Lowering Body Fat and Skipping Periods

hedwighigh

Alright. I'm trying to lower my body fat. I'm at 18.8% since I last checked a couple of weeks ago and I'm working towards 15%.

Problem is that I used to be VERY regular with my periods, it was like clock work and I was several weeks late for my last period and I'm almost a week late now. I'm not sexually active, it's just late. I've increased my calories and I even had a cheat day (I ate A LOT) around when my period was SUPPOSE to start. I ate a little less since then. I don't log exercise but I net about 1500 on days I work out and 2000 on days that I don't work out. I usually eat around 2000 a day, the exercise just burns some of that off.

I drink 12 cups of water a day. Typically get plenty of sleep a night. The only thing I could really think of is the lowering of my body fat.

Is it bad that my period has started coming late? Or is it just an annoyance?

LiddyBit

Honestly? It's not great. It can put you at risk for osteoporosis. It's called amenorrhea.

Edited to add - Sorry, it's amenorrhea if you miss the periods altogether.

theartichoke

That doesn't sound like a calorie issue to me. Are you experiencing any other abnormalities? Hair thinning, rapid heart beat, brittle nails? Are the cycles themselves shorter or lighter than normal?

michellekicks

It's pretty safe to say that if your periods start becoming irregular and they were once regular, your body fat is as low as you should go. If that's the only thing that has changed, it's likely having an effect. Many professionals will recommend female athletes not go below about 16%... and some athletes - depending on their sport - will have higher percentages... like up around 20% or even slightly more.

Why do you want to go to 15%?

hedwighigh

It's pretty safe to say that if your periods start becoming irregular and they were once regular, your body fat is as low as you should go. If that's the only thing that has changed, it's likely having an effect. Many professionals will recommend female athletes not go below about 16%... and some athletes - depending on their sport - will have higher percentages... like up around 20% or even slightly more.

Why do you want to go to 15%?

I've done some research about how to make loose skin appear less loose and many articles mention trying to get to a lower body fat so that the skin will "cling" more to the muscle and won't have as much fat pulling it down. So far, it has been working and improving the overall appearance of my skin.

hedwighigh

That doesn't sound like a calorie issue to me. Are you experiencing any other abnormalities? Hair thinning, rapid heart beat, brittle nails? Are the cycles themselves shorter or lighter than normal?

My hair is naturally thin and my nails have always been weak so those aren't really "abnormalities" for me. I'm not losing hair though. My heart beat is fine and my resting heart rate is pretty low. Other than the late periods, I'm the healthiest I've ever been.

Awkward30

18.8 should be healthy. But there is a margin of error for every method of calculation, so if it is causing health problems, you could be lower. Listen to your body!

chickentunashake

I am 16 % bf right now, had a baby 6 months ago ( my 6th child), not eating too many calories and my period is still regular. I dont think that is the issue. You need to have your blood checked if you have any abnormalities in it.

Tzippy7

generally if your periods become irregular you do not have a high enough body fat %. If you are concerned maybe see a dr. because this can cause health problems down the line.

missikay1970

i actually had to put on weight to get pregnant. my body fat % was too low, and my dr recommended it (we had fertility issues and had been trying to get pregnant for years.) as soon as i gained weight, my periods became normal and i got pregnant. since you're not trying to get pregnant, i wouldn't worry about it at all. the fewer periods you have in your lifetime, the better you are (less estrogen exposure.) enjoy!!!

altaffermommy

Im with you on this one. im having the same issue this month. the last 2 months a couple days late im into 10 days late this month. i go to the gym 5 days a week and i eat 1200 to 1600 cal a day. i dont know what my body fat is i keep wanting to check it at the gym but forgot to do it today.

litatura

Im with you on this one. im having the same issue this month. the last 2 months a couple days late im into 10 days late this month. i go to the gym 5 days a week and i eat 1200 to 1600 cal a day. i dont know what my body fat is i keep wanting to check it at the gym but forgot to do it today.

Almost word for word for me. I'm still waiting for my period to arrive (I was due around the 3rd week of April, I think). My body fat is definitely not too low because I'm still 8lbs. above a healthy BMI.

hedwighigh

Im with you on this one. im having the same issue this month. the last 2 months a couple days late im into 10 days late this month. i go to the gym 5 days a week and i eat 1200 to 1600 cal a day. i dont know what my body fat is i keep wanting to check it at the gym but forgot to do it today.

Almost word for word for me. I'm still waiting for my period to arrive (I was due around the 3rd week of April, I think). My body fat is definitely not too low because I'm still 8lbs. above a healthy BMI.

Were both of you pretty regular before too? The only other thing I can think of is maybe the girls I was living with threw me off but I lived with them for several months and this only became an issue last month.

abberbabber

Changing your weight up or down can affect your period. Mine was always *very* irregular and got worse with the more weight I gained. As I've lost, it's improved some. Losing/gaining weight can mess with your hormones. As your weight stabilizes, so should your hormones and your periods. If it keeps up or gets really heavy or you're having really bad symptoms, talk to your OBGYN. Other than that...you should be fine

litatura

Im with you on this one. im having the same issue this month. the last 2 months a couple days late im into 10 days late this month. i go to the gym 5 days a week and i eat 1200 to 1600 cal a day. i dont know what my body fat is i keep wanting to check it at the gym but forgot to do it today.

Almost word for word for me. I'm still waiting for my period to arrive (I was due around the 3rd week of April, I think). My body fat is definitely not too low because I'm still 8lbs. above a healthy BMI.

Were both of you pretty regular before too? The only other thing I can think of is maybe the girls I was living with threw me off but I lived with them for several months and this only became an issue last month.

Somewhat. I was always regular before I started my weight loss journey last July. Then, after my first month on WW and working out, I started having periods every 2-3 weeks, which was really annoying. That lasted about 2 months and then I became regular again until last month when I was about 10 days late (and when it came it was really light) and now I'm playing the waiting game this month. The only change I've had in the past two months is that I switched from tracking with WW to MFP.

ALH1981

I have very low body fat due to being extremely athletic - i don't get my periods if i drop below a certain %. I don't really worry too much but you should make sure you are checked out as its very important for bone health - this should be carefully monitored by a doctor - they may suggest you go on the pill/hormones to regulate and protect your bones. I was told to do this