By Amanda Mittleman MS
What Is My Menstrual Cycle Trying to Tell Me?
At Mo-Mentum Fitness, my team and I help women of all ages—from their teen years all the way to their golden years—live their best, most empowered life. The Mo-Mentum Fitness mission is to help you reach your full potential.
You’re probably thinking, Of course I want to reach my full potential as a woman. But how can I do that when I still feel like my period is controlling me?
During my journey of helping women for over 20 years, I started noticing something about women in their forties: they’re tired of feeling like a prisoner to their periods.
If you’re a woman in your forties, you might identify with some of these concerns:
- After having my period for thirty years, shouldn’t I be able to manage the mood swings and food cravings?
- When my period comes, why do I feel like an outsider sitting on the sidelines—helplessly watching as my body experiences hormonal challenges?
- I wish I could know when to expect each symptom.
- All of a sudden my periods are less predictable: sometimes heavier, sometimes late, and sometimes early.
- Isn’t there some way I can use what my body is telling me to my advantage?
If you’ve been feeling like your menstrual cycle has been holding you hostage all these years, let me assure you of something remarkable. Just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, you’ve always had the power to understand your cycle and use it as a barometer to achieve your most vibrant health.
At Mo-Mentum Fitness in Huntington Beach, we specialize in helping women reach their full potential. And while not all women are the same, many of us have similar challenges during our menstrual cycle.
You Can Feel Empowered During Your Period.
Understanding how your menstrual cycle affects your overall health, emotions, and even your decisions is vital to living your best, empowered life.
We’ve all seen that beautiful brunette with the golden W on her chest and classic, knee-high red boots. Wonder Woman has been an icon of a woman’s powerful potential since 1941.1
And her greatest weapon? Her Lasso of Truth. Her shining treasure that could coax the truth out of even the most hardened soul.
What if you had your own lasso of truth? A secret power that could tell you exactly why you’re feeling crabby today? Your own intuition about when exactly you’re going to want to raid your cupboards?
Ladies, you really do have your own innate lasso of truth. It’s called your menstrual cycle. And if you pay attention to what it’s telling you, YOU can feel empowered and rise above your hormonal challenges.
Before you call me a crazy lady and move on, hear me out.
The Key to Wielding Your Lasso of Truth Is to Know What Your Hormones Are Doing.
Your reproductive hormones include estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Each are powerful molecules that impact who you are, who you are becoming, and the outcomes in your life.
Here is a brief description of what’s happening during each week of your cycle, as well as some simple yet productive tips for overcoming hormonal challenges:
Week One (The Bleed Week)
- Hormones are on the rise during Week One of your cycle, which can cause you to feel more sensitive.
- Solution: make sure to eat enough iron-rich foods to make up for any iron loss due to your bleeding. Dipping iron levels can trigger fatigue, which can result in a bad mood.
Week Two
- Week Two of your cycle is actually your Awesome Week! Estrogen and testosterone are high this week, which helps you feel more confident and ready for new challenges.
- Solution: consider saving bigger decisions for Week Two, such as starting a new food or workout plan or deciding to quit your current job for a new one.
Week Three
- During Week Three, estrogen and testosterone drop while progesterone rises, which can make you feel more negative than usual.
- Solution: look deeper into those negative feelings to see if they’re red flags that something in your life needs realignment with your core values.
Week Four
- Progesterone may make you hungrier during Week Four because she’s planning on growing the endometrial lining for a baby.
- Solution: have a simple plan in place before your cravings intensify. Resolve to eat only one serving of pasta at dinner instead of four, and make sure you stock your kitchen with healthy snack and dessert options. But don’t white knuckle it by trying to “willpower” your way out of carbs. This week, give yourself room for a few more carbs.
When you’re armed with the knowledge of what’s happening during each week of your cycle, no one and no thing can take away your dynamic, personal potential. This is great news because having the power to influence your outcomes is freedom at its finest.
Honoring Your Menstrual Cycle Is Not About Giving In.
Understanding and honoring your menstrual cycle is an incredibly empowering step you can take today in your own self-care. And honoring your cycle is not about surrendering to the discomfort.
Instead, it’s about allowing the wisdom of your body to communicate with you and guide you.
When you understand how your menstrual cycle influences your body, you can maximize the hormonal benefits and challenges of each stage of your cycle.
It’s almost like being able to predict your future. You’ll know what to expect from your energy and mood because your hormones are cyclic in nature.
Wield Your Lasso of Truth.
When you harness that lasso of truth and use your menstrual cycle to inform you—rather than shy away from your cycle—you have an incredible, organic gauge into your overall health! This is the true power of understanding a woman’s menstrual cycle.
It’s important to remember that our cycles, like our lives, are unique to each of us. Part of living your healthiest, most extraordinary life is to know yourself, accept yourself, and do better for yourself one day at a time.
By wielding your lasso of truth and listening to what your menstrual cycle is telling you, you can live extraordinarily.
Working With a Fitness Coach Can Help You on the Path to Lifelong Health.
This blog focuses on what a “healthy” menstrual cycle looks like. I’m not a doctor, and nothing I suggest should override the decisions you and your doctor make. My goal is to simply share the information I’ve studied about female health in hopes it will help you advocate for your health and vibrancy. Both for today as well as for your lifelong health.
This is where Mo-Mentum Fitness comes in. Don’t waste time on outrageous diets or unrealistic fitness plans that only get you through the end of next week. Let our dedicated fitness instructors show you how to live your most extraordinary life!
Click here to schedule a complimentary assessment and strategy session with one of our world-class coaches.
Resources:
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/origin-story-wonder-woman-180952710/
