questions about regaining menstruation

So, I haven't had a period since Aug. 23rd 2007, and I'm working my a$$ off to try and regain it so I'll be allowed to compete in cross country running again.  I've cut off all running for the past month and a half.  These days I mostly go to work which is life-guarding at a waterpark (involves about a 15 min. bike ride to and from work, standing while scanning pools for about 5 hours, pushing people of all different sizes down tubes, walking around a little bit, occassionally climbing stairs) and I've been eating enough to gain about 3 or4 more pounds, putting me at about 118 lbs. on my 5'5" body.  I don't know what my body fat% is currently, but some of my shorts feel a bit tighter around my waist, and I've been breaking out more.  Do you think I've gained enough to start having my periods again?  Will I need to gain extra extra weight because it been so long?  Are their certain foods that can kick-start it again asap?

I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts on this stuff.. 

Make sure you're getting enough healthy fats in your diet (olive oil, nuts, avocados).  Your body needs them to feel like it could sustain a child, which it needs to feel before you'll get your period.

Hope that helps - good luck!!

Kate777, How old are you? Have you always had normal periods until Aug 2007?

Wow, I'm the EXACT same way. I need some help too! I don't want to never get my period, its scary!

I've been eating plenty of fats (including saturated) b/c I already know that body fat % is very important.  The combination of eating lots of fats and minimizing my excercise is what I thought would help get my body fat % up to a healthier level.  I've stopped running for the past month and a half, I've gained enough weight to get up to around116-118 lbs. now, I'm breaking out more, and some of my clothes feels a bit tighter...all of these things seem like things that would indicate that I'm healthy, so I'm just wondering if there's anything I else I should do, or if I should just maintain and wait to see if it starts on its own. My mom thinks that stress might be a key factor as well, so starting today, I'm going to try and do some relaxtion excercises with her. 

Oh yeah, and I just turned 18 (August 18th).

honestly, weight isn't the final factor.  Some women with AN NEVER lose their period, no matter how small they get.  It is very individual.  

 

I've done a LOT of research into this, as I wanted to have a child last year.  Research shows that it is your caloric deficit that is the most important factor, as well as how active you are.  Women who are too active and not eating enough to support it are at highest risk.  After they stop working out as much it just takes a lot of TIME, and PATIENCE.  And yes, stress or ED thoughts can contribute.

You are still small for your height, so it could be weight.  But also stress.  It can take up to a year or so of decreased activity + better diet to make the final difference....your body is still recovering.

 

Honestly though, as soon as you start running again, you'll be at risk of losing it again.  You may want to really think about that....

Yeah, unfortunately, there are a lot of reasons your period could go MIA.  My guess is though, with the added fats and decreased exercise, you'll most likely get it back.

What does your doctor say?

From what i understand (through reading medical texts and from recovering AN's) it can often take quite a while at a healthy weight (from several months to several years for some people) before their periods return.

In the past the medical field thought return of menses = health. They know now that this isn't quite the case. A healthy body weight and fat % is essential but, like another reply said, you will need patience.

 

good luck,

Just be patient. The most important factor in getting it back is having enough fat in your diet. Especially if you're trying to gain, go to town with pb & avocados & olive oil. It'll definitely speed up the process more than anything else.

Damn...I feel really down now...but then again, I don't think my case was as severe as some of those people you may have read about.  I never got to the point where I was so thin that every bone showed, I never suffered from heart palpitations, my hair never started falling out, my stomach never shrunk...when I was 17, after I'd been to a center and regained my period within the first week of treatment (no activity and an inrease in weight from about 108-112), I unfortunately ended up losing weight again during cross country running season (not by starving myself, just an increase in activity and thinking that I was eating enough) and since then I haven't had my period.  When I was 16 (when I fell into anorexia), my food intake basically consisted of sugarless gum and water throughout the day, a piece of fruit at lunchtime, and then some small bowl of steamed vegetables with some fish, poultry, or a cut up veggie patty for dinner.  I was also going to swimming practices everyday, and when that season ended I started running about 3-6 miles everyday.  Anytime that my boyfriend wanted to take me to dinner I made sure that I excercised alot, and ate nothing but gum and water until dinner.  I became very quiet, my self-esteem and body image were way down, I had a hard time remembering and paying attention when people were speaking to me, I couldn't always speak coherently, I had a really hard time making decisions, I'd feel very guilty about eating carbohydrates and fats, when I read a food label that said a serving was above 100 calories I would avoid eating it, I always checked my weight in the morning and after my workouts, I never ate at night, before sleeping I'd do crunches and push-ups, I couldn't concentrate as well on art, music , or schoolwork, I couldn't feel good unless I felt empty, I was always cold, my skin was very pale, I had dark circles beneath my eyes------my point is that, yes, I had symptoms of anorexia, but I never got to the point of being so severely ill that I needed to be hospitalized.  I am saying this only because I am assuming that whatever you've researched was probably dealing with cases of women and girls who were suffering the physical symptoms severely.  A full YEAR of decreased activity sounds very extreme and discouraging to me, and I'm really hoping that that's not the case.  I haven't gone to see my doctor yet, but I need to get a physical done, so I suppose we'll discuss these matters while I'm there.

Thanks for your responses, they give me alot to think about.  

actually, no.  the people I read were NOT that severe.  Some who actually ate more than you and were NOT that severe.  You didn't have the 'symptoms' of anorexia...you HAD anorexia.  Just because you were not hospitalized doesn't mean it wasn't severe....you weren't eating, were obsessed with exercise, a scale addict, cold, pale skin...etc.

 

"I" was not that severe and don't have my period.  Really.  

 

You were severe.  You are just kidding yourself if you think you were not.

 

Yes, it may take a year.  But you really hurt yourself and need time to recover.  What is most important to you right now?  Running or your health?

 

really think about this.

It's terrible that society leads us to believe that unless we aren't skin and bone we aren't actually 'severe' enough to warrant diagnosis.

Eating disorders aren't just about weight. You can be at a higher BMI but suffering much more mentally/emotionally than someone severely emaciated.

And even if you aren't emaciated you can still suffer serious physical consequences.

I know that my ED never thought i was 'severe enough' and nothing would ever be acceptable to it.

Don't discredit the pain you've gone through and the brave battle you're fighting to get back to health and life because you don't feel like you were 'severe' enough.

Keep going cos it's worth it :)

For_zev, I'm sorry if you took my response the wrong way; I wasn't trying to offend you, I was just hoping that maybe my health wasn't as screwed up as the people you read about, that maybe, because I was never emaciated, I'd recover more quickly and be able to get back to things in life that actually matter.  My assumptions about a lot of things are usually not right, so I'm not surprised that I was wrong, so again I'm sorry.  I know how hard it is to be around people that are in denial about harming themselves, but I am in no way denying that I am still recovering from anorexia.  Luckily, it seems that I'm close to at least getting the physical aspects back to normal.  I hope it'll just get easier from there.

Thanks for all of your encouragements :)

Original Post by kate777:

For_zev, I'm sorry if you took my response the wrong way; I wasn't trying to offend you, I was just hoping that maybe my health wasn't as screwed up as the people you read about, that maybe, because I was never emaciated, I'd recover more quickly and be able to get back to things in life that actually matter.  My assumptions about a lot of things are usually not right, so I'm not surprised that I was wrong, so again I'm sorry.  I know how hard it is to be around people that are in denial about harming themselves, but I am in no way denying that I am still recovering from anorexia.  Luckily, it seems that I'm close to at least getting the physical aspects back to normal.  I hope it'll just get easier from there.

Thanks for all of your encouragements :)

No, you didn't offend me.  I was just really trying to make the point that you WERE severe, which it didn't seem like you realized.  I'm very glad you're trying hard to get better.

 

It does get easier.  just keep at it.

Okay good, and yeah, I guess you're right, because while I knew I had anorexia, I didn't really think of myself of having it severely.  I've always been known as someone who doesn't complain much, I try not to feel sorry for myself or take the easy ways out , and I often compare myself to others.  I suppose that's why when see people who are far thinner than me or hear stories from those who've done worse or suffered longer I don't perceive myself of ever being severe.