Most women were never taught how their cycle actually works. So when the scale goes up, cravings hit, or energy crashes in the week before their period, they blame themselves.

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This is not a willpower problem. It is biology. And once you understand what is actually happening inside your body, the shame stops making sense.

What Is the Luteal Phase?

The luteal phase is the second half of your menstrual cycle. It starts after ovulation and ends when your period begins, usually lasting around 12 to 14 days.

During this time, progesterone rises to prepare the body in case of pregnancy. Then, in the final days before your period, both progesterone and oestrogen drop. That hormonal shift is what triggers all the changes you feel: the bloating, the cravings, the heavier feeling on the scale, the low mood.

What Is Actually Happening in Your Body

Water Retention

As progesterone drops, a hormone called aldosterone rises. Aldosterone signals your kidneys to hold onto sodium and fluid. The result is that your body retains water, and the 1 to 3 kilograms you might see on the scale during this phase is almost entirely that water. It is not fat. It resolves within a few days of your period starting.

Slower Digestion

Progesterone relaxes smooth muscle throughout the body, including in your gut. When that happens, food moves through your digestive system more slowly. The bloating and constipation you experience in your luteal phase are a gut motility issue, not a sign that you ate the wrong things. Changing your diet usually will not fix it because diet is not the cause.

Carb Cravings

Serotonin, the brain chemical that regulates mood, dips during the luteal phase. In response, your brain drives cravings for carbohydrates because carbs help the body produce more serotonin. This is a neurochemical process. The cravings are your brain trying to restore balance. They are not a sign of weakness or lack of discipline.

Mild Insulin Resistance

Progesterone also temporarily reduces your body’s sensitivity to insulin, which can cause blood sugar levels to become less stable. This is what amplifies hunger signals and makes you feel like you cannot get full.

Higher Metabolism

Here is something most people do not know. Your resting metabolism actually increases by around 100 to 300 calories per day during the luteal phase. Your body is genuinely working harder. The appetite you feel is your body asking for what it needs to keep up.

When to Pay Attention

Some weight gain and bloating before your period is entirely normal. But there are times when it is worth speaking to a doctor.

Consider seeking support if your symptoms are severe enough to affect your daily life, if the bloating or weight fluctuation feels extreme and does not resolve after your period, or if you are experiencing significant emotional distress alongside physical symptoms. This could point to premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) or another condition that deserves proper attention.

How to Support Your Body During the Luteal Phase

You cannot stop the hormonal shift, but you can work with your body instead of against it.

Eat protein and complex carbohydrates. These help stabilise blood sugar and reduce the intensity of cravings. Think oats, sweet potato, eggs, lentils.

Increase magnesium. Magnesium supports progesterone metabolism and can reduce bloating, low mood, and sleep disruption. Dark chocolate, leafy greens, nuts and seeds are all good sources.

Shift your exercise. HIIT and intense training can feel much harder in the luteal phase because your body temperature and heart rate are naturally higher. Low to moderate movement, such as walking, Pilates or yoga, tends to feel better and is still beneficial.

Reduce caffeine. Caffeine can worsen anxiety, disrupt sleep, and increase breast tenderness during this phase.

Include omega-3 fatty acids. Oily fish, walnuts and flaxseed all have anti-inflammatory properties that can ease period-related symptoms.

Prioritise sleep. Progesterone disrupts sleep quality, so going to bed earlier and protecting your wind-down routine in this phase genuinely matters.

Your body is not broken in the week before your period. It is responding to a hormonal shift that happens every single cycle, designed to do exactly what it does.

The weight on the scale will go back down. The cravings are neurochemical, not character flaws. The bloating is a gut issue, not a food issue.

Understanding your cycle changes how you relate to your body. That is not a small thing.

If you want to speak to one of our doctors to learn more, get in touch with our team today:

https://www.thewellnesslondon.com/

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