Ladies: Changes in your period?

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RaeRaeCampbell
RaeRaeCampbell Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have noticed during my last 2 periods that they are incredibly light, lasting only a day or 2 TOPS...no cramping, very light flow. This has been during the time that I started working with a trainer and doing strength training and HIIT. Is this normal? Has anyone else experienced this? I am on the pill and have been for a few years now, so I know it is unlike to be a result of that.

Sorry not sorry for talking about periods :smiley:

Replies

  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
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    I don't know, I never experienced any change that I could logically associate with exercise. Any changes I had previously were due to normal hormonal changes and now going through the suck which is perimenopause.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,910 Member
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    When I was a full time yoga teacher my periods got lighter.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,910 Member
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    rachcamp7 wrote: »
    I have noticed during my last 2 periods that they are incredibly light, lasting only a day or 2 TOPS...no cramping, very light flow. This has been during the time that I started working with a trainer and doing strength training and HIIT. Is this normal? Has anyone else experienced this? I am on the pill and have been for a few years now, so I know it is unlike to be a result of that.

    Sorry not sorry for talking about periods :smiley:

    Don't worry - there's a thread about periods just about every day. Although I don't remember ever seeing this question before.
  • salembambi
    salembambi Posts: 5,592 Member
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    that happened to me for a year or two when i was eating way to low of calories

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    I actually lost my period for a few months when I had a deficit too big (500 a day when I was already way under the overweight BMI). It came back when I reduced my deficit.

    Now it's WAY lighter than before but I lost 80 pounds. It's also weird and irregular. Unfortunately the cramps are as bad as they've always been (isn't the pill supposed to help with that anyway?).
  • Ringer1022
    Ringer1022 Posts: 45 Member
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    I think it's pretty normal. I have short periods anyway and find then even lighter and shorter when I'm hitting it harder. I also know several friends who have had kids that were very serious gymnasts and that caused the girls to potentially skip their periods all together.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    Mine changes depending on my body fat percent and deficit, yes. It has gotten lighter pretty much consistently. I have also skipped when trying to get low in body fat and eating low fat.
  • thunder1982
    thunder1982 Posts: 280 Member
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    My cycles have been irregular & light previously when cutting cals and exercising hard. I have a short cycle (25 day) incl a short (3days) but very heavy period (changing tampons every 2-3 hours for up to 2 days). I find that exercising during my period helps, if I dont exercise sometimes its a bit stop/start these days. It interesting to hear that they might get lighter as I do, prior to kids I used to get really bad cramping and even clots, after kids that all stopped.

    Just before I fell preg with my 3rd child I had started to use a cycle tracking app as they were all over the place. Some so light I wasnt sure that it was a period, I was a similar weight & fitness to now after starting exercise and losing 10kgs over a period of a few months. I have stopped using my tracking app but am thinking I may need to again as my last period was def later than normal but was pretty light in comparison to what I am used to.
  • Nicklebee93
    Nicklebee93 Posts: 316 Member
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    I lost my period the first month of starting exercising. But other than that my periods have gone back to normal
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
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    when i used to lift heavy, my periods were very light and less intense.
  • vegasleo79
    vegasleo79 Posts: 63 Member
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    Mine have been lighter and more regular. Less pms symptoms too, woohoo (soreness, tiredness, etc). I've been eating between 1350-1750 calories depending on exercise, so for me it wasn't bc calories were too low. I think it's just the body's way of adjusting.
  • hrsj022
    hrsj022 Posts: 41 Member
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    Mine arrives like clock work but I'm pretty much cramp free I used to have to take ibuprofen all day for like 2 days. Also no TOM zits!
  • leannraya
    leannraya Posts: 95 Member
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    Are you on the pill?
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
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    I went the opposite way- I've always had hellish periods and mine have only gotten worse as I've lost weight. :( People will you exercise helps, but it's really hard to exercise when you're curled up on the floor unable to move. I asked my doctor and he suggested that my body's hormone production was trying to keep up with the changes in my physical health and it should 'even out soon'.... that was three months ago.
  • MountainMaggie
    MountainMaggie Posts: 104 Member
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    I don't know the extent of your workouts, but I am a distance runner and have an active job as well, and when I'm running 30 miles a week pretty consistently, for example, my periods get lighter. I've read up on it. If they stop, that's dangerous and unhealthy, but with EXTREME exercise, as long as you're healthy, and eating right, and eating enough, it's sort of just an upside. But I'm not a doctor or nutritionist, and if stays drastically different for a while, get checked out by a professional.
  • actualbettycrocker
    actualbettycrocker Posts: 195 Member
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    Thank goodness I just saw this thread because the same thing is happening to me right now and I legit thought I was dying, when I noticed I started screaming
  • jandsstevenson887
    jandsstevenson887 Posts: 296 Member
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    I just noticed major changes this month. Amazing what losing 10% of my body weight has done.
  • shaunte92
    shaunte92 Posts: 127 Member
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    Yes. Years ago when I first started eating better and exercising regularly my period changed. I used to have periods so bad that I would have to miss school, I would be vomiting and couldn't leave bed (some women suffer from this- the cramps are way more severe than normal ones. They were literally disabling for the first 2-3 days- no exaggeratation ). Because of this my doctor recommended birth control pills for me in high school. It made my periods muchhhhhhhhh better after a few months. And then, freshman year of college I began working out, and when I took a break from my birth control- my periods remained light. So i stopped taking it all together for a long time. Typically my periods only go back to that unbearable state if I've been eating like crap for MONTHS and not consistently working out. So I am POSITIVE lifestyle can effect your menstrual cycle.

    ... Unless you are one of the lucky ones with a naturally light period :) ...
  • RaeRaeCampbell
    RaeRaeCampbell Posts: 9 Member
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    This is such a relief! Thanks everyone. Yes, I am on the pill and have been for a few years. I have two children. Prior to/and after having them my periods were "average". They lasted 4-6 days, average flow and cramping. It's only been since I started strength training and HIIT 5-6 days a week that it has gotten significantly lighter. Honestly, I was terrified that I was pregnant (I'm not, btw... thank God). I just wasn't sure if anyone else had experienced this and wanted to gauge if it was normal.

    Thanks for the feedback!
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
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    We definitely need to stop apologizing for talking about our cycles. It's a huge part of being a woman for many years of many of our lives, some exceptions of course.

    I lost my period for a while when I was basically starving. I had also had major surgery, so the stress could have done it too. Probably took 3 months to come back. I'd say your lighter flow is due to exercise, I was told by my gynecologist that if I were having a heavy period adding in exercise could reduce the amount? Who knows how true that really is,but it would fit with what you're experiencing :)
    Don't worry so long as it doesn't stop completely. If it does stop you'd need to evaluate your health and see if you're over doing it somewhere.

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