The menstrual cycle itself doesn't seem to affect weight gain or loss. But having a period may affect your weight in other ways. Many women get premenstrual syndrome (PMS). PMS can cause you to crave and eat more sweet or salty foods than normal.
It is just water retention that happens due to change in the level of hormones and excessive intake of salty and unhealthy food items. Water weight gain is temporary and you lose it within a week after your monthly menstrual cycle ends.
So does being on your period burn more calories or not? Typically, no. While experts largely agree that resting metabolic rates fluctuate during the menstrual cycle, the change is negligible. Given this minimal difference, most women will not burn many more calories than usual.
When Should You Not Weigh Yourself? Ladies, do not weigh yourself 1-3 days prior to menstruation or during menstruation. You will be heavier, it's that simple. Just think about it this way: your body is preparing to bleed for a week!
Many women typically see around two to six pounds of weight gain around their period, but every body is different.
For one, you don't burn more calories on your period, contrary to some locker room chatter. If anything, Sims says you burn slightly more calories when your hormones are higher (known as the post-ovulation luteal phase) because your heart rate, respiratory rate, and core temperature increase.
You can expect to gain 500 grams to 1.5 kilos of weight when you are bleeding. In case you think you are gaining a lot of weight, then speak to your doctor regarding this. It can be due to endocrine or kidney related issues.
Metabolism Changes
Before the menstruation starts, metabolism increases by 10% which has an effect on the weight of the human bodies. Because of other symptoms of PMS and because of increased metabolism, the body starts reducing temporary weight.
How long does period weight gain last? Don't worry—assuming the weight gain is just temporary water retention, your weight should return to normal soon. “Water weight usually goes away about three to five days after your period starts,” says Dr. Landry.
Hormone fluctuations affect water retention, appetite, and more—all part of how they cause swelling and weight gain before and during your period.
Your skin during menstruation
During the first days of your cycle, levels of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone are low. This causes dry, dull skin and can make lines or wrinkles appear more obvious. Moisturizing and hydration can be great skin boosters during the initial days of your cycle.
Five days pre-flow, your hormonal changes cause you to retain more water and bloat, says Jampolis, so your scale will show a slightly higher number. Wait until a day or two into your cycle to get back on the scale.
Keep eating healthy. Avoid salty foods. Keep working out. Increase water intake—I know this may sound counter-intuitive to what you're trying to prevent, but the increased amount of water will help flush out the toxins in your body and actually help your body hold less water.
Bloating may occasionally add a pound or two, but it doesn't actually signify weight gain. A simple way to tell the difference between bloating and weight gain or fat is how your stomach looks and feels. If your stomach is tight and hard, then bloating is the cause. If your stomach is soft and thick, then that's fat.
Essentially, what this means is that your metabolism is thought to speed up around the third quarter of your 28-day cycle - but your urge to eat is also greater. "The data suggests that during the later stages of the cycle women consume and burn more calories," summarises the expert.
It turns out our bodies require 100 – 300 more calories during our luteal phase (the week before our period is due). This is because our Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR – the number of daily calories needed to stay alive) during this time increases by 10-20%.
Low intensity cardio, yoga and pilates are a few exercises that are recommended during stage of your menstrual cycle. While yoga can help in easing premenstrual syndrome, pilates can help in offering relief from any kind of muscular tension.
While many people don't notice any bloating or weight gain at all, others might gain as much as 5 pounds. Usually, this gain happens during the premenstrual, or luteal phase, and the person loses the weight again once the next period begins.
"When estrogen peaks during the days right after a woman's period, and leading up to ovulation, the cells in the skin are stimulated to make more of these elements, resulting in a clear, glowing complexion. During this week, estrogen not only stimulates a glow but also keeps testosterone in check by shrinking pores.
It has also been suggested that women's facial appearance changes throughout the menstrual cycle; faces are perceived as more attractive when photographed around ovulation than during the less fertile parts of the cycle [7,42].
Is it true that we weigh less in the morning? Generally, yes, because you don't have the added weight of a recent undigested meal. During the day, when you're eating and drinking, those foods (and fluids) add weight—at least until they're digested and excreted.
You should step on the scale first thing in the morning. That's when you'll get your most accurate weight because your body has had the overnight hours to digest and process whatever you ate and drank the day before. And you should try to turn that step into a regular part of your routine.
Muscle is denser than fat, and as it is more compact within your body, as you gain muscle mass, you end up looking thinner, no matter your physical weight. So, if you've been doing a lot of strength training lately, it's likely this is the reason that you're looking fantastic but not dropping those numbers.