Period regained after anorexia. What does it mean?!

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  • Alex_is_Hawks
    Alex_is_Hawks Posts: 3,499 Member
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    And to Alex....I don't think age should have anything to do with it. As long as they are mature enough to handle it.

    No, literally it's against the rules to be on this site if you're under 18.

    Thank you.
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
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    Hey I am 17 and have self recovered from anorexia. I am 5'10 and my lowest weight was probably 105. I am not probably 115-117. I have not had my period naturally for about a year and just got it today. I have been trying to eat between 1000-1500 cals a day in order to restore my metabolism because I had destroyed it. I was gaining at 700 a day previously. Also now I feel like I have lost some weight, even though I have been eating out a lot, but I'm not sure because I haven't weighed myself. Does the return of my period mean that I have restored my metabolism? Or just that I have gained weight? I really want to start loosing again(HEALTHILY) and gain some muscle but I want my metabolism and body to be restored first! PLEASE HELP

    Congrats on regaining your menstrual cycle. Please do not pursue any further weight gain. Keep eating at a surplus until you've gained more muscle and body fat and you are at a healthy goal weight and body fat % set by your doctor. Your overall health and life depends on what you chose to do today. Secondary amenorrhea is no laughing matter. Please make an appointment with your doctor to discuss getting your body fully restored. All the best.
  • zaithyr
    zaithyr Posts: 482 Member
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    And to Alex....I don't think age should have anything to do with it. As long as they are mature enough to handle it.

    No, literally it's against the rules to be on this site if you're under 18.

    Not to mention she is a recovering anorexic and is seeking advice through a calorie-counting site rather than a professional. We can't read her blood work and we are not her doctor.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
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    Hey I am 17 and have self recovered from anorexia. I am 5'10 and my lowest weight was probably 105. I am not probably 115-117. I have not had my period naturally for about a year and just got it today. I have been trying to eat between 1000-1500 cals a day in order to restore my metabolism because I had destroyed it. I was gaining at 700 a day previously. Also now I feel like I have lost some weight, even though I have been eating out a lot, but I'm not sure because I haven't weighed myself. Does the return of my period mean that I have restored my metabolism? Or just that I have gained weight? I really want to start loosing again(HEALTHILY) and gain some muscle but I want my metabolism and body to be restored first! PLEASE HELP

    Sorry but you have not recovered if you are at 115 (Body Mass Index of just 16.5) yet still want to lose weight, there is NO WAY to loose weight healthily from this point. To achieve a healthy weight you should look to gain another fifteen pounds, you can work towards as much of this as possible being muscle and bone if you wish. You may well have a small frame, that is why the healthy BMI is a range not an absolute number to account for different builds. The more muscle you have the smaller you will look at a given weight.

    Return of your period generally denotes you have enough bodyfat for your body to 'waste' energy on menstruation and that your sex hormone levels are somewhat recovered. It doesn't mean you are ovulating nor that you are not damaging your fertility if you continue with this path and doesn't say anything about your metabolism that is a different part of the endocrine system.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    It means your body is healing. This is a good thing! This happens sometimes to females who are overweight as well. When they drop pounds they get their periods back.

    And to Alex....I don't think age should have anything to do with it. As long as they are mature enough to handle it.

    This comes up a bunch; yes, age has many things to do with it. It's a rule for this site, diary OR forums. It is against the site's policies to be on here under 18.

    Adolescents are just not at the same sort of nutritional state as adults; development is still occurring, so even if overweight, a teenager is not going to have the same sort of guidelines that MFP sets (hence why nutritionists and doctors are generally responsible for weight loss under adulthood, instead of a school nurse, a health teacher, etc.). Furthermore, you can tout maturity all you want; I was a ridiculously mature kid... but mental faculties just aren't fully finished as a teen (especially a teen who's been starving herself for a prolonged period), so "advice" on the forums won't be filtered the same way (granted, there's sure some adults on this site I could argue have the same issue). Plus, adolescent females are the highest risk pool of EDs... and sites like this can be potential negative influences with highly precise calorie counting, unmoderated subforums, etc. OP already has one; this site is not going to be a good fit for her between that and her age.
  • foleyshirley
    foleyshirley Posts: 1,043 Member
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    If you are wanting to lose again, you are probably not fully recovered. I would talk to a doctor or other professional. You should not be gaining at 700 calories. I am not trying to be mean, but I don't think you should be here doing this. Don't do it yourself. Get professional help.
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,721 Member
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    It means your body is healing. This is a good thing! This happens sometimes to females who are overweight as well. When they drop pounds they get their periods back.

    And to Alex....I don't think age should have anything to do with it. As long as they are mature enough to handle it.

    This comes up a bunch; yes, age has many things to do with it. It's a rule for this site, diary OR forums. It is against the site's policies to be on here under 18.

    Adolescents are just not at the same sort of nutritional state as adults; development is still occurring, so even if overweight, a teenager is not going to have the same sort of guidelines that MFP sets (hence why nutritionists and doctors are generally responsible for weight loss under adulthood, instead of a school nurse, a health teacher, etc.). Furthermore, you can tout maturity all you want; I was a ridiculously mature kid... but mental faculties just aren't fully finished as a teen (especially a teen who's been starving herself for a prolonged period), so "advice" on the forums won't be filtered the same way (granted, there's sure some adults on this site I could argue have the same issue). Plus, adolescent females are the highest risk pool of EDs... and sites like this can be potential negative influences with highly precise calorie counting, unmoderated subforums, etc. OP already has one; this site is not going to be a good fit for her between that and her age.

    I agree with this.
  • foleyshirley
    foleyshirley Posts: 1,043 Member
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    It means your body is healing. This is a good thing! This happens sometimes to females who are overweight as well. When they drop pounds they get their periods back.

    And to Alex....I don't think age should have anything to do with it. As long as they are mature enough to handle it.

    This comes up a bunch; yes, age has many things to do with it. It's a rule for this site, diary OR forums. It is against the site's policies to be on here under 18.

    Adolescents are just not at the same sort of nutritional state as adults; development is still occurring, so even if overweight, a teenager is not going to have the same sort of guidelines that MFP sets (hence why nutritionists and doctors are generally responsible for weight loss under adulthood, instead of a school nurse, a health teacher, etc.). Furthermore, you can tout maturity all you want; I was a ridiculously mature kid... but mental faculties just aren't fully finished as a teen (especially a teen who's been starving herself for a prolonged period), so "advice" on the forums won't be filtered the same way (granted, there's sure some adults on this site I could argue have the same issue). Plus, adolescent females are the highest risk pool of EDs... and sites like this can be potential negative influences with highly precise calorie counting, unmoderated subforums, etc. OP already has one; this site is not going to be a good fit for her between that and her age.

    This!!
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    Also, OP, since I just saw your edit... those 5 lbs of fat you gained? They're most likely responsible for your PERIOD coming back. Something necessary for you to live and function properly.

    If you focus on eating MORE and lifting weights, you might just build up that muscle and realize the "fat" you gained isn't unattractive or detrimental. As a recovering anorexic myself, lifting weights is the best thing I've ever done, and has definitely helped my disordered eating, my control issues, etc... because you can't get that muscle without eating to fuel and repair and build those muscles.

    You should get professional help, asap, and don't be surprised if this topic gets locked... it's triggering and potentially dangerous to others in recovery by advocating losing MORE weight, when you're clearly underweight by any and all scales of health.
  • maddieosullivan
    maddieosullivan Posts: 5
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    I use this site now to make sure I am getting enough protein, healthy fat, and calories. It was helped me recover a lot. I had an ED before even joining.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    I use this site now to make sure I am getting enough protein, healthy fat, and calories. It was helped me recover a lot. I had an ED before even joining.

    ... Right, and so this site has the potential to set you back and/or trigger you. You need a professional to help guide you through this; you're incredibly young, and clearly still have an inaccurate perception of your body and your health. You haven't been using the site correctly, because you admitted to eating 1000 calories a day... which is unhealthy, by all standards except people who have had gastric bypass (so clearly, not you). So you're not "getting enough calories" by using the site.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    Also, I don't just mean "bloodwork" for internal side effects. Your heart, brain, and multiple organs can lose mass from prolonged starving, your metabolism takes a hit, etc. Many of these things wouldn't be apparent until a problem arose, which I hope never happens for you, but it's a serious thing to consider when dealing with an ED.
  • Chinadorian
    Chinadorian Posts: 200 Member
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    I use this site now to make sure I am getting enough protein, healthy fat, and calories. It was helped me recover a lot. I had an ED before even joining.

    ... Right, and so this site has the potential to set you back and/or trigger you. You need a professional to help guide you through this; you're incredibly young, and clearly still have an inaccurate perception of your body and your health. You haven't been using the site correctly, because you admitted to eating 1000 calories a day... which is unhealthy, by all standards except people who have had gastric bypass (so clearly, not you). So you're not "getting enough calories" by using the site.

    ^^ yes. We all want to see you be healthy (yay, you got your period back!!) and young and vibrant....no need to lose more weight, wahtever your body type is/was...focus on your mental health and becoming strong physically. Ask your health professional for help and accountablity with these things.
  • DuhhMuffin
    DuhhMuffin Posts: 198
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    OP, I know people here sound like they're being hard on you, but we really just care about your health and well-being.

    Good job for wanting to be healthy! But I also think you should see a doctor, as his or her opinions and suggestions would be far better than ours c: Seriously, though, great job!
  • mscoco10
    mscoco10 Posts: 527 Member
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    Well I don't really have an issue with your age because childhood obesity is at an all time high.( Yes I do know its against the rules but this isn't the biggest crime they will ever commit.) I do think you should consult a physician and a therapist because losing weight is not in your favor. Please see someone ASAP!
  • maddieosullivan
    maddieosullivan Posts: 5
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    OP, I know people here sound like they're being hard on you, but we really just care about your health and well-being.

    Good job for wanting to be healthy! But I also think you should see a doctor, as his or her opinions and suggestions would be far better than ours c: Seriously, though, great job!

    Thank you very much for the refreshing positivity! And I know I should and I am working on finding one.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    When one loses weight in such a fashion, they set forth certain compensatory mechanisms which causes them to gain all the weight back during weight recovery.

    Some of the weight you lost was fat mass, the rest from fat-free mass (muscle, connective tissue, bone mass density, etc). However, during weight recovery, you only gain back a small percentage of the fat-free mass you lost. Thus, if you get back to your initial weight prior to engagement in disordered eating, most of that disproportionate gain will come from fat mass.

    Example:
    Original weight: 140 lbs.
    Lowest weight: 105 lbs.
    Total fat mass lost: 20 lbs.
    Total fat-free mass lost: 15 lbs.

    Final recovery weight: 140 lbs.
    Gain in fat mass: 30 lbs.
    Recovery of fat-free mass: 5 lbs.

    As you continue to up calories, you will continue to recover weight - mostly from fat mass. The amount of fat gained depends on your initial body fat percentage and adjusted Resting Metabolic Rate. Increasing fat-free mass is a priority as it will help speed up the time it will take for your RMR to reach optimal levels.

    Here is an article citing the above disproportionate fat mass gained during weight recovery which occurs among recovering anorexics as well as those of obesity relapse:

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8696417
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    OP, I know people here sound like they're being hard on you, but we really just care about your health and well-being.

    Good job for wanting to be healthy! But I also think you should see a doctor, as his or her opinions and suggestions would be far better than ours c: Seriously, though, great job!

    Thank you very much for the refreshing positivity! And I know I should and I am working on finding one.

    I really hope you don't think we're being negative here. Many of us are just being very real; it's just not healthy for someone so young, in early stages of recovery, to be here, especially if there's no professional, "real person" help. Focus the time you'd spend on here trying to find someone to help! It's the best decision you'll make.
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
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    It means that you are finally making some good, solid progress toward recovery and healthful living. This is a big, big step, and you should be proud.

    You need to keep focus on eating the right things, and not on losing. Wait until you're at a normal BMI, and then think about your future. You may think that you're gaining fat, but as a former anorexic, your body image feelings are pretty skewed. Might it be fat? Sure. Do you probably need it? Absolutely.
  • bethvandenberg
    bethvandenberg Posts: 1,496 Member
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    I would think that you finally have enough % of Body fat to have a cycle. :) Way to go on getting healthy again. :) Weight training will be great for you and your sense of strength. Way to go girlie. Keep up the great work.
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