Amenorrhea and weight loss

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Snipsa
Snipsa Posts: 172 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm putting a disclaimer at the start of this post for possible TMI. You have been warned...


I have read on this forum and others that quite a few ladies experience periods of amenorrhea when losing weight.


My question is, if it has happened to you, at which part of the journey were you when it started, and when did you become more regular again (if at all).

The reason I'm asking is, I am 30 years old and since hitting puberty I've been extremely regular, never later than a day or 2 maximum. Now suddenly, after seven month of exercise and weight loss I'm getting close to 2 weeks late, something I've never experienced - I am now at a healthy weight in the middle to higher range of healthy bmi for my height. I am definitely not pregnant. Just want to know if other experienced it at this stage of their journeys, and how quickly it returned to "regular schedule" if it did happen.


Thanks all!

Replies

  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
    edited July 2016
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    Hey, I'm going through this right now. Like you, I've had regular, pretty predictable periods since the age of 10. I'm 5'3" and when I hit 115 pounds things started to get a bit wonky. I'm 108 pounds now. I've been using the free app Period Tracker by GP Apps to keep tabs on my period's cycles, how long it lasts, and when to next expect it.

    My period usually lasts 7 days with very light blood on the last two. I had a 34 day cycle for March and April, then in May it came after only 25 days, June after 26 days but it lasted 11 days this time of very light blood, then in July it came after 24 days and it was only around 4 days of light, sporadic blood then it was gone. I'm supposed to be due in 7 days according to the app, but I'll see what happens.
  • Snipsa
    Snipsa Posts: 172 Member
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    Thanks @Maxematics I'm installing a P tracker as I type this, think it will give some good data that my normal circle on my calendar doesn't quite give :wink:

    I thought I had given this part of weight loss a skip, but if things continue like this month, that is definitely not the case...
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    My period was very irregular until I went on the pill in college. I went off it in my 20s, to get pregnant, and after having my daughter, at my highest weight, was the only time it was very regular.

    I started out at 202.5 lbs in Jan '14. Lost my period in Mar/April, so somewhere in the 170s. It has been somewhat irregular since then. I'll have several months when it comes on a normal basis but then as soon as I cut calories it disappears. Most recently this spring I lost it for 80ish days while cutting at 1900 calories, in the upper 140s, mid-20s bf%.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
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    I ate a very low calorie diet for a few years. My cycle completely disappeared when I started eating around 1,2-1,4k.

    It came back only after I started taking the pill. I don't recall having any issues prior, but my case was fairly extreme.
  • Gena575
    Gena575 Posts: 224 Member
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    A one-off skipped or late period is really fairly common, even without weight-loss. Lots of things happen that can delay ovulation. If you go more than 2 months late, without a + pregnancy test of course, a call to your gyn is in order.

    Have you recently cut calories further or had a large loss? Have you had a stressful situation lately...mentally or physically? But really, sometimes your body just decides this would be a horrible time to get pregnant and refuses to ovulate.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    OP, very low calorie diets will do this. and over training (over exercising) will do this. Also there is a rare thing called premature menopause (need hormonal blood work checked for a diagnosis).

    But since this seems to be something stemmed around diet and exercise, can it be the former?
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
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    I lost mine 6 months ago when i hit bottom of healthy bmi. Tests have shown thats its not menopause and that im ovulating fine. My progesterone is not reaching the level required to cause a bleed. The docs says that there is no benefit to bleeding but csn proscribe progesterone supplements if i want- which i do not. She confirms that there is no health risk. I have regained 5lbs and its not come back yet. I dont intend to regain anymore weight as im happy with it - as long as my health is okay im fine without a monthly bleed.
  • charlenekapf
    charlenekapf Posts: 309 Member
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    I lost mine at around 115 lbs age 20. now 25, 155 lbs no period. hormones in the tank. never came back. sucks. feel like I'm in menopause at 25. they ruled out menopause but i went from having very low body fat and no period to overweight. If i could do it all over again, I wouldn't have tried to gain weight to bring it back. in many cases it comes back. in mine...never did and now i'm miserable at this weight....i feel like the low progesterone and estrogen also makes appetite regulation/blood sugar wonky.
  • wagnerpe123
    wagnerpe123 Posts: 65 Member
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    I was wondering this myself. Interesting to hear that periods can disappear when you are not underweight per BMI. I am 43 and haven't had a period since early May, my period app tells me my period is 53 days late.

    I'm not pregnant (tubes tied in 2009 after kiddo #3).

    I have lost 100lbs since July 2015, but am nowhere near underweight - still quite overweight per BMI.

    Unless I was on the pill, I've never been a "28 day on the dot" girl, but I've also never skipped two periods in a row.

    I figured it was perimenopause, but maybe it's due to the weight loss.

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