No periods

Hello,

Im 18 and have 'recovered' from anorexia and now have a bmi of 19 but havent had any periods in 3 years.  I also dont feel like i have really developed... not much by way of boobs and hardly any shape.  Do you think this is linked?  And do you think if I get my periods back I will gain some shape?  Any advice on how to get them back would be really helpful too!  Just feel really horrid, and starting to restrict again.  really hate it,

Thank you,

Carrie

Hi

Your amenorrhea (absence of menstruation) may be caused by your low weight/too much exercise/stress etc. Try to get a healthier weight, have sufficient rest, find ways to relax. Of course, you should also consult your OBGYNE regarding this.

Hope you get healthier! :)

BMI 19 is the bare minimum level at which periods are likely to return.  Being in a more normal weight-range of BMI 20 -25 gives you much more chance of that happening and also developing a few curves in the process.   You have a better chance still if your diet's good.... 2000+ cals a day.... and if it includes plenty of fats.  Restricting is the worst thing you could do.

I agree with the above poster that your first port of call should be your GP.   Three years is a long time.  Some girls who develop eating disorders prior to puberty can find they have undeveloped reproductive systems for life.  But if you have had periods in the past, you've probably got more chance of them returning.

hi, and thank you for the replies.  I read that NHS guidelines are for a BMI of 18.5-25 so thought I was ok??

As for curves, I dont look too thin, just pretty shapeless and I wondered if this was partly due to no periods or just lack of muscle? I did have periods for maybe a year before the anorexia which has to be good.  I have been to the GP several times and to an specialist but they dont seem to have any suggestions or advice.

I know my eating is currently not where it should be... I just hate my shapeless body so much, the only solution seems to lose a bit of weight as I was happier with it then.  I am currently averaging out at about 1000 calories per day and know I still have an anorexic mindset.  I dont remember ever eating 2000 calories per day, I would love to be able to but think I would gain quite a lot of weight. I was eating fairly normally for a quite a while previously but my periods still didnt come back, which isnt much incentive to start eating right again, but I do really want them back! its difficult,

any other advice is greatly appreciated!

There is no magic number for a BMI when you'll get your period back.  I got mine around a BMI of 18.5 but it's different for everyone.  Another cause of your loss of period could be due to lack of fat in your diet.  With only 1000 calories a day, there is no way you are giving your body what it needs.  You need to start increasing your calories immediately.  I was in your sitution a year ago.  I ate around 900-1000 calories a day, and when I started increasing, I increased by about 100 calories a week.  I actually lost more weight doing this, which was bad, because it made me underweight.  But you won't gain weight. Now I eat between 1600-1800 a day without exercise, up to 2300 with exercise, and I'm maintaining a healthy bmi of around 19.    Even if you see a gain at first, it can't be real weight because your body needs way more that 1000 calories to gain even an ounce.   You can do it slowly, but please start increasing now.  Your metabolism will speed up as you do and you really won't gain weight.  Plus, you'll get to eat more yummy foods which is my favorite part!

Original Post by carrie099:

hi, and thank you for the replies.  I read that NHS guidelines are for a BMI of 18.5-25 so thought I was ok??

The 'normal' weight range is 20 - 25.  Below 19 is when periods are most likely to be affected and other medical problems can begin.  18.5 is the level where doctors would say you were clinically underweight.   Most doctors will therefore suggest that a woman aims for BMI 20 to give herself a little insurance against losing weight through illness.  If you're at BMI 19 and you've got no periods then, logically, that's too low a weight for you.... Make sense?

Original Post by carrie099:

I just hate my shapeless body so much, the only solution seems to lose a bit of weight as I was happier with it then. 

 

 

If you want curves on your shapeless bod, the only solution is to eat more - not less!
Guess what those curves that make a woman look like a woman are made of? Fat!

Women normally have more healthy body fat than men and that's what rounds off the hips and fills out the breasts.

You still have a lot of leeway between where you are now (BMI19) and your healthiest weight. So have a few healthy, rich snacks for the rest of us!!

Lalie

I would not call you recovered at all if you are eating 1000 calories a day. The reason you are missing your period, still, is because you are not eating enough. An adult woman needs 1200 calories per day to survive, a teenage girl or an adult man 1500 per day bare minimum, and a teenage boy 1800 per day minimum and that is when SEDENTARY.  If you are exercising, you need even more than that. And this is the bare minimum.

Unless you are very, very short and small it is very likely you will need even more calories than those minimum guidelines. If you are 21 or older use CC's tools to work out your BMR. If you are under 21, CC's tools are inaccurate and you should use this calculator instead: http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/bodycomp/bmiz2.html as you are still growing. Yes, even in the later years - there's more going on inside of you that you simply can't see.

Eating too low a calorie intake, or having a deficit from your BMR greater than 1000 results in something called "starvation mode", where your body holds every last thing it can get in expectance of a famine. Water, food, calories. Explained:

You mention "... I dont remember ever eating 2000 calories per day..." which would lead me to believe that, if you have gained sub-2500 calories, your metabolism is still shot and you are still in starvation mode. If you want to restore it to a working level you'll want to be eating more like 2000-2500 calories. More depending on your activity level.

You need to get fully healthy and that's not something it sounds as though you can do on your own now. Having the anorexia mindset you do, still, tells me you ought to go back to your team, your doctor, whoever you were working with and tell them what you are doing and that you're on the verge of relapse. To me, it sounds as though no advice on the internet will help you - I would seriously consider asking about a referral.

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Hi i'm in quite a similar situation that i'm maintaining around the bmi 19 point but yet still no period and i didn't actully lose my period til much lower at like 17.5. I've heard that some people have to take progestin for a week in order to kick start it? was this true for anyone or will they eventually just start.

you also should be above a bmi of 19, which is underweight and why your body is not producing a period.

I keep reading your replies through when things arent going well and it does help.  I have been back to my doctor and talked about relapse but there can be no support for about a year.

I dont understand how I can possibly be too thin at my current weight, I just look normal, and about average, and there are many many slimmer people walking around.  I am quite tall (5'10") with rather large proportions so maybe feel even bigger i suppose.

My diet's not great at the moment, but I am trying to include more fats if that might help.  At the moment, reckoning about 10-15g a day...  dont really know how much is enough and there seem to be differing opinions on the web.

Prowess: I have never heard of only taking hormones for a week, but I do know people do sometimes get put on the pill for a few months to see if that helps... medical opinion seems to be undecided about it though. Hope your doing ok.

Wish I could just get back to normal. x

Good god, 10-15 GRAMS a day?! You should be looking for a percentage ratio of 55-60% carbs, 10-15% protein and 25-30 PERCENT fats, not GRAMS! You need a LOT more fats in your diet! Again, go and speak to your doctor!

Thanks for your reply...I take it thats not great but given the calories im taking in at the moment, the perentage is fairly accurate.  I dont know what to do... I have been to my doctor, again and again... no success, she can offer nothing more than putting me on the end of a year long waiting list.

how did you get out of anorexia... and are you fully recovered?  You look a great deal slimmer than me so just wondering if you have periods?... just ignore me if im being too personal.

Thanks for your help,