Any other ladies lose their period?

With respect, if I were in your situation I would be looking for a new doctor. Possibly one with experience in sports medicine - it's not unusual for athletes to lose their periods. But it is potentially quite serious and it doesn't sound as if your doctor is taking it seriously.

liftforjoy43 wrote: »

mochapygmy wrote: »

I would run only 3x a week but don't increase your distance to "make up" for not running the other 2 days.

I would increase calories 100 to 200 calories per day.

How much fat are you getting daily? Did your Doctor talk to you about fat affecting hormones?

Does 4 times a week for about an hour, maybe more sound excessive? And I have no idea about the exact amount but I do eat alot of almonds, peanut/almond butter, walnuts/pecans,chia seeds, eggs so I think I may take in a good amount? They didn't mention too much about it but that it could help to increase it

I run about 4-5 hours a week plus whatever other stuff I feel like doing - hiking, mountain biking, strength training, or whatever else on the days I don't run. But I'm always doing something every day. I'm in my 40's and have been doing this for decades. I've never been underweight or overweight, have always had regular periods, and no major injuries or health issues. My BMI is 21. But I make sure I rest when I need it, and I always eat enough to maintain my health. You can run long distance and gain weight. I gained weight while training for a marathon one year. You just have to increase calories beyond what you burn.

It sounds like you are overtraining and undereating. That's a risky combination. You need to eat enough to properly fuel and repair your body, otherwise, your body starts cutting "less necessary" things (like reproductive processes) to cover your deficits and take care of essential things (like brain function, heart, etc.). When you lose your period, you know your body is under stress! It's a warning sign that your body might start cutting important things next...

4 times a week for an hour sounds like a good plan to me, especially since you are used to doing a lot more than that. That may sound like a lot to people who aren't used to it, but it WILL be a significant reduction for you. That gives you some time off, but isn't as severe as those suggesting you switch to 30 minute runs a few times a week. To me, and probably some other long-distance runners, that just sounds depressing. If I only ran for 30 minutes, I would literally feel like I'd just warmed up - like I'd done almost nothing. I'm not kidding. Several years ago I had to take a break from running for a month or two due to an injury and my mood tanked big time. You want to keep doing the thing you love, but you need to be smart about it, and cut back when your body sends you the signals. If you don't cut back now, you might have to stop altogether later, and that's a bummer.

I might just be a crazed exercise junkie chasing that runner's high, but I'm healthy and smart about it, and my doctor actually prescribes it to treat anxiety. I'm supposed to be active every day, most days vigorously so. So I'm going to do that for as long as it works for me. (And it really works for me.) But if it's not working for you, and it sounds like it's not working using your current methodology, you need to revise your routine. When exercise is a big part of your life, you'll miss it dearly when you can't do it, so don't restrict it too severely. I'd focus on weight gain and nutrition (get that BMI up and your periods should come back) and also try to reduce exercise (because burning fewer calories will help with weight gain), but maybe only by half at first - I know I'd struggle if I went from 50 miles a week down to 5. I'd go nuts. But I could drop from 50 to 25 easily, and that would be real progress. You could even reduce further after you get used to doing less and it feels OK, or leave it at that if your health improves.

Whatever you decide, "run" it by your doctor. If they weren't specific, maybe you can say, "hey, I've been running 50 miles a week. Would going down to 25 be OK, or should I reduce further?" Because all this advice in this thread is just different people's opinions. We don't really know what your doctor has in mind.

liftforjoy43 wrote: »

amusedmonkey wrote: »

One more thing for the future so it doesn't catch you by surprise: as you gain weight, running may become harder. Your speed could suffer. Be mentally prepared for that and don't let it affect your determination to reclaim your health. I can't stress enough how serious of a problem being underweight is, even if your labs are good. It affects bone function, heart function, immune system function, and a slew of other issues that could be irreversible if you don't act now.

That's interesting. Why is that? I would of thought the extra food and weight gain would help me run faster because of all the extra energy. Although if it happens, I won't let it get to me. Running will always be there but my health is my main priority.

You may feel better and more energetic, but since your muscles are used to carrying a light body, it would be harder for them to move a heavier body. Think about running with a heavy backpack and how you may need to reduce your speed to maintain a similar effort level to what you're used to. If you try to maintain speed, it would require higher effort. I'm only talking from reverse experience - running became easier as I became lighter. I don't know what will happen in your case, but it's good to be mentally prepared for any case scenario so you're not taken aback if it happens.