A delicate subject...

So this post will be about lady issues.  Beware all ye who dare to continue reading.

But the mild part of it is a question:
How does "that time of the month" affect your progress towards health in terms of diet, exercise, motivation, etc? 

Do you weigh yourself when you know you're probably retaining water?

So I've written before that I don't have have the best of relationships with my lady plumbing.
As always, I try to get through the bad days with a modicum of grace and a smidge of good humor, but sometimes it is hard.

As I am writing I am sitting on a bus traveling to NYC for one of my closet friend's bridal shower.
I would rather be in bed with my heating pad, narcotics, and cats.
That would be much preferable than feeling every single bump in the road in places that are already crampy and in a foul mood.

Usually on the first day of Dot's arrival (as I like to call her), I can't eat, I am vomity, and can't control my body temperature. Doctors haven't been able to figure out why this is, but they think it's related to the ovarian cysts that I get -- my body just has wild hormonal swings (and no, I don't get wild mood swings).

I was trying to be optimistic and i packed exercise clothing to use at the hotel gym
I haven't been to the gym in the past three mornings, my body begging for sleep.  I'm off track for the 100 miles in September. It just means when my uterus/body decides to cooperate, that I'll have to do some longer runs. That's okay with me.

I just feel like for a few days every month my body is possessed by some alien.  I don't tend to go through the normal PMS symptoms (just a little stabby feelings) but I found in the past 2 days I really let small things get to me.  Normally I'm unshakable, but I felt all the anxiety and stress available.  I don't know how some women deal with it every month. I'd go mad. No wonder the cure for being "hysterical" used to be getting a hysterectomy.

I don't know what the point of this post is other than to document where I am right now.


I hear you! The week before my TOM (time of month) brings a short(er) temper and typically about 4lbs of bloat and constipation. As a daily weigher, I get frustrated to see that bump on the scale, especially when it comes at a time when I've been really really good eating- and activity-wise. So yes, I do weigh, but I don't beat myself up too much over the number that I see.
As for diet, I get ravenously hungry and sleepy just before TOM. If I keep my carbs extra low, I do fine. If I allow myself a carby treat, it's all over--I won't stop, and I may even binge. Thanks to hormones, it's a time when I don't have as much control over my compulsive eating, so making good food choices is especially important for me. I'm also more likely to choose sleep over exercise if I'm dead tired. If I'm crampy/in pain, I will do some crunches since they seem to help.


So, I have an iPhone. And my older sister told me about an app called iPeriod...which I thought was totally stupid and pointless...but she told me that I had to try it.

I did - and basically, you can chart just about anything from "love connections" (minus Chuck Woolery) to days you're on your period to your mood, to headaches...

Anyway, I've started making notes of when I'm cranky and Joe and I argue. It's so rare that we fight, that I wanted to find out why I was so sensitive sometimes.

Turns out, it's when Aunt Flow visits...so now I'm making a mental note that when I'm on the rag, I don't need to nag OR act like a hag.

Crude? Yes. But it rhymes. And I love me some rhymes. :)


I am borderline personality disorder about a week before, and it always takes me half a day to figure out why I'm being evil. Then I gain 5 lbs overnight. Then all the physical issues... Then it takes me 2 weeks to lose those 5 lbs. Real bleepin' cute.


Heli: you and i are very similar in how we react to TOM/Dot. I tend to crave salty things, wear red more, and be very sleepy. I will try to do some crunches if I'm up to it when this bus stops. Usually my cat spike (about 12lbs) will sit right over my uterus. He's warm, he purrs, and he kneads. I have yet to find anything better than that.

HFP: I will see if I can find a similar widget for my computer (I don't have an iphone). Your description and rhyme are both hilarious!


For me Lady "fun" time is generally ok. more recently I've been having worse cramps. Unfortunately I've hungry all the time. And I read in a magazine you burn a few more calories around this time so my brain says "You can and SHOULD have a frosted jelly doughnut" Ummmm yeah. So I'm not doing so hot I stopped tracking during the pre week and I need to get back to that.

Also I'm pretty much a bitch. One birth control I was on turned me into UBER SUPER bitch but now I'm just down to a more irritated me. I think to myself "This isn't a big deal. I shouldn't be this angry. BUT THEY ARE WRONG!!!"

Have a great time at the party. And hit that gym up!


Oh, all you babes. Just wait until menopause is screaming at the door. The urge to slap every person you meet during that TOM becomes almost too irrestible. I say almost because I haven't actually resorted to violence yet, but I do warn my family to put the knives away and to not make any eye contact lest I turn into a snarling beast and rip their heads off.

Do I weight myself? Yeah, just because it's so much fun to see those 4-5 pounds magically appear and then disappear three days later, she says so snarkily.


Uh, I spelled "irresistible" incorrectly. *sigh*


262 -- my mom used to say that she had PMPS -- Pre-menstrual/menstrual/post-menstrual syndrome: it explained why she was a bitch all the time. Ugh. the rinse repeat aspect is such a pain, eh?

Mertle -- I totally thought of you when i ate a cinnamon sugar munchkin (something I haven't had in over a decade...) And it tasted so good. Sooo sooo good. I try to keep tracking, but not judging.

Angela -- Do you have a national threat level during TOM? My goodness i'd be scared.


Over-emotional, clumsy (not one whole set of cutlery or glasses left in our house!),feelings of hopelessness and despair. And chocolate consumption is off the scale. Then there's the pain and lethargy. I laugh at the very notion of doing exercise in the run up to or during TOM! Ha!


i can't run on the first day of my TOM, but I can the subsequent days. Maybe not for long, but it's not impossible.


I have been totally cranky the past week due to that very issue. When my husband pointed out how crabby I was, I simply told him that I would probably snap at him for no reason for the next week due to hormones and he just needed to deal with it. I can't really exercise when I am cramping, but I try to take a pain reliever and do it anyway. Exercise is a great stress reliever for me so it actually relieves some of my irrational anger. SOME, not all.


If i had a husband, I'd totally get some boxing gloves and deal with things that way.


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<3 Robby