Weight Gain During The Menstrual Cycle
August 7th, 2011
Gaining weight during menstruation is another common complaint of women the same way as stomach cramps and mood swings. It is thought to be caused by several factors stemming from hormonal production. At the same time, some women also report having intense cravings before the start of the menstrual week. However, experts in this field have advised people not to believe these myths. As people living in the modern era, it is in our best interest to believe in events backed by scientific investigation rather than speculation.
Why do women report gaining weight in the course of their menstruation? Here are two considerations believed to be the main contributors of this phenomenon.Cravings
This is more experiential than science-based. All of us have cravings. But it is thought that the people with the most significant cravings are those who are undergoing hormonal changes. Women who are menstruating have a lot of cravings. It is their body’s way of adjusting to the changes in hormones inside them. Experts in this field say that women during their menstruation are to suffering from low blood sugar. With this, the automatic response of the body is to create cravings that will provide enough sugar to restore the normal blood sugar levels in the body.Then again, when nutritionists measured how much weight was gained because of this one week craving, they found it to be minimal. A 63 kilogram woman reported a two pound weight gain after her menstrual week and eventually lost it in the succeeding days. This prompted nutritionists to focus on another weight gain catalyst.
Water Retention/Edema
A lot of women will notice that during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause, they gained a couple of pounds. The majority of these added pounds is not from fat. In fact, it is primarily from gaining water. At times when hormones are erratic and are not at their normal levels, swelling (a.k.a. edema) occurs. Thus, a woman gains more water in certain areas such as the arms, legs, and tummy. The breasts also increase in size causing physical discomfort to the woman.Experts observed women who were undergoing ovulation and eventually menstruation. After making sure that they did not consume any additional food apart from their usual diet, weight was evaluated and compared. The expertsconcluded that the swelling and water weight was the key factor in the weight women gained. And thus, it led nutritionists to developing a diet plan that would help control abdominal bloating and weight gain during the menstrual period.
A word of advice: gaining weight during menstruation is perfectly normal. It happens to all women, though it varies as to how much water weight is gained by any particular person. For as long as the process ends and the symptoms are improved right after menstruating, gaining water weight is not amajor issue. With the properdiet, water weight will be controlled and lost right after menstruating. It should not be a major cause for concern in a woman who is dealing with this because it will typically resolve on its own.
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