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Post by clueless on Nov 5, 2013 5:05:22 GMT -6
Many of us experience a change in our menstrual cycles after starting a LC / NK lifestyle.
We notice more cravings, bloating and horrible PMS to name a few. There is also the dreaded weight gain that appears from fluid retention. As our body is releasing fat, estrogen can get dumped into our systems from the released fat stores.
Since many women are already estrogen dominant this can make PMS symptoms even worse. Sometimes things can naturally even out but there are some things we can do to help ourselves along the way.
Our hormones are a huge part of our weight loss journey. Things like changing birth control pills, PCOS and menopause can cause us to pack on the pounds. Educating ourselves and sharing this information with each other might just give us the boost we need to make it to our goal weight.
Sooo, let the complaining commence…..
Just kidding, but really, let’s share our TOM woes here and any tips that have helped us. They may help someone else as well.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2013 5:30:57 GMT -6
Bring on the flax wraps! When I eat flax a few times a week it helps tremendously with PMS symptoms. I have also started taking fish oil for omega 3's.
My cycle is off right track now - haven't had TOM since September. That's not cause for alarm since my body is close to menopause and there is no way in heck I could be pregnant, but I never know when shark week is going to sneak attack.
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Post by reepicheep1981 on Nov 5, 2013 9:50:52 GMT -6
Sooooo glad you started this thread. I thought the cravings were going to be the hardest part of this new WoE. I was wrong - my PMS this time around is BRUTAL! Days of sore mammary glands, cramping (and it hasn't even started yet), cravings, unsatiable hunger and now (just as of today) being short-tempered. The only thing that seemed to help was when I went off diet this weekend. What little bit of research I did shows that carbs do seem to help for some reason. But I'm not giving up. I'm going to try the flax... I don't have any this time around but I'll be ready and waiting for next month!!! One thing I did read said that its possible that when you're eating right things that have been wrong but were buried start coming up. So I guess its possible that my body has had some hormonal issues that were buried before and now I'm beginning to provide it with the correct nutrients that it's strong enough to deal with it now? What do y'all think of that theory?
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Post by clueless on Nov 5, 2013 15:57:34 GMT -6
reepicheep1981, that theory could be a valid one. Is this your first month low carb? have you had trouble with PMS before or is this time really a lot worse? I have been doing LC/NK a little over a year now. I noticed that my cycle got worse as the year went on. Last month I had my period twice. I didn't have PMS or cramping or anything. The flax meal has pretty much helped all of that. I read a lot about hormones and studied my weight charts. I weigh daily. I noticed that when I did lose weight it was always during the luteal phase of my cycle. During the follicular phase estrogen is the dominant hormone. The luteal phase is when progesterone should be dominant. I started using a progesterone cream last week. It seems to be helping me a lot but we will see how things are when TOM rolls around. Progesterone helps the thyroid gland work properly too.
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Post by reepicheep1981 on Nov 6, 2013 7:29:43 GMT -6
This is my very first PMS on the diet... and I typically don't have much trouble. This one is SOOOOO much worse. I was sobbing at work yesterday over something really not worth being upset about... I felt like I was going crazy!!! *NOTE* In the interest of full disclosure though - about three weeks ago my MD took me off Zoloft and switched me to Prozac with the equivalent dosage about half of what I was on before. The goal is to stop meds altogether which up until the last week seemed likely... though it is an experiment. It's possible I need them only around my ToM. Next month and the month after will be a better indication, I think, of whether its the diet or the change in seratonin. I'll need to do more research... I'm not sure what the different 'phases' are so it's time for more learnin'!
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Post by clueless on Nov 6, 2013 7:45:39 GMT -6
:hugs:Hang in there. You will get it figured out. You might try to keep a little journal of what is going on.
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Post by reepicheep1981 on Nov 6, 2013 10:04:32 GMT -6
That's a great idea!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2013 12:37:13 GMT -6
I take 5-htp, which can help with low serotonin. It's probably not a good idea to take it with meds tho.
I feel like TOM is close, feeling a little crampy and cranky!
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Post by clueless on Nov 6, 2013 15:23:03 GMT -6
I take 5-htp, which can help with low serotonin. It's probably not a good idea to take it with meds tho. I feel like TOM is close, feeling a little crampy and cranky! I am taking 5-HTP too Lisa. It sure does help me sleep. I am feeling great too.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2013 19:15:53 GMT -6
I might start a new thread about trouble sleeping, or post about it in the main thread. Insomnia has always been a problem for me, but seemed to get worse on NK. I bet I'm not the only one.
Still no shark week but i'm hopeful.
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Post by clueless on Nov 6, 2013 19:37:10 GMT -6
@bunniee good idea.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2013 21:41:30 GMT -6
Still no shark week. I'm starting to wonder if I'm in menopause! I sure hope so, because I'm so ready to stop having periods after nearly 40 years.
I've been thinking about using progesterone cream but need to do some reading up on it. I had Dr. John Lee's book years ago, no idea where it is now. I do remember that I had (and probably still do) signs of estrogen dominance and low progesterone according to the book.
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Post by clueless on Nov 10, 2013 9:08:32 GMT -6
DD has gotten lazy about eating her flax and is really paying for it this month.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2013 10:25:01 GMT -6
DD has gotten lazy about eating her flax and is really paying for it this month. Poor girl, I have done the same thing. I'm trying to get back in the habit of eating flax daily, or at least 3-4 times a week.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2013 6:42:58 GMT -6
ugh, shark week finally showed up. The good thing is maybe now I'll finally show a drop this month.
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Post by clueless on Nov 11, 2013 6:48:42 GMT -6
ugh, shark week finally showed up. The good thing is maybe now I'll finally show a drop this month.
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Post by clueless on Nov 11, 2013 11:13:11 GMT -6
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Post by reepicheep1981 on Nov 11, 2013 11:13:21 GMT -6
Mine is nearly over... THANK GOD!!!!!!! This was awful... and I have an appt with my MD to talk about possibly staying on meds after all and maybe upping the dosage when it's close to my 'shark week' (hehe - never heard that term before... very appropriate). I was going to go ahead and quit and try supplements but I can't do this again... I literally wanted to punch people in the face and I have never been like that before. Whew... hopefully next month will be better. I'm going with it's less diet and more lack of seratonin... though the two combined probably didn't help.
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Post by clueless on Nov 11, 2013 11:48:58 GMT -6
Mine is nearly over... THANK GOD!!!!!!! This was awful... and I have an appt with my MD to talk about possibly staying on meds after all and maybe upping the dosage when it's close to my 'shark week' (hehe - never heard that term before... very appropriate). I was going to go ahead and quit and try supplements but I can't do this again... I literally wanted to punch people in the face and I have never been like that before. Whew... hopefully next month will be better. I'm going with it's less diet and more lack of seratonin... though the two combined probably didn't help. Get you some flax, it is amazing. You can make flax wraps or just sprinkle it on salads or in soups and stuff. Glad it is almost over. That sounds pretty dang awful. DD gets all weepy, she has really bad PMS and heavy bleeding. It is awful. I am gonna force feed her flax this month. LOL just kidding but she really saw how much it helped after slacking off for a month.
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Post by clueless on Nov 11, 2013 18:08:15 GMT -6
Well Crap, I got my period again. Last month my cycle was 20 days, this month 22 days. Even while using the progesterone cream. I didn't have a clue it was about to hit thought, no PMS, just a bump in the scale the last few days.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2013 6:53:46 GMT -6
Well Crap, I got my period again. Last month my cycle was 20 days, this month 22 days. Even while using the progesterone cream. I didn't have a clue it was about to hit thought, no PMS, just a bump in the scale the last few days. That has happened to me a few times. If you are in peri-menopause, irregular periods are part of it. I regret not eating enough flax last month, this period is a doozy! I'm having coffee and a handful of ibuprofen for breakfast.
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Post by clueless on Nov 12, 2013 7:31:51 GMT -6
Well Crap, I got my period again. Last month my cycle was 20 days, this month 22 days. Even while using the progesterone cream. I didn't have a clue it was about to hit thought, no PMS, just a bump in the scale the last few days. That has happened to me a few times. If you are in peri-menopause, irregular periods are part of it. I regret not eating enough flax last month, this period is a doozy! I'm having coffee and a handful of ibuprofen for breakfast. Oh lord, I hope you feel better.
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RoBiN <3
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Post by RoBiN <3 on Nov 12, 2013 8:20:57 GMT -6
ugg - started yesterday. stopped at the store for midol and naproxium sodium (sp?); feeling awful. not so much starving/food cravings so that's good but i have eaten a lot lately so hopefully that slows down because my stomach hurts and even though i'm staying off the scale, my pants are gettin snug...tooooo snug. don't feel like doing anything! soooooo tired!
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Post by reepicheep1981 on Nov 14, 2013 12:00:15 GMT -6
ugg - started yesterday. stopped at the store for midol and naproxium sodium (sp?); feeling awful. not so much starving/food cravings so that's good but i have eaten a lot lately so hopefully that slows down because my stomach hurts and even though i'm staying off the scale, my pants are gettin snug...tooooo snug. don't feel like doing anything! soooooo tired!
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storytha
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Post by storytha on Nov 14, 2013 15:53:01 GMT -6
Hi, I thought I'd share my story. It may help someone, someday, not feel as crazy as I did. At the age of 39 years old I developed early onset peri-menopausal symptoms. My Mother had a hysterectomy in her late thirties so I didn't know what to expect as far as age/symptoms etc. My hands and scalp itched incessantly, hair loss, cramps, bloating, major swelling of feet and ankles, food cravings, sore breasts, hot flashes, night sweats, and completely psychotic mood swings. Raging from "I hate you and all the air you breathe" then 15 minutes later bawling uncontrollably with abandonment thoughts. My behavior was so out of control I scared myself (and my family). After talking to my Dr. he was convinced I was too young. but I insisted on testing my hormones. I was DEVISTATED that they weren't even out of "normal" range, though they were slightly high with in "normal". I literally bawled in the Dr.'s office claiming that "it's just me. I'm just That crazy!" He justified that I simply might be someone who is hyper sensitive to hormonal variations. He put me on a low dose birth control pill for the first time since I was 20 years old. By the end of the week the itching stopped, the swelling was gone, and best of all-I didn't have the urge to rage anymore. Since I don't use it for actual birth control (that part is permanently fixed by DH) I don't bother with the week off and now only have my period maybe 4 times a year and it's usually very light. However, if I forget to take it for a while (a week or so) the symptoms definitely come back. "Mom, are you taking your happy pills?" is asked by my kids once in a while. (DH knows better than to ask when I'm in that state). I've been on them now for 2 years and am convinced I'm as "normal" as I can be. One side effect is that they have raised my blood pressure, which has always been relatively low (90/60 ) to moderately high (130/95). I'm hoping weight loss will help with that. As a side note, I have been on relatively low dose (40mg) antidepressants for close to 20 years. That didn't seem to effect the hormonal side effects. Hope this wasn't TMI.
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Post by clueless on Nov 14, 2013 17:34:50 GMT -6
Thanks for sharing storytha. That sounds awful, glad you are feeling better.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2013 21:31:37 GMT -6
storytha, I'm glad you shared your story! Not TMI at all. It is not surprising that female hormones can affect us so profoundly, both mentally and physically. After all, look what insulin does to people!
TOM is nearly over for me, and thank goodness because I have gotten completely off plan. I'm not stressed and had plenty of LC food, but hormones got the better of me and I went way over on carbs the last few days. I guess my body had extra progesterone floating around after missing my period in October. I'll use the weekend to get back on track.
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TOM thread
Nov 24, 2013 15:11:53 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by reepicheep1981 on Nov 24, 2013 15:11:53 GMT -6
Soooo... Anyone ever heard of Prozac rage? What I thought was just a really bad bout of PMS ended up being a negative side effect of the new anti-depressant I was on. I literally wanted to punch everyone in the face and I'm typically a 'touchy-feely I love everyone' kinda girl.
Fast forward to now... I'm almost two full weeks off any anti-depressants with no sign of needing to get back on. Yay!!!! I am, however, pretty sure I'm ovulating. My mammary glands are soooo sore and I'm craving carbs. I'm going to start with flax as well as a few other supplements folks suggested but here are my questions: 1. How much flax a day? and 2. How have you ask incorporated it into your diet... In recipes or eating it straight?
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Post by clueless on Nov 24, 2013 16:40:14 GMT -6
Soooo... Anyone ever heard of Prozac rage? What I thought was just a really bad bout of PMS ended up being a negative side effect of the new anti-depressant I was on. I literally wanted to punch everyone in the face and I'm typically a 'touchy-feely I love everyone' kinda girl. Fast forward to now... I'm almost two full weeks off any anti-depressants with no sign of needing to get back on. Yay!!!! I am, however, pretty sure I'm ovulating. My mammary glands are soooo sore and I'm craving carbs. I'm going to start with flax as well as a few other supplements folks suggested but here are my questions: 1. How much flax a day? and 2. How have you ask incorporated it into your diet... In recipes or eating it straight? Hooray for being off the pills! YAY!! For flax, I make a bread or wrap out or it most of the time. 2 tbsp. a day is what is recommended. I would say start slow because all that fiber can upset your tummy. I also make it like a cornbread in the oven, with butter, It's really good. You can just sprinkle it over your salad or food if you want too though. There are some recipes on this thread.
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TOM thread
Nov 24, 2013 20:35:16 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by reepicheep1981 on Nov 24, 2013 20:35:16 GMT -6
[quote author=" clueless" [/quote]Hooray for being off the pills! YAY!! For flax, I make a bread or wrap out or it most of the time. 2 tbsp. a day is what is recommended. I would say start slow because all that fiber can upset your tummy. I also make it like a cornbread in the oven, with butter, It's really good. You can just sprinkle it over your salad or food if you want too though. There are some recipes on this thread.[/quote] Awesome, thanks! I've been missing pancakes and sandwiches so this will kill two birds with one stone
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