Period is M.I.A....

[deeaedee]

Hi all,

Thought I'd post here to try to get some ideas about what the heck might be going on with my body. I am 10 days late for my period this month. I usually get my period every 32-34 days, but this time it just never came, and I'm wondering if it has something to do with my workouts/diet.

I started NROLFW in January (and got my regular period a couple of weeks in), but after finishing Stage 1 this month it never showed up. I've researched all the possible reasons WHY this might be the case and I can't seem to conclude anything.

A few things I should say:
1. I am NOT pregnant, or at least the test I took 3 days in was negative.
2. I am NOT new to lifting (have lifted and exercised regularly over the past 3 years), this was just a new program I started.
3. I DID change my diet significantly when I started the program, mainly by changing my macros to fit within 35pro/30carb/35fat.
4. My body fat is NOT low enough to lose my period. I don't know what it is but I'm guessing around 20%.
5. January was NOT a particularly stressful time for me, so it's not a stress-related imbalance.


Any thoughts or information you might have would be GREATLY appreciated! I want to have kids in the next couple of years and so anything that is severely messing with my cycle is obviously a concern for me.

Thanks so much!

[shock_and_awe]

what's NROLFW?

[shock_and_awe]

If you could be pregnant, retake the test in a week. It could be related to your dietary changes, though.

[grace_ou]

Hi all,

Thought I'd post here to try to get some ideas about what the heck might be going on with my body. I am 10 days late for my period this month. I usually get my period every 32-34 days, but this time it just never came, and I'm wondering if it has something to do with my workouts/diet.

I started NROLFW in January (and got my regular period a couple of weeks in), but after finishing Stage 1 this month it never showed up. I've researched all the possible reasons WHY this might be the case and I can't seem to conclude anything.

A few things I should say:
1. I am NOT pregnant, or at least the test I took 3 days in was negative.
2. I am NOT new to lifting (have lifted and exercised regularly over the past 3 years), this was just a new program I started.
3. I DID change my diet significantly when I started the program, mainly by changing my macros to fit within 35pro/30carb/35fat.
4. My body fat is NOT low enough to lose my period. I don't know what it is but I'm guessing around 20%.
5. January was NOT a particularly stressful time for me, so it's not a stress-related imbalance.


Any thoughts or information you might have would be GREATLY appreciated! I want to have kids in the next couple of years and so anything that is severely messing with my cycle is obviously a concern for me.

Thanks so much!

Then I would have to say.. **** happens! LOL

I mean that seriously, sometimes it just happens. I've had times when I've skipped for two months or more.. and then it returns and life goes on.

If you are really concerned about being able to conceive or it being a medical problem then talk to a DR. not us. We can only guess and that doesn't really help.

[vandalgirl59]

It definitely happens. Mines been gone a year and a month now, ever since I started lifting! My bf isnt ridiculously low, but I lost enough weight fast enough, and then started training pretty intensely and blam. Gone.

Still wondering if it'll ever show up again..

[seanb1979]

It definitely happens. Mines been gone a year and a month now, ever since I started lifting! My bf isnt ridiculously low, but I lost enough weight fast enough, and then started training pretty intensely and blam. Gone.

Still wondering if it'll ever show up again..

Damn you serious? that doesn't sound very good.... have you seen a doc?

[victorsteven1]

Hi all,

Thought I'd post here to try to get some ideas about what the heck might be going on with my body. I am 10 days late for my period this month. I usually get my period every 32-34 days, but this time it just never came, and I'm wondering if it has something to do with my workouts/diet.

I started NROLFW in January (and got my regular period a couple of weeks in), but after finishing Stage 1 this month it never showed up. I've researched all the possible reasons WHY this might be the case and I can't seem to conclude anything.

A few things I should say:
1. I am NOT pregnant, or at least the test I took 3 days in was negative.
2. I am NOT new to lifting (have lifted and exercised regularly over the past 3 years), this was just a new program I started.
3. I DID change my diet significantly when I started the program, mainly by changing my macros to fit within 35pro/30carb/35fat.
4. My body fat is NOT low enough to lose my period. I don't know what it is but I'm guessing around 20%.
5. January was NOT a particularly stressful time for me, so it's not a stress-related imbalance.


Any thoughts or information you might have would be GREATLY appreciated! I want to have kids in the next couple of years and so anything that is severely messing with my cycle is obviously a concern for me.

Thanks so much!

The hormones in a woman's body require a delicate balance for all systems to be "go" if you drop body fat, the estrogen drops, also and the environment becomes unsuitable... what that level is from person to person varies . Even exercises plays with your hormones...

Really you need a qualified OB?GYN to look at your case and not be self diagnosing. A physician would be better qualified and could rule out cysts, and other underlying medical problems which may present themselves

[victorsteven1]

[finishing Stage 1 this month it never showed up. I've researched all the QUOTE=deeaedee;639556913]Hi all,

Thought I'd post here to try to get some ideas about what the heck might be going on with my body. I am 10 days late for my period this month. I usually get my period every 32-34 days, but this time it just never came, and I'm wondering if it has something to do with my workouts/diet.

I found this by Googling the subject


Amenorrhea in athletes, sometimes called exercise-associated amenorrhea, occurs when a woman doesn't have a regular period either because she exercises too much, eats too few calories or both. In order to have regular periods women need to consume a certain number of calories and maintain around 16 percent body fat or more. If a woman has too little body fat the ovaries stop producing estrogen and the woman stops menstruating.

There are many causes of amenorrhea, but in athletes stopping your period is a warning sign that the body is under too much stress and has too little energy stores to support healthy functioning. Experts speculate that a woman stops ovulating and menstruating to protect against pregnancy during extreme physiological stress and to use any available energy to support her basic physiological processes. Intense exercise and extremely low body weight has also been linked with lower levels of the hormone estrogen which is necessary to maintain healthy bones.
Athletic Amenorrhea and Health Complications

Hope that helps some but see your doctor.....or maybe you need to back off a bit? Eat better??? The body only allows so much stress and then it goes into protection mode ....

[kimm4]

Then I would have to say.. **** happens! LOL

I mean that seriously, sometimes it just happens. I've had times when I've skipped for two months or more.. and then it returns and life goes on.

If you are really concerned about being able to conceive or it being a medical problem then talk to a DR. not us. We can only guess and that doesn't really help.

This.^^

[deeaedee]

Thanks, everyone, for the comments and feedback. As a few of you noted, it's totally possible to miss a period and still be considered 'normal', especially with lifestyle changes possibly intervening. (As a sidenote, Malcom Gladwell actually has a really interesting chapter in his book What the Dog Saw about female menstrual cycles actually being far less 'regular' than every 28 days). I thought I was eating enough, but I'm going to relax my diet a bit this month to see what happens. I'm going to wait it out another month and if it doesn't return, i will definitely talk to a doctor.

Thanks again - have a great weekend!

[TeayotaSoupra]

Are you on birth control? I noticed since I started on Yaz if I'm stressed or worked too hard or.. anything.. I'll skip a period.
I'm all healthy in that area too

[vandalgirl59]

Damn you serious? that doesn't sound very good.... have you seen a doc?

Yep, and after a few different tests and whatnot, we've just determined its the female athlete triad workin for me. Because osteoporosis is common in my family, I have to be really careful about bone density issues, and IF I wanted kids, that could be an issue, but I don't so really just the bone thing.

OP, as said, your doc can check things out and have blood tests run. Sometimes, esp if you were on BC for a long time (idk if you were or not) your body stops producing the natural hormones. My doc tried to kickstart mine again with a week or two of hormone pills but no luck

Hope all is well! Let us know what happens

[nickys]

I honestly can't remember the last time I had my period, and it's not a stress/body fat/etc issue. I've been on and off the pill since high school and the last few times I went off it, my monthly visitor never came. I did however manage to get pregnant one of those times!!! Figure that one out.

[grace_ou]

The primary reason for Triad is from under eating while training for a long period of time.

What is The Triad?
The Female Athlete Triad is a syndrome of three interrelated conditions that exist on a continuum of severity, including:

* Energy Deficit/Disordered Eating
* Menstrual Disturbances/Amenorrhea
* Bone Loss/Osteoporosis

What causes The Triad?
Energy Deficit/Disordered Eating
An energy deficit is an imbalance between the amount of energy consumed and the amount of energy expended during exercise. The primary cause of the Female Athlete Triad is energy deficiency. Often, this can involve a conscious restriction of food intake, problems with body image and a high drive for thinness. Sometimes, these conditions can lead to disordered eating, or more serious eating problems, like anorexia or bulimia.

Menstrual Disturbances/Amenorrhea
The most serious menstrual problem associated with the Triad is amenorrhea, defined as no menstrual period for 3 months or more. However, athletes who have irregular menstrual cycles are also susceptible to the effects of the Triad.

Bone Loss/Osteoporosis
Women with the Triad are at higher risk for low bone mass leading to weakened bones, called osteoporosis in its severe form. This type of bone loss can cause an increased risk of fractures, including stress fractures.

Learn more here.. http://www.femaleathletetriad.org/#high_3

Do I need to change my training to recover from the Triad?
An athlete does not need to reduce her training to avoid Triad or to resume normal menstrual cycles if she is amenorrheic (not menstruating). Many assume that the athlete must reduce exercise in order to avoid Triad, but the fact is that most athletes can effectively address Triad-related health problems with adequate nutrition. That said, if training can be reduced by adding one day of rest per week, resumption of normal menstruation will likely occur more quickly.

Do I need to gain body weight in order to resume normal menstrual cycles?
Even small increases in body weight may be all that is necessary to resume menstrual cycles. Studies are ongoing to determine just how many calories are needed for normal menses to resume, but so far, it appears that even small increases in body weight (1-3 kg) may be all that is required to resume normal menstrual cycles by reversing the negative energy deficiency that caused the problem.

Should I go on the Pill to combat the Triad?
Going on the Pill is not the best answer to fix Triad-related bone loss. Amenorrheic athletes are frequently prescribed hormonal contraceptives to prevent or slow bone loss, but this does not address the underlying problem — it only addresses the symptoms. The problem is energy, and energy should be part of fixing the problem. Contraceptives may normalize menstrual periods and provide estrogen, but they will not necessarily improve bone health. Athletes on birth control pills often believe they have addressed their Triad-related problems, and therefore are probably not being counseled to improve dietary habits. As a result, they may continue to travel down the energy deficiency path, which contributes to further bone loss. In fact, long-acting, progesterone-only contraceptives like Depo-Provera have been shown to cause bone loss, and the packaging for these drugs now includes a warning to this effect. Nevertheless, this particular drug remains popular among athletes who feel normal menstruation impairs their performance.

[xpbowling]

what's NROLFW?

New Rules of Lifting for Women. It's a book with an exercise program for women that emphasizes lifting heavy and doing compound exercises I believe. Can't say much more since I haven't read it although I've considered buying it.

[deeaedee]

Hey all,

Just wanted to let you know that after much anticipation (and 3 pregnancy tests!) it FINALLY came, a normal period, just really, really late! My hunch is that it was the change in diet/exercise that just threw my body out of what a little bit. We'll see what happens over the next few months.

Thanks to all of your for sharing your thoughts and experiences!