periods

im gaining weight my bmi is 16.8 at the mo still no sign of periods yet im pretty to get my back as i havnt had any since i was 17 im now 27. is that anything that may help to bring about them ? ive heard more fat is good any advice would be appreciated

More fat, more weight, consistency in your calorie intake. Basically, your body fat needs to go up and that's only going to happen with weight gain. Good luck though sweetie and stick in there. I'm here to support you if you ever need it :)

thamks chrissy you are always there :). your support has give me so much determination h x

You will get there. Getting your period from your body's perspective means you can carry a baby to term and both you and the baby are healthy at the end. (bodies aren't really built to know about birth control!)

40-50% of the weight gain a woman experiences when she's pregnant goes to her own fat stores. Why? Because even then, the body is ready to face a possible famine and still get woman and baby safely to term.

Basically your body is saying "Girlfriend, I don't even want to think about babies until you've got some healthy energy stores so we can be safe no matter what -- I'll give you your periods when you give me some more weight -- deal?"

Think of it as continuing to build trust with your body -- it's very suspicious of you and needs you to be more than willing to meet it halfway.

You are getting close with your BMI, so just keep going and remind yourself of how far you've come.

trhanks thats a grt way of putting it h x

Your weight is very low and if I recall fat in the diet was an issue. I think if you get to a healthy bmi,increase fat,lower activity and give it time you will get it back. I think you know why you don't have it now you just have to keep moving forward and use this as a way to push through the hard times

thanks abbi h x

For what it's worth, I've lost my period at a BMI of slightly over 20, and I do get it now at a BMI of ~19.  Whether you're getting it or not depends on a huge number of factors - calorie intake, fat intake, whether you're losing or gaining, body composition, your genetics, activity levels, your hormone levels, etc.  There's no magic BMI number that you can reach that will guarantee your period.

That said, I don't think it's unusual at all that you would not have a period at a BMI in the 16s.  Keep on gaining weight, make sure you eat plenty of fat, make sure you don't have too much activity, and try to accept that you are doing everything you can, and your body will take care of the rest.

thanks appletwo i think i probably dont get enough fat my skin is always dry , but surely if im gaining weight this wont affect my periods ? the only exercise i do is walk my dog

I'm not sure how much dietary fat affects periods - I would guess that bodyfat is more important. But, if you're not getting enough fat in your diet, I'd guess that your body uses the fat for your brain & internal organs as a high priority, and doesn't use it as much for your reproductive system (and skin)  - so maybe that does play a role? Maybe a nutritionist or doctor would know more.  I'd aim to get least 30 percent of your calories from fat, that would be good for you overall and it might help, it certainly won't hurt.