“Why Do I Feel Like I Could Eat Everything?” Understanding PMS and Food Cravings

“Why can I feel like I could eat everything in my kitchen the week before my period?”

For many people, the answer is not a lack of willpower. It may be connected to the relationship between hormones, PMS, and the brain’s reward systems.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is often associated with symptoms like mood changes, bloating, fatigue, and irritability. But changes in appetite and food cravings are also common, and they deserve more attention.

A recent study explored the relationship between PMS, hedonic hunger, and food cravings across different phases of the menstrual cycle. Hedonic hunger refers to the desire to eat for pleasure or reward, rather than only in response to physical hunger. The researchers found that individuals with PMS experienced higher levels of hedonic hunger, particularly during the luteal phase, the time between ovulation and menstruation. They also found that those with PMS had higher food-related cravings and increased energy intake during this phase compared to those without PMS. (Candan et al., 2025).

So what does this mean clinically?

It means that the monthly experience of “I can’t stop thinking about food” may be more complex than a simple issue of self-control. Hormonal fluctuations, changes in mood, stress responses, and the brain’s reward pathways may all contribute to shifts in appetite and cravings.

For some clients, this can become a source of shame. They may describe feeling out of control around food, frustrated with their bodies, or stuck in cycles of restriction and guilt.

As therapists, this is an opportunity to approach these experiences with curiosity rather than judgment.

When clients report predictable changes in hunger, cravings, emotional eating, or body image concerns before menstruation, consider asking:

• Do these experiences follow a pattern in your cycle?

• How do your mood and appetite change throughout the month?

• Are you responding to your body’s needs with compassion, or with criticism?

Understanding menstrual health can add another layer of context to conversations about eating behaviors, emotions, and self-esteem.

The goal is not to pathologize normal changes in appetite. The goal is to help people understand their bodies, recognize patterns, and build a healthier relationship with food and themselves.

Read the study here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-nutritional-science/article/role-of-premenstrual-syndrome-in-hedonic-hunger-and-food-craving-during-the-menstrual-cycle/BF295922AEA4A2B777F977160E0A45D3