For the Ladies

Ok Ladies,
How do you fight the hormone induced weight gain and cravings and bloat?  Is there anything to make it easier or just deal with it.  Right now I can see up to a 10 weight shift and that just seems to extreme to me.   And there are always about 3 days were I feel like a bottomless pit and I don't seem to have much restriction unless I only eat dense protein and I still eat more of that.  What's the deal? 

I just deal with it. It never results in the scale going up permanently so I don't see the point in getting angsty about it. 

I do exactly what your post suggests and switch to denser foods. I also have my entire life set up to deter snacking so that supports me during the difficult times.

The bloat...meh. It'll go away the same way it came. I'm finally starting to get to the point where I understand what weight changes are real and what weight changes aren't. Bloat is water which isn't a real gain.

I'm post-menopausal so I believe my hormone swings are minimal and I still get days when I'm a bottomless pit, as well as days when I can hardly eat anything.  They seem to balance out--a high intake day will be followed by a day when I don't eat a lot.  The water weight I just ignore, it goes away pretty fast and for me is due to higher sodium or sugar intake rather than hormones.

During those times I refuse to snack or graze. I want to, believe me, I WANT TO! But instead I drink hot tea. Lots and lots of hot tea. Something warm satisfies my want of the nom noms, dark dirty temptress that they are.

As I've progessed in maintenance, my homonal 'bounce' has gotten smaller even with the bottomless pit days. .  I am extra careful with sodium, I track my food, and I just ride it out. I will also try to exercise more to take my head out of the game, so to speak :)

I joke that I'm the human sponge- I can hold a lot of water, but 10lbs is quite a bit. I can float usually 5-7lbs max, but I try to not stress about it as long as my eating has been good. I'm still a weigher/measure & logger, probably always will be.. I've relapsed and regained too much before to not have learned that.

I try (don't always DO) avoid the salt.. but sometimes I just accept I'll hold more water and go for it. If I bloat too bad- and it happens occasionally, especially if the weather has been warm and I've been on my feet a lot (or sitting a lot) I do have a PRN rx for lasix, and I'll take one.

Salt over sweet is usually my deal.. I do the same, try to eat more protein, drink a lot of water/fluids/coffee/decaff for night, keep to more of a schedule- as it is I generally eat something every 3hrs anyway.. and I have lots of veggies and pickles and such to nibble on if needed as that time comes around. Protein is the only thing that really gives me restriction, and some things like spag squash/veg.. 

Something I started doing about 5 or 6 mo ago that really helped me deal, as the weight loss really slowed and the up and down swings started being more of a problem- I started charting my daily weight. I stick this on the fridge, and do my little dots/lines.. and I keep the past months.. It really helped me see my cycle pattern of weight changes, and helped take some more of the stress out of the gaining side of things. I only lose for a week or so a month, hold then gain till the next cycle. Less stress=a little better control when the urge to eat hits. This is the chart I use, but any would do:

http://www.muschealth.com/weight/graph.htm

I actually tend to get nervous now when it gets close to that time for me. I too become a bottomless pit & want to eat literally all day long. Lee suggested I munch on those mini sweet peppers. They are so good!
It's going to be that time for me next week & I am dredding it but I'm going to do my best to prepare for it. Drink lots of water in between meals & distract myself any way possible. Good luck to us!!!

 Being ten years post menopausal, I don't get those swings.  My range is generally within two pounds to account for sodium fluctuations. If I'm up more than a pound, I have to be honest and say its from my eating.  I think we all get those ravenous type days.  I track my food so that I can see what the culprit was. I have MFP programmed to track sodium on my iPad.  I love salty things.

I have two huge bags of mini tri colored sweet peppers in my fridge.  I allow myself to munch freely if it's that kind of day.  I figure it's both hydrating as well as filling and gives me the crunch factor as well.