Food and Hormones
Food and Mood
Mood and Hormones
PMS exhibits over 150 symptoms. I am not going to list them all here, just Google PMS symptoms if you need them listing. For me it’s the severe depression and breast tenderness are the most difficult to cope with and last for the 10 days to two weeks before my period.
Pre-Menstrual Syndrome is worse in women who are overweight. Women with a BMI of 30 or over are three times more likely to suffer severe PMT.
There is a significant increase in the levels of suicide and petty crimes committed by women suffering from PMS. I haven’t done either by the way but I can understand the temptation.
I get angry. Really angry. Since I was a teenager I have learned that exhibiting too much emotion is not acceptable and I have learned to channel it inwards- very self destructive. My anger feels like the withdrawal symptoms I suffered when I gave up smoking. I suffer from cravings which leads to binging on food, usually carbohydrates. Vicious circle. Nasty.
I am not as bad as I used to be. Exercise helps, even if it’s just a good walk in the fresh air, but something more vigorous is better. I swim between 1500m and 2000m five days per week when I am not bleeding and if I have time I try to go to a class like body pump or Body Balance at least three times per week. I am often self-conscious about being by far the fattest woman there, but I don’t look in the mirrors and I try not to compare myself to other people. Focusing on achieving the best results is the best distraction.
Last week was bad. I forgot to chew-chew. Something deep and primeval took over. I needed that comforting full feeling. I didn’t wait until I was hungry, I just ate.
Today is a new day. I have about three weeks until this beast takes me over again. Maybe if I have lost another seven or eight pounds then it will not be as strong.
