Does this happen to anyone else? It’s the week or days leading up to your period and you are hungrier than usual, maybe even ravenous? You feel like you could eat anything and everything and never stop? That is 100% me right now and I just cannot satisfy my hunger.
Is this a problem? Is this normal? Is this considered binge eating? What is going on and should it be a concern? Let’s talk about it.
What is Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)?
I think we’re probably all familiar with Premenstrual Syndrome, or PMS, as the time before our period where we feel bloated, painful, and very irritable, but what exactly is PMS?
PMS is a condition that occurs in the five to eleven days leading up to menstruation marked by symptoms such as mood swings, tender breasts, headaches, bloating, cravings, irritability, fatigue, and tension and anxiety, depression, insomnia, and even poor concentration.
Three out of every four women are said to experience some form of PMS in their lifetime. For the most part, symptoms are predictable, noticeable, and manageable, but certain changes (such as stress) can alter typical patterns.
What causes PMS? There isn’t an exact known reason for PMS, but many experts believe that just like all aspects of the menstruation cycle, hormones are the main factor causes changes. Estrogen and progesterone levels change throughout the month and such changes can trigger alterations in mood, anxiety, and even appetite. Similarly, ovarian steroids may modulate brain activity and cause premenstrual symptoms. Other hormones also fluctuate with
Estrogen and Progesterone Changes during the period
The menstrual cycle is a series of phases in which hormones, such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) cycle, triggering changes in the body and alterations in estrogen and progesterone levels.
Starting at the very beginning of the cycle, estrogen and progesterone levels are low and FSH is being produced and follicles are being matured. These follicles produce estrogen, which is used to prepare the body for pregnancy. Around day 12 to 14, this increase in estrogen triggers an increase in LH, releasing the egg from the follicle. A ruptured follicle produces progesterone and estrogen. If you are not pregnant, these levels drop at the start of menses.
This cycle occurs in three phases: the follicular phase, the beginning, ovulation, and the luteal phase.
How does this effect hunger?
Research has shown that increases in progesterone and testosterone can change appetite.
Estrogen can actually decrease hunger by affecting the hypothalamus. Studies have shown that ovarian rhythms can affect food intake of a various number of mammals, including humans. One particular study found a mean decrease in dietary intake of 250 kcal a day during the pre-ovulation phase (follicular phase) of the cycle, some experiencing upwards of a 600 kcal decrease (Butera, 2010). Progesterone, on the other hand, actually stimulates hunger and may even increase cravings of carbohydrates and sweets (Hirschberg, 2011).
So as the during the follicular phase, it makes sense that one would be less hungry, while during the luteal phase, when progesterone levels rise above estrogen, hunger levels may rise.
Is this Binging?
Changes in hormones is normal and if you are feeling hungrier on a certain day, it is absolutely necessary to eat! It’s okay to eat more calories one day than another and this is a normal part of life. Eating to satisfy yourself is not binge eating, even if it feels like it is, you are satisfying your body’s needs.
Now, I don’t want to get too much into what is and what isn’t disordered eating and how you should and should not intuitively eat, but maybe I will in a future post if you want, but what I will say is that just because you are a little more hungry today, it doesn’t make you a binger. Try to eat what your body is craving, eat until satisfied, and let it be that. Walk away satisfied and stress free.
Did I eat like 4 tablespoons of cookie butter and a chocolate chip cookie tonight? Yeah. Am I upset by it? No. I’m a couple days out from my period and it was what I was craving and it WAS SO GOOD!!!
If the days where you feel like you can eat everything in front of you and absolutely cannot stop despite where you are in your cycle are constant, then you should consider seeking medical (and emotional) help. Again, this post isn’t about that, but also know that if you feel this is where you are in your journey you are welcome to reach out to me, although I am not a professional, I will always be a listening ear.
Anyway, changes in hunger and weight are extremely normal before your period and you absolutely do not need to freak out about it. Enjoy the foods you’re craving and know it’s all going to regulate itself in the end.
What’s your go to PMS food? (I’m in love with cookie butter and chocolate!). Let me know yours in the comments below.
Until next time,
Kat
Sources and further reading;
Butera, P.C. (2010). Estradiol and the control of food intake. Physiological Behavior, 99(2), 175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.06.010
Hirscherg, A.L. (2012). Sex hormones, appetite, and eating behavior in women. Maturitas, 71(2), 248-256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j/maturitas.2011.12.016
The technical pain for abdominal pain during ovulation is mittelschmerz, which is medically defined as lower abdominal pain on one side of the abdomen. This pain usually occurs about 14 days before your next menstrual period, right about the time when you are ovulating.
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