It's that dreaded time of the month when your hands swell, your shoes feel tight and you seem to bloat instantly. And the scale becomes an instant enemy as you gain between 2-7 pounds. And although it only lasts for 5 to 7 days, it can be downright grueling because you crave salt and many foods that should not even be in your diet. Before you give in to your cravings and submit to a week of feeling like a cabbage patch kid, let me share with you how to ward off weight gain. There are ways to keep the weight gain away when you have your period, so tune in to my tips:
1 Lower Your Sodium Intake
With your change in hormones in that time of the month you will likely crave salt. So chips, French fries, pizza and every other high sodium food will be on your crave list. But that does not mean it is okay to give in. Try to avoid or lower your sodium intake to keep weight gain at bay this week!
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2 Increase Your Greens
Although the last thing you are probably thinking of is your greens, this is what your body needs. Greens will speed up your digestion and provide your body with the phytonutrients that it really needs. Often we eat based on what our body wants rather than what it needs and during your period. Eat before your cravings hit and choose food that nourishes your body and keeps weight gain at bay!
3 Drink Lots of Water
With the time of the month and your body’s natural tendency to hold onto water, it is more important now that ever to drink plenty of water. Aim for 9 glasses of water daily during your time of the month and kick the bloating to the curb!
4 Add Lemon to All Water and Your Meals
To decrease bloating you should also add lemon slices to your water and lemon to pretty much every meal. Lemon is a natural diuretic so even though you will pee more, you will not have to worry about bloating. Good news is that your rings will fit as well because you won’t be bloated!
5 Eat Mini Meals
Choose your portion size wisely and eat mini meals. Mini meals are more easily digestible and this as a result can help prevent weight gain during your time of the month. Never go more than 2 to 2 and half hours to eat or you will end up eating more than you should.
6 Sweat It out in the Early Morning
Remove toxins from the body and stave off bloating by starting your day with a sweat session. Just 30 minutes of high intensity can help protect you from weight gain during your period. You will also feel great because you started your day in the best possible way!
7 Get to Bed Early
Get to bed earlier so your body can perform at its best and you can help to avoid weight gain. Aim for a healthy 7-9 hours of sleep per night to keep your body efficient and avoid the pounds packing on due to inflammation in the body from lack of sleep.
8 Hide the Scale
A super simple way to not see period weight gain is to simply not check! You need to remember it's only temporary weight gain and you shouldn't beat yourself up over it.
9 Avoid Gassy Foods
Avoiding dairy, beans, and carbonated beverages will reduce the bloating you experience during your period, and thus, will reduce the amount of weight you gain.
10 Take Supplements
A chromium supplement will stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels in the blood. This stabilization will regulate your appetite and cause fewer cravings with a more fuller feeling between meals without much effort at all.
So follow these tips so you glide through your time of month without stress and avoid weight gain. You will feel better and have loads of energy as a result of your efforts and healthy choices!
