The Dreaded Bloat

Here's the scenario: You're doing fantastic watching what you eat, and exercising. You've even dropped a few pounds over the last 3 weeks. All of the sudden, out of nowhere...you gain a couple back. How can this make sense? Is it really worth all of this hard work for your scale to jump up for absolutely no reason? Looks like a setback.
Then you realize there is a reason...oh, yeah...it's that time again. Ladies, you know what I'm talking about! And guys, don't stop reading. Take notes, because you can be very helpful and encouraging for a friend or significant other during a time like this.
I kind of forgot about this issue, to be honest. You see, I don't feel bloated. I've just noticed that in the last 2 days I've put on 2 of the pounds I got rid of. After taking a look at my calendar I now realize why. So, I did some research, and here's what I discovered: I'm not alone, and neither are you!
The average weight gain a woman experiences before and during her period is from 5-7 pounds! Wow! There are even extreme cases where gaining 10-15 pounds is not uncommon. There are several physiological theories for water retention that I won't bore you with. The bottom line: for almost a week out of the month you will be heavier than you expect.
There is good news though! A light at the end of the tunnel! A reason for not giving up and stuffing your face to relieve your anguish! You will lose that water retention weight by the end of your period. And, if you do really well with your eating and exercising during this week, you should even lose a little extra!
I just told Jason last night that I think this is my hump week. If I can make it through this week staying positive and continuing in the habits of drinking lots of water, watching my calories, and exercising, I'll make it the whole way. Now that I'm armed with the knowledge that I'm completely normal and there is a reason for the increase in the scale, I'm okay. It's not a setback after all.