The Curse
Dieting is hard enough, but many of us manage to accomplish our goal eventually. Everything is going fairly well, we are being faithful and strong-willed resisting the tempting goodies that surround us for the most part. We are losing a pound here, a pound there…and then we feel it….that first twinge…that first cramp. Oh no, you think, not now. I was doing so well. You know what will happen next. You feel it start to overtake you. You do not feel as strong as you initially did. You get an uncontrollable urge that you just have to satisfy. You spot the cookies that you hid on yourself behind the box of cereal. Come on now, you did not spot them. Let’s be honest. You went looking for them because you knew they were there. Too late.
In Full Bloom
We all know what this is….oh, yes, PMS. PMS is the week or two leading up to your menstrual cycle. Your life is sabotaged with all kinds of symptoms that cause chaos in your life, not to mention pain. It is filled with food cravings, bloating, cramping, irritability, mood swings, sleep problems, fatigue, and headache. I am sure that I am missing something because it seems to cause even more undesirable feelings than that. You feel like your diet is ruined and that you have to start all over again. A vicious cycle indeed. As many as 85% of women feel just like you.
The Dreaded Scale
So you have your moment of weakness and totally lose control. You just have to go and weigh yourself to see how much damage you have done. This is not advisable. You will probably be very depressed. There might even be an outburst complete with tears. You will do it anyway. I know because I do. Now you have done it and depression is inevitable. You must stop and think though that this could very well be, in fact, it is highly possible that this is the bloating that goes along with PMS.
Stay tuned for Dieting and PMS: Blasted Hormones, Part II
Angel Lynn writes in weight loss, single parenting, and health