Hormones are usually blamed when we gain a few pounds. But, truth is, your hormones can also help you reach your weight-loss goals. That’s because they affect your eating habits and metabolism in ways that promote weight loss during certain weeks of your cycle. Once you know how to harness these pound-melting hormonal influences and how to overcome hormonal hurdles that have been blocking your slimming goals, you can finally be successful in dropping a dress size (or two or three)! Read on to learn how to take advantage of your body’s hormonal benefits and get past hormonal diet sabateurs each week of your cycle….

Week 1
First day of period to Day 7
Your slim-down hormonescope: Set your goals and get started!
As estrogen and testosterone rise this week, they boost optimism and inner strength, making you want to create and stick to diet and exercise resolutions. And it’s the easiest week to launch a new healthy eating regimen since progesterone-fueled cravings for sugary, salty, fatty and carb-rich foods that plagued you during the second half of your cycle vanish as this hormone makes a hasty exit. Plus, Tufts University research shows you’re eating 12% less now than you did during the second half of your cycle thanks to rising estrogen, which has a mild appetite-suppressing effect. While pep and endurance start out low in the first half of this week, they grow to full force by the second half.
Your Week 1 weight-loss challenge: If you end up caving in to temptation by eating a food on your no-no list, rising estrogen is giving your brain a bigger buzz from it, making it difficult to cut yourself off before doing real damage to your calorie count. Plus, rising testosterone is making you impulsive, so you may reach for a fat-packed munchie before you even realize what you’re doing!
To reach your weight-loss goal: Start by mapping clear, practical and attainable diet and exercise strategies—don’t let optimism-inducing hormones let you bite off more than you can chew or you’ll lose interest altogether. Then, take advantage of these low-craving days by eating lots of high-nutrient, low-calorie foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats if you’re a meat eater. Finally, monitor your eating habits (for instance, by eating mindfully or jotting down what you eat in a daily diary) to help you become more aware of when you’re about to go overboard with snacks or portion sizes. If you do tuck into your favorite munchies, use portion control dishes or dole out a small serving so you don’t accidentally eat more than you intended.

Week 2
Day 8 to Day 13
Your slim-down hormonescope: Take action!
Peaking estrogen and testosterone amp up the positives from last week—you’re still enjoying a slight-appetite suppressing effect, you have loads of energy and endurance, and your optimism keeps you motivated about reaching your weight-loss goals. These rising hormones also make you more open to trying anything new, including healthy recipes and workout routines.  This makes it a great week to amp up your efforts by joining a support group or exercise class, fitting in an extra workout and challenging yourself to swear off one high-calorie baddie altogether, like soda, ice cream or chips.
Your Week 2 weight-loss challenge: High estrogen and testosterone are also amping up all the negatives from last week—you may eat impulsively and, once you start munching, it may be difficult to keep calorie counts in check. What’s more, you may feel so overly confident about reaching your goals that, if you do overindulge in calorie-rich foods, you’ll try to convince yourself you’ll be able to make up for it by cutting back or exercising more the following day. You have one more challenge to your weight goal this week: Peaking estrogen makes your stress response more intense, which can prompt the production of stress hormones, like cortisol, that trigger food cravings and emotional eating.
To reach your weight-loss goal: Continue monitoring your portion sizes and keep stress levels in check by taking a walk, meditating, doing deep, slow breathing, or sipping chamomile tea at the first sign of tension. Also try decreasing your intake of caffeine, which can amp up your body’s stress response.

Week 3
Day 14 (or ovulation) to Day 22
Your slim-down hormonescope: Munchies vs. fat burn!
The excitement and confidence you had during the first two weeks of your cycle is replaced by fear and self-doubt. That’s because estrogen and testosterone are plunging, taking your confidence with them. What’s more, progesterone rises all throughout Week 3, and this prompts bloat by triggering constipation and water retention, making you feel like you packed on 10 pounds overnight. But, it’s not all bad news: Research shows that progesterone helps your body burn up to 30% more fat during exercise all through Week 3 and most of Week 4!
Your Week 3 weight-loss challenge: You may get suckered into thinking you blew your diet because of the one, two or three pounds you put on this week; the constipation and water retention are the likely culprits, which means the weight gain is temporary. However, this hormone is also triggering cravings for sweets, carbs, fats and salty foods, making them more difficult to resist when you go grocery shopping, to the movies, parties or anywhere else munchies may be within reach. What’s more, this sedating hormone is making your energy drag, so you may not feel like getting up off the couch to exercise.
To reach your weight-loss goal: Combat the diet blahs by shedding those extra progesterone pounds with high-fiber foods (such as whole grains paired with water, fruits and vegetables) to ease constipation and try natural diuretics (such as asparagus, melon and dandelion tea, as long you have no ragweed or rubber allergies) to eliminate water retention or sweat it out through exercise. Also, avoid salt, which exacerbates bloat. As for cravings, when the urge hits, go for a walk—research shows that just 10 minutes (about the time it takes to go around the block once!) will crush those hunger pangs. Finally, motivate yourself to move by reminding yourelf that your body burns 30% more fat during exercise! Then take advantage of this biological blessing by doing fun activities that get your heart pumping, such as hopping on a bike or dancing.

Week 4
Day 23 to the end of cycle
Your slim-down hormonescope: Final stretch!
Okay, so cards on the table: This may be the hardest week of your cycle when it comes to sticking to your diet. That’s because plunging estrogen drags down the feel-good brain chemical serotonin, which can make you feel like you somehow failed in your weight loss efforts and/or that you don’t see any positive changes in your body. If you can get past those negative feelings and not let them sabatoge your goals, you can actually use Week 4′s hormones to help you slim down faster. That’s because progesterone is still making your body burn up to 30% more fat during exercise up to two days before your period!
Your Week 4 weight-loss challenge: To make up for your lack of serotonin, your body will push your toward comforting carbs (such as cookies, bread, cake, pizza, etc.), because they boost serotonin levels back up. (Ever notice how grouchy people get while doing low-carb diets? Mystery solved.) Plunging estrogen is also making you more sensitive to aches and pains during your workout and driving down your pep and endurance. As a result, you may tire out easily or find it harder to do you usual exercise routine.
To reach your weight-loss goal: When you get a hankering for carbs, remind yourself that “simple” carbs (like sugar and white flour) aren’t the only serotonin-lifters around—healthier carbs (like whole grain bread, brown rice, nuts and beans) also boost flagging serotonin back up. Even better, they’re filling, so you’ll naturally eat less at meals. Also, consider eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acid, such as fatty fish (like tuna and salmon), flax seeds and walnuts since this nutrient has been shown to help overcome down moods and anxiety that trigger emotional eating. You’re still experiencing bloating and constipation due to progesterone, so continue with Week 3′s tips for combatting both. And, finally, if you feel like giving up altogether on your weight-loss goals, just remember it’s simply due to plunging hormones. Try journaling your emotions or calling a friend for support. If you keep up the forward momentum, you’ll see in just a few short days you’ll be feeling optimistic and renewed about your waist-whittling efforts once again.

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[photo: D Sharon Pruitt]

As estrogen plunges during Week 4 of your cycle (your premenstrual week), it brings down the brain’s level of pain-masking endorphins with it, which makes you more sensitive to discomfort, like headaches, sore muscles and chronic conditions, like fibromyalgia. And now researchers from Utrecht University in the Netherlands say that there’s another culprit behind worsening pain in women: an angry or sad mood. How they proved it: When female study volunteers were asked to think about situations that made them either irritated or blue, their sensitivity to pain caused by electric currents rose significantly compared to when given the same electrical current while thinking of something neutral. While this study didn’t look at the cause, past research has shown that stress hormones produced during negative moods intensifies pain.

Unfortunately, as any woman knows, an angry or sad mood is practically the hallmark of Week 4 of your cycle. So, what can you do to avoid pain? Anything you can to lift your mood, such as go for a walk, talk with a friend, treat yourself to something you love, play miniature golf, watch a funny TV show or sniff your favorite fragrant flower. Not only does doing something you enjoy distract you from discomfort, it actually lifts levels of endorphins, serotonin and other mood-regulating brain chemicals and puts the kibosh on pain-magnifying cortisol, so you feel happier and more comfortable!

[photo: Orin Zebest]

When PMS hits in Week 4 of your cycle, do you get hit with intense cravings for a big bag of chocolate M&Ms, a heaping bowl of salt and vinegar potato chips, or a combination of salty and chocolate snacks? New research reveals the reason: Two separate studies—one from the University of Iowa, the other from the University of California, San Diego—show that chocolate and salt (eaten alone or together) activate pleasure mechanisms in the brain that chase away depression, a common problem women face during their premenstrual week as estrogen and testosterone plunge.

Trying to watch your waistline? Research shows that exercising, shopping, doing your favorite hobbies and spending time with uplifting friends also boost mood-lifting brain chemicals and distract you when cravings hit so you’re less likely to indulge.

It’s not in your head! A recent study out of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland shows that 25% of women with irritable bowel syndrome (characterized by stomach pain, constipation, bloating and diarrhea), 18% with fibromylgia (characterized by pain and tenderness throughout the body) and 9% with interstitial cystitis (a painful bladder condition) report that their conditions worsen just before or during menstruation. This adds to the the growing body of research that shows other ongoing health conditions, including migraines, also worsen during these days. What’s more, 15% of women in the study reported increased discomfort at menopause. The common link? Low estrogen. Right before your period, estrogen plunges and, while it begins to rise after menstruation, during the first few days it’s still at a relatively low level. During menopause, estrogen also dips significantly. That’s key since “estrogen is a pain preventative,” says lead study author Thomas Chelimsky, M.D. And while going on an estrogen-containing birth control pill appears to help some women, Dr. Chelimsky cautions against getting a prescription for this reason. Instead, he advises doing regular exercise, which has been shown to safely reduce symptoms of many chronic illnesses.

[photo: Morning theft]

As estrogen plunges during Week 4 of your cycle, you may notice that your skin gets drier. Coupled with cold winter air, you could end up with itchy, flaky, chapped skin that hurts or cracks easily. To get relief, it’s not only important to use moisturizer regularly, but to use the lotion that’s right for your skin type. Mayo Clinic skin experts say that if your skin is normally…
* Dry: Use a heavier, oil-based moisturizer that contains urea or propylene glycol—compounds that help lock in moisture.
* Oily: Even though your skin produces an abundance of oil, it still needs moisture, especially after using skincare products that remove oils that dry out the skin. However, since your skin type is more prone to break-outs, it’s important to pick a water-based product that’s labeled “noncomedogenic”, which means it won’t clog pores.
* Normal—not overly dry, oily or sensitive. To maintain this natural moisture balance, stick to a water-based moisturizer that contains lightweight oils—such as cetyl alcohol—or silicone-derived ingredients—such as cyclomethicone.

Tip: Moisturizers work best when applied right after bathing. Pat or blot your skin until it’s just barely dry, then applythe lotion to trap water in the surface cells.

[photo: Katie Tegtmeyer]