You’ve made the decision to start LighterLife and achieve your dream-weight. Everything is going well, you’re focused, sticking 100% to the Programme then bam! Your monthly cycle arrives adding an extra hurdle for you to overcome. Don’t fret, one of our Mentors Tracey offers her advice on how to cope with your period without sabotaging your goals.
At LighterLife we always say your journey is ALL ABOUT YOU – this is one for the ladies, offering advice, tips and strategies to keep you on track during your monthly cycle. Even if you no longer have a full monthly menstrual cycle, you may still have hormones affecting your body, your mood, and causing water retention during your time of the month. It’s vital to plan in advance; and put effective strategies in place that resonate with you and help support you during this time.
Tackle those cravings!
One of the main concerns for many women during their cycle is cravings, particularly in relation to chocolate cravings! At LighterLife we have a number of chocolate flavoured products that can help tackle any chocolate cravings you may have. You can choose from a Chocolate Mug Cake, Chocolate Shake, and various chocolate bars. You can even hack these products, creating your very own chocolate ice-cream by using the shake mix with less water, adding crushed ice and popping into a blender, or in the winter months you can add hot water to the chocolate shake, to enjoy it as a hot chocolate or even create cookies from the Chocolate Mug Cake, and popping them into the oven for a few minutes. For more hack ideas simply head over to our YouTube channel.
One of my clients has a slightly different approach, she uses a bar as one of her four Foodpacks a day, she then chops it up into small pieces and puts it into a pot in the fridge. She will then “dip into it” throughout the day and evening, as she finds this helps to keep any cravings she has at bay. The best advice is to find out what works for you and go with it…
Easing Stomach Cramps
I am all too aware that the severity of stomach cramps can vary from month to month, however if you plan some gentle exercise into your daily routing e.g. gentle walking or yoga as this can help to alleviate the pain. You may also wish to consider a warm heat pad, hot water bottle or a tense machine to ease the pain too. Pain can see some people reaching for things that are not on plan as they seek some “comfort” for how they are feeling physically, it is important to honour how your body is feeling but equally important to support yourself in reaching your goals by finding ways to keep on track when things become a little challenging. Remember to join the free online CBT support sessions available to you each week.
Tracey’s top tips to keep you on track during your monthly cycle:
- Keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water, little and often.
- Honour your cravings without sabotaging your goals by using LighterLife products that will help tackle your cravings.
- Be kind in the way you talk to yourself and be aware that you may be even more sensitive at this time.
- Resist the urge to step on the scales, as you may be carrying extra water at this time which could result in a “misleading” reading.
- Track your emotions by using a journal as a support mechanism.
- Talk to your Mentor – this may help release any stress you may be holding onto.
- Pamper yourself i.e. give yourself a facial, a foot massage, or have an early night.
It’s important to remember why you are on your LighterLife journey, hurdles will arise and challenge you to stay on track, however by being prepared for these hurdles and planning how to tackle them best will help to strengthen your resolve and ultimately help you reach your weight-loss goal #ChangeIsPossible.
We know losing weight can be tough, that’s why we have lots of support to help you on your journey. Get in touch with your personal Mentor by doing a postcode search here or emailing findmymentor@lighterlife.com
