Your caloric intake should change at different times of your cycle, don't feel guilty for wanting to eat more.
Listen up!
You are not broken and you certainly do not need to feel guilty for wanting to eat more at different times of your cycle.
You are a cyclical being, your hormones ebb and flow, no day is the same as the previous day. Your nutrition should ebb and flow to honor your unique needs. Being on the same diet and eating the same amount all month long does not make sense.
In a healthy body, during the luteal phase (the phase right after ovulation) your body makes progesterone.
Progesterone is that pro-metabolic, anti-estrogen, feel good hormone everyone raves about and for a good reason.
Progesterone actually speeds up your metabolism, increasing your core body temperature and appetite which means you require more calories 7-10 days before your period, that can be anywhere from 100-300 more calories per day.
You may notice you lean more towards higher fat foods whereas during the follicular phase you are more insulin sensitive and your body prefers carbs for fuel, during the luteal phase you are more insulin resistant and will use more fat for fuel at rest and during exercise.
An example of how your macros can change during each phase.
Follicular phase (days 1-14):
Carbs 40%, Protein 30%, Fat 30%
Luteal phase (days 15-28):
Carbs: 30%, Protein 35%, Fat 35%
If you don’t count macros, adding in an extra snack during the day or just adding an extra serving to your meals will do the trick!
This is not a hall pass to go ham on donuts and packaged garbage. Treat your body with respect and give it calories from nutrient-dense real food sources, eat every 3/4 hours and combine carb, protein and fat at every meal.
Here’s the deal. Ignoring these hunger signals can backfire and cause binging and hormonal chaos. Hello PMS!
Your body is intelligent and constantly speaking to you.
Girl, stop shaming - take this as a sign that you are alive, thriving and fertile, honor it and eat more!
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