freaked out by these symptons and so confused...

let me start with my stats so that you can understand my confusion. im 5' 10" and i weigh 138 lbs, putting me at a bmi of 19.8 or so. healthy weight, healthy bmi... my starting weight was 162 lbs for reference.

well it all started when i hit 145 lbs, my bowl movements slowed down to like maybe once every 3 days, sometimes every other day. sometimes even 4 days go by with no bowl movement. no biggy really. but next... my period just stopped at about 144 lbs. its been 4 and a half months since i have had a period. i fluctuate between 138 lbs and 140 lbs now. yesterday i found myself freezing in the house so i put on two hoodies and went downstairs to complain to my dad. i still had goose bumps under all the layers. i go downstairs and everyone was wearing t-shirts. we looked at the thermostat it it said it was 72 degrees. the whole me being that cold in temps like that has been going on for about 2 and a half months.

whats really weird is that i dont even look that thin, i seriously dont and everyone i know agrees. i have wanted to go to the doctor but im waiting on my tricare prime to go through, until then i can't afford it.

the reason i bring it up is because my dad just gave me a serious talk about it, he is worried and this is the only place i know that could give me some explaination.

im mostly concerned about my period... i have always been so regular... i can't believe i am saying this, but i miss my cycle... i dont feel the same without it.

To me, 19.8 bmi sounds pretty low unless you are a major athlete (professional ballet, marathon runner.)  I am not an expert though. 

If your dad is concerned, that is a good sign that you should re-think whether you are being honest with yourself when you say, "I don't even look thin."

I of course don't know you at all, other than what you posted.  Halfway through reading your post, I was going to respond that you should see a doctor, but then I got to the part when you said you will once you get insurance (my sister's been in this predicament, but with suspected Crohn's disease.)

Make sure you eat properly and enough until you can get in to the doctor's.

I am glad at least that you are concerned about it instead of ignoring it.

Good luck! Wishing you the best!

 

 

 

thanks for your input. 18.5 is the lowest you are 'spose to be able to be until you are considered underweight. and do rollerblade more again now to get in shape for my roller derby tryouts. but all these problems started months before i started training again.

You don't have to be clinically underweight for your body to be unhappy with you. Loss of period, trouble regulating your body temperature, and infequent bowel movements are all signs that you've pushed your body farther down the scale than it was designed to go. You say you 'don't look that thin' but you look plenty thin to me just looking at your profile pic and that's without even enlarging it to see the detail! Are you really being realistic about your body shape? At 5'10" you are never going to be as light or small as somebody who's barely 5'1" simply because your skeleton weighs that much more.

If you are military (spouse, dependent, or recently separated?) you should still have Tricare basic coverage while you wait for Tricare Prime (I was covered by Tricare Prime from the minute I paid my premiums...), so you should be able to be seen at any military treatment facility on a space A basis.

It's sounds a little like a thyroid problem, but I don't know enough to tell you that -- the doctor is where you need to be.

Moonbay,

Ok, you need to see a doctor - regardless of your insurance situation.  You've been a member on this site long enough to have already learned most of the following, but I'll throw it out there anyway.

The loss of period is called "amenorrhea," and there can be a LOT of different reasons for it.  That's why you have to have a doctor do the diagnosis.  Having said that, based solely on the information you've provided, it is likely that you have a serious problem with the balance of your nutrition.  This condition is very common in conjunction with eating disorders.  You need to eat a balanced diet of at least 1200 calories/day (minimum) and account for your calorie output as well as the input.  You're probably eating too little, not getting enough nutrition out of what you do eat, and are exercising those calories right back out again, leaving your body without enough resources to keep yourself healthy.  Sure, you've lost fat.  You may also have lost a lot of muscle mass, bone mass, etc.  Only your doctor and a few tests can say for certain.

For a start, you should look up "Amenorrhea" on Wikipedia.  Here's an excerpt:

Exercise amenorrhoea

Female athletes or women who perform considerable amounts of exercise on a regular basis are at risk of developing 'athletic' amenorrhoea. It was thought for many years that low body fat levels and exercise related chemicals (such as beta endorphins and catecholamines) disrupt the interplay of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. However recent studies have shown that there are no differences in the body composition, or hormonal levels in amenorrheic athletes. Instead, amenorrhea has been shown to be directly attributable to a low energy availability. Many women who exercise at a high level do not take in enough calories to expend on their exercise as well as to maintain their normal menstrual cycles.

A second serious risk factor of amenorrhea is severe bone loss sometimes resulting in osteoporosis and osteopenia. It is the third component of an increasingly common disease known as female athlete triad syndrome. The other two components of this syndrome are osteoporosis and disordered eating. Awareness and intervention can usually prevent this occurrence in most female athletes.

Take care of yourself, and make a Dr.'s appointment.

i soooo want to go to a doctor. i tried to make an appointment but they told me i wouldn't be fully covered until december 22 when the paperwork goes through... i broke down and just started to cry right there in front of her.

i am starting to think my body doesn't like the weight i am at like you guys said. that really is a let down but i understand. i thought i had some wiggle room but i guess my body disagrees.

i guess i wanted to loose a little more wieght because i am such a tall girl with a big bone structure and i was tired of not feeling petite and femanin. hmm... is there any way that after a little while my body will adjust to this weight and start functioning normaly again.

and i assure you all that i eat balanced, i am just strict on portion control. i eat big breakfasts every day religiously and drink lots of water. i will up my calories i just want to know if my body can adjust to this new weight?

Heh, I am 5'4'' and often wish I were taller.  But really, we just have to accept ourselves first, and then do things to keep our bodies healthy.  Perhaps you can feel more feminine with the way you walk, talk, dress.  It's not so tied to weight, really.

I used to wish I had the figure of a ballet dancer, but then I learned that guys dig curves.  My husband does for sure.

Is there a public/county health clinic you can go to for a check up?  My sister has had to go to one for quite a while until she finally could afford health insurance.

I don't know that it's your actual weight that's the problem.  Who knows, your body may become perfectly "happy" at your current weight, but not at the cost of adequate nutrition in the meantime.  It may just be the rate and manner that you're getting there.

There are many people who believe in a "set point" - a particular weight range for each individual which their body prefers and will gravitate towards.  "Set point" theory suggests that your body is more or less predestined to a particular weight.

I think that, from a physiological standpoint at least, that's B.S.

Overweight people sometimes use "set point" as an excuse, and other people think it makes sense because otherwise, "Don't those people ever look in a mirror."  They can't wrap their brains around the idea that an overweight person like me may fully understand that I am overweight, and yet seem to show no sign of changing.  It's easier for them to believe (perhaps charitably) that my body just "wants" to be 5'10" and 270 lbs.

Assuming that a person has no chronic health problems, there's no reason why a person who has put the time and effort into understanding good nutrition and exercise could not - with discipline - achieve and maintain a healthy weight balance.  But you can't have it ahead of the schedule that your body's nutritional needs demand.

If finances prohibit you from seeing a doctor before Christmas, eat a well-balanced diet, exercise a bit less, and focus on your health, rather than your weight, for the next month.

Keep posting.  I hope to hear good things from you in the days to come.

thank you midimouse ^_^ and others

I just posted about BMI. The calculator for it is for one body type. Very thin, no excess muscle, aka runners. Maybe it works for some but for me to be at a healthy weight on the index i'd have to weigh 150 pounds at 6'3. My real ideal weight is 220 pounds that's no extra fat and well toned. My personal goal is 240.

As to your medical conditions. Starvation will cause your body to go into shock and pool blood to yoor core. This will cause you to be cold. In addition it shuts down unneeded functions like ovulation. See a doctor immediately. Do not wait. I'm sorry it will be expensive but you are at risk. When your four months into starvation you are risking heart attack and stroke. At the minimum eat more. Eat extra friut and veggies for more calories with less impact, but for right now just eat for a while.

SEE A DOCTOR.

joe

Go to the Tools tab and use the Burn Meter to determine your caloric needs.  Make sure you choose the right level of activity.  The number that comes up is what you need to maintain.  I think you're going to be surprised to see how high that number is.

Also, go to the Advice tab and click on Experts.  Look for Mary Hartley's articles.  She has some great meal plans and good information about proper nutrition.  The meal plans are for 1500 calories, but can easily be increased by increasing the portions sizes.

I'm not going to try to analyze why you've been feeling the way you do, just offering information you can use to feel better.

Hi Moonbay,

OMG are you me? I'm also 5 10, have about one BM a week and am always freezing!! I hate being cold!!

wow, carolally, you are 4 pounds less than me. do you ever have problems with your menstral cycle?

Logic.....  If you had regular periods, felt warm and had normal bowel movements previously..... and the only thing that has changed is that you've been eating less and lost a lot of weight..... logic would suggest that despit you being technically a healthy weight etc., you're too thin.

There's such a thing as frame size or build that has to be taken into account and that's why the BMI is a range and not one universal 'ideal weight'.   Slightly-made Asian ladies are never going to be the same weight as a thicker-set European type, even if they're the same height.   You've got big shoulders and you're tall.  Expect your shoe-size is quite generous?  People with medium - large frames should aim for the upper half of the BMI range i.e. 22 - 25.  Peope with smaller frames should aim for the lower half i.e 20 - 23.  So if you're medium-large frame a BMI of less than 20 is definitely not going to sit well.

Rather than keep worrying your Dad and persisting with staying at a weight too low for your build, aim to get your weight back up past 145lbs.  I think the depression would lift and all your medical problems with it.

Moonbay: its very irregular but its always been, its regular in its irregularity I would say :) I am very small framed, my wrists are the tiniest of anyone I know and I have some pretty tiny friends!

I went through a very similar experience. After losing 64 pounds I also lost my period, my ability to ever feel warm, and the grand pooping experience. The bizarre part was I was 5'5" and 140 pounds.

My doctor's theory was that I simply wasn't eating enough and my body started to shut down all the non-essential functions.

After increasing my calorie intake (and yes, gaining some weight) and going on the Pill, I finally got my period and regular trips to the toilet.

Now I keep my deficit at around 700-800 calories per day, and after a year on the Pill I actually get my period on my own, now that I've stopped the Pill.

I still get irrationally cold, at times, though.

Anyhow, make sure you're taking care of your body...feed it enough food...exercise it in a smart way, and get yourself healthy!

wow, im so surprised to find out that you can really suffer problems like these at even heavier weights! i thought you had to be like emaciated to show these symptoms. im really glad i know this now

I dont know how old you are but I was 210pounds and I got down to 116 my period recessed and I was not regular ... It was due to the weight lifting I was doing... you might have to back off the physical activity... I hope this helps..