Loss my period from an eating disorder....

eatalotwithme

Hello, so I lost my period from a 2 year battle with anorexia and bulimia. I have just started following a vegan diet to prevent myself from collapsing back to my old habits, but I am consuming enough calories daily. I eat iron supplements, hoping to get my period back, but nothing seems to be working at the moment... WHAT IS WRONG?

mkakids

Are you really underweight? It wont come back until you are closer to a normal, healthy weight.

missiontofitness

Speak to your doctor and therapist.
Also, discuss with them why you chose veganism in regards to preventing a relapse, as veganism can be a way to restrict calories and/or food groups due to ED behaviors that still exist. I'm not saying that in an insulting way. But it may be key to speak to a professional about what your intake should be, what you should be eating, and any medical questions you may have.

cheshirecatastrophe

This is a question for your doctor.

Many women with amenorrhea from EDs find that the only way to get it back *initially* is to gain weight, eat more fat in particular, and drastically cut back exercise. Since this can be scary and cause triggering changes, it's best to work closely with your treatment team the whole time.

PRMinx

You should working with a doctor who understands ED and a therapist who specializes in eating disorder recovery.

Generally, it's a bad idea to be on such a restrictive diet during recovery. For one, it shows that you aren't really over it. You are still very much struggling with ED mentality. And, two, ED patients in recovery are told to eat upwards of 3,000 calories a day (if not more) to heal. You will not get your periods until your body has enough fuel to "run" the reproductive system. It took about 6 months for me - and I certainly wasn't on a restrictive plan.

My advice?

1. See a therapist
2. See a doctor
3. Get off your vegan plan
4. Identify stress points in your life and eliminate them consciously
5. Embrace the relationships that were most likely strained during your ED.
6. Explore for yourself what life is like without ED. Life with food is a good life and something you've been missing out on for quite some time.

wkwebby

Getting your body fat percentage to within a normal range will get your period back (I believe minimum needed is 15% which is barely a woman athlete's percentage). This will entail you gaining weight (if you have JUST recovered from anorexia/bulimia, this will be the hardest thing to hear).

You've got a long road of healing in front of you and you definitely need a therapist to help you along this road as well. Body issues will abound, but this is the only way to get your period back.

Raynne413

eatalotwithme wrote: »

Hello, so I lost my period from a 2 year battle with anorexia and bulimia. I have just started following a vegan diet to prevent myself from collapsing back to my old habits, but I am consuming enough calories daily. I eat iron supplements, hoping to get my period back, but nothing seems to be working at the moment... WHAT IS WRONG?

Definitely speak to your doctor. Also, take a look at your fat intake. Make sure you are eating enough. Body fat and hormones go hand in hand. Without one, you don't have the other, which means you won't have a period. After years of dealing with an eating disorder, and over exercise, I still have issues. If I have one day where I eat a ton of fat (usually in the form of peanut butter), it is pretty much guaranteed I will start the next day. It also takes time. I think it took me 6 months to a year to get mine back, so be patient.

HeySwoleSister

You need to get your body fat percentage up to a point where your cycles can begin again.

If you feel comfortable sharing, I'm curious as to why you feel a vegan diet will trigger your ED less than others. It's not completely out of the question (if you had obsessive aversions to the thought of animal-based foods previously, for example), but as others have noted, Veganism still requires very strict attention to diet and food, which can be a bad idea for those with EDs. I hope that you are working with a therapist who can help you with this, and who is familiar both with Eating Disorders and also OCD, just to be safe.