Men and women lose weight differently. To make the process of weight reduction in the female body pass easily, consistently and without disruption, take into consideration the peculiarities of your menstrual cycle when developing your weight loss plan!
On different days of the cycle, a woman’s body produces different amounts of hormones that have a direct impact on all the processes in it. Knowing exactly which hormone is now leading, you can adjust the diet plan that will bring excellent results when you stick to it.
The first 3 days of the cycle
For many women, the first 3 days of the menstrual cycle are a real challenge. Pain in the breasts and abdomen, headache, loss of appetite, bad mood and high levels of irritability. It is unlikely that in such a state one should start (or continue) reducing weight. But even in case you feel perfect, and the PMS symptoms are only familiar to you thanks to the words of friends, losing weight actively is not recommended during this period. During this period, the body needs vitamin support, which can be obtained from fruits and vegetables.
Fatty foods, coffee and alcohol are forbidden. Avoiding animal protein, which is prescribed in many diets, can lead to anemia in this period.
The best solution in these circumstances will be to have a rest. Draw positive emotions from films, music, and meetings with interesting people. Only 3 days of forced “doing nothing” – and you can safely continue leading an active life!
From the 4th to 14th day of the cycle
On the 4th day from the start of menstruation, the woman’s body undergoes a pleasant change. The woman is in good spirits, full of enthusiasm, and set for success. In this period, oocyte maturation takes place; the body produces increased amounts of estrogen. Metabolism is accelerated by about 30 percent if compared with the next phase of the cycle.
It is now necessary to set a goal to lose weight, keep to a diet and reach your desired weight. In addition, this is the perfect time for fasting days, which are useful for the body, regardless of the number of kilograms.
From the 14th day to the beginning of another cycle
In the middle of the menstrual cycle, most women ovulate. As we remember, the follicle ruptures and exits the cavity of the egg cell that is ready to be fertilized. In place of the rupture, corpus luteum is formed, which produces progesterone. Women feel increased appetite, which often manifests itself in the craving for carbohydrates. If a woman is not involved in sports and does not actively burn calories during this period, carbohydrates are transformed into fat in the female body. A pause in the weight loss in the second half of the cycle is a possible variant of norm, while gaining weight is the reason to pay more attention to physical activity. Doing exercises, remember that each time after the 14th day of the cycle, your body prepares for a possible pregnancy, accumulating nutrients “for the future” – such is our physiology. If workouts do not give a positive result, do not worry – everything will change with the beginning of a new cycle. Compliance with a low calorie diet in the second phase is not desirable and also pointless because of the high probability of failure.
Let’s choose a diet for each phase of the cycle.
Days 4 to 14 of the cycle
Choose a diet with a balanced composition and the caloric content of not less than 1200 kilocalories. The duration of this diet should be 7-10 days before ovulation. During this phase of the cycle one can be effectively losing a few pounds.
From the 14th day to the beginning of a new cycle
As mentioned above, this is not the best time to keep to a low-calorie diet. Your food should be varied and close to the desired balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. The amount of energy that goes into your body through food should be equal to the energy you lose, plus physical exercise and your lifestyle. Your main task in the second phase of the cycle is not to lose weight and keep the weight without gaining it.
On the drinking regime in different days of the cycle
Given that the female body is prone to edema during menstruation and the problem of fluid retention is quite frequent, the question is how much water you need to drink in different phases of the cycle? Do we need to give some slack to the drinking regime in any period?
Nutritionists are very categorical: clean water is essential for the flawless functioning of all body systems. Its amount does not change during each phase of the cycle.
