‘How I Fought Period Cravings And Lost A Pound In One Week’
Weight: 145 pounds
8 a.m. I wake up feeling good. My stomach feels flatter than usual—but I am hungry. I did work out really hard last night (intervals on the rowing machine, kettlebell swings, TRX jump squats, etc.). I hop in the shower to see if it passes. It doesn’t, so I gobble down half of an almond-milk yogurt (75 calories) and a big glass of water, saving my bigger breakfast for work.
9:45 a.m. I arrive at work, still hungry, and immediately make a cup of Irish-style oatmeal (I’ve ditched gluten and dairy from my diet because my doctor says that both can play with your blood sugar levels, and since PCOS makes me more susceptible to Type 2 Diabetes, that’s no bueno). I find this chunkier variety to be a bit more filling than your average instant sludge. I skip my usual almond or soy milk and use water to cut back on calories and sugar (ugh). It’s boring, though, so I experiment with a tablespoon of almond butter to add protein, plus my usual teaspoon or two of ground flaxseed (it adds a bit of nuttiness, and helps me poop). A pinch or two of salt, and the watery taste is pretty subtle. Not great, but not disgusting either. (300 calories)
2 p.m. I’m having a pretty decent day at work—plenty to do but no crazy-urgent requests and enough down time to not get too stressed—but as the day goes on, I start to feel a bit crappy. I seem to have developed a bad headache and allover chills, but I think maybe food will help. I want something hot and spicy (Chipotle? Dig Inn?), but I go to Chop’t and get my usual, instead: a kale salad with tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, black beans, hearts of palm, and a hard-boiled egg. I have them squeeze fresh lemon onto the salad, then drizzle a bit of olive oil. Chop’t tells me this lunch will cost me about 450 calories. Damn olive oil.
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4:30 p.m. My usual afternoon munchies strike, despite feeling worse by the minute. I take medication twice a day that’s supposed to help regulate my insulin and hormone levels, which are wacky thanks to my PCOS, but lately my cravings feel out of control. I know I need to go to the gym, but I’m running low on energy, so I nibble on a (gluten-free) Honey Stinger Organic Cinnamon Waffle (140 calories). It hits the spot and my stomach still feels relatively flat, so I avoid the temptation to eat another. I’ve been super-productive all day and I realize it’s probably just boredom hitting now, so I drink more water and busy myself with answering e-mails.
6:45 p.m. I head to the gym after going home to walk my dog, my headache in full force. I’ll just go for 40 minutes, I think. But when I get to the gym, it’s buzzing with energy, and I’m suddenly motivated to kick my own ass. I do 20 minutes on the Arc Trainer, 10 minutes on the rowing machine, then spend almost 40 minutes strength-training on the TRX and with dumbbells. By the time I finish abs and stretching, it’s approaching 8:30. Go me!
9:15 p.m. I cook chickpea pasta—a high-protein, low-carb, gluten-free alternative to regular pasta, and throw kale, basil, garlic, walnuts, and EVOO into my Cuisinart for pesto. It’s quick and delicious, but I end up eating way too much. (Two bowls of that chickpea pasta will get ya.) I guesstimate around 500 calories.
10 p.m. I realize I’ve gone a bit overboard on calories (approaching 1,500—my goal was 1,200 to 1,300), so I have several handfuls of blueberries for dessert (80 calories). I always have to have dessert.
10:30 p.m. I go to bed early, hoping to kick this oncoming cold before it really begins.
Total Calories: 1,545