PMS – Running on Fumes

Bonus points for the Good Mythical Morning reference.

On this blog, I’ve talked about pregnancy, postpartum issues, perimenopause things, and a whole lot of other stuff.

We haven’t talked about menstrual cycle-related cravings. We’re about to!

I don’t know about other women, as I’m only one, small blessings, but 7-10 days prior to my cycle, I crave chocolate like it will never be there for me ever again. And, somehow, my 39 yr old body has now discovered the joy that is peanut butter and chocolate. Together. Big shocker. From no bake cookies to no bake fudge to Lindt truffles to huge chunks of dark chocolate, there are no boundaries. And the longer I deny the craving, the worse it gets. I once woke up in the middle of the night to raid the cupboard for chocolate.

Of course, chocolate has all the feel good properties of illicit drugs, at least that’s how it’s perceived by our human brains. But the origin of a craving is bizarre. Most research points to fluctuating hormone levels as the cause behind what we know as a craving, commonly for sweet or salty snacks.

Cravings are selective and intense, meaning the desire for a specific substance is overwhelming. Even the most trusted self help literature falls short of tried-and-true ways to overcome a craving. Nonetheless, I’ve lived with them for this long, what’s 50 years more.

Finally, I like to play a fun game affectionately titled why do my boobs hurt today? Running in an ill-fitting sports bra? Possibly. PMS symptom? Most likely. It’s always a blast around here, lemme tell ya’.

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I ask you –

Do you like chocolate and peanut butter together?

What fun game do you like to play?

Name your oddest craving!

(The post Let’s Talk About It first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)