Weight Loss Question for My Ladies!

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merbear787
merbear787 Posts: 82 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So this may be a bit TMI but I have a weight loss question for my ladies out there. I've lost roughly 25 pounds in 4 months which was about 14% of my body weight. I'm still working towards the last 15 pounds! However I'm now late for my period by over four weeks! It is most certainly 100% NOT pregnancy. I am always pretty regular give or take a few days, and I track it on an app. I think it's my body adjusting to my new lifestyle (I also started lifting heavy the past few weeks) but I am just curious if this has happened to anyone else? I feel bloated like I've been PMS-ing for two weeks which is no fun! Thanks for the help MFP ladies!

Replies

  • firefoxxie
    firefoxxie Posts: 381 Member
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    I have seen this issue being posted in the forums and the reason was due to consuming a very low amount of calories. However, it would be best to call up your doctor and ask.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Yes, first thing to do is see your doctor. While a change in cycle is somewhat normal when losing weight, losing your period is not a good thing.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited December 2016
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    Only time I've lost mine (besides pregnancies), I was eating very low fat (during my vegetarian experiment a few years ago-not doing it a healthy way).

    OP-how many calories are you eating? How many fat grams are you averaging a day?
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    I lost mine after a few months of dieting and starting to lift about 6 years ago. I wasn't overly lean or on ridiculously low calories at the time. I've competed in body-building comps since (so greater training/cardio requirements and low cals for periods of time) but also had long periods of eating over maintenance, regaining fat etc. (also visited docs and was told my hormone levels were "normal", bone density is great, and I supplemented with things supposedly to promote reproductive/adrenal health, better cortisol levels etc)

    I had a lifting break for a few months this year and it decided to make a reappearance... 3 times in a couple of months! I started lifting again and it never came back...
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Here's an article that touches on low energy availability resulting in missed periods:

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/womens-physiology/body-fat-energy-availability-or-hormones-book-excerpt.html/
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,694 Member
    edited December 2016
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    I had this happen several times in my life. Sometimes it was changes in my way of eating/living or stress (i.e. when I went overseas to live for a year as a student), sometimes it was a combination of change of diet and a lot of exercise (hiking the Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail and Pacific Crest Trail). I would miss 3 or 4 periods in a row, sometimes more. It never worried me, though I understand that it isn't good for you. I haven't seen much, if any, long term effect. (I'm 60 now.) I was never especially thin, so it wasn't that my fat content was too low. It's just that my body handled change/stress by shutting down my periods.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    This has happened when I was very lean, during the last month of my cut. My fat intake was low too.

    It happened again this year, and I have more bodyfat now. I've actually only had one period since July. It was October so now I know I'm not back on track since it's almost January. Sonogram scheduled for Thursday.

    BTW, when I was little and losing, my period came back once I upped calories and fat intake.
  • merbear787
    merbear787 Posts: 82 Member
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    I usually have anywhere from 1400 to 1800 calories, I haven't been very strict in limiting my calories recently because I've been working out so much (it's my happy place now!!) I'll go 6x a week for about 90 minutes each, so maybe I need to up my calories and fat. I try to be higher protein lower carb to lean out a bit. But these past few weeks have been all maintenance due to the holidays. I think I'll call my obgyn to see what they say!
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
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    merbear787 wrote: »
    I usually have anywhere from 1400 to 1800 calories, I haven't been very strict in limiting my calories recently because I've been working out so much (it's my happy place now!!) I'll go 6x a week for about 90 minutes each, so maybe I need to up my calories and fat. I try to be higher protein lower carb to lean out a bit. But these past few weeks have been all maintenance due to the holidays. I think I'll call my obgyn to see what they say!

    Are you eating back your exercise calories, or at least half of them?

    Calling your obgyn is a good idea.

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