Why Am I So Hungry During My Period?

Q. When it's "that time of the month" I feel like my stomach is a bottomless pit. I can eat and eat. I also crave sweets. Is this normal?

A. In a word: Yes. It's very common to experience an increase in appetite or cravings for certain foods just before or during your period.  

The idea that getting one's period causes an uncontrollable desire for sweets is so heavily reinforced in our society that it could easily become a self-fulfulling prophecy.

But how much of this is biological or physiological and how much of it is in our heads? After all, the idea that getting one's period causes an uncontrollable desire for chocolate or other sweets is so heavily reinforced in our society that it could easily become a self-fulfulling prophecy. If we believe that we are the victim of forces beyond our control, it gives us an excuse to abandon our usual self-restraint or to justify our excesses. 

But while it may be subject to some exaggeration, the phenomenon of hunger and cravings associated with a woman's period is not entirely imagined.

How the menstrual cycle affects appetite and metabolism

Levels of the hormone progesterone rise in the second half of the menstrual cycle, leading up to the onset of menstruation. This hormone triggers changes in the uterus that allow it to support a pregnancy. It's also known to have an appetite-stimulating effect. 

Non-human animals—who are presumably immune to cultural messaging—tend to eat more and favor more calorie-dense foods in the week or two leading up to the onset of the menstrual cycle. Perhaps this is the body's way of preparing for the extra energy demands of being pregnant.

We are not completely at the mercy of our hunger hormones.

However, there are a couple of other compensating factors to consider. Levels of the hormone leptin also rise during the second half of the cycle, and this appetite-regulating hormone tends to suppress the urge to eat. So, we are not completely at the mercy of our hunger hormones. 

You also burn more calories in the days leading up to your period. It's an oft-repeated myth that women burn up to 500 extra calories per day during their period. In reality, you probably burn an extra 500 calories per cycle. But if you're a bit hungrier than usual, that may be part of the reason. As along as you don't go overboard, that extra calorie burn could cancel out an extra snack or two.

You may gain and lose a few pounds every month, but most of the change is due to temporary water retention.

In effect, the typical changes in appetite hormones and metabolism during your...

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