Low calorie diet/weight loss/ no period

Healthfitness16
Healthfitness16 Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi I'm new here so bear with me! I'm 5'3.5 and back in July/June weighed 138 pounds. Currently I weight around 105 pounds. Ill admit I went on a fad diet. And still partially am. I excersise daily (sports and going to the gym) that's calculates to over 1000-1400 calories burned with excersise(daily). I usually eat under 1000 calories. I haven't had my period since end of July-early August. Which was VERY heavy. But I still have clear discharge( sorry tmi!) how do I get it back?! Also I went on the scale yesterday and it said 108 pounds! So I've gained weight?! I'm very frustrated. I'm eating less than 1000 and burning off more than that why am I gaining? If I start eating more will I gain? Or will it speed my metabolism. Is my metabolism ruined. How do I get it back please PLEASE help! Also no negative comments only positive please thanks!

Replies

  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
    See a doctor. Amenorrhea (loss of menstruation) can have many causes and no one here can diagnose you over the internet. Be sure and discuss your eating habits with him or her as well.
  • Project_Jodie
    Project_Jodie Posts: 171
    I think you need to go to a doctor too.
  • ctpeace
    ctpeace Posts: 327 Member
    Too many issues here to give a simple answer. The short answer is that you do need to eat more, but it sounds like you might need a bit more guidance as to ideal weight and how to achieve it in the healthiest manner. I agree with the previous response and in your case recommend talking to a physician. 1000 is almost certainly too low, no period could mean many things, and 105 may not be your ideal weight.
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    I vote doctor. And make sure it's a psychiatrist.
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    No negative comments allowed.... when you are doing something unhealthy, and you know it. Get help. I will NOT give you positive comments to justify your eating disorder (which is also a symptom of malnourishment).

    Yes, you likely have damaged your metabolism along with other aspects of your health; do you even care? Cuz you are complaining about having trouble losing even more weight when you are already likely underweight. Get help.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Wow - warning signs galore - no periods, negative net calories - you gained because your body is desperate for nourishment and it's trying to hang onto whatever it can. Food is fuel - you are pushing your body through workouts that burn over 1000 cals and then eating less than that = OUT OF GAS!

    I agree that you need more guidance than we can give you here - time to see a doctor for sure.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    Please go see a professional.
  • ctpeace
    ctpeace Posts: 327 Member
    bloating/water weight is also a result of starvation in some cases. That's why those kids have distended bellies on the "save the children" ads. This could explain your gain. Please talk to a doctor.
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    I vote doctor. And make sure it's a psychiatrist.

    Eating disorders are often a symptom of malnutrition. Brain health has everything to do with diet, especially healthy dietary fat. I'd be willing to bet that the OP is not only scared of calories, but fat as well. Definitely needs a doctor/nutritionist, but not just a psychiatrist. Unless one just wants to be taking an anti-depressant/anti-psychotic drug for the rest of their life, I suppose.
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
    See a doctor. Amenorrhea (loss of menstruation) can have many causes and no one here can diagnose you over the internet. Be sure and discuss your eating habits with him or her as well.
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    I vote doctor. And make sure it's a psychiatrist.

    Eating disorders are often a symptom of malnutrition. Brain health has everything to do with diet, especially healthy dietary fat. I'd be willing to bet that the OP is not only scared of calories, but fat as well. Definitely needs a doctor/nutritionist, but not just a psychiatrist. Unless one just wants to be taking an anti-depressant/anti-psychotic drug for the rest of their life, I suppose.

    And at the root of most eating disorders is a psychiatric problem as well. A primary care physician will attempt to fix the physical problems she is having, but a psychiatrist will help with the mental side of it.

    ETA: assuming the OP is tbeing truthful and not trolling, 5'3" and 108# is hardly fat.
  • KrazyAsianNic
    KrazyAsianNic Posts: 1,227 Member
    I agree with everyone else who says you should see a doctor. At your height and weighing 138 pounds, you would still be in a healthy BMI. The lower you get, the more underweight you get. I would maybe see a counselor or therapist just to make sure you're not hurting yourself.

    I'm overweight and from experience, my period either goes 3-4 months without stopping or I don't get it for like 6 months due to being overweight. My doctor told me that people who are overweight or underweight would have issues with their period cycles.

    And to be "healthy", they say to eat a NET of at least 1200 calories. Net calories=calories eaten-calories burned.

    Not trying to be negative, just trying to help.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    Many young athletes feel they need to lose weight to increase performance for their sports - especially endurance sports such as track and cross country. Initially, this VLCD does lead to obvious weight loss and faster times. However, eventually the body will break down after chronic low energy availability. If you continue, you too will experience this crash and you won't like it.

    You need to net a certain amount of calories for LH pulsatility and ovarian function. In your case, you are well below that threshold which leads to disruption in menses. You can read about it here in this study by Ann B Loucks, a leading researcher in the field:

    http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/88/1/297.full

    To regain periods, you need to stop netting so low. In other words, eat a lot more calories to make up for your high volume of exercise.

    Regarding your gaining "weight" question...

    If you lost weight via a VLCD, then chances are you will gain most of the weight back when you eat up to your adjusted maintenance level of calories. Why?. Your body learns to burn less energy to try to preserve it when energy is being severely limited. This ultimately means you can't eat nearly as much calories to maintain weight as you did before this crazy semi-starvation diet.

    How much of this weight gain will be from fat mass vs lean mass? It will be mostly from fat. Why? Because you likely lost a substantial amount of lean body mass along with fat mass. When you increase calories back to an acceptable level, very little of that weight gain will come from lean body mass relative to fat mass. If you are following, this means you may actually end up having more body fat when you recover your weight than when you first started this semi-starvation diet.

    In the end, increase your calories to an acceptable level and accept the weight - fat - regain. If you are lifting weights, and eating adequate amounts of protein, you can increase the ratio of lean body mass regain vs fat mass. It may take some time for your RMR to recover. Normally, people could have the option to increase calorie consumption slowly so their RMR increases enough to minimize the surplus, but in your case, you are restricting so much that you likely are better off increasing calories significantly.

    Lastly. Your profile says you are 19. Are you in college? If you are in high school, and under 18, you can actually stunt your growth and never reach peak bone mass if you continue restricting in this manner.
  • jess_1993
    jess_1993 Posts: 151 Member
    Almost the same thing hsppened to me, I lost my period for about 6 months. Basically I got it back by decreasing my workouts for about 2 months because they were way too intense compared to my food intake. Best of luck!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    105lbs seems pretty low for your height, quite frankly. Go see a doctor.
  • thinsnice
    thinsnice Posts: 6 Member
    Based on your BMI, you were underweight at 105, and periods can stop when body fat percentage drops too low. You are underweight and trying to lose more weight by having such a negative calorie deficit. You are damaging your body now, and have an eating disorder. See a doctor and a counselor.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    Amenorrhea is frequently caused by overtraining combined with undereating...seems to fit the bill in your situation.

    Please, please, please eat more (a lot more) and train less (3 days a week is sufficient for most who are not professional athletes). If your period does not return after a month or two of eating more and working out less, then something else could be going on.

    Never a bad idea to run this stuff by a doctor...
  • KatNewby
    KatNewby Posts: 26
    It sounds like you may be suffering from anorexia and exercise bulimia.

    You should definitely see a doctor to assess the best way to gain weight (it will likely be very slowly so that your metabolism has time to recover accordingly). And it would also be a great idea to see a psychologist. If you live in a large area and have the ability to choose from many counselors, I would recommend a psychologist who specializes in eating disorders and anxiety disorders.

    Menstruation is highly correlated with body fat, so as you gain weight you will likely regain a monthly cycle. However, I am not a doctor and therefore I can't say with certainty that your lack of body fat is the reason for your loss of menstruation, but there is a high probability.
  • brent_woods
    brent_woods Posts: 32
    I am with the majority of the responses. I think you may have an eating disorder and recommend seeing a doctor without delay. This is raising some red flags.

    If your doctor refers you to a psychiatrist, do not be alarmed because there is nothing shameful about it. It is not because you're "crazy". I talked to a psychiatrist on my last tour in Afghanistan. They can help you.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    Menstruation is highly correlated with body fat, so as you gain weight you will likely regain a monthly cycle. However, I am not a doctor and therefore I can't say with certainty that your lack of body fat is the reason for your loss of menstruation, but there is a high probability.
    In most cases, it's low energy availability that comes first. Most women here do not get their body fat low enough for it to be the cause.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    I am with the majority of the responses. I think you may have an eating disorder and recommend seeing a doctor without delay. This is raising some red flags.

    If your doctor refers you to a psychiatrist, do not be alarmed because there is nothing shameful about it. It is not because you're "crazy". I talked to a psychiatrist on my last tour in Afghanistan. They can help you.

    Thank you for your service! And for poiting out that there is no shame in seeking professional help.
  • KatNewby
    KatNewby Posts: 26
    Menstruation is highly correlated with body fat, so as you gain weight you will likely regain a monthly cycle. However, I am not a doctor and therefore I can't say with certainty that your lack of body fat is the reason for your loss of menstruation, but there is a high probability.
    In most cases, it's low energy availability that comes first. Most women here do not get their body fat low enough for it to be the cause.

    Totally agree, for the majority of us.

    After some reading, I found this tid bit:

    "Low-calorie diets and inadequate nutrition that cause energy deficits are thought to be the primary cause of menstrual dysfunction rather than simple low body fat, according to Dr. Anne Loucks of Ohio University."
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
    Lack of a period is basically a sign of your body shutting down and you are putting it through too much. You need to be eating much, much more if you're that active.

    I agree with others, these are sign of an eating disorder and you should really see a professionally about this ASAP before your hair starts falling out or your organs start shutting down.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    I am with the majority of the responses. I think you may have an eating disorder and recommend seeing a doctor without delay. This is raising some red flags.

    ^^^^ this

    Exercising 1000-1400 cals a day and eating less than 1000 cals a day is starvation. that's like eating MINUS 400 calories a day. That's actually worse for your body than eating nothing at all and doing no exercise.

    That is why you have no periods. Your body is starving so your reproductive system has shut itself down. The way to get it back is to start eating properly, in fact I think you should eat above your TDEE so your body can start to rebuild itself again. Include lots of protein and healthy fat. You'll probably have to build up to eating that much step by step, as it's a big jump in calories. In the meantime, throw your scales in the bin and focus on getting strong. Lift weights and avoid cardio for the time being while you're building yourself up again. That's how you fix your physical health. (and see a doctor first in case you've pushed your body past the point where you can easily fix it just by eating properly and doing weights)

    As for mental health, I agree, there are a LOT of red flags. If the advice I posted about how to fix your physical health terrifies you or you think you can't possibly do that, or you're terrified of eating more and exercising less and putting on any weight at all (even healthy weight), then I think that would be another red flag for an eating disorder, and you need to see a doctor about getting treatment for that.
  • volume77
    volume77 Posts: 670 Member
    metabolism damaged. yes

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