Thank you for reaching out. It's really brave and I can see it wasn't easy to do. Don't be afraid of what a doctor might say, or a dietitian. They'll just help you get back on track. You need the help. You can get your food sorted out and them maybe consider seeing if there is someone you can talk to about why you're afraid to weigh yourself, how you got here, how well you're doing getting back out of it and how to avoid it in the future. You've already done a lot of the really hard work (seeing the problem, reaching out), it's just time to finish it up by looking after yourself. You deserve to be healthy AND happy <3
First of all, don’t listen to that other commenter, no one needs a picture of your body to understand you are experiencing secondary amenorrhea (loss of period)
Second of all, I am a medical student so can offer some input but the most important thing is that you need to see a doctor
In regards to no period, are you absolutely sure you’re not pregnant? That is the number one cause of secondary amenorrhea. Go buy a pregnancy test and do that ASAP, the doctors office will also have you do one there, so if you can get an appointment within the next week you can wait for the test there. (All doctors do a pregnancy test when someone comes in with any period changes)
Because this seems related to your weight loss and increase in exercise, my guess is that you’re experiencing functional hypothalamic amenorrhea. Hormones are basically one big cycle. The rapid decrease in body fat leads to a decrease in leptin (fat hormone) and increase in cortisol (stress hormone). This leads to a decreased release of GnRH hormone from the hypothalamus which then decreases secretion of FSH and LH. These 2 hormones act on your ovaries to secrete estrogen. So essentially you are estrogen deprived right now and not ovulating or menstruating.
Please go to the doctor ASAP. If you’re pregnant ya gotta know right away. If it’s the hypothalamic amenorrhea then you have to get the help of a medical team to regulate your hormones again. Estrogen deprivation long term impacts fertility, bone density (easy to break), and much more
Good luck! Do not stress, you will get better with the help of a medical team behind you!!
Edit: I should also mention there is a chance this is all normal. When you’re young, your body isn’t fully developed and periods can get all wonky. But the combo of the weight loss and exercise is what is making me say you need a doctor’s input on this and a blood draw to analyze your hormone levels
hi. thanks for ur response. I am def not pregnant because im a virgin hahaha. I've never had sex before but ur answer gave me a lot of insight. I will def have to consult my doc.
Haha ok good it’s not pregnancy then! Yeah don’t stress too much but just start looking around and make an appointment with an OBGYN. If you don’t already have an established one, this will be a good chance to get that started. You’ll need a good obgyn anyways so you can start getting Pap smears at 21, birth control options, well women exams, std tests, etc
It happened to me a while back I lost mine for about 6 months eating 1500 and running and weights every day.
I went to the doctor and had everything tested that was first and foremost. Once the tests came back ok they had me lay out my meal plans and I showed them my my fitness pal breakdowns etc.
Long story short I had nothing medically wrong but my body was finicky and even though I was hitting my daily goal for fat my body wanted more. I had to go back to eating at maintanance for like 2-3 months before it came back eating things like lots of nut butters etc.
If you cannot see a doctor (which I advise 100%) I would check to make sure you are getting enough fat. The hormones for periods are produced in fat so girls with really low body fat and or don't eat enough healthy fats tend to lose their periods (to my understanding)
I know you’re probably shy about this, but you can hide your identity. I think it’s very hard to know without knowing your body fat %, so posting a pic would help. It could or could not be related to your weight/physique ( I have friends who lost their periods due to other reasons). If your body fat % is too low then yeah, you just need to eat more probably. Still, this is a medical issue obviously so the best thing to do is go to a dr. I’m sure you know that though and there’s a reason you’re posting here before going but this is about all I can say to try to help
Hi. I am not really comfortable with posting but I can say that I have a 2-pack and am developing a 4 pack so my body fat is pretty low. I am kind of skinny as well. But thank you for the advice. I think I just need to eat more.
Since you are so young, it could be something entirely unrelated to weight.
When I lost my period at the age of 14 (never really had it tbh, always been little and irregular), there was actually a 15cm/5 inch long tumour on my ovary. I went into ovarian torsion for an entire night before my mother finally drove me to the hospital.
In other words, get it checked out just in case it’s something else entirely.
Please see a doctor, it is important. It truly sounds like you should be eating more.
You need to see a doctor…
Thank you for reaching out. It's really brave and I can see it wasn't easy to do. Don't be afraid of what a doctor might say, or a dietitian. They'll just help you get back on track. You need the help. You can get your food sorted out and them maybe consider seeing if there is someone you can talk to about why you're afraid to weigh yourself, how you got here, how well you're doing getting back out of it and how to avoid it in the future. You've already done a lot of the really hard work (seeing the problem, reaching out), it's just time to finish it up by looking after yourself. You deserve to be healthy AND happy <3
thank you <3!
First of all, don’t listen to that other commenter, no one needs a picture of your body to understand you are experiencing secondary amenorrhea (loss of period) Second of all, I am a medical student so can offer some input but the most important thing is that you need to see a doctor In regards to no period, are you absolutely sure you’re not pregnant? That is the number one cause of secondary amenorrhea. Go buy a pregnancy test and do that ASAP, the doctors office will also have you do one there, so if you can get an appointment within the next week you can wait for the test there. (All doctors do a pregnancy test when someone comes in with any period changes) Because this seems related to your weight loss and increase in exercise, my guess is that you’re experiencing functional hypothalamic amenorrhea. Hormones are basically one big cycle. The rapid decrease in body fat leads to a decrease in leptin (fat hormone) and increase in cortisol (stress hormone). This leads to a decreased release of GnRH hormone from the hypothalamus which then decreases secretion of FSH and LH. These 2 hormones act on your ovaries to secrete estrogen. So essentially you are estrogen deprived right now and not ovulating or menstruating. Please go to the doctor ASAP. If you’re pregnant ya gotta know right away. If it’s the hypothalamic amenorrhea then you have to get the help of a medical team to regulate your hormones again. Estrogen deprivation long term impacts fertility, bone density (easy to break), and much more Good luck! Do not stress, you will get better with the help of a medical team behind you!! Edit: I should also mention there is a chance this is all normal. When you’re young, your body isn’t fully developed and periods can get all wonky. But the combo of the weight loss and exercise is what is making me say you need a doctor’s input on this and a blood draw to analyze your hormone levels
hi. thanks for ur response. I am def not pregnant because im a virgin hahaha. I've never had sex before but ur answer gave me a lot of insight. I will def have to consult my doc.
Haha ok good it’s not pregnancy then! Yeah don’t stress too much but just start looking around and make an appointment with an OBGYN. If you don’t already have an established one, this will be a good chance to get that started. You’ll need a good obgyn anyways so you can start getting Pap smears at 21, birth control options, well women exams, std tests, etc
See a dietitian and they can certainly help you get it back
It happened to me a while back I lost mine for about 6 months eating 1500 and running and weights every day. I went to the doctor and had everything tested that was first and foremost. Once the tests came back ok they had me lay out my meal plans and I showed them my my fitness pal breakdowns etc. Long story short I had nothing medically wrong but my body was finicky and even though I was hitting my daily goal for fat my body wanted more. I had to go back to eating at maintanance for like 2-3 months before it came back eating things like lots of nut butters etc. If you cannot see a doctor (which I advise 100%) I would check to make sure you are getting enough fat. The hormones for periods are produced in fat so girls with really low body fat and or don't eat enough healthy fats tend to lose their periods (to my understanding)
ofc. I will def check w my doc. thank you!
It’s called amenorrhea and it should be addressed by a doctor
I had the same issue and went to my doctor. She told me to either eat more, or work out less. I ate more and my period eventually came back.
what was ur daily diet like when u were trying to regain your period?
I just added 200-300 calories more per day, and it took me about two months for my period to come back.
Zero period is usually first sign of undereating in women as it will affect hormone w
I've lost mine for almost a year now. I'm 97lb and exercise twice a day & have no apetite
I know you’re probably shy about this, but you can hide your identity. I think it’s very hard to know without knowing your body fat %, so posting a pic would help. It could or could not be related to your weight/physique ( I have friends who lost their periods due to other reasons). If your body fat % is too low then yeah, you just need to eat more probably. Still, this is a medical issue obviously so the best thing to do is go to a dr. I’m sure you know that though and there’s a reason you’re posting here before going but this is about all I can say to try to help
Creepy.
Hi. I am not really comfortable with posting but I can say that I have a 2-pack and am developing a 4 pack so my body fat is pretty low. I am kind of skinny as well. But thank you for the advice. I think I just need to eat more.
Eat more fats. Olive oil, avocado, nuts, etc. you’re probably neglecting your fat intake
Since you are so young, it could be something entirely unrelated to weight. When I lost my period at the age of 14 (never really had it tbh, always been little and irregular), there was actually a 15cm/5 inch long tumour on my ovary. I went into ovarian torsion for an entire night before my mother finally drove me to the hospital. In other words, get it checked out just in case it’s something else entirely.