Hi all, I’ve recently started calorie counting to try and shift about a stone in weight. I managed to do it about 3 years ago, both times with an upcoming holiday as motivation. I find the only thing that works for me is to cut out snacks completely, as I just can’t have a small amount without craving more.
The problem is a few days before my period starts, I get terrible cravings, usually for chocolate and end up giving in, and even though I tell myself I’ll just have one small thing, it spirals a little and then I feel guilty for ruining a good streak, and wasting time when I’m specifically aiming for a particular date (the holiday).
I wonder if anyone has any tips for this? Is it that my body actually needs some extra calories (quite possibly), or sugar or whatever. Or is it purely hormones surging and making me feel like I want some ‘comfort’ in food. And should I just give in and make peace with the fact it’s only a few days a month, or accept I need to try even harder on those days?
If this happens to anyone else, do you a) eat a bit extra, but as healthy as possible, b) eat the junk and enjoy it, or c) eat the junk and compensate by limiting calories the rest of the day so you still hit your calorie target?