I started LCing a week ago and felt great up until yesterday. I felt so bloated and then realized that my period was due in a week. I was so happy on Wednesday morning because I had lost another pound. I followed the Atkins diet religiously and this morning gained more than 1 pound! I absolutely hate these weight fluctuations before my period and I feel downright awful with all this bloating. My body looks like I gained 10 pounds even though the scale only shows a 1 pound gain. Has anyone else experienced this? I tell myself it's only temporary but I feel so bad during this time...

Talinka,
Sorry I don't have any answers just thought you needed a hug Pat S

Talinka,

Happens to me too. Even though we know its water retention, it doesn't make the gain any less disappointing. I try not to weigh myself during that time.. and I look at it as an opportunity to wear my most comforting clothing and not worry about how I look. Most of all, I don't allow it to interfere with my eating habits. I love the whoosh after it's all over and done with!

Hang in there!

oddly when I retain water the solution has been to drink MORE water, lots of it,

at least for me, julienne

Yeah, I get really bloaty right before and during TOM. But I can still wear the jeans I could barely fasten six weeks ago - and be active in them. I'm really looking forward to when I'm done, cause I know the tummy is going to reduce drastically! And drinking more water seems to help.

Hi Talinka!

This is absolutely normal and I know how irritating that can be. My fluctuations have passed about 2 weeks ago, I'm doing this for 2 months now. The others are right : the more water you drinnk the faster your body can reach the balance.
Look at my link below, the one about weight roller coaster. It helped me a lot once!
Take care!
Alina

Thanks so much, everyone, for all your support and information! I felt a lot better after reading that you had a similar experience. My weight actually went back down a little yesterday which supports the idea that these are fluctuations and not actual gains!

Thanks again!

Hi,

I don't know if it's true or not but I've heard that drinking green tea helps with water retention -

Yep.

I have this exact same problem each month. I can have lost 2/3lb in the couple of weeks preceding TOM and then for around 4 days I retain water AND have constipation which is only relieved when TOM arrives. This can amount to a really significant gain on the scales and like you - feeling physically swollen all over to the extent that I look 10lbs heavier!.

Sometimes being a woman is yuck!