Ladies with low body fat %

kristineevans
kristineevans Posts: 56 Member
edited December 19 in Fitness and Exercise
just wondering is there anyone with a low body fat % that still has there period? Is it possible ?

Replies

  • htmlgirl
    htmlgirl Posts: 314 Member
    What percentage do you consider low (for a woman)? I'm curious to know as well because I don't want mine to get too low (not even close right now).
  • kristineevans
    kristineevans Posts: 56 Member
    Well mine is 20.2% at the mo but would say they stopped around 21?!
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Yeah its TOTALLY possible to get a low bodyfat % without developing amenorrhea. unless you're talking about going into the dangerously low body fat %'s then it will be very likely. But hopefully as soon as you start coming out of it and back up to where it's healthy, it will resume!
  • qtiekiki
    qtiekiki Posts: 1,490 Member
    20.2% isn't that low that I would think period would stop, but I hope it's only temporary.
  • emgawne
    emgawne Posts: 265 Member
    i have 19% body fat right now and do not have amenorrhea. i still get my period every time. but my body is also regulated by the pill so that may have something to do with it.
  • FitForLife81
    FitForLife81 Posts: 372 Member
    My bf% is 14.7 and I still get my period. It did disappear when I first hit this bf% but it is now back =)
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    yeah most girls that I hear get amennorhea get it around 10-12%
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    I do not. It's somewhere between 12 and 14% at the moment.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    i have 19% body fat right now and do not have amenorrhea. i still get my period every time. but my body is also regulated by the pill so that may have something to do with it.

    yeah, the pill can completely obscure what is happening to your body since this isn't a "period" at all but merely a withdrawal bleed from the lack of hormones in the inactive pills.
  • Meg_78
    Meg_78 Posts: 998 Member
    I think I am around 15% and I have never had period issues, they have always been super regular. I have always been considered rather underweight, yet, although I look thin, I don't think I look sickly (also with my wrist and elbow measurement I believe I fall into the small boned body type), I also managed to conceive my kids at a low weight, low BF% no problem, but carrying them had a big impact on my body, and I wish some Dr had really been more on me to gain more weight before having kids, but that's not how they do things here in Sweden, so I did have complicated pregnancies, which I think partially steamed from my starting low weight issues, but I digress :)

    Right now I am making a big effort to put on some weight, I am honestly not sure what it will do with my BF% though, will just have to see where I am when I get there.
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member
    yeah most girls that I hear get amennorhea get it around 10-12%

    This...honestly I've only really heard of it happening in women with eating disorders and female gymnasts, but logically I suppose if you're just really lean (the healthy way) it could happen too. I don't have a period due to the BC I'm on (it's amazing, Implanon) but I think if I were not on BC and didn't get a period, it would kinda freak me out.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    yeah most girls that I hear get amennorhea get it around 10-12%

    This...honestly I've only really heard of it happening in women with eating disorders and female gymnasts, but logically I suppose if you're just really lean (the healthy way) it could happen too. I don't have a period due to the BC I'm on (it's amazing, Implanon) but I think if I were not on BC and didn't get a period, it would kinda freak me out.

    the 12% and unders that I was referencing are actually female gymnasts, my mom was one and she was 6'1" / 110 and had 10% bf in highschool and didnt have a period for a few years.
  • beaner1st
    beaner1st Posts: 229 Member
    My body fat has goine done to around 20% and I have missed a couple of periods. Prior to this I was 26 days like clockwork. It is possible that it doesn't help that I am 42 but I have no other perimenopausal symptoms.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    nice read for those interested...
    http://voices.yahoo.com/the-dieters-guide-preventing-amenorrhea-8755023.html?cat=5
  • kalynn06
    kalynn06 Posts: 368 Member
    From what I've read eating also plays a huge role. My friend whose BF is around 16 or 17 suffers from this, but she eats a very low fat with little meat and no red meat and pretty low in calories. I don't eat red meat either, but I also don't have low bf (sadly)and I eat plenty of food including a good amount of fat and a decent amount of protein.
  • LilRedRooster
    LilRedRooster Posts: 1,421 Member
    Most women can go as low as about 12% and keep their period before it starts to become irregular, so long as they're getting adequate nutrition and eating a balanced diet. Really, it's a bit of an individual thing, because some women start to get irregular cycles much earlier than that, and some get to 10-12% and don't have issues.
  • LilRedRooster
    LilRedRooster Posts: 1,421 Member
    yeah most girls that I hear get amennorhea get it around 10-12%

    This...honestly I've only really heard of it happening in women with eating disorders and female gymnasts, but logically I suppose if you're just really lean (the healthy way) it could happen too. I don't have a period due to the BC I'm on (it's amazing, Implanon) but I think if I were not on BC and didn't get a period, it would kinda freak me out.

    the 12% and unders that I was referencing are actually female gymnasts, my mom was one and she was 6'1" / 110 and had 10% bf in highschool and didnt have a period for a few years.

    Did you mean that she was 5'1", 'cause in the world of female gymnasts, 6'1" would not only be HUGE, 110 would mean they were practically dead at that height, haha.
  • kristineevans
    kristineevans Posts: 56 Member
    From what I've read eating also plays a huge role. My friend whose BF is around 16 or 17 suffers from this, but she eats a very low fat with little meat and no red meat and pretty low in calories. I don't eat red meat either, but I also don't have low bf (sadly)and I eat plenty of food including a good amount of fat and a decent amount of protein.


    Thanks this could explain it as don't eat a lot of fat but do eat protein will speak to gp tomorrow as I'm not underweight or have a super low bf%
  • kristineevans
    kristineevans Posts: 56 Member
    Thanks to everyone for your answers x
  • n_unocero
    n_unocero Posts: 445 Member
    I've never had a low body fat (always been around 25 i think) but I've also never had a regular period. i'm on the depo shot now so obviously that has stopped me from having periods, but when i was in high school i would only get 2 a year...one during the week off after basketball season and one during the week off after softball season.
  • BadBamaJama
    BadBamaJama Posts: 16 Member
    I'm at 18% and I still have mine.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    .
  • bgelliott
    bgelliott Posts: 610 Member
    I've been as high as 34% and as low as 16% and my cycle is like clockwork. Everyone is different! :smile:
  • missADS1981
    missADS1981 Posts: 364 Member
    i am currently at 13.5% and get mine every other month but i also use a BC which makes you also have shorter lighter periods. but since lifting weights yes i get it less frequently
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
    My lowest was 13.8% as of February and have never missed a period. I'm not on any birth control nor do I eat at a deficit.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    My lowest was 13.8% as of February and have never missed a period. I'm not on any birth control nor do I eat at a deficit.

    Consider yourself one of the lucky few.
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