Need advise on loss of period.

meganhewkin
meganhewkin Posts: 10 Member
edited October 2014 in Health and Weight Loss
I started dieting 7 month ago I lost 1 and a half stone in the first three months and now weigh 9st 4 I am 5ft6 and 18 years of age. I haven't had a period since I started healthy eating, I am an active person and am on my feet doing some form of exercise from 7:15am - 6pm Monday to Friday. I would say I eat around 1600 - 1800 calories a day. I suffer from serious bloating aswell. Can anyone give me some advice ?!

Replies

  • Has your amount of exercise increased also? If so, then that may be a major factor. Otherwise, if it's just your diet, then I would suggest seeking out a medical professional.

    Can't really say much else without know what you eat, as well as the fact that I'm just going off feminine knowledge :P
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Closed diary - are you eating 30g or more of fat and 50g or more of protein per day from a wide variety of foods ?
  • meganhewkin
    meganhewkin Posts: 10 Member
    Well I live a very active life style, I have horses which involve a lot of care. I would say I'm on my feet from 7:15am till 6pm Monday to Friday as my job is in property development so that entails moving around all day doing one thing or another, so except for my 2 20 minute breaks and 45 minute lunch break I am on the go.. Thanks for the advice though!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Loss of period and bloating... I would see a doctor.
  • meganhewkin
    meganhewkin Posts: 10 Member
    I have now allowed the public to see my diary, I havent recorded all the time as I was trying to get out of the habit as it came abit obsessive.
    - I used to only have around 25g of fat but in the last month or so I've been aiming for around 60g
  • harlequin0318
    harlequin0318 Posts: 415 Member
    Don't be silly! Ask your doctor!
  • meganhewkin
    meganhewkin Posts: 10 Member
    edited October 2014
    I have been to the doctor who said my weight was fine and if it's not returned by the end of November to return and they will do some blood tests..
  • Losing your period can be from a number of reasons, pregnancy (although i'm sure you've already considered that by now haha), stress, things like poor nutrition or a hormonal imbalance.. the only way to be sure is to go and see the doctor, and the sooner the better - things like PCOS and hypothalamic amenorrhoea could be the underlying issue and the only way you'll find out is a trip to the GP
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Nothing leaps out of the diary, proper investigation required. Have you tried a week or so without things like wheat or dairy (eliminate one at a time) to see if they're behind the bloating ?
  • mzbek24
    mzbek24 Posts: 436 Member
    If your daily burns are quite large, you might not be eating enough? Could be worth re-evaluating your calories.

    I lost my period (almost entirely-stop and start kinda thing) and had mild PCOS, but yeah the first thing I did was see a GP when it repeated for two periods in a row. I'd suggest if it's not a once off occurrence, you're eating enough and it still happens, that you do the same.
  • harlequin0318
    harlequin0318 Posts: 415 Member
    I have been to the doctor who said my weight was fine and if it's not returned by the end of November to return and they will do some blood tests..

    So you started healthy eating 7 months ago, became amennorheic, and they didn't want to check your hormone levels right away?? Shame on that doctor

  • meganhewkin
    meganhewkin Posts: 10 Member
    The doctor didn't seem to concerned when I went two months ago and told me to returned in three months time if I still haven't had my period. I put up this post as I wanted some advice on diet tips to help me get it back, I only lost weight as I wanted to become more healthier in myself however that doesn't seem to be the case as surely losing your period isn't something that happens if you're healthy? My parents are always going on at me to eat more as they don't think I eat enough for the amount of work I do. I shall eat a little more and then put on weight then I'll cut back on food again, it's like a vicious circle. But really all I need to focus on now is getting my period back. I would like to start to tone up now however I don't have time or the energy to go to the gym to start lifting or anything.. :\
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    your food intake seems reasonable and at 21 BMI you aren't too low on body fat. There's some reading at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amenorrhoea that points to potential causes you can work through. Good luck.
  • harlequin0318
    harlequin0318 Posts: 415 Member
    With dieting and excercise comes hormone changes, its natural - but normally your body adjusts, I only lost mine for 1 month and it came back, but I did get my bloodwork done just in case.

    Being an RN, I totally rely on bloodwork to judge the status of any patient. So, its up to your discretion
  • DeBiKin
    DeBiKin Posts: 107 Member
    I too lost my period (a long time ago).
    I was not under a lot of extra stress but the one thing that I had done was go on a crash diet and exercised like crazy.
    I dropped all of the excess weight but didn't stop when I needed to so my body went into real starvation mode.
    My body recognized that, for "some reason" there wasn't enough food to sustain me much longer, it certainly wouldn't have enough food to nourish a fetus (and thereafter nurse a newborn).
    I am not looking at your diary right now but that can always vary anyway.
    The thing that you need to do is stop the vicious cycle.
    You need to develop a permanent healthy diet, not an occasional weight gain, occasional crash diet.
    You can eat like a horse if you work like a horse.
    Unless there is really some other issue,, that's my first hand experience; the period will return when you are truly eating "healthy" on a regular basis.
    Good luck.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I lost my period for 3 months too. I increased my calories and it came back (but I have hardly lost any weight since). Neither my GP nor my GYN seemed worried about it... they said it just happens when you exercise a lot and are losing weight.
  • DeBiKin
    DeBiKin Posts: 107 Member
    edited October 2014
    BTW, loss of period by starvation is NOT a good contraceptive. The egg is released before the period. The period only comes AFTER the dropped egg is NOT fertilized. If you get healthy, you will ovulate first and could get pregnant without having a period first.
    So, to repeat, do not mistake your lis of period as a form of birth control.
  • meganhewkin
    meganhewkin Posts: 10 Member
    This is my diet / exercise routine from Monday to Friday.. If anyone could point out what they think may be the problem if would be much appreciated! :smile:

    Wake up at 6:45 - I'll have 80g banana and 50g Greek style yogurt
    7:15 - feed then clean out two horses and check other life stock
    8:15 - arrive back home and I'll have either two boiled eggs or mackerels in tomato sauce and a piece of fruit.
    9:00 - arrive at work (I woke in property development so I'm doing some form of movement and on my feet all the time)
    10:30 - 20 minute break and I'll have a piece of fruit and a Activia yogurt
    1:00 - lunch time I'll have 45 minute break and will have to eat, 60g of either tuna, salmon, organic poultry or grass fed meat, 50g cottage cheese, 35g hummus then a large variety of vegetables and a whole meal pitta bread (60g)
    4:00 finish work and I'll have a piece of fruit, 10g almond butter, 10g goji berries and 10g of 70% Lindt dark chocolate.
    4:45 put horses beds down and get all the food and water ready, 3 out of the 5 nights I'll go for a ride for around half an hour and then walk the dogs for about 15 - 20 minutes.
    Arrive home at about 6:00 and I will have 100g of again either some sort of fish, organic poultry or grass fed meat along with mixed roasted vegetables (courgette, peppers, onions, kale, cabbage, mushrooms, broccoli etc etc) and then sometimes I will have some roasted butternut squash or sweet potato.
    9:00 I'll usually have some sort of treat, usually giant milky bar buttons as they are my favourite and I'll have 12 of them and that would be 132 calories.
    I drink alot of water throughout the day also.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Sometimes hormones can cause loss of period, but this really is something you need to address with your doctor, not the internet.
  • meganhewkin
    meganhewkin Posts: 10 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Sometimes hormones can cause loss of period, but this really is something you need to address with your doctor, not the internet.
    I have been to see my doctor I just wondered if anyone else had exeprienced a similar situation and what they did to get it back :)
  • 2thesexydress
    2thesexydress Posts: 54 Member
    Not enough calories can cause a period to stop. If you have been having less than 1200 calories often, this can be the reason.
  • tsikkz
    tsikkz Posts: 404 Member
    I didn't menstruate for about a year when I started my drastic weight loss. It was a combination of an implanted birth control and hormonal changes from losing weight. Your body will get back on track eventually. My doctor wasn't phased about it either, she ordered a blood test and said things would come round eventually
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Your eating seems very regimented for someone with a low BMI. I might listen to your parents. Your life sounds very active and your general health is more important than a scale number or pant size, especially when you're on the low end now.

    Good luck!
  • ktekc
    ktekc Posts: 879 Member
    I have that problem. My doctor did blood work and my hormones were way off. I had an MRI because she thought i might have a pituitary tumor. That was clear. So she thinks it is because i had gained a bunch of weight to fast. I gained about 30 or so in a few months when i was out of work. Im working to get it off and i have to take Provera every three months because she wants me to have one at least 4 times a year. Fast weight fluctuations really mess with your hormones.
  • sus49
    sus49 Posts: 94 Member
    When I was younger and very thin, fit and active I typically had my period once or twice a year. Apparently many gymnasts, stewardesses and very thin women do not have regular periods. Low weight, High activity and air travel seem to affect it.

    However BEWARE: My periods lasted until I was 57 and as I hit perimenopause I gained 100 lbs in less than a year.

    If your doctor does not find anything wrong with you, then nothing is wrong with you, but we are BORN with a certain number of eggs and we HAVE to shed them. Having periods until I was 57 was NOT fun!!!!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    sus49 wrote: »
    When I was younger and very thin, fit and active I typically had my period once or twice a year. Apparently many gymnasts, stewardesses and very thin women do not have regular periods. Low weight, High activity and air travel seem to affect it.

    However BEWARE: My periods lasted until I was 57 and as I hit perimenopause I gained 100 lbs in less than a year.

    If your doctor does not find anything wrong with you, then nothing is wrong with you, but we are BORN with a certain number of eggs and we HAVE to shed them. Having periods until I was 57 was NOT fun!!!!

    Ok I had no idea, lol! But don't they just die after a certain point though?
  • amblight
    amblight Posts: 350 Member
    I freaked out a lot when I lost my period as well, but my doc wasn't worried at all: I insisted on getting more check ups, so he sent me to a gynocologist, who also just told me there was nothing to worry about, it's quite normal when losing weight, and congrats on my progress. I asked if I should slow it down, or not lose more, and she said deffinitely not, she would safely advice me to continue as I had.

    I am not telling you it's the same for you, but go see your doc, hopefully they'll give you the green light too :)
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
    You seem to have at least a couple of issues. I strongly advise you to see your own doctor reasonably soon. Try for an appointment within the week and not be fobbed off to take one in two or three weeks time, as happens here. All the best and start taking proper care of yourself.
  • meganhewkin
    meganhewkin Posts: 10 Member
    edited October 2014
    Fuzzipeg wrote: »
    You seem to have at least a couple of issues. I strongly advise you to see your own doctor reasonably soon. Try for an appointment within the week and not be fobbed off to take one in two or three weeks time, as happens here. All the best and start taking proper care of yourself.
    thankfully my doctors have an open waiting room from 8am till lunch time Monday to Friday so I don't have to wait several weeks to see someone :)
    - thanks to everyone who's replied! Every reply has been helpful!