Bloating Discomfort and PMS go Han in Hand
Where does this weight gain come from?
There are many misconceptions about where this weight before menstruation originates. Many believe that it comes from overeating. After all, appetite increases during PMS.
The truth behind that is that while there’s more eating going on, there is also an increase in metabolism that is only sufficient to offset the additional body activity. Definitely not enough to be noticeable.
The fact is women do crave more sweets during PMS. It isn’t clear why that is, but it is obvious that it happes and cravings for sweets increase as premenstrual syndrome symptoms worsen.
On most cases however they are not ingesting enough to trigger an increase in weight. Yet bloating discomfort is very real at this time.
The weight gain occurs mostly from retaining water. For women struggling to control their weight, this can be very frustrating. It appears that regardless of how much they work out, or how strict their diets are, they still feel bloated.
All of it is temporary however and water that is retained typically comes off during menstruation.
There are a few things that you can do to help limit the amount of retained water.
1) Reduce your sodium intake.
2) Drink more water.
When you consume more salt (sodium), it lodges itself in the intestines and your kidneys must work overtime to flush out it. When your body is not getting the water it needs to function correctly, it starts to go into conservation mode. It uses less and begins to store more. Hence bloating discomfort begins.
Once you reduce the amount of salt and sodium you eat or drink, your body needs less water to function efficiently. Since you know that your body is going to be retaining fluids anyway because you’re coming to your menstrual period, cut your salt intake. Also, increase the amount of water that you drink. In this way, your body will retain less and you will not have to worry every month how much weight gain will take place.