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I think I’m too heavy to get a period now.
Before I started undereating and overexercising in 2011, I weighed about 140 and had regular periods. Then I lost it for a couple of months, when I sank to 115 lbs, but regained it after just a few days of refeeding Nov 2012. By May of 2013 I’d kept a weight of 150 lbs for several months and was having regular periods. Then, July 1, I thought I’d slipped back into ED thoughts and behaviors so I went another go at the refeeding guidelines (3,000++) and now sit at 165. I have since stopped forcing myself to eat so much, but I’m still at 165.
Oh and my period is now a week late.
No spots, no cramps. Nada.With almost a year-worth of data on my tracker app, it’s never wrong. I’m not pregnant. I don’t have extraordinary stress. And I haven’t stepped foot in the gym at all this month. The only no-brainer I could think of is the weight gain and seeing that I’ve never weighed this much in my life. I’m now 12 days post-forcing3000++ and though my composition has kind of changed, I still have water retention and weight 15 lbs more than I had the month before.
(I’ve now come to realize that I should have made efforts to reverse my mindset rather than eating until I couldn’t move.)
I wonder if the weight will recede after I hit the duration of my refeeding in the post time. This isn’t thinxiety speaking. I would just like to have my period back.
Any thoughts on what I should do? Has anyone experienced this before?
Hi Wordstospeak,
I remember that Matt wrote in DietRecovery2 that your period may be wacky for the first 2-4 months (I don’t have the book so I could be off on the time). Since you started refeeding for a second time July 1st it makes sense that you period is a little late. A week isn’t too long. Do you have DietRecovery2? I remember Matt writing that it’s normal for cycles to be longer, shorter or absent all together. Maybe your body is just doing some more healing and so your cycle is a little messed up. I imagine that if you just keep eating, watching fluid intake and stress, and getting good sleep that it should return to normal.I don’t have the book. And it makes sense, but I just think it’s strange that it would be completely normal for a good seven months (not a single day late) between Nov. 2012 and June 2013 and then since I decided to refeed again that it would now suddenly get wacky. I would think it would have been wacky since my first time eating so much. I just feel like I shouldn’t have forced myself to eat so much this second time around. Now I feel like I’m on the opposite side of amenorrhea.
Maybe my body didn’t really need the second go-round. Maybe I was just moody and thought I had relapsed, although I never did start picking up the big ED quirks like counting and such. The only meals I skipped were meals I forgot to pack for lunch between my classes this semester. (Now, I make it a point to make them in advance)
Thanks though! :)
Based on your weight it doesn’t seem at all that you’ve gone the other way in terms of loosing your period due to weight. I don’t think there’s any harm in eating more and maybe your mood wanted you to eat more as a way to provide a little stress relief?
I’m no expert at all but I wonder if you don’t need to force yourself to eat as much? Do you have to force yourself to eat 3000 or are you trying to eat more? Maybe just eat until fullness but make sure that you are eating yummy food that’s calorie dense and eating anytime you’re hungry- with good snacks, etc. It’s great that you’re packing in advance now and make sure that it includes starch, sweets, salt, etc. I’m not sure what you’re eating but I find that if I have a little butter, a little cheese, ice cream etc that that really ups my calories and I easily eat 2500-3000 calories.
I’d try not to worry about it too much (I know easier said than done) and just focus on relaxing, sleeping enough, and eating for that tastes good to you.
Just a thought, have you started exercising more? Or any new stressful event? I remember reading in a fertility book that a change like moving or something can delay a period.
I hope I’m not posting out of turn here, because I don’t have personal experience with ED and I’m not an expert, but felt compelled to offer some reassurance, FWIW.
165 isn’t too heavy to menstruate regularly by any stretch. I weigh that, my sister weighs that, I know I’ve never missed a period and I don’t believe she has. We aren’t tall either! Or super-muscular. Just your average peasant-built Midwesterners. I’ve never heard of (again, no expert!) one’s period going away just from gaining weight, especially only 15 pounds. Too little fat is a much bigger problem, menstruation wise, than a little bit “extra” (which, depending on the person, might not even extra).
Another thought … if you are around a “new” crop of women or even one new woman, you might be synching up to them/her. That actually happens to me. And happened even more so when I was younger. (Ha ha, now that I’m “old” [not really], maybe the youngsters synch to ME!)
Also, any big change to routine (not necessarily a “stressful” one, in the bad sense) — travel, moving, a new job/school semester — can fluctuate a cycle by a few days to a week, for me. I imagine it could be even more sometimes without any real problem.
As far as how much to eat, I feel like I’m out of my depth there and don’t want to give bad advice. But I do feel confident in saying that a week isn’t a big deal, and IMO it’s safe to give it time to see what’s going on. It’s a natural process, and won’t be “perfect” every time. :)
I agree with the others that 165 is not heavy enough to cause obesity related amenorrhea and that many factors can cause changes to your cycle length. I would also like to add that a period being one week late doesn’t constitute amenorrhea. Amenorrhea isn’t diagnosed until you’ve missed three periods in a row.
Yea you’re not too heavy to have your period, not even close. Not even in the same galaxy. Your hormones are likely just a bit tumultuous. My cycle has come down from 36 or more days pre ETF to 30 days :) in 4 months. The last three months it’s been one day shorter each time.
Thanks for all of the awesome relies! I never thought 165lbs was objectively too heavy to stop a period (seeing as when it stopped when I went down to 115, there are plenty of 115lbers with periods). And I admit, I used the A word a bit too liberally. At any rate, my period has finally come and so I’m a lot happier. It’s just never been this late.
Sorry for the delay. I’ve been doing everything you all have said may have contributed to it.
-finals week
-moved Tuesday
-new set of roommates, etc…I wasn’t particularly stressed about them, well except for school, but whatever happened happened.
Thanks again everyone!
I’m so happy that your period returned! Having not had mine for almost 3 years I know how infuriating it can feel not to have a regular cycle. I had 2 periods in row once I started eating more and stopping exercise. Now I’m waiting on my third and it’s day 28. Last cycle it was 27 days and I’m hoping I’m pregnant but not sure since I know ETF can mess up your cycle and so it could be 30 days or 40 days or whatever. A bit frustrating because I really want to be pregnant but don’t want to test too early in case my cycle is just a long one this month.
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