Ladies with low body fat %

kristineevans

just wondering is there anyone with a low body fat % that still has there period? Is it possible ?

htmlgirl

What percentage do you consider low (for a woman)? I'm curious to know as well because I don't want mine to get too low (not even close right now).

kristineevans

Well mine is 20.2% at the mo but would say they stopped around 21?!

yoovie

Yeah its TOTALLY possible to get a low bodyfat % without developing amenorrhea. unless you're talking about going into the dangerously low body fat %'s then it will be very likely. But hopefully as soon as you start coming out of it and back up to where it's healthy, it will resume!

qtiekiki

20.2% isn't that low that I would think period would stop, but I hope it's only temporary.

emgawne

i have 19% body fat right now and do not have amenorrhea. i still get my period every time. but my body is also regulated by the pill so that may have something to do with it.

FitForLife81

My bf% is 14.7 and I still get my period. It did disappear when I first hit this bf% but it is now back

yoovie

yeah most girls that I hear get amennorhea get it around 10-12%

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I do not. It's somewhere between 12 and 14% at the moment.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

i have 19% body fat right now and do not have amenorrhea. i still get my period every time. but my body is also regulated by the pill so that may have something to do with it.

yeah, the pill can completely obscure what is happening to your body since this isn't a "period" at all but merely a withdrawal bleed from the lack of hormones in the inactive pills.

Meg_78

I think I am around 15% and I have never had period issues, they have always been super regular. I have always been considered rather underweight, yet, although I look thin, I don't think I look sickly (also with my wrist and elbow measurement I believe I fall into the small boned body type), I also managed to conceive my kids at a low weight, low BF% no problem, but carrying them had a big impact on my body, and I wish some Dr had really been more on me to gain more weight before having kids, but that's not how they do things here in Sweden, so I did have complicated pregnancies, which I think partially steamed from my starting low weight issues, but I digress

Right now I am making a big effort to put on some weight, I am honestly not sure what it will do with my BF% though, will just have to see where I am when I get there.

BAMFMeredith

yeah most girls that I hear get amennorhea get it around 10-12%

This...honestly I've only really heard of it happening in women with eating disorders and female gymnasts, but logically I suppose if you're just really lean (the healthy way) it could happen too. I don't have a period due to the BC I'm on (it's amazing, Implanon) but I think if I were not on BC and didn't get a period, it would kinda freak me out.

yoovie

yeah most girls that I hear get amennorhea get it around 10-12%

This...honestly I've only really heard of it happening in women with eating disorders and female gymnasts, but logically I suppose if you're just really lean (the healthy way) it could happen too. I don't have a period due to the BC I'm on (it's amazing, Implanon) but I think if I were not on BC and didn't get a period, it would kinda freak me out.

the 12% and unders that I was referencing are actually female gymnasts, my mom was one and she was 6'1" / 110 and had 10% bf in highschool and didnt have a period for a few years.

beaner1st

My body fat has goine done to around 20% and I have missed a couple of periods. Prior to this I was 26 days like clockwork. It is possible that it doesn't help that I am 42 but I have no other perimenopausal symptoms.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

nice read for those interested...
http://voices.yahoo.com/the-dieters-guide-preventing-amenorrhea-8755023.html?cat=5

kalynn06

From what I've read eating also plays a huge role. My friend whose BF is around 16 or 17 suffers from this, but she eats a very low fat with little meat and no red meat and pretty low in calories. I don't eat red meat either, but I also don't have low bf (sadly)and I eat plenty of food including a good amount of fat and a decent amount of protein.

LilRedRooster

Most women can go as low as about 12% and keep their period before it starts to become irregular, so long as they're getting adequate nutrition and eating a balanced diet. Really, it's a bit of an individual thing, because some women start to get irregular cycles much earlier than that, and some get to 10-12% and don't have issues.

LilRedRooster

yeah most girls that I hear get amennorhea get it around 10-12%

This...honestly I've only really heard of it happening in women with eating disorders and female gymnasts, but logically I suppose if you're just really lean (the healthy way) it could happen too. I don't have a period due to the BC I'm on (it's amazing, Implanon) but I think if I were not on BC and didn't get a period, it would kinda freak me out.

the 12% and unders that I was referencing are actually female gymnasts, my mom was one and she was 6'1" / 110 and had 10% bf in highschool and didnt have a period for a few years.

Did you mean that she was 5'1", 'cause in the world of female gymnasts, 6'1" would not only be HUGE, 110 would mean they were practically dead at that height, haha.

kristineevans

From what I've read eating also plays a huge role. My friend whose BF is around 16 or 17 suffers from this, but she eats a very low fat with little meat and no red meat and pretty low in calories. I don't eat red meat either, but I also don't have low bf (sadly)and I eat plenty of food including a good amount of fat and a decent amount of protein.

Thanks this could explain it as don't eat a lot of fat but do eat protein will speak to gp tomorrow as I'm not underweight or have a super low bf%

kristineevans

Thanks to everyone for your answers x

n_unocero

I've never had a low body fat (always been around 25 i think) but I've also never had a regular period. i'm on the depo shot now so obviously that has stopped me from having periods, but when i was in high school i would only get 2 a year...one during the week off after basketball season and one during the week off after softball season.

BadBamaJama

I'm at 18% and I still have mine.

yoovie

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bgelliott

I've been as high as 34% and as low as 16% and my cycle is like clockwork. Everyone is different!

missADS1981

i am currently at 13.5% and get mine every other month but i also use a BC which makes you also have shorter lighter periods. but since lifting weights yes i get it less frequently

HMVOL7409

My lowest was 13.8% as of February and have never missed a period. I'm not on any birth control nor do I eat at a deficit.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

My lowest was 13.8% as of February and have never missed a period. I'm not on any birth control nor do I eat at a deficit.

Consider yourself one of the lucky few.