Period bloating and weight changes, what salt, water and fibre do in the days before

Fluid, not fat

Hormone levels move through the month, and plenty of women notice a tighter waistband in the days before bleeding starts. The NHS says the average cycle lasts around 28 days, and that a gap shorter than 21 days or longer than 35 days counts as irregular. Its page on irregular periods and when to speak to a GP also suggests tracking your dates in an app or a diary. That same diary is handy for your weight, because it shows when a rise is simply the time of the month.

Salt, the quiet amplifier

Salt encourages the body to hold on to water, so a salty week can add to the swollen feeling. Most of it is already in the food when you buy it. According to the NHS guide to salt in your diet and how to cut down, around 3 quarters of the salt we eat comes from everyday foods such as bread, breakfast cereals, meat products and ready meals. Adults should keep to 6g a day at most, roughly 1 level teaspoon. A few swaps for the week before your period help.

• Make a big pan of vegetable soup at the weekend and season it with herbs, pepper and lemon.
• Replace 1 ready meal with a jacket potato, tuna and sweetcorn and a side salad.
• Look at the front of the pack and favour green and amber labels for salt.
• Go easy on crisps, salted nuts and takeaway sauces.

Drink more, not less

It feels odd to drink more when you already feel full of water, yet cutting fluid does not help. Water and herbal tea are the simplest choices. Keep a bottle in the car for the A63 into Hull and sip it through the morning.

Fibre for a calmer gut

Some women find digestion slows in the second half of the cycle, and a heavy, full feeling follows. Oats, wholemeal bread, fruit, vegetables and pulses all add fibre. Raise them gradually and drink as you go, which is kinder to your stomach. Our guide to high-fibre foods on a budget has easy ideas from the cupboard and the freezer.

How to read the number

Weigh at the same point of each cycle rather than every morning. If you weigh weekly, write the day of your cycle next to the result. After 2 or 3 months your own pattern appears, and a rise in the late days stops being a worry. A tape measure at the waist tells a similar story, so log both. If your cycle changes, or your periods become very painful or very heavy, book an appointment with your GP. This article gives general information and does not replace advice from a doctor.

A steady morning helps

Sweet cravings tend to be stronger when breakfast is skipped and lunch is late. At Willerby Nutrition, members start the day with breakfast at the club, Monday to Friday from 7am, with daily follow-up from the coaches. A regular first meal makes the sugar pull of the late cycle easier to manage. To see where you stand, book your free assessment, and keep our snack ideas for the afternoon dip close at hand.