Will eating during menstruation make you fat? A weight loss expert tells you

Before or during menstruation, women's appetite will increase significantly, and they especially like to eat spicy or sweet foods with strong flavors. Many girls particularly support the idea that eating during menstruation will not lead to obesity. Some girls say that their weight will decrease after the menstrual period ends. So is this really the case? How should we correctly view the relationship between weight loss and menstruation?

1. The body’s metabolism speeds up during menstruation, so you won’t gain weight?

First of all, the menstrual cycle itself does not bring about a large amount of energy consumption. Even if the body temperature rises by 0.3-0.5℃ after ovulation, it can generally only increase the energy consumption in the luteal phase by a few dozen calories (for every 1℃ increase in body temperature, the basal metabolic rate increases by about 13%), not to mention the period when the body temperature is lower?

Secondly, metabolism itself is affected by age, body surface area, exercise, etc. For two people with similar situations, the amount of exercise will lead to different metabolic rates. In addition, there are indeed relevant research reports abroad on how much the human body's metabolism speeds up during menstruation, but in reality it may not speed up too much. More importantly, for people with normal digestion and absorption, eating too much of any high-calorie food will also accumulate in the body and cause weight gain.

2. Why do you feel lighter after your period?

This is because before your period, progesterone levels rise, water retention in the body increases, breasts become larger, and the endometrium thickens, leading to weight gain. After the period ends, hormone levels decrease, breasts become smaller, the endometrium and menstrual blood are discharged from the body, and water is lost. The weight lost during this period will compensate for the weight gain caused by eating, so there will be an illusion that you are not gaining weight.

3. How to lose weight correctly during menstruation?

1. It is not recommended to lose weight by dieting during menstruation. It is recommended to eat a light diet and avoid spicy and greasy food;

2. Don’t eat too salty food to avoid water retention in the body. For example, choose salt-free nuts and eat less high-salt foods such as chicken feet and duck necks;

3. Although there is no taboo on sweets during menstruation, if you want to lose weight, you should avoid eating too much cream cake, ice cream and other sweets;

4. Pay attention to supplementing high-quality protein and iron. You can choose lean meat, fish, shrimp, eggs, etc.;

5. Eat more vegetables, fruits and whole grains (such as oats) to increase dietary fiber and supplement a variety of vitamins, minerals and some antioxidants, and drink more warm water to keep gastrointestinal digestion smooth and prevent constipation during menstruation;

6. Eat at regular times and in regular amounts to avoid skipping meals and eating too much at the next meal;

7. If you don’t feel uncomfortable, you can do some light or moderate aerobic exercise during your period, such as walking, brisk walking, jogging, etc. Be careful to avoid strenuous or excessive exercise;

8. Ensure adequate sleep during menstruation;

9. Have perseverance and patience to lose weight and keep a good mood every day;

10. It is recommended to weigh yourself once a month (after your period ends) to avoid worrying or being too excited because of the normal changes in weight during the menstrual cycle.