Low estrogen- Low body weight or Low body FAT

To many of you this question must sound a bit stupid, but it makes sense, I promise. There's the type of girl that has a low body weight but is what it is called "skinny fat", meaning that her body weight is mostly fat and very little lean muscle. So this person would do a body fat % test and it would come out a bit high for their weight. But there's also the other type of girl who has very little body fat as it is, and has a low body weight due to the lact of fat and muscle.

So since it is possible to be underweight but have more fat than muscle, is the reason for a low estrogen level because of lack of body fat or low body weight despite having a good amount of body fat?

 

 

It's ultimately down to the stress the body is under.   Being underweight - like over-exercising - is putting the body under stress, no matter how the weight is comprised.  It also depends on how long the person has been underweight and at what stage in their development.  Girls who have eating disorders or have undergone excessive exercise regimes pre-puberty often don't ever get normal oestrogen levels and can experience a total delay in puberty as a result.

Both.   :)  You can have low estrogen and be overweight if your body senses a large stressor, such as drastic dieting.  At the same time, you can be VERY lean and still menstruate if you are properly fueled.

thanks both of you :)

Im having a hard time figuring out what to do to get my estrogen back up there so that my periods go back to normal...but I am as a matter of fact, the skinny fat type :S so I weigh little b ut have lots of body fat....so I dont know if exercise will do the trick or just gaining more weight (fat included) to get it back...not to mention my dieting...it sucks :S I have a combination of bad eating habits and low body weight...and I need help with that badly :/ not to mention my body isnt allowing me to maintain body weight anymore, its either making me gain like crazy or lose slowly and then go back to gaining...

I need help

You can gain weight and reduce your fat % if you do some strengthening/resistance exercises at the same time.  Cardio exercises such as running wouldn't be advisable because you'd just be burning off all the extra energy.  But if you can find someone to help you with the appropriate exercises as well as give you advice on how to improve your diet then the extra food you eat would be more likely to become muscle.

Are you getting help from the medical profession... ?

Supposedly your periods will stop if you drop below around 15% body fat. This affects woman body builders as well as anorexias. But excluding body builders its very rare to be under weight and still have a enough fat, i know you can be untoned or skinny fat as it called on here, but still its underweight and unhealthy

as of the moment im only seeing a gyno about  my period issue, but not prof. to asses my eating problems and weight issues. I know I need help desperately and Im hoping I can get some tests done to rule out any underlying health issues that may be causing the problem, like hypothyroidism or PCOS (of which Im scard to DEATH of having) but if I happen to have any of these, I just want to get the right treatment done already so this nightmare ends once and for all and things go back to normal again (hormonal wise and body weight wise)

chelsea, you may be right...maybe I am skinny fat but just because Im flabby, and not enough fat is on me at the moment (even if I do see myself one way, I bet that its just a disorted image of myself, whcih I HATE)

thank you so much for answering, means a lot to hear all of your advice.

Ill def try to get myself into some exercise habits to try and see some muscle toning on me....

how many calories do I need to build muscle? and how should I start? like what sorts of exercises should i do.

Right now Im following a sort of low carb, high protein, and moderate fat intake (not like atkins that fat is just too high)

any advice would be great.

Chances are the flabbiness is loose skin.  Gain that 10lbs and you'll fill out and seem more toned without trying.

2500-3000 cals every day is what you need to gain muscle and gain weight healthily.  You need 50-60% of your daily calories from carbohydrates, 25-30% from fats and 20 - 25% from protein.  The exercises you should look at are strengthening and resistance exercises.  Some light weights, sit ups and push ups, squats... nothing too energetic, of course.

thanks gi-jane :)

Right now Im working up my calories slowly because I've eaten 2,500-,3,000 calories before and I end up gaining a whole pound in a day and that pretty scares me to think 7 pounds in a week is too much to handle....so right now Im shooting for about 1,800 or so, and see where that takes me...I know things will stabilize, its just sort of scary.

Will an eliptical be a good start? If so I can pair that up with some light weights I plan on buying this week, plus other strength exercises (prolly gonna try pilates or something or just your old regular push ups and other strength exercises as well that are pretty common)

I think my body isnt digesting carbs very well. I had a high carb very low protein diet (which is by far the worst eating pattern I've taken up in my life) and somehow it messed me up. Now I can only eat the same amount of carbs as proteins, if not I end up gaining like crazy.

Thanks for all your help.

 

Original Post by bananee:

thanks gi-jane :)

Right now Im working up my calories slowly because I've eaten 2,500-,3,000 calories before and I end up gaining a whole pound in a day and that pretty scares me to think 7 pounds in a week is too much to handle....so right now Im shooting for about 1,800 or so, and see where that takes me...I know things will stabilize, its just sort of scary.

Will an eliptical be a good start? If so I can pair that up with some light weights I plan on buying this week, plus other strength exercises (prolly gonna try pilates or something or just your old regular push ups and other strength exercises as well that are pretty common)

I think my body isnt digesting carbs very well. I had a high carb very low protein diet (which is by far the worst eating pattern I've taken up in my life) and somehow it messed me up. Now I can only eat the same amount of carbs as proteins, if not I end up gaining like crazy.

Thanks for all your help.

 

If you had been eating low carb, when you re-introduce carbs you immediately start holding onto water.  One gram of carbs attracts three grams of water.  As for that 1 lb, that will be not only water but the FOOD that is now sitting in you.  Not increased fat.  You would not gain 7 lbs/week as your body gets used to digesting, the water weight is re-distributed, etc.

As for the exercise, I would caution you.  If you are not getting your period, adding exercise can actually make it worse.  Your body is under stress, and exercise is another stressor. Take it from someone who has been working and researching this for two years...the last thing you need is to increase your cardio.  Keep with the food intake and make sure your FAT  intake is high enough...research shows women who dont have their periods even at a good weight have a significantly lower fat intake (and higher carb/fiber) intake compared to women who are getting their periods...even at the same weight.

 

So I shouldnt do any exercises? not even a bit of strength training?

I wont do cardio, maybe some little bit of walking in the afternoon for only 20 to 30 minutes, nothing to strenuous...

I dont know how much fat Im having since Im not really counting it....how can I make sure Im havind adequate amounts of healthy fat?? and what foods do you recommend? I thought nuts were a good idea since they have protein and fats...peanut butter maybe?

avocadoes and what not... I guess I need a good meal plan for this...

 

 

strength training is preferable to cardio.  Just don't go nuts with it.

As for fats, I usually try to get at least .5 grams/lb body weight a day.  Or somewhere between 20-30% of my intake.  Nuts are great.  PB is good, or other types of nut butters.  Whole eggs, olive oils or other oils, seeds, salmon, tuna, etc.

sounds good. I can def. try and fit more fat into my diet. Olive oil and PB would be a great start :) I already have whole eggs each morning...and tuna too...so hopefully this will help me in the end.  Then Ill def do some strength training...nothing too crazy...just two sets of 10 reps of each exercise...like push ups, abdominal exercises that i found on the web that are mostly pilates stuff...

 

welll thanks for all your advice :) Ill get started today.