Women - menstrual cycle, weight, and fitness matters

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Replies

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,597 Member
    Bump again ... :)

    Just because it is a good thread.
  • KatyCSTinPNW
    KatyCSTinPNW Posts: 28 Member
    Thank you!!! I had an IUD since I started my weight loss journey. And before that on some form of birth control or another for the last 20 years.

    In September I took out my IUD and now experiencing my full cycle for the first time again. I am trying to be kind and patient while I learn how it affects my weight, food cravings, and emotions. It’s like I’m a teenager all over again! Ha!

    Anyways, thank you for this write up!
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    edited May 2019
    Hi all, I've recently got my period back after a few years missing (low weight due to health issues). I'm happy about it, but I'm sooo tired that I just want to sleep. I think my body is still trying to figure out a regular cycle (this is my 2nd month), but it's driving me nuts because I want to work out. Any advice?
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Hamsibian wrote: »
    Hi all, I've recently got my period back after a few years missing (low weight due to health issues). I'm happy about it, but I'm sooo tired that I just want to sleep. I think my body is still trying to figure out a regular cycle (this is my 2nd month), but it's driving me nuts because I want to work out. Any advice?

    Sleep if you need to. A few days off isn't going to hurt in the long run, as long as you get back to it after that
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    @jemhh thanks for the reminder. I'm just bummed because my workouts have been irregular for the last few months (traveling, sick, just life). then the week before this period came, i kept telling myself how flabby and ugly I felt. It didn't help that the first 3 days I was hungry all the time!

    I felt better today though and walked 2 miles. I plan to walk again before it gets dark.

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Hamsibian wrote: »
    @jemhh thanks for the reminder. I'm just bummed because my workouts have been irregular for the last few months (traveling, sick, just life). then the week before this period came, i kept telling myself how flabby and ugly I felt. It didn't help that the first 3 days I was hungry all the time!

    I felt better today though and walked 2 miles. I plan to walk again before it gets dark.

    Oh, I get it. I've had a few months of not great workout scheduling and right when I was getting back to it, my home gym partially flooded and I had no equipment for a week or so. It stinks when your momentum is disrupted!
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    edited June 2019
    So, I found out last week that I absolutely can't lift weights during my period. No joke, even when I lowered weights it felt like I was trying to lift an SUV. My acupuncturist told me to stop lifting on my period, and my trainer said that it just happens with some women - I'm guessing overexertion. I'm okay with walking or yoga from now on, but I'm curious if anyone else experienced this?
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
    Hamsibian wrote: »
    So, I found out last week that I absolutely can't lift weights during my period. No joke, even when I lowered weights it felt like I was trying to lift an SUV. My acupuncturist told me to stop lifting on my period, and my trainer said that it just happens with some women - I'm guessing overexertion. I'm okay with walking or yoga from now on, but I'm curious if anyone else experienced this.

    *raises hand*

    On really bad days even a walk can defeat me and I just lay curled up in bed with a heating pad. Thankfully, that only happens 2-3 times a year but it still bites.

  • ketsuban25
    ketsuban25 Posts: 17 Member
    I overdid it with the calorie deficit and my cycle is now on week 6 day 3 :x I don't know how to get it back. I upped my calories to what myfitnesspal suggests and am eating back exercise calories but I don't know if I fudged something internally. Can't afford to go to my doctor right now.
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    Hamsibian wrote: »
    So, I found out last week that I absolutely can't lift weights during my period. No joke, even when I lowered weights it felt like I was trying to lift an SUV. My acupuncturist told me to stop lifting on my period, and my trainer said that it just happens with some women - I'm guessing overexertion. I'm okay with walking or yoga from now on, but I'm curious if anyone else experienced this.

    *raises hand*

    On really bad days even a walk can defeat me and I just lay curled up in bed with a heating pad. Thankfully, that only happens 2-3 times a year but it still bites.

    Oh boy, that's rough!! This is my third period since I got it back. My 2nd one last month had me lying on the couch the entire time; I was so wiped out. I had more energy this time, so maybe I need to wait a few more cycles to truly know if lifting is possible. I forgot how irritating the bloating and fatigue can be!
    ketsuban25 wrote: »
    I overdid it with the calorie deficit and my cycle is now on week 6 day 3 :x I don't know how to get it back. I upped my calories to what myfitnesspal suggests and am eating back exercise calories but I don't know if I fudged something internally. Can't afford to go to my doctor right now.

    When did you start upping your calories? I think there is a thread that taking a diet break/ eating at maintenance helps regulate hormones. I'll see if i can find it.
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited June 2019
    Francl27 wrote: »
    I can seriously say that my body has been a huge sabotage factor in that 'trying to stay thin' problem. Still trying to figure out a way to reduce my heavy periods - after 3 months wasted in paperwork, my GYN told me that it would be very difficult to put a Mirena in my uterus because of the way it's positioned. News flash - it hasn't moved since the last 3 times you have examined me!!! Why did you consider a Mirena in the first place then??

    I am SO ANNOYED. I'm not sure what my iron levels are now that I've been taking supplements for 2 months, and will get it checked soon, but the insane bleeding out (with two pads. While seated. Nights suck) and the dizziness during my period hasn't stopped. Of course there's nothing they can do for the horrible bloating, apparently (again... I look 6 month pregnant for a few days and it's extremely painful). So now I'm going to try progesterone pills during my period to see if it decreases the flow (last time I took some, it made me fall asleep within 15 minutes, so let's see how tired it makes me this time! Which TOTALLY defeats the purpose if I'm too tired during the day because of that, obviously, because I still wouldn't be able to function, even less exercise).

    I've been called negative and pessimist by my friends because I'm supposed to do a girl scout sleepover on day 5 of my next period and I'm extremely worried about this (last period, day 5, I had to change my bottoms TWICE during the night - and I'm being pessimist?). I'm just so tired of this. I'm starting school in 2 weeks and really don't want to end up leaking during my classes (or be doubled over in pain either), or not being able to stand up (I have to cook and bake for 4 hours).

    My next option is uterine ablation or removal, but with school, that's not going to be possible until June at least anyway. And my insurance will probably deny it or something.

    So sick of this. Sick of the 25 lbs I gained back (doesn't help that I had a chest cold for weeks and I just messed up my foot). But glad I can vent here.

    @Francl27 Oh, yeah the Prometrium progesterone pills I used to take definitely helped me sleep. I took them at bedtime. However, I was supposed to take them from ovulation until my period started. This was due to the theory that "estrogen dominance" was causing the heavy bleeding and that changing the ratio beforehand would help.

    As my fibroids got bigger, the progesterone pills stopped helping and now I am taking tranexemic acid, which reduces my flow 33-50%.

    You may have mentioned this before, but is there a reason why you can't use tampons or a menstrual cup? I have very heavy bleeding myself and I cannot imagine using pads only.

    Apparently I am short internally because brands like Tampax are too long for me. I use OB. The Ultra (purple box) has been a lifesaver, and the European Super Plus is even more absorbent (18-21 g), but they are no longer sold on Amazon. I'm down to my last box and am rationing them, just using them at night, and have been thinking of seeing if there are any EU women here who'd be willing to ship me some. I could pay via PayPal or the equivalent. I wrote to Johnson & Johnson and they said they were forwarding my email to their EU branch but I never heard back.

    https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I2I52PY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    ETA: Oh just noticed this was from Jan. How's it going?
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    i'd recommend people check out Roar by Stacey Simms - she focuses on females and fitness - a lot of the research out there is based on male subject groups. While i don't agree with all her comments and find the book lacking in citations - i think its a good starting point
  • ketsuban25
    ketsuban25 Posts: 17 Member
    I finally got my period today. Very relieved. I hope my next one comes on time.
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    i'd recommend people check out Roar by Stacey Simms - she focuses on females and fitness - a lot of the research out there is based on male subject groups. While i don't agree with all her comments and find the book lacking in citations - i think its a good starting point

    I also think it's a good starting point, and I enjoyed Steph Gaudreau's podcast episode with her. The main thing that irked me was her stance on somatotypes.
  • gradchica27
    gradchica27 Posts: 777 Member
    Hamsibian wrote: »
    So, I found out last week that I absolutely can't lift weights during my period. No joke, even when I lowered weights it felt like I was trying to lift an SUV. My acupuncturist told me to stop lifting on my period, and my trainer said that it just happens with some women - I'm guessing overexertion. I'm okay with walking or yoga from now on, but I'm curious if anyone else experienced this?

    Your strength does vary with your cycle. High estrogen (right after your period ends to right before ovulation) = lifting feels easy. High progesterone and low estrogen (after ovulation, getting more so till your period) = a normal lift feels impossibly heavy.

    I track my lifts on an excel spreadsheet and I include my cycle day (and how many days past my peak/ovulation day as well). Bc I’m a huge data nerd, I also track whether my estrogen has risen or not in the preovulation phase (I don’t use bc, but rather use the Clearblue Easy monitor to determine ovulation and days of peak fertility. Also helpful in predicting my period—My ovulation day varies each month from day 10 to 16, but my luteal phase is 15 days, so I can predict when my period will come once I know ovulation).

    Anyway, Over the past 3 years I’ve seen this “I’m super woman!” And “my arms are wet noodles” play out monthly. Whenever I feel “dang, I could do this last week and now I can’t even budge it, what gives?” I check my cycle day and yep, I’m hitting an estrogen valley (I have low estrogen anyway, so my valleys are really low).

    It’s helpful to know where you are in your cycle to help decide if it’s a good day to push for the new PR or maybe best to wait a week. I just hit a new deadlift PR yesterday on a high estrogen day, when a week and a half ago, I couldn’t budge 30 lbs less.

    And FYI (and TMI), some other fun symptoms that wreak havoc with our weight are also affected by our cycle—-progesterone can contribute to constipation, so one sign of approaching period is getting rid of all that excess waste that was contributing to the PMS bloat the week before. Premenstrual nausea and exhaustion (two fun symptoms for me when combined with PMS hunger) are also possible. Pretty much think of early pregnancy woes (constipation, nausea, sleep problems, hunger and bone-tired exhaustion that aren’t relieved by food/sleep)—those are all PMS symptoms, although usually to a lesser extent and obviously relieved by estrogen coming back up as your period progresses.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,597 Member
    Bump for 2020.
  • theflyingerrow
    theflyingerrow Posts: 12 Member
    Has anyone else experienced a heavier flow upon losing weight? I've been on BC for about 5 years and have had a very light flow and short period the entire time. However, every period that I've had since I started to lose weight has been much heavier, though still in the same time frame. I have also not changed anything with my BC.
    I plan on talking to my GP next time I go in, but am curious if anyone else has dealt with this?
  • bmeadows380
    bmeadows380 Posts: 2,981 Member
    I'm glad to see this thread come back up; I hadn't seen it before but it has a lot of good information!

    I"m one of the lucky ones who don't experience the physical PMS symptoms a lot of women do; the only way I know its coming is the common uptick in hunger as well as a bit more tiredness than usual, and usually a great increase in irritability and shortness of patience - if I find my mood to be irritating even myself, I'll glance at the calendar and usually see that TOM is coming right up. The last few years, I've also noticed a big uptick in depression feelings right before I start, too, so sometimes I can predict I'm getting to start just by how I feel emotionally.
    theflyingerrow wrote: »
    Has anyone else experienced a heavier flow upon losing weight? I've been on BC for about 5 years and have had a very light flow and short period the entire time. However, every period that I've had since I started to lose weight has been much heavier, though still in the same time frame. I have also not changed anything with my BC.
    I plan on talking to my GP next time I go in, but am curious if anyone else has dealt with this?

    @theflyingerrow

    I can't say that I've experienced that. But our bodies change as we age, including the length and consistency of our flow, so weight loss could be the cause or there could be other factors. I've gotten much more regular in recent years while mine has shortened considerably - when I was younger, I'd go for as long as 7 days; nowadays, its more like 4. And I was much heavier flow in my youth; its lightened up some for me. But I'm also 40 and getting close to the end point of that phase of my life; I'm looking at probably maybe 10 years left.
  • gcminton
    gcminton Posts: 170 Member
    theflyingerrow wrote: »
    Has anyone else experienced a heavier flow upon losing weight? I've been on BC for about 5 years and have had a very light flow and short period the entire time. However, every period that I've had since I started to lose weight has been much heavier, though still in the same time frame. I have also not changed anything with my BC.
    I plan on talking to my GP next time I go in, but am curious if anyone else has dealt with this?

    My cycle didn't noticeably change from my highest weight (340-ish) to 290-ish. I maintained that for several years, then dropped 65 more pounds and it changed a lot. I suddenly had a regular cycle, though it was heavier than it previously was. I know I had hormonal issues that seem to have sorted themselves out as I've gotten healthier. It wasn't heavy through the whole week, but days 2 and 3 needed a backup pad or period undies.

    Now I have an IUD, for almost 3 weeks, so everything is all weird again.
  • dee55abd
    dee55abd Posts: 1 Member
    I wish this type of information had been available before I started the menopause. I would have been better prepared bodywise. Now it’s a struggle with the weight gain through hormone changes. Any articles or information would be really helpful.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,168 Member
    dee55abd wrote: »
    I wish this type of information had been available before I started the menopause. I would have been better prepared bodywise. Now it’s a struggle with the weight gain through hormone changes. Any articles or information would be really helpful.

    @dee55abd: There are bunches of relatively recent threads here where women compare notes about menopause and share tips (or perceived pitfalls). (No need to revive an old thread from 3 years back that's about menstrual cycles - which may not get a lot of responses that are on point to your concerns.) I'd suggest using the search function in the community, filtering for thread titles that include "menopause".

    Here are a few to get you started:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10889299/menopause-and-weight-gain
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10880841/menopause-and-metabolism-concern-question
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10883571/anyone-else-dealing-with-menopause-madness
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10880638/newly-menopausal-difficulty-losing-weight

    There are a bunch of women here who've lost weight in menopause. (I'm one, 50ish pounds, obese to a healthy weight, have stayed at a healthy weight since, now 67.) You can do similarly, if you commit to it.

    I won't swear this will be true for everyone, but for me it was simpler than I'd ever imagined. (Not psychologically easy every second, of course, but simple methods.) I could kick myself for not losing weight much earlier, because the quality of life improvement has been very, very, very much worth the effort, for me.

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