How to Plan Around Your Menstrual Cycle Your Follicular Phase and Beyond Explained

Got a first date? Want to quit smoking? Your menstrual cycle can predict how successful you’ll be, scientists say. It controls more than your fertility and chocolate cravings. Find out how... Every woman knows menstrual cycles can affect what we eat and how we feel. But did you know they also can help determine your dating success? Whether or not you’ll quit that nicotine habit? Or even where you choose to live? Hormones and body chemicals can influence our emotions and what we accomplish, says Los Angeles-based ob-gyn Stuart Fischbein, M.D. That’s because during the three phases of your menstrual cycle – follicular, ovulation and luteal – your body undergoes subtle changes that can inspire your choices and commitment. Of course, we’re not controlled entirely by body chemistry, and you shouldn’t plan your life around your cycle. But if you have some big life decisions looming, it’s worth a look. Here, we break down how the three phases of your menstrual cycle can influence your social, professional and personal life, according to recent studies. The sections are based on the average 28-day menstrual cycle, but many women have shorter or longer cycles, so adjust accordingly. Phase 1: Follicular (Day 1 – the first day of your menstrual cycle – to 13) Best time to: Find Mr. Right. Women tend to focus better – and perhaps be more selective in the dating world – during the follicular phase. “That’s when estrogen [levels] are high,” explains University of Las Vegas Nevada researcher Chrisalbeth Guillermo, who has studied how women’s menstrual cycles influence our behavior. “We’re more intent on looking for the right mate.” That means you’ll be more inclined to go for the smart, successful type, Guillermo says, because “you’re programmed to look for the best genes for future offspring.” Watch out for: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In case you do find Mr. Right, be sure to use a condom, especially during this phase. That’s because, when you’re menstruating, your chances of contracting STDs, including HIV, are higher, says Mary Rosser, M.D., an ob-gyn with Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. Your cervix also is more open and relaxed during menstruation, increasing susceptibility to unwanted bacteria or viruses. “Blood is a great conduit for sexually transmitted diseases or bacteria,” Rosser says. “Having sex during your period is fine, but definitely use a condom.” Phase 2: Ovulation (Day 13-16 of your menstrual cycle) Best time to: Start a relationship. If you’re ovulating, you’re not likely to dump the sweet but boring man you’re dating. “Around ovulation, women are more inclined to stay with their current mate,” Guillermo says. “Your body thinks you’re about to become pregnant, so you only want a stable, safe environment.” Same goes for apartment shopping during this phase, Guillermo says: You’ll probably choose a safe, quiet neighborhood instead of the trendy downtown village. Best time to: Enjoy a good romp. That inexplicable chemistry you’re having with a guy you just met? There’s a reason for it. When we meet a potential mate, our hormones can influence us negatively or positively, and that first impression can persist long into a relationship, according to a 2010 Emory University study published in the journal Hormonal Behavior. They also affect our sexual attraction levels. Women in the ovulation phase looked at sexually explicit visuals much longer than women in other phases, researchers found. And if aroused, their interest usually stayed piqued. “Their hormonal condition when they first saw the images predicted their interest not just then, but also in the future,” explains Emory University psychologist Kim Wallen, Ph.D., one of the study’s lead researchers. “If they were exposed first during the luteal (or premenstrual) phase, though, they were never as interested,” Wallen says. That may help explain why you have trouble getting past a lukewarm first impression. Maybe you met your date during the wrong phase. “If you’re a guy, you don’t want to meet a woman during her luteal phase,” Wallen advises. Phase 3: Luteal (Day 16-28 of your menstrual cycle) Best time to: Commit to an exercise program. Couch potatoes looking to make that first move to the treadmill may want to wait a few weeks after their periods before starting, according to University of New Mexico Albuquerque researchers. Women in the luteal phase (and late ovulation phase) were less likely to experience discomfort and pain with a new exercise program than those in their early follicular phase. Watch out for: Diet fatigue. Eating healthy can be extra hard during the luteal stage, so watch your diet carefully. Women who aren’t on birth control tend to be hungrier and eat roughly 10% more calories the week before their periods, says Megan McVay, a researcher at Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge. Women on birth control share a similar increase in appetite and food intake before their periods, but also during it, she concluded in a study published in the 2011 issue of the journal Eating Behaviors. So if you’re about to embark on a new diet, should you wait until after your period? Best time to: Tackle tough jobs. On the other hand, if you have something crummy to do, try it about Day 17 or 18. That’s when your hormones put you in the best mood. “During the luteal phase, it’s like being high on drugs,” Guillermo says. “Especially in the middle of the luteal phase, you get a progesterone peak.” Watch out for: Getting enough shut-eye. Restless nights from cramps and anxiety are considered part of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). But many women get these symptoms later in the month, around the mid-luteal phase. That’s because our hormones – including testosterone – shift, says Guillermo, whose 2010 study about sleep disturbances and the menstrual cycle was published in the journal BMC Women’s Health. Testosterone goes down, making us feel agitated and less peaceful, which makes sleeping tougher. “These changes can be mild and not necessarily clinically diagnosable as anxiety or depression, but many women still feel more distress and less well-being during these times,” Guillermo says. Best time to: Quit smoking. During the luteal phase, you may be primed to stop lighting up. It’s harder in the follicular phase, when estrogen is higher, enhancing the enjoyment of nicotine, according to McVay, who also researched the menstrual cycle’s effects on smoking cessation. “It seems the best time to quit is in the luteal phase,” when estrogen levels are lower and nicotine isn’t as rewarding, says McVay. If that doesn’t work, try to quit during the follicular phase, when you’re more emotionally stable. “Mood is a really important factor in quitting,” McVay says. Best time to: Get a bikini wax. A woman’s response to pain changes with her menstrual cycle, according to 2010 research published in the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. Around Day 7-14 (your follicular phase), women tend to feel pain more strongly. So move your appointments to the dentist, bikini wax or any other painful procedures later in your cycle. None of these rules are set in stone, of course, but they’re worth considering. Ob-gyn Fischbein advises, “Some women are reportedly influenced a lot, some not at all.” Want to know more interesting facts about your flow? Read our article Your Period: Symptoms and Solutions. And for more information, visit our Women's Health Center. How Much Do You Know About Women’s Health? There's no substitute for good health, and when it's gone, i