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Amenhorrea.....I haven't had my period in three years. Please help me!

First, I have no money for a doctor. Second, my insurance won't cover eating disorders, so having them pay for a doctor visit is out of the question. I lost my period when I was a senior in High School, and fell into anorexia for two years. I'm almost a junior in college.

I'm 5'6'', and about 105-110 lbs. I'm thin, but I feel really good. I have a normal appetite, I excersize when I can (which isn't everyday, probably about twice a week). I eat a variety of healthy foods within my budget, including nuts, fish, meat, eggs, fruit, veggies, whole grains...I do it all, and even eat candy and icecream and pizza if have the extra change.

But no period. I'm not sure what to do, and eating more would be out of my budget and an inconvenience.

Here's and example of what I eat daily:

breakfast:

1/2 c oatmeal, 1 c soymilk or cow's milk, banana, big green salad

lunch:

1 10'' flour tortilla, 1/2 c refried beans, large apple, 1/2 c peas, big green salad

dinner:

hummus or turkey sandwich, 10 baby carrots, an orange

dessert (sometimes) about 5 hershey kisses, or 1/2 c icecream

--------------------------------------------- ------

I don't see anything wrong with this diet. I don't see anything wrong with my lifestyle. I'm not emaciated anymore.

Can anyone give me some advice BESIDES "go to the doctor". I CAN'T.

 

 

I have the same problem too!! I lost 22 pounds and gained ten of them back! (Unfortunately due to freshman year)... I haven't had a legit cycle since September of 2005. I mean its nice not having one, don't get me wrong... but I run too, so aside from the weight loss (ED two years ago), I think the running has something to do with it...
But I still don't understand! I'm at a healty decent weight for my height and age ( Age 18, 5'1, 108-110ish), so Im healthy now....
Idk has anyone else dealt with this?

Kosherbean, if you don't have your period, it's probably because your body fat is too low. Bep16, if you are running a lot and are solid muscle with very little fat, that is probably the case for you too (athletes often lose their period even when they are "normal weight").

If you are underfat, your body cannot produce enough estrogen (which is metabolized in part through adipose tissue, i.e. fat) and you will not menstruate. Inadequate estrogen also leads to other problems such as heart disease and, most importantly, accelerated bone loss (and/or failure to build bone density during those crucial young years). People who spend their youth underweight are at incredibly high risk for osteoporosis as they age, and this is no joke since fractures are a very common cause of death for older women. (You fall down when you're young, no big deal; you fall down as an older woman, you break a hip, you are hospitalized, you risk dying in hospital and/or losing mobility and independence all at once...)

So put on some body fat, both of you, and see if that helps. Kosherbean, you could definitely find ways to add calories to your day without breaking the bank - if you find excuses not to do so, maybe you need to worry about what your "real" reasons are for not wanting to eat more. I didn't add up the calories for your stated diet, but I'm sure you have done so - what's the total? I'm guessing about 1000-1200 cals a day. Not enough.

Oh god....I don't want osteoporosis!

I would love to put on some healthy body fat, but how can I do that when I've only got enough food left for 35 days (which is the rest of may and june) and have to ration!?

I don't have ANY extra money to splurge on groceries. Just enough to pay for transportation, and laundry and a drip coffee at dawn before my work shift. The only things I'm able to swipe are apples or oranges from my suitmates now and then. 

Also, how is it possible to gain "healthy" fat? Any more fat on my body would look ugly...

Find out if there are food banks in your area, if it comes to that. There is always a way to get enough food. What is your source of income right now?

I doubt that fat on your body would look "ugly", since you are quite underweight - don't you think this could be your mind talking, and not a realistic, objective perception? (Women are supposed to have round, soft, "wobbly" bits, that's part of what makes us attractive to sexual partners as well as healthy). Any body fat would be "good" body fat at this point - your body doesn't care where it is, as long as it can metabolize estrogen.

Here is a very good publication on how to reduce your risk of osteoporosis. It talks about the various risk factors (including underweight, poor nutrition and low estrogen) as well as how to ensure a healthier future. Interestingly, the risk of osteoporosis starts increasing at BMIs under 22; but even getting to 19 or 20 would certainly help you, kosherbean.

I'll have to see what I can find. Canned stuff would help. I remember when my mother use to bring us food from the food bank. Weird that I forgot about that! My source of income is my work study job, which won't allow me any more hours because it's "not in the budget" and crap. *sigh*

 

It's really hard for me to want to attain "round, soft, "wobbly" bits", since most guy friends I'm around have girlfriends that are extremely skinny. and they themselves are skinny. All my friends are like me, thin and busy! Nobody that I live around eats a lot. At most for them it's one or two meals a day, a slice of pizza here, a bowl of cereal there... I mean, I know what they eat, what we eat - I'm around them all the time.

I'm the only one who eats as much as I do in fact. They always go "wow, that's a HUUUUUUGE salad. or, say "you sure can eat a lot..." But THEY are able to have their periods. There's just so much confusing information. But I'm going to try...it would just be really weird if I started eating all this food around them, they'd look at me as if I was some sort of glutton. BUT I'll just tell them I'm hungry. Maybe they'll not say aything.

If they do say anything that would be incredibly rude on their part. Eating enough to be healthy and reach a normal weight is not gluttony, it's just common sense.

If your girlfriends are skinny but still having their periods, that means they aren't as skinny as you are. Maybe your perception of yourself is a bit skewed - i.e. you are smaller than them but think you are larger, which is not uncommon among people with a history of misperceptions about their weight. One pound on us sometimes seems like more than the 10 lbs on our friends, if you get my drift.

The important thing is to focus on getting healthy and loving yourself, building that self-confidence. Don't spend too much time worrying about what your friends eat, or how thin they are. It's sort of a waste of time.....   Good luck! :)

It looks like you don't get enough EFA (essential fatty acids) in your diet. EFAs are found in fish, walnuts, flax seed, pumpkin seed, and vegetable oils (like canola or soy). If you don't like those kinds of foods, try taking a supplement, like flax seed oil (they're relatively inexpensive).

It also seems like you need more iron in your diet. If you choose not to eat red meat, then make sure you have Vitamin C with your iron. This will help improve absorption.

Best of luck!

Your body needs to take in more fat to produce enough hormone to have a period. Also carbohydrates directly affect your blood sugar levels which directly affects your hormones. I would begin to take in more healthy fats and less carbohydrates. Your body will slowly allow itself to absorb these fats and will create more hormones. I  was 23 and 5'7 I went from 173 to 128 and suddenly my period stopped for 6 months. I was very concerned. I visited my gyno and she informed me of this information. I have since gained 8 lbs but have regained my period, hair texture and energy. Remember you need to take care of yourself. And P.S try not to obsess about it your body will react very negatively to that stress alone. Take care write if you have any questions.

Jules7788@hotmail.com

Julie

i also don't have any periods... 16 and a half and never had one in my life.  i read the answers to kosherbean's question and basically ive gathered that its all because she's underweight- but is this the only possible reason for someone to not get their periods? I'm pretty thin, true, but not as much as she is- i'm 5"1, 97ish pounds- and i also have a tiny body frame and im barely an A cup.  i dont know exactly how much i eat all day but basically it looks like this:

breakfast:
yogurt and cereal

snack:
raw vegetable

lunch:
cooked vegetables with tomato sauce/ tofu/ rice cakes with almond butter...  and a fruit

supper:
A LOT! not like binge-eating a lot, but i fill myself up well- homemade meal: fish/chicken/meat and some sort of veggie side dish or soup, which i eat like a plate full of, and i have fruit and/or rice cakes and/or cereal afterwards, often all three

i exercise a lot too- i take karate for an hour once a week and 4 days a week i bike 11 miles in 30 min on a stationary... also once a week i walk to the hospital to volunteer and thats 2 miles each way
but very moderate pace

im pretty muscular but not extremely by any stretch of the imagination but i like the way i look and i like to be fit and i dont really want to let all that hard-earned muscle turn to mush... is there any other way to get my period besides for gaining weight or losing muscle?

justkeeprunning, losing muscle won't help you get your period. It's gaining fat that will (simply losing muscle won't give you fat). Just like it's not putting on muscle per se that makes you lose your period, it's the accompanying fat loss.

If you've never had one in your life, it is less worrisome than if you had one and lost it. On the other hand you are well above the age that you should have gotten your period; you are in the "consult a doctor, I haven't gotten it yet" age. You might find that putting on 5 or 10 lbs would lead to you starting to get your period normally. The 100-lb mark seems to be the "trigger" for young girls' periods to start (that's why overweight girls can get their periods earlier than usual, sometimes quite young).

There can be other reasons why girls don't menstruate - but if something common and simple like underweight (or, more accurately, underfat) is staring you in the face, you're better off fixing that and seeing if it helps, rather than trying a bunch of things that won't work if the real reason is underweight (and it usually is - very few underweight girls have no period for other reasons). I worry, justkeeprunning, that you don't seem to be taking in nearly enough calcium for a girl your age - you should be trying to get 3 or 4 servings of dairy a day, and I only see one in your menu (and that's if your yogourt is large-ish, 175 ml, which is a full serving of dairy). I recommend Canada's food guide to help you ensure that you are eating enough servings of everything, and to familiarize yourself with what an adequate portion size of these things is (you might be eating too little of it, in your case).

Gaining a few pounds will not make your muscle "turn to mush", it will still be there. If anything, eating more will help you build even more muscle - it sounds like your net caloric intake is quite low, everything you eat is low-calorie and you exercise a lot. Considering your age, your amenorrhea, and your low BMI (not as worrisome as kosherbean's, but if that is "all muscle", then you too are almost certainly underfat), gaining 5 to 10 lbs of fat would likely help regularize your hormones too.

Women are not supposed to be built like men - with the six-packs and the rock-hard bodies. That way lies amenorrhea, osteoporosis, and other endocrine abnormalities! We are supposed to have 19-24% body fat when we are fit. Fit men are only supposed to have 10-14%.

Kosherbeans u said ur friends go wow when u r eating a big salad

Your huge salad probably has much fewer calories than their single slice of pizza

Also other than the periods are you ill in any other way?

My sister used to miss her periods when she was borderline obese. It was becuase of some hormonal imbalance not  weight

Although with you I think it may be more about the weight.

 

 

Also are you sure you arent using the money as an excuse for not eating

It can be possible to get extra calories within a tight budget

For instance susbtitute your soy milk for full fat milk

Minced meat can be cheaper

 

Original Post by kosherbean:

I'll have to see what I can find. Canned stuff would help. I remember when my mother use to bring us food from the food bank. Weird that I forgot about that! My source of income is my work study job, which won't allow me any more hours because it's "not in the budget" and crap. *sigh*

 

It's really hard for me to want to attain "round, soft, "wobbly" bits", since most guy friends I'm around have girlfriends that are extremely skinny. and they themselves are skinny. All my friends are like me, thin and busy! Nobody that I live around eats a lot. At most for them it's one or two meals a day, a slice of pizza here, a bowl of cereal there... I mean, I know what they eat, what we eat - I'm around them all the time.

I'm the only one who eats as much as I do in fact. They always go "wow, that's a HUUUUUUGE salad. or, say "you sure can eat a lot..." But THEY are able to have their periods. There's just so much confusing information. But I'm going to try...it would just be really weird if I started eating all this food around them, they'd look at me as if I was some sort of glutton. BUT I'll just tell them I'm hungry. Maybe they'll not say aything.

 

Peanut Butter is a very cheap way to gain some weight, it's a good combination of protein and fat, etc.  Give that a try.  There's nothing much cheaper than a PB&J sandwich.  Or you can put peanut butter on apples or celery.  Or you can include it in a smoothie.  

Good luck!

so I'm in the same boat as just keep running...

I'm 16 and like 2 months and I've never had my period... the last time I went to get my physical, at the beginning of the school year, the doctor wasn't concerned when I told him I haven't. I'm about 5'6 ish and like 120-125.. I just weighed myself at 122... I don't weigh myself that often so... yeah :P

um... I'll just post what I've eaten today...

breakfast   sandwich with whole wheat bread and peanut butter and some muesli cereal...

lunch   same sandwich and a banana

snack before track a banana

after track I had half a blue lagoon smoothie from tropical smoothie cafe... okay so the smoothie was a treat, I never have smoothies even though I love them xD and I also had a sandwich with whole wheat bread and avocado tomatoes and onion...

then after track I just had a cup or so of some muesli cereal...

I'm considering having pasta or tea or something later... not sure yet :/

I have track 5 days a week and soccer 5 days a week... it depends for soccer... and that's not counting meets or games because on those days sometimes I just do the meet or just the game or a meet and a game depending on the day... but now that summer is coming and the seasons are ending I'm just going to be training for cross country this summer.

so yeah... any questions comments or concerns xD

yo-yoing weight can contribute to PCOS and other hormonal disorders that can mess up your cycle... my doctor had me go on the pill just to sync up my cycle and now I'm normal. you can go to planned parenthood and get the pill for like a $5 donation, they might even be able to give you a free exam if you want that. good luck :-)

Your should add more protein and healthy fats into your diet. I'm not necessarily saying to literally add more - if you're comfortable with what you're eating, just substitute some of your current foods for the protein/fats. Use sunflower or olive oil for salad dressings, eat more nuts, peanut butter, etc. Unlike most people's perception, more fats will not make you gain weight. I was reluctant about adding more fats into my diet a few weeks ago, but has only made me feel better and more balanced. :)

thank u trustwomen.  i actually decided to change the way i eat after reading your advice.  i went to the website you had linked in ur post and started the next day to eat small- medium sized meals every 2/2 and a half hours (6 meals a day) and plan them so that i get my 7 servings of fruit, 6 of grain, 1 of fat, etc. 
and now a question- i think im probably getting the same amount of calories as i was before- because what i didnt say in my last post was that i probably wasnt eating as healthily as the food schedule i wrote made it sound... i would eat a little more than 400 calories until supper, and then i'd eat  probably  (i didnt count calories at supper) 1200ish calories at night between supper and snacking afterward until i was stuffed
i know, i know-  terrible eating habits. thats why i stopped. (in case you were wondering, btw, i was the same weight b4 i started eating that way- it wasnt a weight loss thing.  i just figured that since i had to eat around 1700 calories or so and i have much more will power in the day that i'd leave plenty of room for extras at supper... wtvr)
anyways, does anyone know if eating about the same amount of calories but spreading them evenly throughout the day, and also getting triple the amount of calcium i was getting before,  would help me get my period?

I don't think the calcium will help you get your period, though it will help protect your bones. Eating all at once or throughout the day should not really make much of a difference to your period either (though it might help your energy levels to spread out your meals more). If what you need is to gain some body fat, there is no substitute for that. For a teenage girl, I'd recommend eating at least at maintenance level (and with the activity you do, I'm pretty sure that 1700 calories is not enough - remember that teens need to add 300 cals a day to what adults burn for maintenance).

I'm glad that you've decided to eat healthier foods, increase your calcium, and get your food servings/nutrients in there. Remember though that while the Food Guide is great in terms of nutrients, it doesn't always add up to enough calories, especially for a teenager. I would recommend eating about 2000 calories a day, maybe a bit more on days that you exercise. Again, gaining a few pounds of body fat might help you get your period. Have you had your body fat percentage tested, like at a gym or something? The measurements are often unreliable (unless you get a water displacement test or DEXA scan) but it would be better than nothing. Amenorrhea from low body fat usually happens at about 16-18% body fat or below (again, recommended amount is 19-24).