Hair & menstrual loss and pale and dry skin after weight loss

[Icy55]

Hi! As the title says I've been experience hair loss, coldness, I look pale yellow and period loss. I am at a bmi of 19.5 it's not underweight, but all the symptoms of underweight won't go away. I've had not had my period for 1 year and my hair loss is becoming pretty bad. Any advise?

I lost about 30 kg over 15 months (Till about March'15). So it wasn't sudden weight loss. When I was losing. I believe I was eating about 1400 - 1600. Before I started counting again recently, I believe I was eating about 1600 - 1800 cals. Cuurently im 5'2" and 105 lbs.

Now I'm bulking so averaging 2100-2200 cals. I don't track v accurately cauae I eat out often. But I'll just key in similar food items from other restaurants. I did a full body check up including blood tests at a hospital just 2 months ago. No issues with thyroid and slightly off readings with the liver. But doctor didn't have any concerns... I believe it's a hormonal imbalance... I can tell from my vascularity in my arms.

The hospital scan using the inbody media machine had my bodyfat % at 9.2%, but the tanita machine had me at 15-16%. Too low for females? I believe the hospital one is more accurate as i was required to fast for 8hrs prior to all the blood tests and check ups.

Any good advice and similar experience will be much appreciated

[oregonchick76]

Yes, at 105 you ARE underweight.

You are malnourished and something isn't right here. Vascularity doesn't come from a 'hormone imbalance'.

If your hair is falling out and you don't have a period, you have a big problem.
How fast are you gaining weight on 2200 calories? If you aren't gaining a consistent 1/2 lb per week, EAT MORE.

Do you have an eating disorder, because this sure sounds like it has all the hallmarks of one.

[Icy55]

Yes, at 105 you ARE underweight.

You are malnourished and something isn't right here. Vascularity doesn't come from a 'hormone imbalance'.

If your hair is falling out and you don't have a period, you have a big problem.
How fast are you gaining weight on 2200 calories? If you aren't gaining a consistent 1/2 lb per week, EAT MORE.

Do you have an eating disorder, because this sure sounds like it has all the hallmarks of one.

I used to have it about 2 months ago where i was obssesed over macros. Now i've gotten over that phase already. Currently i just upped my calories to 2200. I was at 2000 last week, didnt gain. Hence now +200. Maybe i should stop counting calories and macros and just go by how i look and whether all these issues will go away?

[LemurGirl]

The thing to keep in mind with doctors is that many, many of them are purely lab driven. If you are 'in range' they do not get concerned. YOU are your best advocate for health. Losing hair and feeling lousy are not normal.

Before you can make any conclusions about thyroid, you need to get your BF up. If you need to up your caloric intake to do it, that's what you need to do. For a while you may not see much change because your body is USING those calories to try to bring itself back to health.

Like right now I have an iron deficiency and my body crashed and burned over the last three years, including menstrual problems. If I just took 18 mg iron daily it would be enough for that day. It is not enough for me to replenish iron stores, so I have to eat it at a surplus.

No period and hair loss means your body is unhappy, please take care of it.

[oregonchick76]

I used to have it about 2 months ago where i was obssesed over macros. Now i've gotten over that phase already. Currently i just upped my calories to 2200. I was at 2000 last week, didnt gain. Hence now +200. Maybe i should stop counting calories and macros and just go by how i look and whether all these issues will go away?

However much you are eating NOW, eat MORE. You need to gain weight. Your body fat is too low to support menstrual function and this explains the hair problem as well.

You should probably track macros, at least for awhile, because you really don't have a clue how much you are getting in fat/protein or calories.

And you don't get over an ED in a couple months. Those disordered thoughts stick around insidiously forever.

[Ashlei]

2nd what oregonchick said. You need to eat more to put on some weight so you get your period back and your hair stops falling out. You're cold all the time because you're underweight, regardless of what your BMI says.

[Icy55]

2nd what oregonchick said. You need to eat more to put on some weight so you get your period back and your hair stops falling out. You're cold all the time because you're underweight, regardless of what your BMI says.

Thanks guys, very helpful thread.I've started eating more from 1800 - 2200, the coldness has indeed gotten much better over the past 2 weeks.

Any suggestion on how much more I should be eating? My TDEE is stated to be 2000 - 2100. Should I be increasing it to 2300 - 2400 cals?

[LunaLifts]

TDEE calculations aren't always spot on, so start with 2300-2400, and increase accordingly if you don't start seeing steady weight gain. Definitely make sure you're getting a good amount of protein, and fat. You need that fat to help transfer all those nutrients, and hormones throughout the body.
I'm glad you're going better so far, it may take awhile for some of the symptoms to reverse, particularly your period. Just keep working at it, and you'll get there.

[Ashlei]

Thanks guys, very helpful thread.I've started eating more from 1800 - 2200, the coldness has indeed gotten much better over the past 2 weeks.

Any suggestion on how much more I should be eating? My TDEE is stated to be 2000 - 2100. Should I be increasing it to 2300 - 2400 cals?

Awesome, glad to hear that!

[Icy55]

Just an update: I've started to eat at 2400 cals (probably my maintenance) i feel like i can go up to 2500 calories (might do it on Saturday onwards). Hair loss seems to be improving, and energy wise i feel better.

For some reason, i tend to only have less than 400 cals for breakfast, which makes me hungry the whole day especially after lunch, which means i will be then eating almost non-stop just to feel full from 12 noon onwards. I should have heavier breakfast?

[BB26]

Even at the god awful weight of 90lbs I once was my period was still flowing stronger than ever, same as whenever I've ever been boarder line underweight, never missed a period in my life. I think your health at a weight depends on your fat content in your body or maybe other issues (thyroid etc) So like if you weigh 100lbs but are lean as fk with unhealthily low amount of body fat you'll lose periods etc, where as someone else with the same stats with lower muscle mass and higher fats would keep theirs.

I can't see how you'd not be fine eating 2200 a day if you're lifting 3 times a week and doing 20 mins of cardio or something. Eating 2500 cals a day is as much as some men eat and you're a 5'2 woman. If you think you were eating 2000 cals a day and ended up sick I'd reckon you were under eating the whole time and don't even realize. Unless you have some mad fast metabolism or do hours of cardio bunnying a day.

Anways I think you'll be fine in general just my opinion 2200 you don't need to pressure yourself to consume more than that, but do what you want.

[oregonchick76]

Even at the god awful weight of 90lbs I once was my period was still flowing stronger than ever, same as whenever I've ever been boarder line underweight, never missed a period in my life. I think your health at a weight depends on your fat content in your body or maybe other issues (thyroid etc) So like if you weigh 100lbs but are lean as fk with unhealthily low amount of body fat you'll lose periods etc, where as someone else with the same stats with lower muscle mass and higher fats would keep theirs.

I can't see how you'd not be fine eating 2200 a day if you're lifting 3 times a week and doing 20 mins of cardio or something. Eating 2500 cals a day is as much as some men eat and you're a 5'2 woman. If you think you were eating 2000 cals a day and ended up sick I'd reckon you were under eating the whole time and don't even realize. Unless you have some mad fast metabolism or do hours of cardio bunnying a day.

Anways I think you'll be fine in general just my opinion 2200 you don't need to pressure yourself to consume more than that, but do what you want.

Not sure what the basis is for your arbitrary 2200 calories, but it's BS. If she's not gaining at 2200 she needs to eat more than that. She's underweight and has health problems as a result. The answer for her is to get her weight/body fat levels back up to a healthy place so her hair stops falling out, she isn't freezing all the time, and her periods resume.

2200 isn't all that much. I am a 39 yr old female and around 5'2" and my maintenance is 2000 with a sedentary job. Anyone who is even a little more active than I am is going to need more calories.

[oregonchick76]

Just an update: I've started to eat at 2400 cals (probably my maintenance) i feel like i can go up to 2500 calories (might do it on Saturday onwards). Hair loss seems to be improving, and energy wise i feel better.

For some reason, i tend to only have less than 400 cals for breakfast, which makes me hungry the whole day especially after lunch, which means i will be then eating almost non-stop just to feel full from 12 noon onwards. I should have heavier breakfast?

You know what? You can eat whenever you want and whatever you want (within reason) at this point. You don't have to eat at set intervals or a set number of meals. Eat when you're hungry, and make sure it's calorie-dense so you're getting enough total calories through the day. Full-fat dairy, peanut and other nut butters, etc.

[BB26]

Not sure what the basis is for your arbitrary 2200 calories, but it's BS. If she's not gaining at 2200 she needs to eat more than that. She's underweight and has health problems as a result. The answer for her is to get her weight/body fat levels back up to a healthy place so her hair stops falling out, she isn't freezing all the time, and her periods resume.

2200 isn't all that much. I am a 39 yr old female and around 5'2" and my maintenance is 2000 with a sedentary job. Anyone who is even a little more active than I am is going to need more calories.

I was basing the 2200 around a womans general calorie intake being 2000 and I've seen it advised a number of times that a smaller number of calories can be added to the normal daily intake whilst weight training.

Like I said, if she was eating 2000 calories a day and is supposedly so sick her periods stop and hair is falling out when 2000 calories for most human women (esp one 5'2) should be sufficient, I highly doubt she was even eating 2000 calories at all and was underestimating. If she actually tracked her cals correctly I'd eat my hat if the 2000 cals didn't take her to a healthy enough weight to sustain her body. Hence the "arbitrary" 200 cals added to account for some extra activity she may be doing above the norm.

I also use my own common sense and experience with weight gain as someone who has been underweight. When I was one of those people saying "it's impossible for me to gain weight" and that "I eat whatever I want and don't gain" truth was I thought I was eating a lot more than I was, because I ate whatever I wanted, somehow I thought it was so much more when it was a piss ant amount.

I don't know what's up with her body any more than she does and I'm not a doctor, it's just my opinion.

[Icy55]

Thanks guys. My routine is as such.

3 days weight lifting (ICF 5X5 - this workout takes me about 2hrs to complete)
2 days cardio (1 day 30 - 60 mins, 2nd day: 90mins (rowing team))

I am going to stick to 2400 cals for another 5 - 7 days and monitor my weight gain. I am not feeling very full, in fact usually when i'm done, I am at about 80% satiety because as mentioned, my food is pretty calorie dense. Objective now is to get my period to resume which I am assuming to get my body fat % up. i would rather health over low body fat%. I want to be fertile

[kgrrl]

I was basing the 2200 around a womans general calorie intake being 2000 and I've seen it advised a number of times that a smaller number of calories can be added to the normal daily intake whilst weight training.

Like I said, if she was eating 2000 calories a day and is supposedly so sick her periods stop and hair is falling out when 2000 calories for most human women (esp one 5'2) should be sufficient, I highly doubt she was even eating 2000 calories at all and was underestimating. If she actually tracked her cals correctly I'd eat my hat if the 2000 cals didn't take her to a healthy enough weight to sustain her body. Hence the "arbitrary" 200 cals added to account for some extra activity she may be doing above the norm.

I also use my own common sense and experience with weight gain as someone who has been underweight. When I was one of those people saying "it's impossible for me to gain weight" and that "I eat whatever I want and don't gain" truth was I thought I was eating a lot more than I was, because I ate whatever I wanted, somehow I thought it was so much more when it was a piss ant amount.

I don't know what's up with her body any more than she does and I'm not a doctor, it's just my opinion.

I've lost weight until underweight at 2400 kcal a day, measuring and weighing everything.
That's the thing about norms. Not everyone fits in.

Granted I'm taller than OP, but our activity levels differs a lot depending on what you do for a living and how active you are during the day. At a different job, I've maintained my weight at 2600 kcal. I ate plenty more than my 6'2" 182 lbs husband. And, if someone is chronically underestimating their caloric intake, then perhaps that underestimation should be taken into account?

[BB26]

I've lost weight until underweight at 2400 kcal a day, measuring and weighing everything.
That's the thing about norms. Not everyone fits in.

Granted I'm taller than OP, but our activity levels differs a lot depending on what you do for a living and how active you are during the day. At a different job, I've maintained my weight at 2600 kcal. I ate plenty more than my 6'2" 182 lbs husband. And, if someone is chronically underestimating their caloric intake, then perhaps that underestimation should be taken into account?

Sure, she could be doing 3 hours of cardio bunnying every day for all we know (tho she replied this info before). In my initial reply, since we had no idea what her activity levels are like, I based it on 3x lifting a week + 20 mins of cardio, what I suggested is just a normal or average amount for a 5'2 so I wouldn't encourage her to do something out of the norm. And think it's better to raise an issue of underestimation of calories if it's to help long term. But if we want rapid weight gain results all else aside, we may as well tell her to eat 5000 cals erry day of Maccy D's. Still, her doctor should probably be the one to advise her.

[kgrrl]

Sure, she could be doing 3 hours of cardio bunnying every day for all we know (tho she replied this info before). In my initial reply, since we had no idea what her activity levels are like, I based it on 3x lifting a week + 20 mins of cardio, what I suggested is just a normal or average amount for a 5'2 so I wouldn't encourage her to do something out of the norm. And think it's better to raise an issue of underestimation of calories if it's to help long term. But if we want rapid weight gain results all else aside, we may as well tell her to eat 5000 cals erry day of Maccy D's. Still, her doctor should probably be the one to advise her.

I wasn't "cardio bunnying" when I worked at a school as a class assistant. However, I walked, stood and squatted all day. That means a whole different energy expenditure than if you work at a desk job, as I do now. NEAT differs. OP has said nothing of her NEAT; she could have a sedentary job (fully plausible she underestimates) or she could be a gardener or a waitress and on her feet all day. NEAT needs to be accounted for too, not only exercise. Both of my coaches has asked me about my job and daily activity. It would be naive to think you can say something about a persons caloric needs (and supposed caloric underestimation) without knowing what they do when they're not exercising.

[BB26]

^Stopped reading your post at the first line coz this thread is about OP not you. She said,

"When I was losing. I believe I was eating about 1400 - 1600. Before I started counting again recently, I believe I was eating about 1600 - 1800 cals. Cuurently im 5'2" and 105 lbs.
I was at 2000 last week, didnt gain. Hence now +200.
Now I'm bulking so averaging 2100-2200 cals. I don't track v accurately cauae I eat out often."

She doesn't count cals but guesses she was eating 1400+. Ten guesses she eats 1600-1800 but doesn't gain weight when eating 2000 a day. How can someone surplus 200-400 cals a day at a weight of 105lbs and not gain weight? Then says she's eating 2200-2400 but doesn't track calories accurately and randomly asks if she should increase to 2500.

If someone is underweight or overweight it'll do them good to actually count out calories correctly to a normal amount and hit it to lose or gain weight, then from there adjust as needed. Not going to assume a persons calorie requirements are out of the norm based on their nonsensical information provided.

[kgrrl]

^Stopped reading your post at the first line coz this thread is about OP not you. She said,

"When I was losing. I believe I was eating about 1400 - 1600. Before I started counting again recently, I believe I was eating about 1600 - 1800 cals. Cuurently im 5'2" and 105 lbs.
I was at 2000 last week, didnt gain. Hence now +200.
Now I'm bulking so averaging 2100-2200 cals. I don't track v accurately cauae I eat out often."

She doesn't count cals but guesses she was eating 1400+. Ten guesses she eats 1600-1800 but doesn't gain weight when eating 2000 a day. How can someone surplus 200-400 cals a day at a weight of 105lbs and not gain weight? Then says she's eating 2200-2400 but doesn't track calories accurately and randomly asks if she should increase to 2500.

If someone is underweight or overweight it'll do them good to actually count out calories correctly to a normal amount and hit it to lose or gain weight, then from there adjust as needed. Not going to assume a persons calorie requirements are out of the norm based on their nonsensical information provided.

Fully aware of that, I was using myself as an example.