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A Question Regarding Health for the Women Out There
evolutionbyariana
Posts: 60 Member
Okay, so this might be TMI, but I went to the doctor today & got no help whatsoever and I'm not really sure where else to go!
I've always been fairly active, but since January I've taken it up a notch working out 6 days a week, sometimes twice a day (at a lower intensity each session). Over the past few months my period has started to only last about 2 or 3 days which is fantastic! I've read that this sometimes happens with active women. But this month I didn't get it at all. I went to get a pregnancy test just incase and it came back negative.
I Googled around a bit and found some information about amorrhea and how the body stops unnecessary functions when it doesn't have the energy to perform them as we'll as the necessary daily functions. This concerns me a bit. I eat anywhere from 1600-2000 calories per day depending on my workout, and I eat every 2.5-3 hours, sometimes more often if I'm hungry. I eat balanced meals with whole foods that I cook myself, & I rarely eat packaged food. I also take a calcium supplement each day.
Two weeks ago I decided to play around with my macros a bit & switched them to 40% carbs, 40% protein, & 20% fat. Previously I had been taking in 50-60% carbs and the other two fluctuated daily. I'm wondering if this change caused my missed period? And if its a bad thing? I decided today to up my carbs to 45% and reduce protein to 35%.
Has anyone else experienced anything similar or have any advice to offer? I'm not trying to conceive and I don't foresee that happening in the near future. Any help is appreciated!!
I've always been fairly active, but since January I've taken it up a notch working out 6 days a week, sometimes twice a day (at a lower intensity each session). Over the past few months my period has started to only last about 2 or 3 days which is fantastic! I've read that this sometimes happens with active women. But this month I didn't get it at all. I went to get a pregnancy test just incase and it came back negative.
I Googled around a bit and found some information about amorrhea and how the body stops unnecessary functions when it doesn't have the energy to perform them as we'll as the necessary daily functions. This concerns me a bit. I eat anywhere from 1600-2000 calories per day depending on my workout, and I eat every 2.5-3 hours, sometimes more often if I'm hungry. I eat balanced meals with whole foods that I cook myself, & I rarely eat packaged food. I also take a calcium supplement each day.
Two weeks ago I decided to play around with my macros a bit & switched them to 40% carbs, 40% protein, & 20% fat. Previously I had been taking in 50-60% carbs and the other two fluctuated daily. I'm wondering if this change caused my missed period? And if its a bad thing? I decided today to up my carbs to 45% and reduce protein to 35%.
Has anyone else experienced anything similar or have any advice to offer? I'm not trying to conceive and I don't foresee that happening in the near future. Any help is appreciated!!
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Replies
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bump0
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I don't know much about that, but I have heard that women who have a very low body fat percantage, will sometimes stop having their period.0
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Sorry to ask, and you don't have to answer.....how old are you? Also, what are you netting daily calorie wise?0
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Its pretty normal. One thing i was told to make sure I was eating enough good fat. Give it a few weeks to see, it might just be late0
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I have actually been in the same boat...my period used to come on schedule and last 4-5 days. Now it comes maybe once every couple months and is light spotting for a couple days. I asked my gyno and he said it isn't uncommon when exercising a lot and when losing weight. Didn't say why...
Really interested to see what come of this??0 -
Have you seen an OB/Gyn or women's heath specialist? If not then do. One missed period is not necessarily amenorrhea (absence of periods)...it could be because of your increase in activity (What is your BMI?) or a change in hormones...or just a little hick up in your system. I would not panic...but do see you women's health practitioner if you haven't just to rule out any physiological issues that might occur. If you were to continue missing periods, then I would be more concerned.0
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Have you seen an OB/Gyn or women's heath specialist? If not then do. One missed period is not necessarily amenorrhea (absence of periods)...it could be because of your increase in activity (What is your BMI?) or a change in hormones...or just a little hick up in your system. I would not panic...but do see you women's health practitioner if you haven't just to rule out any physiological issues that might occur. If you were to continue missing periods, then I would be more concerned.
I agree - - stress, extra activity, and all sorts of things can impact you. I know my cramps get wicked if I work out like mad and don't add extra fats in the week before. Being younger will be to your benefit - but it will take some tweaking in your nutrition to find a solution.
I, personally, haven't found the medical profession really helpful at all when it comes to balancing out the nutrition plan for my personal needs - - most of them recite the Food Guide and don't dig deep into the nutrients your body is getting vs what it needs specific for you. You know yourself best!
Good luck - - - and happy tweaking . . . . .0 -
Wow thank you everyone for all of the responses! I know one missed period isn't a huge thing to freak out about, but I'm on the pill so I'm always very regular, and I'm just a bit paranoid when it comes to things. My doctor's appointment today was scheduled for something else and I added in the pregnancy test at the last minute, and when it came back that I wasn't pregnant and I wanted to discuss some things about why my period may have skipped my doctor didn't have time...so I will definitely seek out a women's healthy specialist...just for peace of mind if not anything else.
I am 23, and my net calories are anywhere from 1300-1600, I almost never go below 1300 and I eat back a lot of my exercise calories except on days where I run for almost two hours and burn 800+ calories. I had been working to reduce my fat intake along with my carbohydrates, but I love avocado and almond butter so damn much that I didn't really succeed in that haha. But I'll make a point of making sure I get enough of those in.
Again thank you for the responses!
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If you are indeed netting calories between 1300-1600, then it's very doubtful its due to reduced energy availability because you wouldn't be crossing the threshold of disruption to LH pulsatility and ovarian function. Make sure you are eating enough fats, as that is important to promote healthy hormonal function - 0.45g x LBM. Are you wearing a HRM when you run for two hours?
If you are curious about the threshold I mentioned, look at this study:
http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/88/1/297.full0 -
Okay good to know! And yes I do wear a HRM. Thanks I will check out that study 0
This discussion has been closed.
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