Ladies, are your periods affected by your weight loss?

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DetroitKilljoy
DetroitKilljoy Posts: 37
in Health and Weight Loss
So far, i've only lost 4 pounds, but I've done it on a pretty intensive diet of 1200 cal a day and I exercise about 4 times a day. I started my weight loss journey only about 2 weeks ago. My period came this week and it was incredibly light and it only lasted 3 days. It is pretty concerning to me because I'm always heavy and it drags on for about 4-5 days before it is completely gone. Is this normal? How has your diets affected your cycle?

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  • DetroitKilljoy
    DetroitKilljoy Posts: 37
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  • TakinSexyBack
    TakinSexyBack Posts: 300 Member
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    I used to be very regular. Since Ive been losing, its very sporadic! Weird!! I am on the pill and will start half way thru but it will be light......will still have another regular one when Im supposed to or a little early. I am guessing its a change in my hormones but I will be going to the Dr if it doesnt straighten out soon!
  • DetroitKilljoy
    DetroitKilljoy Posts: 37
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  • meghanp92
    meghanp92 Posts: 43
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    I noticed mine was a little strange too! I've only been at this for about a month too but I'm down 11 pounds. I'm on the pill and supposed to only get it every four months. I wasn't supposed to get it for another two months but I'm came this month anyway, and heavy! I think it is normal, your hormones can get way messed up on a diet. But I figure a few weird periods is worth it to lose weight!
  • viad25720
    viad25720 Posts: 57 Member
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    Wooooah Nelly, slow down! I work out about 4 days a week, 1-2 hours a day (if 2 hours 1 hour is fast paced walking and a workout video) and I have lost 13 lbs in the last 4 weeks (I began aug 11) I even have a cheat meal once a week! I eat around 1600 cals a day, sometimes less but always more than 1200. Your body needs fuel to work at a good level, to burn those fat cells. Give your body what it needs to work best for you.
  • EBFNP
    EBFNP Posts: 529 Member
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    My period did something weird. I used to get it the last week of every month however, it started to come earlier and earlier during a six month span. Now it seems to be stabilizing.
  • chizumlassstar
    chizumlassstar Posts: 49 Member
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    I'm on implanon and normally don't have periods, but since my "journey" shall we call it, started, I have had one day of spotting and then about a month later, a normal period (it was a little long, and the cramps and back aches were killer but I survived). I think it is your body chemistry changing. Its a good thing. I have to say it can be a little discouraging, the cramps, bloating, and working out like a dog and the scale not moving, only to start bleeding a few days later and then when you get on the scale after that, all that "water weight" from the bloating is gone and your hard work is then well rewarded. Hang in there.
  • IndigoFlowers
    IndigoFlowers Posts: 221 Member
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    My period has gotten less painful (I went from SEVERE cramps, to almost none at all)... it's also gotten shorter and lighter.

    One month I bleed for a full month, so I got on the pill... only to bleed for another three months straight... so I got off the pill and my periods returned back to normal, in perfect schedule.

    I love my period now compared to how it was when I was 100 pounds heavier :)
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    It's really hard to tell what's going on because 2 weeks isn't all that long, 4lbs in 2 weeks might be reasonable, and a single strange period doesn't necessarily mean much, but exercising 4x/day and only eating 1200 calories might be enough to cause hormonal problems. I would be very careful- a light period may seem like a benefit, but may indicate something more sinister going on with your normal hormones.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    If you are exercising 4 x day and only eating 1200 calories, then you likely have a problem because your net is too low to sustain normal LH pulsatility and ovarian function.

    This is a study with regularly menstruating women who engaged in 15 cal x lean body mass in kg of cardio at 70% VO2 max for 5 days. There were four groups, each consuming 45, 10, 20 or 30 cal x lean body mass in kg x 5 days, respectively. It was discovered that if women consumed less than 30 cal x lean body mass in kg x 5 days, while creating a default exercise deficit of 15 cal x lean body mass in kg per day for 5 days, they had high risk of experiencing disruption in LH pulsatiltiy and ovarian function.

    Here is an example: 130 lbs; LBM of 45.5 kg (100 lbs); TDEE 2000 calories.

    15 cal x 45.5 LBM kg = 682 cardio calories x 5 days = 3409 cardio calories in 5 days.

    30 cal x 45.5 LBM kg x 5 days = 6825 total calories eaten in 5 days (1365 calories per day).

    5 Day breakdown
    TDEE 2000 (x5) = 10000
    (6825 - 3409) divided by 10000 = Threshold
    3416 (net) / 10000 = 64% deficit below TDEE (x5) of 10000

    Daily breakdown
    2000 - 1365 = 635 deficit from eating less
    635 + 682 (exercise) = sum deficit of 1317
    2000 - 1317 = 683 net
    683 / 2000 = 66% deficit below TDEE of 2000

    Thus, if this woman who has a 5 day TDEE of 10000 calories, eats 6825 calories over 5 days and does 3409 calories of cardio over 5 days, resulting in an energy availability (net) of 3416 calories, she reaches the threshold. The study states she will not experience disruption at or above that number, but the likelihood occurs if she goes below an energy availability (net) of 3416 calories over 5 days.

    Here is the study:
    http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/88/1/297.full
  • mkzara
    mkzara Posts: 73 Member
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    I don't think my period is affected by weight loss as much as it is affected by exercise.

    I have noticed that if I have an intense work out or two around the time my period is due, it throws it off. One month I was 11 days late and the only thing I had changed was that I had started exercising.

    I think as my body gets used to exercise though, the periods have become more stable. Not going to lie though I still freak out a tiny bit when working out when my period is due because I hate the unpredictability that comes with late periods.
  • webarr2003
    webarr2003 Posts: 20
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    Completey, I noticed around the time of my period my weight stays the same. After two weeks of my period ending thats when my weight drops alot where I get scared if I'm sick. On some occasions after my period ends and two weeks fly by lost 3 pounds and this week it did it again. I personnally carry alot of water weight around that time.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    It isn't the necessarily exercise, it's the deficit you create that sometimes causes disruption. If you know your lean body mass, convert it to kg and use the formula above to figure out your threshold. This is assuming you are creating a default deficit from exercise of 682 calories per day. Even if you do not exercise, you would add that default to the deficit of eating under TDEE. Thus if your TDEE is 2000, and eat 1365, then you can deduct that 682 to get the same deficit as the example above of 683. Thus, 2000 - (682+635) = 683 net.

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