One of the reasons why I love Eric is because he is fearless. He has gone Skydiving in Australia, bungee jumping in Niagara, and whitewater rafting in Ottawa. He is a thrill seeker by nature and nothing really seems to frazzle his nerves.
Wheeeeeeee.
PS- I’m trying to get him to upload his skydiving video too…it’s crazy!
So yes, he is fearless, or should I say mostly fearless. Everyone has a demon that they fight…
Eric fears monsters.
Not the kind that sleep under your bed at night though, but the kind that sleep in bed with you.
The PMS Monster.
The PMS monster is a term that Eric uses to describe the monthly occurrence when his wife turns into a somewhat less pleasant, irritable, and hormonal version of herself (to put it kindly).
Eric and I generally have a very fun-loving and playful relationship. We joke, we laugh, we are sarcastic as hell, and we make fun of each other all the time. It is all in good fun. However, Eric always knows when the PMS monster has surfaced when his normally funny jokes are met with the look.
When Eric sees the look, he slowly backs away from the PMS monster. It can strike at any time, without warning.
While I have never suffered from crippling cramps or other horrible PMS symptoms, I would say that I do have a moderate amount. I get lots of abdominal cramps, bloating, lower back pain, moodiness/irritability, tenderness, and a tiredness that I can’t shake despite getting a full 7-8 hours night of sleep. Every morning for a week I wake up feeling like a zombie.
Every month, without fail, the PMS monster strikes whether I like it or not.
This morning I woke up irritable, bloated, and with lots of cramps and lower back pain. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, that is for sure. I decided that today I was going to do everything in my power to fight the PMS monster and to turn my mood around.
I told Eric that I was going to write a post on How To Beat PMS…and he goes, ‘Ummm…I wouldn’t say that you beat PMS….’
Touché.
I said, ‘Yea, well I know that you suffer from P-‘man’-S!’ I learned in a psychology course that there is a male form of PMS when men experience hormonal shifts on a cyclic basis. Male PMS explains so much!!!
How To Beat the PMS Monster:
1) As soon as you wake up make a Green Monster packed with greens or make a fresh vegetable juice. This morning when I got up I made a juice with spinach, lemon, beets, ginger, and carrots and I felt so much better after drinking it.
2) As soon as you can (preferably the morning), get in a hard, sweaty, tough workout. Normally I skip my workouts when I have cramps, but this morning I vowed to get outside and get in a tough workout to whip my mood back into shape!
I kept telling myself, ‘You will feel like a million bucks when you are done!’ over and over and over. I had to believe that a miracle was possible.
Eric is on vacation today so he came along on his bike to keep me company. We did the murder hill route and I managed to run a hilly, 7.5 miles in 1 hour 7 minutes. It was a very tough workout but once I got 3.75 miles out and turned back, all I had to do was make it back home! The run back was deceiving this time though because it is all uphill from miles 3.5-7!
The run:
- Distance: 7.5 miles
- Time: 1:07 mins
- Avg Pace: 9:01 min/mile
- Avg heart rate: 155 bpm
Mile splits:
- Mile 1: 8:53
- Mile 2: 8:59
- Mile 3: 9:01 (from mile 3 murder hill began and then it was uphill until mile 7!)
- Mile 4: 9:18
- Mile 5: 9:17
- Mile 6: 9:21
- Mile 7: 8:50 (started to pick up my pace to finish strong)
- Mile 7-7.5: 3:56 (equals a 7:53/mi pace)
Eric was biking beside me when I was sprinting and he kept saying ‘Come on is that all you got!? Feed the warrior!!!!’ I was laughing so hard and trying not to wipe out in the process. Nothing like giggling when you are trying to sprint!
As I predicted, I felt on cloud nine after this run and my mood was lifted the entire day. My cramps also went away by the time I was home too. I will have to remember this for next time!
3) Eat energizing foods. For lunch I had this amazing bowl of stir-fry leftovers from last night mixed with my Canadian Maple Baked Beans. It was awesome! So many great flavours.
4) Have an Epsom salt bath. My sister Kristi got me hooked on Epsom salt bath soaks! I have an Epsom salt bath after long runs and after races. A rich source of magnesium, Epsom salts relieve pain and muscle cramps and relax the body, mind, and soul. I highly recommend them if you haven’t tried one before!
5) Indulge your chocolate craving. In the past I used to try to deny my chocolate cravings, but now I always allow myself a bit of chocolate when I crave it. I love intense dark chocolate and my 3-ingredient chocolate covered raisins when a craving strikes.
Do you suffer from PMS? What are your tips and tricks for beating the PMS monster?
I have heard of many women using herbs for PMS and I have always been interested in learning more. I also used to know a lady at work who used to swear by a shot of rum or warm Baileys to cure menstrual cramps. A woman after my own heart! :lol:
oh man, what a topic! i definitely have to have a TON of water, much healthier foods, and chocolate. there, i said it: chocolate. :)
I think letting yourself have chocolate (in small doses) is key when PMSing!!
I also agree that healthy eating and a good sweat-fest help too.
I am totally dealing with this now and I don’t quite think my hubby gets it. I worked out TWICE today to feel energetic and not get in my slump, but then I was TIRED! Ha ha ha ha. Crazy neverending cycle I try to explain but I think he is still learning.
I try eat well though, salads, green smoothies oh and crying too helps. :)
It’s weird…the older I get the worse the PMS gets. It never used to be bad. :( I take the Pill and I get emotional and cry a lot when I get to day 27 of the pills. Four or Five days later the period starts and I’m usually ok. I just get overly tired and VERY CLUMSY!!
hahahaha! I was seriously JUST about to sit down and write an eerily similar post. I agree on all of the points and have totally implemented them today. :) Other suggestions for others:
1. Even if you get really bad pains while PMSing, still at least try to get out there for a walk. It will help! And if you start to feel better part way through, you can start kicking it up a notch and jogging, too!
2. Rest! I realized this one today. I always knew that my body gets really, really worn down when I’m PMSing, but today when I was packing, I laid down for a minute and passed out for nearly FOUR HOURS. I knew my body felt worn down, but I had no idea to that extent!
3. Also – avoid salty foods. If you’re already prone to bloating while you’re PMSing, the salt will just make things 10 times worse. And who needs any extra bloating when you’re already a PMS monster?? Not I!
love ya Ange! :)
Both my mom and my boyfriend have become pros at telling when the PMS Monster is around! I feel bad when a joke that I would normally laugh at receives on of my “looks”. Exercising is definitely the best way for me to get over my moodiness although I don’t know if it helps much for the cramps.
I don’t really do anything for it. I really dislike green monsters so those are completely out of the equation. I usually work out as normal, give into my cravings a bit and sleep. a lot.
1.drink as much water as I can
2. Wear your favourite clothes (even if you may have already worn them.. and they have paint stains and dirt on them.. cause I have never done that *blush*)
3. Go out. Sitting at home, feeling like a balloon in my pj’s is the worst thing to do!
4. Laugh, at anything. even if you seem looney, it helps!
My experience is basically just like yours! And the workout always makes me feel better… but I’m constantly trying to talk my husband into giving me a lower-back massage anyway. :)
So funny! Me and the bf are also really sarcastic and funny with each other on most days of the month. But when I’m PMS’ing, the same exact jokes make me cry and spew fire. I can be a pretty miserable bitch! Haha.
Thanks for the tips! I usually just deal with it and make the bf cook for me. I’ll use some of your tips next time. :)
Hahaha ohhhh Eric.
I definitely get moody toody that’s for sure. I usually cry at stupid things and my appetite is off the charts. Definitely the best part of being a girl!
I am so lucky in that I rarely suffer from it badly. I have never got cramps, but I do have 1-2 pissy days. I totally agree that getting in a killer workout is the KEY to feeling better!
hahah this couldn’t have come at a better time! My PMS monster likes to get angry at the silliest things. Example: When other people are making dinner in the kitchen. Goddamn why can’t they just starve and let me make my dinner in peace!
Love the tips :D I’ve also noticed that a good dose of healthy fat chills the monster. (Or it could be the fact that fat balances your hormones)!
hahaha too funny re: your comment about the kitchen cooks.
I have heard that omega fats help too!
Good tips! I usually just curl up in a ball and wait for cramps to go away. ;) They’re usually not too bad, though. Then I eat dark chocolate and/or cry if I need to, and remind myself that I really like being a girl in spite of all this. :)
What a great post! I agree with working out. It may be the last thing that you feel like doing but it works wonders!!!
A heating pad always works wonders for me as well as a pedicure :)
Epson salt will be added to my medicine cabinet! It sounds lovely and adding some mint or lavender to the bath may make it even more relaxing.
I love Epsom Salt baths!
Oh my gosh Angela what a perfect post for me today! Yes the pms monster strikes me too, it did today, I have ALL the symptoms you have too, cramps, irritable, moody, back pain, and I was just saying to my fiance how I really hate having pms and wish I didnt have it so bad, lol! I really love to have chocolate too, I had some today, and I never eat chocolate, only when I have pms, I also love fresh juice during pms too!
Love your ideas, I usually try to work out when I have pms, but the first couple days can be brutal, Im a zombie too and my cramps get too bad : p
thanks for this post, you made my pms feel better already!! lol!!
xoxoxoxo
Glad you enjoyed the post..I am strangely comforted that I am not alone! lol
This may be the first time I’m posting, but I have been LOVIN’ your blog since I found it a couple of months ago. It has really been a significant part of my changes-for-the-better. Thanks SO much! My moods & uncontrollable blowups had been getting OUT OF CONTROL, so I began taking a calcium/magesium supplement, & taking Udo’s Oil every day. I also put Bach Rescue Remedy in my pocket to take AS NEEDED. My midwife turned me on to that, but I had forgotten all about it. I can HAPPILY report that this month I had no big struggles with my moods & my cramps were totally minimal!! I’ll tell ya, I’m sure going to keep it up because this month was a real difference! :)
Glad you enjoy the blog! THank you :)
I DEFINATELY do! But it’s more moodiness than anything.. I get so emotional!