The Weight and Menstrual Cycle Connection

For women, the monthly cycle can bring many ups and downs. It can be a lot to deal with all of the physical symptoms, including headaches, backaches, and even cramps before and during the cycle. In addition, you may also experience emotional issues and feel like you are on a roller coaster at all times. As if that’s not enough, many women also find that they may gain weight or have struggles with their weight when they go through this ongoing cycle. If you feel like there is a real connection between your weight and menstrual cycle, you’re not alone. There is some merit to this and therefore you want to understand exactly why this is.

Stop to think for a moment about just how much you have going on throughout your monthly cycle. You have a drop in hormones and then a sharp rise in them. Your body is ultimately preparing for pregnancy each month, and then when that doesn’t happen it has to go through the winding down process, so to speak. There is a lot happening behind the scenes, and so it’s really no wonder that your physical, mental, and emotional health goes through quite a bit to try and keep up with it all. That means that if you think that your weight is out of control at some point in this cycle, it’s more than likely true.

If you want to know the truth behind the all important connection between your weight and menstrual cycle, then it’s essential to understand the contributing factors. You very likely are experiencing the ups and downs all around, and your weight is just one part of it all.

Changes in hormones may cause your weight to fluctuate significantly:

Your hormones are all over the place, and that may be an understatement. They say that you shouldn’t weigh yourself every single day because it can fluctuate so frequently. It can be even more true during your monthly cycle because as the hormones rise and fall, so can your weight. This is a direct impact of the hormonal imbalance, so go in knowing that you may gain several pounds during your menstrual cycle.

You may retain water and therefore be bloated, weighing more just before and during a period:

If you ever wondered why you felt bloated right before or during your period, it’s because you are likely retaining water much more readily. So as you retain that water, this means that you are bloated and that your weight will go up. Be ready for it and don’t worry too much, for the majority of this is likely water weight that will subside after your menstrual cycle is done for the month.

You may tend to crave and give into eating unhealthy foods when you suffer from PMS:

If you’re being really honest about it, you are craving the salty and sweet foods that are off limits the rest of the time. This is due to the hormones and the effects of PMS at work in your body. So if you give into those cravings and eat bigger portions or unhealthy foods, then you may ultimately gain weight. Chances are that you are not eating enough of them to make a difference in the long term, but if you let it get out of control then it might.

Your body is out of whack due to changing hormones and temporary weight gain can be a part of that: Yes, the hormones are changing, the body is reacting, and weight gain can often be part of it. Though you may have questioned the connection between your weight and menstrual cycle, this is a very common time to gain weight quickly but it will more than likely return to normal after your period is over. Be ready for it, understand it, and know that in most cases it’s only temporary!