Ammenorrhea tips?

dark_sunchips
dark_sunchips Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've had a tendency to lose my period when I lose weight, but I think it's because I get lose 1-3 pounds a week when I restrict my intake. My goal weight is around 130 lbs, which is a healthy BMI of 20.5. Does anyone have any tips for effectively preventing ammenorrhea?

More urgently,I have lost around 10 pounds (145/142 pounds down to 134/133) and regained 3-4 of them. I'm at a weight where I used to get my menstrual cycle (roughly 137 pounds). Does anyone have recommendations as to what I should do to recover my period? I am reluctant but willing to gain some weight back, but I'm wondering if a slow (1/4-1/2 pound per week) weight gain or simply maintenance will do. I've been under a lot of stress so I think that my absent period might be related to that as well.

I plan to go on birth control once I get my menstrual cycle returns.

Any words of advice?

Replies

  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    I got amenorrhea from a lengthy period (a year or two) of undereating. Even after nearly a year of eating what I needed to, the only thing that brought it back was my regular birth control. I've been taking it since December and regular since.

    And yes, a slow weight loss is greatly preferred. I'd probably recommend seeing a doctor before you started your weight loss.
  • sunfastrose
    sunfastrose Posts: 543 Member
    +1 on doctor
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    See a doctor.
  • Pawsforme
    Pawsforme Posts: 645 Member
    I agree that you need to see a doctor. Amenorrhea is nothing to mess around with considering it can have long term health implications. But FWIW -- when I was younger I had to maintain a higher weight than I would have preferred in order to not be amenorrheic. That weight put me almost into the overweight category of BMI, but my very wise OB-GYN assured me that my body knew much more about what was healthy for it than the BMI scale did.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    Eat at least 40g protein daily and consume 20% of your calories from healthy fats - your body needs these components to create hormones. Thyroid problems are a frequent cause, so it may not be just the lost weight. Could also be a pituitary issue, seeing a doctor is the only way to determine root cause.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    See a doctor, not random internet strangers. :noway:
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    +1 on seeing a doctor - however, if you can't get an appointment for a while, you might spend some time reading at Healthful Pursuit. Leanne Vogel, the nutritionist behind the blog, had amenorrhea for 8 years and has a lot of useful information that you can try while you wait to SEE A DOCTOR about it :)
  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
    Definitely talk to a doctor. While others may have experience with amenorrhea, their experience/reasons may not be at all applicable to you.

    **Not doctor's advice, just my experience with amenorrhea and what caused mine.**
    Years ago I suffered from amenorrhea as well. I was severely undereating and working out like crazy (running anywhere from 3 to 13+ miles a day). I got to a weight that was too low for my body, but was still considered "normal" per BMI. It took gaining a few pounds (about 10), cutting down on exercise to a more realistic amount, and about a year for my period to return.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    1. See a doctor.
    2. See a doctor.
    3. See points 1 and 2.
    4. The only people who should be losing 3 pounds/week are the morbidly obese, it's way too fast for someone that's in the 140s. Even 1.5 lb/week is too fast at that weight.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Amenorrhea can be caused by low body fat but also by eating in too steep of a deficit. If you are losing weight at an overly fast pace (and I'm talking about past a few weeks, not at the beginning when we tend to have a big water whoosh) it should not be surprising to lose your period. I would suggest eating more and using a smaller deficit.

    If this is a normal thing for you (losing your period while losing weight) I wouldn't go see a doctor. I know that it is normal for me, I've discussed it with my doctor, and we both agree that there is no cause for another doctor's appointment when it happens. The fact that you state it is a norm for you makes me think that you've gone through all of that as well. I'd just eat more and settle in for a longer weight loss process.
  • hekla90
    hekla90 Posts: 595 Member
    Depends on the individual. I got a period in college at only 92 lbs and 63". I use bc to intentionally skip periods been a few years.
  • dark_sunchips
    dark_sunchips Posts: 5 Member
    Thank you all for your advice- my menstrual cycle did actually return a few weeks ago, with basically just steady weight maintenance for around a month.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Thanks for the update!

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