“While overeating is the popular perception, the research has shown that there are minor changes in actual food intake throughout the menstrual cycle. Most studies suggest an increase in eating of around 100 to 200 calories in the days before bleeding occurs, but this appears to be offset by the small rise in metabolism (around 5 to 10%)that occurs during the same time period. In other words, the body tends to adjust the calories in/calories out on its own. Therefore, in a weight stable state, no changes in weight will occur. However, if actively losing weight by following a restricted-calorie food plan, the likely result would be a slight (but hardly noticeable) increase in weight loss due to the increased metabolism without the usual increase in calories. Alternatively, the result instead could be a slightly greater difficulty in following the food plan because of increased hunger during that period.”—
Last week, I started using a calorie counter iPad app to try and help me shed some postpartum kilos. The ap, MyFitnessPal, seemingly takes age and gender into account, and if I tell it I’ve done a certain amount of exercise, it allocates me extra calories for that day. It does not, however, give me the option of inputting my menstrual cycle; which doesn’t exactly surprise me, all things considered. But given that there’s both a scientific basis for women* having faster metabolisms just prior to and during menstruation, plus the obvious evidence that we tend to be hungrier - and given also that dieting and calorie plans are overwhelmingly marketed towards women - it makes me wonder: has anyone ever actually formulated a diet plan that takes this fairly simple information into account? Because I’ve never heard of such a thing; and yet, I’d lay good money that the vast majority of menstruating persons who have EVER tried to diet while bleeding have ended up feeling either half-starved and faint or like hideous, guilty failures simply because whatever system they’ve been encouraged to use by friends, family, medical practitioners and/or pop culture hasn’t taken this one important aspect of their biology into account.
As with so much else to do with female* bodies - like the fact that the information used to determine a “normal” BMI (which is bullshit as a diagnostic tool anyway) is based only on what’s normal for men, rather than using a different rubric for women - the impact of menstruation on dieting is frequently elided, despite its clear scientific relevance to the question of calorie intake, cravings and weight loss. And all that does is present yet one more glaring obstacle for women to try and navigate when trying to determine what is right for them as individuals.
*not all women menstruate; not all those who menstruate are women.
How have I never thought about this? (I mean, the fact that the diet industry wants women to fail and hate themselves has definitely crossed my mind, but.) It’s like when Jezebel did that thing on period poos all over again.
not only that, IIRC there’s also hormones released during menstruation that causes some muscle relaxing that means you actually more prone to injuring yourself if you do a hardcore workout. (Which is also why I tend to take down time during shark week) It’s especially bad for knee injuries.
Fun fact: Most drug trials are done on cis men, because the researches don’t want to take into account the added complications of ovulation and menstruation cycles and how they can change the drug interactions. This is a HUGE slap in the face because drugs that tend to work well on men don’t have the same effectiveness with women - especially those designed to deal with mental illnesses. Women are also actually more prone to addiction (a more intense “high” is felt) when estrogen levels are elevated. (but on the plus side, Estrogen apparently also works against the blood-vessel constriction caused by drugs such as cocaine and actually protects somewhat against brain damage)
Reblogging for informative commentary, and also because “shark week” is now officially my favourite term for menstruation.
(via fluffmugger)
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Likewise!
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Reblogging for informative commentary, and also because “shark week” is now officially my favourite term for...
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not only that, IIRC there’s also hormones released during menstruation that causes some muscle relaxing that means you...
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How have I never thought about this? (I mean, the fact that the diet industry wants women to fail and hate themselves...
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