Hey, girlfriend. Do you understand the bathroom scale? You know, the one in your bathroom you have covered with a towel? Should you weigh yourself every day anyway?

Let’s be honest. You’ll never be your teenage weight again. And when you get on the scale every day, it messes with your mind, especially if you see it going in a direction you don’t like.

But the scale doesn’t tell the complete story.

Menstrual Cycle Effect

Women’s weight fluctuates throughout the month because of our menstrual cycles. Even when you reach your 40s and start experiencing premenopausal moments.

The first thing to remember is that the number on your scale is just a number. It’s one number at one moment in time. It’s not the truth about your weight.

You can do everything right in your current eating and exercise plan, but the scale, and your weight, will still fluctuate. It’s like being on a roller coaster.

The biggest culprit is the change in hormone levels of estrogen and progesterone.

Let’s review what happens during your period (menstruation.)

Menstrual Cycle Process

Week 1

When you see your first drops of blood, the process has begun. The hormones estrogen and progesterone drop and cause the uterus to shed its lining (the blood.)

Weeks 2 – 3

Hormone levels start their rise again, including another hormone (FSH) that encourages the formation of eggs. At the end of this stage, estrogen peaks as the uterus builds back its lining to prepare for a baby. You may retain fluid and gain weight.

Halfway through your monthly cycle, you enter ovulation, and your body releases an egg. This egg survives only 12–24 hours. After ovulation, you may lose weight because your body releases excess fluid.

Weeks 3–4

The released egg travels through the fallopian tubes to the uterus. Progesterone levels rise to help receive the egg. Higher progesterone stops your body from releasing fluid so your weight might increase. If the egg isn’t fertilized, hormones drop again toward the end of the cycle.

This monthly roller coaster plus the bathroom scale can drive you crazy. You wonder if you’re doing something wrong.

Menstrual cycles change over time as you age and become shorter and more consistent. Until you reach pre-menopause when change again becomes the norm in preparation for menopause.

Every woman’s body is different, and your cycle, fluid retention, and hormone levels will vary. Some women experience more dramatic changes, while others hardly seem to notice. But if you pay attention to where you are during your cycle, you’ll be able to notice a pattern.

Don’t let scale fluctuations worry you because we are fluctuating machines all the way from our weight to our hormones.

Diet Recommendations

I recommend drinking dandelion tea and taking dandelion supplements to help moderate your symptoms. You can order them from my Amazon supplements recommendation store.

Don’t forget to share this post, especially with your girlfriends who complain about their weight. Do them a favor and help ease their minds.

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