1 period - and now its gone again:(? is 30 minutes exercise a day really too much??

hi! i know this is a super popular (or not!) topic at the moment - and im really sorry if im just repeating stuff loads of other people have asked - im just getting a bit desperate here! okay - im 25 and i now weigh 118 pounds. when i was 21 i lost quite a lot of weight pretty fast - going from 130 pounds down to about 112 in like 6 months. my periods stopped half way into that -im pretty sure i was around 118 when they stopped....but i cant REALLY remember. ANYWAY i didnt get one for like year - i was worred but every time i went to the doctor they just asked if id lost weight recently (to which i said yes) and then just said that would be it. i knew i wasnt eating enough at the time (i was on around 1200 calories a day - running for about 25 mins, walking LOADS and eating like no fat) but i was so relieved that no doctor seemed to think i was seriously ill that i just kind of carried on. after about a year i went a away on holiday for a bit, did NO exercise, prob gained a little, got my period but freaked out about gainig the weight and stopped eating properly again. THEN 3 months after that i went to live abroad for a bit, started eating more like 1450 per day(2000 a couple of days a week), did some exercise and got it back! i was SOOOO happy - and also really happy with my body!unfortunately when i got back from that trip i met my wonderful boyfriend (well -that part was good, it was just unfortunate cos i then went on the pill!). i had 'normal' periods for about 6 months then - but i dont really know if they were normal because of me or because i was on the pill! ANYWAY the pill did not agree with me - i put on a ton of weight - well went up to about 125-maybe more im not really sure?-and went completely emotionally insane (ive always been a 'special' at times... but i went full on crazy-my poor boyfriend!). SO after 6 months i came off it, at the same as losing quite a bit of weight-inetnionally! i went back to eating about 1200 a day (apart from weekends when it was a bit more - saturdays much more!) and my periods stopped again for another year and a bit. The thing was right before i came off the pill i was also diagnosed with and treated for chlaymidia - during which time they scanned my ovaries and found dermoid cysts, which they said could press down on my ovaries and effect periods and ovulation. i therefore thought that was the reason i hadnt had any periods for so long and didnt see it as a reason to worry (although i did think it was kind of weird that they seemed to briefly come back when i was a bit heavier!).OK -sorry this is getting really long -ill try and be a bit quicker here. after being diagnosed with dermoid cysts getting the followup appts RE: the cysts took forever - like a year and when i eventually went back they said they couldnt find any! they did more scans and said nope - there were never any cysts there at all and they must have gotten it wrong the first time:(. they also did hormone testing and apparently my hormone levels are normal-so it def wasnt even PCOS -although imnot sure how they could have ever confused them!?. all this was in december this year and they said they thought the reason i had no periods was my BMI was too low (at that point it was 18.5). they told me to gain some weight and come back in july 09! SO i did start to eat more (around 1400 per day) and didnt do any exercise - paritally cos they told me not to and partly cos it was january and cold! anyway - it was amazing- come feb i got my period! it was really light (they always used to be super heavy) but it was there! i was so happy! unforutnately i was less happy with my body shape - no exerise meant NO tone and i also felt like i was going a bit winter stir crazy! my weight was 118 when i got my period back so i figured i would make sure i stayed that weight but gain some muscle tone - to look more toned but not be lighter. ever since early feb i have been going to the gym 5/6 time per week - alternating 30 mins weight lifting days with 20 mins sprint cardio workout. its a good workout but its seriously NOT excessive- my heart rate is very rarely over 160. ive also started eating 1600-1700 most days, 2000 some days (more than i have eaten in YEARS -esp as i have a feeling im pretty conservative with my calorie estimates and definitely 'sneak snack' on loads of mini bites!). i feel completely full and satisfied and i eat healthy foods - cottage cheese with flax, sandiwches, flapjacks, chicken eggs, pasta... BUT i havent had a periods since feb and im so depressed/confused!! does my body literally hate me exercisin gthis much?? im really not compulsive about it - i just want some tone, plus it helps my backache and helps me stay sane!i feel like i pretty much live the USDA health recommendations.. do u think i have just done my body too much harm and it will never come back?? or do i need to be patient?? i basically get my health care on the NHS so my doctor doesnt really want to know-getting an appointment before july is impossible and i think he kind of wants me out as soon as i arrive- which i do get he has people with bigger health issues to help!. for my next appt he suggested i gain up to 130.. but im only 5'5 and it seems like i should be fine at 118 - i just know (for the first time in SO LONG) i am eating enoguh - and my mom is 5'6 and weighs 114 so i dont have heavy bones or anything... does anyone have any further advice?? im so sorry for the long and repettive post -im just SO glad to have found this forum (literally thought it was only me) and am desp for guidance. my boyfriend really wants kids and i love him so much i really want to do all i can! to be REALLY specific about what im wondering i guess my main questions are written below::

1. did anyone get one period back, skip a few and gradually go back to a normal cycle?? OR is the fact that its gone away again really bad news and a sign that im doing something wrong??

2. if i am exericsing too much - how come my body hates me exercising so much?? i thought exercise was good for you??i really do eat properly these days - i feel really full and satisfied after my meals and im just certain im eating enough!i dont eat before i exercise - cos i work out first thing and i feel sick if i do! could that be the problem?

3. should i be really worried at this stage?? or am i okay to just focus on eating healthily and staying strong (physically i mean!). all my friends think im so healthy  - and so (to be totally honest) do i! 

4. is all this 'more fat' stuff true?? i guess (as well as barely exercising) i was eating more fat when my period came back - i was trying to make my hair shiny (weird i know) so was eating lots of salads with nuts and olive oil  - and i think some oily fish too.. i was eating less carbs and am normally a bit of a carb head!

5. IF i do need to just no exercise at all for a bit (boo!) how long do i leave it to see if that works?? i sit at a boring office desk all day and i swear if i cant exercise for a month or something i will go a little insane!if i start to exercise again will it go away again - like last time! is this a problem for life :(

if ANYONE can answer these question i would just be SO grateful.. if anyone has any questions for me i will totally do my best to answer. iknow i was stupid about food for a bit but i really dont think i was ever that damaging to my body - or maybe i was!? i just see people like nicole ritchie getting pregnant twice over - and then my reprodcutive system shuts down after 20 minutes on the treadmill and im just beyone confused. and really uspset too i guess! thank you all for reading! :) xxx

These are all things to raise with a doctor

Your body is a complex instrument that needs looking after on a lot of levels.  There's a saying that 'one swallow does not a summer make'.  Similarly, one period doesn't mean you've got a healthy body and it absolutely doesn't mean that 118lbs is the right weight for you.... what your mother weighs is immaterial.   Your natural, healthy weight seems to be 125-130lbs - which is very, very slim.  (A 'ton of weight'???)    Most people in recovery need to be well over a BMI of 20 if they want to see progress.   125lbs represents a BMI of 21.

And it's all going to take time.  You seem to have spent quite a long time mistreating your body with being underweight, lack of food, no fats, too much exercise etc.  You have to keep looking after yourself... plenty of food, gentle exercise only, lots of good nutrition, time to relax, being a genuinely healthy weight.... in a sustained way for many months for it to get back to normal.

For what it's worth 1600-1700 means you're still undereating and I suspect that is a bigger part of the problem than a little exercise.  Go with 2000+ a day from now on.  You'll gain, but I think that's inevitable if you want to regain your fertility.

Hey Bermond,

I'm replying to your post just like you replied to mine!

Let me just say, if I was in your state right now (being a weight you are happy at, and having gotten your period) I would be ecstatic. I've already planned this out if it happens to me; if I ever get my period back..I'll give myself acouple of months free of working out, and/or eating to try and lose weight, and just kind of maintain or gain. Once they start to become regular again, THEN I'd see what works for me with exercise and eating and what doesn't. I think once your body gets back into its rhythm it'll be much harder for you to lose it again. But since it's so early, it makes sense that it will be affected right away if you started working out the second you got it.

What exactly have you been eating in a given day though? Because a long time ago, I started adding more protein and fats in, and was still laying low on the starchy carbs, and still no period (even though I felt ten times better than when I had been restricting). So, I don't know, I'm just taking in every advice I can at this point, because I like to do things the right way. I think I typically eat around 1200-1400 daily, and lately I've been just getting full and bloated and don't feel so great. It makes me think it might be from all the more gassy things I'm eating (like bread and nuts). But then again, I find that really weird. And I was also having some GI problems for acouple of months which may not be fully gone? I really don't know anymore.

Yea, so anyway, what's your typical diet? Also, definitely try to manage your period as best as you can (give yourself acouple of months off and just try to maintain or gain even though you're probably like NO WAY...it seems like it would really help for you to be confident in knowing that you are continuing to get your period, because then once you have that, and start playing with exercise and stuff, you'll be able to see what amount really affects it, if it will even continue to be affected at all).