How to Workout & Eat According to Your MENSTRUAL CYCLE & Lose Weight | Joanna Soh

Ladies, WE ARE NOT MEN! Our body does not function like a MAN, we go through our monthly menstrual cycle, hence our hormones go up and down almost every week. Don’t expect to TRAIN LIKE A MAN! Don't feel bad when you can’t push as hard on certain days but that also doesn’t mean you should just sit back and do nothing.

WATCH this video through to understand the Menstrual Cycle and how we women CAN adjust our exercise routine and also food intake to match our body’s internal rhythms and even help with weight loss.

Joanna Soh is a certified Personal Trainer (ACE), Women’s Fitness Specialist (NASM) and Nutrition Coach (VN), with over 8 years experience.

Period & Exercising: Everything You Need to Know

Healthy Ways to Overcome Period Cravings

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In general, the menstrual cycle occurs in two phases. On average, it’s a 28-day cycle.

1) FOLLICULAR Phase - Day 1 to Day 14
- Go hard! Do high intensity workouts, lift heavy and perform total body strength training.
- Your body is more tolerant to pain and muscles recover quicker.
- Your body uses Carbs as its main source of fuel.
- You can increase your carb intake slightly especially after an intense workout.

2) LUTEAL Phase - Day 14 to Day 28
- I like to call this phase the “roller coaster” phase.
- this is when all the PMS symptoms start to hit: you might crave for sugar or high fat food, you have bigger appetite, you feel sluggish, you have trouble sleeping, your body retains more water, you feel bloated and you might suffer from mild cramps too.
- Your body turns to FAT AS FUEL instead of carbs.
- Good news, your body is now burning FAT rather than carbs or glycogen. Focus on steady pace cardio to get the most out of your workout.
- This is also when the muscle breakdown increases, hence it takes longer for you to recover from your workout. So choose moderation workout that’s less intense.
- You might lose your motivation BUT power through your workout, as much as possible, eat well and you WILL feel better.

We are all very different and it takes time to really understand your body. If you have this knowledge, you’re able to take advantage of the hormonal benefits and overcome the challenges by adjusting and changing your workout routine and also food intake.

Again, remember this is a guideline as there is very limited research in regards to training with your menstrual cycle. Give it a try, make changes and see what works for you.

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[burntpaper]

Just some notes for me:

*Week One (period)*
- HIIT sessions
- weight lifting and muscle building
- can eat more carbs (rice, sweet potato and oats)

*Week Two (after period)*
- muscle building and weights
- pay attention to warmups and cool-downs as muscles are more prone to injuries
- can increase protein and carbs (after intense workouts)
- oestrogen levels will help to suppress appetite

*Week Three and Four (after ovulation)*
- harder to do high-intensity workouts
- body is using fat as fuel = good time to lose weight
- do cardio workouts (eg, swimming, bike rides or running) rather than high-intensity workouts
- muscle breakdown increases during this time = slower recovery
- may suffer from mild cramps, insomnia, bloating, large appetite, water retention and cravings for sugary and high-fat foods, so eat a balanced diet and try to workout


thank you Joanna Soh 🥰💖

[berilatalay]

My period is 10 days late right now honestly ı don't know how ı managed to make a baby by myself during quarantine

[Queenmj]

“ Ladies we are not MEN” am I the only one who laughed? 😂

[DarthKtteh]

Not just for women, I think this should be shared with personal trainers too! Super helpful info here. Thank you so much! <3

[emilysyoutubechannel]

This drives me nuts sometimes, and tics me off when men wonder why we can't always stay motivated like them. Or why we start diets and at some point give up completely. Its called a period, gentlemen! That's why. Thanks for the info Joanna! ^^

[TubbyTurtle]

The week before my period is hell but when it finally starts, I feel better. I always thought it was weird but seeing this helped make sense of it. Thank you!

[kehueyng]

I just did a 1000 cal HIIT workout on my first day of period this month! And glad to have watched this video today to realize what I was doing is actually good and helpful for my fitness journey! Thank you for these useful tips! It totally explains why I ate so much more before my period hits. Lol

[JE-zjfm]

Women, we are soooo much stronger than we give ourselves credit. Could men do this? NOPE. Not that men aren’t strong, but let’s face it: girls DO run the world. ❤️

[poornendunair]

Oh my God! This came out exactly when I got my period this month!

[ashwiniparalkar]

No one has explained our cycle this well. I am not able to find the link to the printable 28 day workout plan though

[maaiker]

Well that explains a lot. Especially the part about the body burning fat before menstruating. I always want to eat salty and fatty food (which I normally don't like cause I'm a health nut) before getting my period. I just get the feeling my body needs it. Which is handy cause I know exactly when my period will begin because of that. And weirdly enough 1 week later that same salty/fatty food item will make me wanna throw up. The smell alone will be enough. No wonder women seem nuts to men....our month is an emotional/hormonal rollercoaster. WEEE! While the guys are more stationary on the ground watching us go another round on the rollorcoaster going "I wonder why they are screaming". 😂🤣

[KrysP]

This is amazingly helpful. It's good to know it's not me being lazy or unmotivated to exercise most times it's hormonal but still no excuse to not do what I can. Thank you so much Joanna💚

[sierraHAHA...]

"HIIT workouts"

Me: *has a heavy flow*

[anonimus]

It is day 1 of my period and this morning I had very bad cramps. Now I have the motivation to go for a walk and have lunch with my friend, thank you.

[god]

YOU ARE LITERALLY SAVING MY LIFE WITH THIS!!! II HAVE HORRIBLE PRE MENSTRUAL SYMPTOM OF BLOATING AND WATER RETENTION UNTIL I get my actual period. Thanks for the information.

[rainbow-shi]

I swear thats what happened to me this week i was like i dont feel like to do anything 😥 for this video its really indeed 👏💕

[khuussshiii]

She explained it so well without creating any unnecessary confusion, great session 👏🏻👏🏻

[AkinyiUniversalLife]

I noticed that when I'm on my period I eat so much but I don't gain any weight however if I were to eat the same amount when I'm off my period I gain the weight quicker. Never understood this till now. Sadly I get terrible cramps but imma try this method.

[keknegenkai]

So I perform on my highest peak during my menstruation and a week after it?

Surprisingly it seems my hormones are a bit different.
2 days before my menstruation I experience mood imbalances and a huge appetite but after my menstruation week, I feel like I have more energy. During menstruation I feel sluggish, tired and kind of bloated.

[chizzieshark]

Thanks for this video, it was really encouraging! I get huge hormonal swings and always get bummed out that I'm not eating properly or working out like I should. I love your videos because they're real. They don't operate in some gym-goddess-universe where everyone is super motivated and disciplined 100% of the time.