Should I give up and gain it all back? (hormones, period missed)

molnardrea
molnardrea Posts: 78 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I went down from 135 lbs to 126 (I'm 5ft 4, healthy BMI) in 4 months (very slowly). I ate healthy food, vegetables, fruit, lean meats, seeds, nuts, whole grain bread/pasta, brown rice, dark chocolate in moderation, avocado, peanut butter, generally a diet that's not boring or hard for me. Every day ate at least 1500 kcal, when worked out (ran, cycled, horse riding, HIIT videos from youtube), then ate back my excersise calories.

I was happy about myself, my body composition changing... Despite all these I lost my period (5 months missed). Been to the gyno, I have no PCOS, no pregancy, more like a Hypothalamic Amenorrhea. Women usually said they had to gain weight, body fat to get their periods back. They also had to cut out ALL excersise. They gained 10-20 lbs to get their body working...

Does this mean that being lean and athletic is not for me? I've never been overweight and I've always been very active. I don't want to give up and gain back more... I already gained 5 lbs back and I'm on progesterone pill, but still no period since December 24th, 2014.

Help :(
«1

Replies

  • PeachyPlum
    PeachyPlum Posts: 1,243 Member
    edited April 2015
    This is a really good question for your doctor.

    FWIW, if I could quit having my period and still be perfectly healthy, I'd be thrilled.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    What did your doctor say about it?
  • slimmingbutterfly
    slimmingbutterfly Posts: 8 Member
    this happens to women with very low bodyfat percentage I heard.. do you know what your bf is? This is very common amongst women fitness models and women athletes.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    Yes, you should ask your doctor. I haven't had my period for almost two years and I could care less. I am perfectly healthy and at athlete level conditioning and at the bottom rung for required body fat percentage. Our situations are different.... I am not interested in having kids and as long as my body is healthy and functioning normally otherwise, as I said, I don't care about my period! My doctor told me it was a mix of age and body fat but as long as I felt ok and had no other issues not to worry about it. The only thing I can think of is to start eating higher healthy fats and start lifting weights, limit your carbs and get plenty of protein and water. This might boost your body fat percentage without weight gain. But I'm not professional. Definitely ask your doctor.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    That happened to me when I was on the swim team in HS. The doctor put me on the Pill, and this returned my cycles without the necessity of gaining any weight back.
  • molnardrea
    molnardrea Posts: 78 Member
    I went initally to the doc because of this. She said I can keep up eating the way I do and doing sports... But all other women on fertilethoughts.com forums said that no hormone treatments worked, they all had to gain back their weight.

    I am was at least 23 bf %. Now got back up to 24-25%, also feel bloated and full of 2500 kcals that I eat, to gain some back and see if it helps getting my period, but it doesn't seem to work...
  • molnardrea
    molnardrea Posts: 78 Member
    I might give a try to lifting after I had my exams, which will only allow me to start in august :(
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Let's see... doctor's advice or advice from fertilethoughts.com?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    molnardrea wrote: »
    I went initally to the doc because of this. She said I can keep up eating the way I do and doing sports... But all other women on fertilethoughts.com forums said that no hormone treatments worked, they all had to gain back their weight.

    I am was at least 23 bf %. Now got back up to 24-25%, also feel bloated and full of 2500 kcals that I eat, to gain some back and see if it helps getting my period, but it doesn't seem to work...

    What does your doctor say about the discrepancy between her advice and the personal experiences you have been reading about online?
  • molnardrea
    molnardrea Posts: 78 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    molnardrea wrote: »
    I went initally to the doc because of this. She said I can keep up eating the way I do and doing sports... But all other women on fertilethoughts.com forums said that no hormone treatments worked, they all had to gain back their weight.

    I am was at least 23 bf %. Now got back up to 24-25%, also feel bloated and full of 2500 kcals that I eat, to gain some back and see if it helps getting my period, but it doesn't seem to work...

    What does your doctor say about the discrepancy between her advice and the personal experiences you have been reading about online?

    Well, we haven't met since I've read those success stories on weight gain and no excersise. I'll see her on the 4th, then will talk to her.
  • PeachyPlum
    PeachyPlum Posts: 1,243 Member
    molnardrea wrote: »
    I went initally to the doc because of this. She said I can keep up eating the way I do and doing sports... But all other women on fertilethoughts.com forums said that no hormone treatments worked, they all had to gain back their weight.

    I am was at least 23 bf %. Now got back up to 24-25%, also feel bloated and full of 2500 kcals that I eat, to gain some back and see if it helps getting my period, but it doesn't seem to work...

    I would take my doctor's advice over the advice of random internet strangers.

    Are you actively trying to conceive right now? If not, would continuing with your fitness plan now and gaining some weight back before TTC be an option?

    (Note that I have no idea, it's just a thought).
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    If you
    molnardrea wrote: »
    I went initally to the doc because of this. She said I can keep up eating the way I do and doing sports... But all other women on fertilethoughts.com forums said that no hormone treatments worked, they all had to gain back their weight.

    I am was at least 23 bf %. Now got back up to 24-25%, also feel bloated and full of 2500 kcals that I eat, to gain some back and see if it helps getting my period, but it doesn't seem to work...

    You should be able to eat more than 1500 calories at your height, weight, and activity level, and still maintain. You might not be able to eat 2500 but there is a big span of possibilities between 1500 and 2500.

    The women who post on that website likely are women who are having problems. For every woman who posts about her problems, there are likely 2 or 3 who have handled their amenorrhea in a way similar to what your doctor has suggested but they just aren't posting about it.
  • molnardrea
    molnardrea Posts: 78 Member
    And to make it clear, I don't want to have a baby, I just think that a healthy woman needs to have monthly periods, otherwise the body is telling that something's wrong. There's the risk of osteoporosis as well.

    Also, I'm 19 years old, started getting period back when I was 14.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    126 @ 5'4" doesn't sound like it would be a low enough BF% to cause amenorrhea, so this is definitely a question for your doctor.
  • molnardrea
    molnardrea Posts: 78 Member
    PeachyPlum wrote: »
    molnardrea wrote: »
    I went initally to the doc because of this. She said I can keep up eating the way I do and doing sports... But all other women on fertilethoughts.com forums said that no hormone treatments worked, they all had to gain back their weight.

    I am was at least 23 bf %. Now got back up to 24-25%, also feel bloated and full of 2500 kcals that I eat, to gain some back and see if it helps getting my period, but it doesn't seem to work...

    I would take my doctor's advice over the advice of random internet strangers.

    Are you actively trying to conceive right now? If not, would continuing with your fitness plan now and gaining some weight back before TTC be an option?

    (Note that I have no idea, it's just a thought).

    No, no conceiving. No partner.

  • molnardrea
    molnardrea Posts: 78 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    If you
    molnardrea wrote: »
    I went initally to the doc because of this. She said I can keep up eating the way I do and doing sports... But all other women on fertilethoughts.com forums said that no hormone treatments worked, they all had to gain back their weight.

    I am was at least 23 bf %. Now got back up to 24-25%, also feel bloated and full of 2500 kcals that I eat, to gain some back and see if it helps getting my period, but it doesn't seem to work...

    You should be able to eat more than 1500 calories at your height, weight, and activity level, and still maintain. You might not be able to eat 2500 but there is a big span of possibilities between 1500 and 2500.

    The women who post on that website likely are women who are having problems. For every woman who posts about her problems, there are likely 2 or 3 who have handled their amenorrhea in a way similar to what your doctor has suggested but they just aren't posting about it.

    Yes, you might be right. I should try upping my calories and therefore stressing less about fitting in the day. One other problem could have been the stress that counting calories and cutting out white bread and sugary foods put on my mind. But I am happy with my current, healthy foods.

  • ainov90
    ainov90 Posts: 4 Member
    At that age especially it's perfectly normal for periods to be irregular and even gone for a long time despite them having been regular in the past.

    I've seen a doctor about a similar issue - I only have my period about once a year or so when not on the pill even though at one point they were fairly regular. The doctor said it's perfectly normal and not harmful if I'm otherwise healthy and hormone levels ok. Since then I have just been happy that I hardly ever get a period :D

    Speak to your doctor but I'm pretty sure he/she will tell you weight gain is not a solution if you're currently at a healthy weight and have a healthy lifestyle.
  • molnardrea
    molnardrea Posts: 78 Member
    ainov90 wrote: »
    At that age especially it's perfectly normal for periods to be irregular and even gone for a long time despite them having been regular in the past.

    I've seen a doctor about a similar issue - I only have my period about once a year or so when not on the pill even though at one point they were fairly regular. The doctor said it's perfectly normal and not harmful if I'm otherwise healthy and hormone levels ok. Since then I have just been happy that I hardly ever get a period :D

    Speak to your doctor but I'm pretty sure he/she will tell you weight gain is not a solution if you're currently at a healthy weight and have a healthy lifestyle.

    Thanks ainov, you cheered me up a bit :) I'll try to get my period on this pill, do the hormone tests she suggested and wait for my body maybe to adjust to the changes.

  • coraborealis80
    coraborealis80 Posts: 53 Member
    Listen to your doctor. Tell them your fears and your ideas. Make a list to take with you so you can get them all out. Print a page or two of the boards to take with you, so they can refute or explain. I'd also ask them about the hormones you're taking. Some women do lose their periods from certain HRT's and BC's progesterone and estrogen levels.

    As another said, the boards can't be trusted-people with negative experiences are more likely to record and report than positive experiences.

    Another thing to consider. Have you measured your height and wrists lately? At 19, there is a possibility that a growth spurt could also be messing with you. It's not the norm, but it's also not uncommon. The freshman 15 is actually related more to growth spurts than overeating.

    In the meantime, follow her orders rather than rambling people on the internet. This is the place where people start jabbering about things like blood type diets! I realize I just told you to ignore me, but I'd rather you ignored me and them than follow bad advice and horror stories leading you to stress out and panic and make a poor life decision.
  • molnardrea
    molnardrea Posts: 78 Member
    coraborealis80 wrote: »
    Listen to your doctor. Tell them your fears and your ideas. Make a list to take with you so you can get them all out. Print a page or two of the boards to take with you, so they can refute or explain. I'd also ask them about the hormones you're taking. Some women do lose their periods from certain HRT's and BC's progesterone and estrogen levels.

    As another said, the boards can't be trusted-people with negative experiences are more likely to record and report than positive experiences.

    Another thing to consider. Have you measured your height and wrists lately? At 19, there is a possibility that a growth spurt could also be messing with you. It's not the norm, but it's also not uncommon. The freshman 15 is actually related more to growth spurts than overeating.

    In the meantime, follow her orders rather than rambling people on the internet. This is the place where people start jabbering about things like blood type diets! I realize I just told you to ignore me, but I'd rather you ignored me and them than follow bad advice and horror stories leading you to stress out and panic and make a poor life decision.

    My wrists? They are quite tiny. Why should I measure it? Can you explain this one a bit more into detail? :)

Categories