Question for the Ladies! (sorry guys)

JessicaBlackman

Hi ladies,

I just had a quick question regarding diet/exercise and getting your monthlies.

I have almost finished week 2 of my new diet and exercise regime, on 1200 cals a day, and I'm generally feeling great.

However, about 2 days ago I started my period, which is odd because I started the diet just after my last period, so it's only been 2 weeks! I thought I read somewhere that stress can cause it to come early, so my question is: has anyone else started a diet or exercise change and got an early period? do you think that my diet and exercise is the reason for it?

To give you more context, I weigh around 96kgs (which I think is about 200lb??) and before my diet I was just eating whatever I wanted. It wasn't necessarily the worst diet in the world, it was more that my portion sizes were huge and way too frequent. I also had a tendency to have dessert with every meal. Anyway I went straight from this diet to a strict 1200 calorie diet, and I go to the gym every day for minimum 30 minutes- I usually run or cycle, or use the eliptical, I generally try to burn a minimum of 200 calories, so how long I'm there for depends on the machine and how exhausted I am.

What do you think, should I ease off, if this is causing breakthrough bleeding, or do you think that my body will have adjusted by now and I should just continue as I am? It's a full-on period too, not just some spotting. It's weird!

I appreciate all comments

JocelynElizabeth2014

It is normal for your body to change cycle withput stressers so with stressers I think you are fine. I wouldn't change anything unless it starts making you sick Hope I helped

shortstuff31117

This is what happens to me too. I've had 17-20ish days between periods since the end of March. Not sure why, I tried googling and couldn't find anything. I'm not too worried as I'm not looking to have any more babies anyway :-)

Oh..and I eat more like 1900-2000 calories a day so I always assumed mine was related to my heavy lifting habit. Don't know for sure though!

wonderwoman234

Not sure about your period, but going from eating anything you want to only eating 1200 calories is unnecessarily extreme. I would recommend cutting more gradually. Tapering down as you lose weight helps you maintain that style of eating versus trying to stick with 1200 calories, which is very difficult for most people to do in the long term.

sandryc

Changes to how you eat can certainly change your cycle. Particularly if you are going from eating a lot of insulin impacting foods like sugar, white rice/bread etc to a lower hypoglycemic index diet (more whole grains, raw foods etc) A lot of people (myself included) who are overweight have issues like insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, PCOS, metabolic syndrome or pre-diabetic tendencies and a side effect of that is an impact on your periods. When I eat low glycemic index foods I get harder, more frequent periods.

rocksyy

Same thing happens to me everytime I go on a diet... I remember googling it and finding a few sites that said it's normal whem dieting...

LSinVA

It's normal. When I first started heavily exercising, I got mine about a week earlier than expected. Everyone is different and your body will adjust.

BriVaughan

With me, when I started exercising and changed my diet, mine actually came late! It's just your body and it's adjusting to your new lifestyle change. It's nothing really to worry about, It'll keep changing until your body is used to your new lifestyle.

DorisInTheDena

Two years into this process and I am still having fluctuations. Of course, I am close to menopause as well. I especially notice spotting after a very intense workout. It's all pretty normal from what I've been told by my doctor.

baschifferl1

I also got mine a week early.

trishfit2014

Are you eating 1200 and burning 200 so netting 1000? Please eat more. Sorry but a hormonal response to your diet and exercise is not good. If you weigh 200 lbs you need a lot more than 1200 net. Please find your TDEE and reduce by 500 calories and you should lose one to 1.5 calories a week which is healthy.

Kalikel

You should see a GYN about the periods. It's probably nothing, but it could be something. Or just call the office and see if that's a thing they think you should come in for.

Better safe than sorry!

tx_mom72

My body didn't start acting crazy til about 6 months into my new way of eating/exercising. I watched things for a few months & since it got worse instead of better I went in for testing. I actually found out I wasn't producing progesterone which was causing almost non-stop cycles or very few days off between them. If you have concerns check w/ your Dr just in case your body is trying to tell you something. Better safe than sorry.

JessicaBlackman

Hi guys, thanks for all the advice and reassurance. I personally am not hugely worried about the period as I have spotted in the past.

Yes MFP recommended I eat 1200 cals a day and I try to go to the gym most days, up to 200 cals lost. Do you think this is really unhealthy? I feel fine and have plenty of energy (no cravings), but it is only week 2 so I dunno, maybe I'm on the path to crashing and burning? I do have a 'cheat' day once a week where my partner and I have date night and so I tend to have dessert or a less healthy dinner, so I sort of figured that that evens things out as I may go over by up to 500 cals on date night!

I'll keep an eye on duration of this period and how long before the next one, and if it's early again I will see my doc

Thanks all!

kaylana180

No it's not unhealthy.
You feel great? Awesome.
You're eating great? Wonderful.

Then no, you don't need to up your calorie count.