem in most cases. However, too much salt can cause water retention.

For your own health, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends eating no more than five grams of salt a day. This corresponds to about one teaspoon (2). 

Our Tip: Salt is a strong flavor carrier and enhances your meals so it can be hard to give it up. Try to find other ways 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 everyone is able to exercise during menstruation. Often, severe pain can get in the way.

If you are able to, try to add some exercise to your daily routine. This doesn't mean you have to go all out or do a strenuous workout. Yoga or a casual bike ride can do the trick.

More tips:

• A  contrast shower can stimulate circulation, which can help release water deposits. To do this, rinse the affected area with alternating hot and cold water for a few minutes.
• Herbal teas such as nettle tea are said to have a draining effect and are therefore ideal for edema. Be careful not to sweeten with honey or sugar, because this has a negative effect on your blood sugar.

Blood sugar and weight fluctuations

Your blood sugar is not spared from the fluctuations of hormones in the female cycle. Often your blood sugar is the reason why you get cravings.

Effects of cravings on blood sugar

When cravings set in, it's easy to reach for sweets and snacks that spike your blood sugar. Your body counters this with insulin which quickly lowers high blood sugar. Before you think your cravings are satisfied, the sharp drop in blood sugar makes your body crave sugar again. Do you also feel like your mood changes? The onset of hypoglycemia can cause your mood to drop and you may feel down. Then this whole vicious cycle starts all over again. For many menstruating women, cravings are extreme during the luteal phase. During this period, your body produces more progesterone, which stimulates your appetite for sweets and makes you less sensitive to insulin (4).

Important: By eating all the time, not only are you taking in more calories than you need, but your body is constantly making insulin. Every time your pancreas makes and releases the hormone, fat burning stops. This means that if you constantly drive your blood sugar up, your body has no way to break down fat. So instead of losing weight, you end up gaining it unintentionally (5).

How do I keep my blood sugar stable?

In order not to expose your blood sugar and your mind to fluctuations, you should first of all prevent cravings. For this you should abstain from white flour productspotatoes, soft drinks and sweets. These increase blood sugar quickly and strongly, which causes the body to produce high amounts of insulin, which in turn lowers blood sugar too low.

To avoid this vicious circle, replace these foods with fiber-rich whole grains, oatmeal, vegetables, nuts and seeds. On the one hand fiber keep you full for a long time, and they also raise blood sugar only slowly. This means you feel less cravings and don't get into constant blood sugar spikes. Your pancreas and your mind will thank you for it. [6].

Tip: By eating all the time, not only are you taking in more calories than you need, but your body is constantly making insulin. Every time your pancreas makes and releases the hormone, fat burning stops. This means that if you constantly drive your blood sugar up, your body has no way to break down fat. So instead of losing weight, you end up gaining it unintentionally (5).

Check your blood sugar regularly

We recommend youcheck your blood sugar regularly if you go through major weight fluctuations during your period. Why? Because everyone reacts differently to food. While some foods have little effect on your blood sugar, others may experience large fluctuations and possibly weight gain.

By looking at which foods affect your blood sugar and how you can put together the optimal diet for you without the blood sugar spikes and weight fluctuations.

Important: Your weight is not the only thing affected by blood sugar. Have you ever heard of premenstrual syndrome (PMS)? This occurs about one to two weeks before menstruation starts and is accompanied by severe physical and psychological discomfort. Are you one of those women who experience digestive problems, headaches, and cravings during this time? Find out more in our article about PMS.

Bloating during your period

As the female menstrual cycle approaches its final phase, many women experience digestive symptoms - symptoms such as constipation or a bloated belly. In most cases, digestive discomforts accompany PMS.

Feeling gassy?

During your period, progesterone causes the muscles in your abdomen to relax. This not only loosens the uterine mucus but also shuts down the movement of the bowels. You can recognize this by the fact that your food feels heavy in your stomach and is digested slowly. This can cause your stomach to growl more often and more gas to be produced in your intestines, causing your stomach to bloat. Unfortunately, a bloated belly can become uncomfortable because it tightens and it hurts (7). 

Tips to relieve a bloated belly

These tips can help against an uncomfortable bloated belly:

• Drink water over carbonated or caffeinated drinks
• Try to avoid foods like cabbage and legumes, which cause gas.
• Exercise daily
• Eat easy to digest foods, such as cooked veggies.
• Try herbal teas or a hot water bottle to soothe your tummy and keep you comfortable

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

Weight fluctuations during your period are normal

It can be frustrating when you put a lot of time and effort into maintaining or reaching a certain weight and then see it change for reasons that feel out of your control. That's totally understandable. Because hormones are the cause it can be difficult to maintain a constant weight. Certainly, your frustration may be joined by stress, which drags down your mood as well.

However, we can share two pieces of good news with you: if you follow our healthy tips, you can fight the fluctuations. It’s important to take your time and not stress yourself out.

Weight fluctuations during your period are completely normal. You are not alone! Our tips are also great boosters for your general well-being. Eat healthy and keep your blood sugar stable: your body will thank you for it and hopefully, you won't have to deal with annoying symptoms anymore. Remember, to not let the numbers on the scale stress you out, because stress and blood sugar aren’t a good mix.

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