Can Extreme Diet And Exercise Make You Lose Your Period?
Hey guys!
It’s way too easy to take dieting and working out too far. A lot of times you don’t realize you’ve even crossed it until it’s too late. And crossing that line is dangerous for your body.
It happens for so many reasons. Pressure from the world to look a certain way, constant exposure to “perfect bodies” on social media, struggling to feel comfortable in your own skin. A seemingly innocent diet easily turns into an addiction.
For me, the effects were mental and physical. At one point, I was working out for hours and tracking every crumb that went into my mouth. Did it work? Yes. But did I also feel like it was never enough? YES.
This cycle completely disrupted my metabolism, my mood, my ability to concentrate, how I slept, everything. I even lost my period.
At the time, I didn’t really understand how significant this was. Lots of female athletes lose their periods, right? It’s just a sign that I’m working hard.
But you guys, it IS significant. And it’s dangerous.
Now I know that losing your period, amenorrhea, was a sign that I was seriously harming my body. It’s something a lot of female athletes experience – especially young athletes. But I feel like the dangers of amenorrhea are kind of brushed off. Doctors may or may not warn you about it at your annual physical if you participate in sports. But otherwise… how much education are girls really getting before it’s too late?
So I’m here to share what I know. Hopefully, this helps other females who might be pushing themselves too hard and risking their health.
If you lose your period, it’s a sign that something’s not right
I know. Losing your period doesn’t seem like the worst thing in the world, right? It’s not like any of us really want to deal with it every month anyway. But before you get too excited about losing your period, I want to point out how dangerous it can actually be.
No period means your body isn’t ovulating. Why do you stop ovulating? Because your body literally doesn’t have the energy to make it happen. It’s a sign that you’re not eating enough, and your body is sparing energy to keep essential organs functioning.
Your body is desperate to conserve energy. It’s shutting some functions down, to keep your heart, brain, and lungs working. To keep you ALIVE.
Oh and by the way, if your body is this desperate to conserve energy, that means it’s probably pulling energy from your muscles too. So forget building new muscle while you spend so much time at the gym.
Eventually, you’ll feel weaker, you’ll get tired more easily, and if you’re in a sport, your performance could even decline. Not ideal.
To make things worse, amenorrhea is actually one pillar of something called the Female Athlete Triad. The other two pillars are low energy and bone loss. BONE LOSS.
Low energy causes you to drag during your workouts and even struggle to think clearly throughout the day. Your body is literally running on EMPTY.
The bone loss that comes from this can cause permanent damage. When you have amenorrhea, your estrogen levels drastically drop. Like, to levels most women don’t experience until they hit menopause.
When estrogen drops, the risk for osteoporosis rises. And I don’t think any of us want to suffer from osteoporosis, ESPECIALLY in our 20’s, 30’s or 40’s. But again, if you’re not nourishing your body to keep up with your energy needs, it’s gonna cut out other “non-essential” functions. Like estrogen production.
Some other long-term health risks from amenorrhea/low estrogen include infertility, loss of breast tissue, and heart attacks later in life.
So losing your period is a sign that you might be pushing your body too hard. Luckily, you can heal.
How to heal
Recovering means restoring the energy your body needs to pick back up where it left off. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to quit training or give up on your goals. You just need to give your body the fuel and rest it needs.
Not only will you get your period back and protect your long-term health, but you might even excel in your training more than ever before.
It’s amazing what food can do, right?!
Okay. Here are some tips for recovering from, or preventing, exercise-induced amenorrhea:
- Eat 3 meals per day
- Eat from ALL food groups: protein, carbs, and fat
- Refuel after your workouts
- Allow your body to rest. Take at least one rest day per week and get enough sleep.
- On days with long workouts, eat 2-3 carb-rich snacks throughout the day, or even during your workout.
- Get enough calcium.
Obviously, if you’re experiencing amenorrhea or concerned that you might be at risk, the first thing you should do is see your doctor! This isn’t something to mess with. Even if you “feel fine,” losing your period is a sign that you’re harming your body.
Have you ever experienced amenorrhea or other related issues? I’d love to hear your story and journey! Let me know in the comments below.
48 thoughts on “Can Extreme Diet And Exercise Make You Lose Your Period?”
There are 48 comments posted by our users.
I’m actually going through this right now. I workout 7days a week for only one hour and 10 min . However I do tae bo everyday. Like I sweat heavily daily. And I only eat one full meal a day most majority of the time and I also write down what I eat everyday all day ;. But I started that for other health reasons ( the food journaling ). But now I’ve missed a period and I’ve taken 2 pregnancy tests. I’m just gonna see a doctor soon cause they both negative.
Dear Cassey,
This article really hit home, as I faced something similar throughout high school. It was my senior year of high school when I embarked on the popular 30-day Chloe Ting challenge. I remember pushing myself throughout the 30-day challenge, it was usually 6-7 workouts per week, usually HIIT or some other high intensity. I wanted to look skinner, I wanted to be fitter, so I pushed myself each time and was drenched in sweat. If I didn’t sweat, I didn’t feel accomplished. I also cut back on my meals, eating less and making sure that I didn’t eat too much rice or carbs. I didn’t starve myself, but I also wasn’t eating enough for the amount of exercise that I was doing. Eventually, I lost my period but thought it was a good thing, as I didn’t have to deal with the inconvenience of having my period each month. I had soon become used to the feeling of pushing myself each day, thinking that if I worked hard enough, I would be doing something good for myself, and that my efforts would pay off. I repeated this for 3 months straight, until I realized something was wrong. I felt constantly cold and pale, and I felt trapped in this cycle, scared that I would lose all my progress once I stopped. I felt awful, thinking that all my days of hard work and pushing myself in fact was hurting me.
I’m still on the journey to figure out what amount of exercise that I can do. I’m more cautious now of pushing myself too hard, recently I stopped working out in the morning because I felt tired, and sure enough, my period came once I started sleeping in. I’m on the process of healing, it’s a long journey, and I’m still in the process of figuring out how to nourish myself and not overdo it. My body has grown more sensitive after that experience, even after I put on 15 pounds and regained my period back, I am still cautious.
So thank you for this article, I hope that I can continue to seek out that balance that I need in my life and hold on to it.
Thank you for posting about this. This happened to me my senior year of high school when I was obsessed with being thin. I had to go on birth control to get my period back. People need to talk about this. Even though I didn’t look “anorexic” I was still way too thin and my body was telling me I needed to eat more. More people need to know about this!!
In my early 20s I started trying to eat healthier and work out more, but I got sick with a stomach bug and ended up losing weight. Not a good thing but I was kinda happy about it, and didn’t want to gain the weight back. My healthier eating habits turned into disordered eating and over-exercising. I didn’t have my period for 6 months. I didn’t know any better at the time that that was a bad thing. I just knew it was common for athletes and women who worked out a lot. My mom had noticed I wasn’t eating enough or eating foods I enjoyed and that I was cranky all the time. She also pointed out that I was getting weaker not stronger. I had always been one to workout, but not to deprive myself of food. She told me to at least start eating more, then told me stories of athletes who have heart attacks from over doing it. I realized I was scaring her, so I started eating a little more and working out less until I figured out how to not over or under do either one. It took a while, but eventually my period came back. I’m glad my mom said something. No one but me knew I wasn’t having my period, but watching this video made me realize how damaging that was.
Hey Casey, first of all I am sorry that I have to text you here, but I need help. I am 13 years old. I started to exercise when I was 11 and it was just for fun. When I become 12 I decided to eat healthy, but that didn’t end up really well. I started to under eat and over exercise. And I lost my period. I haven’t got it for 6 months now, and I don’t think that that is Ok. But I am eating pretty well right now so I don’t know where is the problem, and I workout 5 times a week for 30 minutes.. You talked about this on your blog, Tik Tok and YouTube. But you talked about older women than I am, and I am not sure that what you said will work for me. I would like to get my period back but if I gain weight my dad and his side of family will make fun of me and they will be really rude. And if my mom knows that I lost it she will lost her mind and kill me🙃 Bc she warned me about period loss but at the time I didn’t understand. So I need a big help from you. How can I get it back quickly and quietly? Please if there is any chance that you would read this, help me🥺 ( Btw: I can’t really speak English so sorry for any mistakes) Luv you so much xxx😊
Hi Zuzana, I was reading Cassey’s article and saw your comment. I am a dietitian and also a huge fan of Casseys! Remember that it does not matter what other people think, no one else can put a value on your self-worth. Try to focus on not so much your weight or how you look but rather how you feel. Eating healthy can help you to keep a healthy weight but try not to focus on the number and instead how your body feels. It’s important to balance healthful eating but also having foods like fried foods and sweets in moderation and for enjoyment :). When you are 13 it can be normal for your period to be irregular but if you are worried talk to an adult you trust. I remember when I was 13 I was so scared to talk to adults about my period and almost felt embarrassed but as you get older you realize that it is a totally normal thing in women’s lives and they are super knowledgeable. I know you said your mom would lose her mind but it is only because she worries about you and loves you so much so I would tell her if you feel comfortable and if you still feel worried about it your mom can take you to see the doctor. You are not alone, keep being you <3
I lost my period for a couple years in high school, my doctor asked me about my period, and when I was honest and told her, she just said it was common because I run so much and didn’t seem concerned. At that time I wasn’t eating enough and over excersing as you mentioned, but since she said it was okay I didn’t worry.
When it finally came back I felt defeated like I had gained too much weight or wasn’t exercising enough, but it was a sign that my body was healing. Thank you Cassey for shedding some light on this serious issue that more young girls and doctors even should know about.
Hi, Im not sure if I have Amenorrhea. I’ve been loosing my period here and there since before I was 18.( I’m 21 now) sometimes I would get it 2 months in a row and sometimes I loose for about three months! My doctor told me at the time that my period might not be normal until I turn 18. Here I am 21 and STILL struggling to regulate my period. I even started to take Birth Control a few months ago, it regulated my period for about three months and now it’s skipping again! I’ve always been eating pretty good and I don’t go extreme with my workout, my mom always tell me it’s stress, could stress be the reason why?
My period wasn’t regular until I turned 26
Hi Cassey, thank your sharing your experience on this taboo topic. I actually have amenorrhea for the second time. I don’t workout like crazy and I eat quite a lot (same as my husband). For me the main factors are stress coupled with low body fat. It’s hard to admit sometimes we just have to let it go and gain weight ! Instagram is also triggering, but the body positivity movement helps a lot, showing different body types and focusing on self-care. I wish you girls to heal and find your own balance 🌸
Hi Cassey, let me start by saying you have a heart of gold. I simp over you, your personality and the efforts you put in your content. So, you’re right, women should she the warning signs their body gives to them. I didn’t miss my period, but I’m pushing myself so much that I started getting periods twice in 30 days. THIS IS A WARNING SIGN, that I’m pushing way to hard, beyond my limit. So I started minimizing my efforts in workout. We try to compete with men and dream for abs, there’s nothing Wrong to dream, but we should push as per our limits. Afterall everyone’s biology is different, not just men and women. So it’s wise to take a step back and reflect when your body shows warning signs. My friend Tinkesh has said, sometimes you have to sacrifice success for sensibility. Also I’m experiencing general tooth ache and headache since I’m pushing too hard in workout. Let’s see if I must limit myself 🙂
Dear Cassey,
I haven’t had my period in a long time and I don’t know if something might be wrong with me. I’m 14 and my last period was 2 years ago. I’m an athlete, I play soccer, I love to run, and I love working out. I enjoy doing cardio and HIIT, but I do take my recovery days. I take as many recovery days as my body needs, which could be 2-3 days a week since I’m always participating in intense, high heart-rate activities. I also don’t have an extreme diet, I indulge at times. But after reading this, I got a little worried that something is wrong with me. I’ve seen a doctor about this and they say not to worry about it since I’m an athlete and that this normally happens. But after reading what could happen, I got a little scared. Do you have any advice?
Yours Sincerely
A Worried Athlete
I’m also 14 and basically in the same situation. Last year I lost a lot of weight and my period, but I gained both of them back. Now I’ve lost a bit of weight, but I lost my period AGAIN. I workout usually 6 or 7 nights a week, and i eat very healthy (I do indulge sometimes). My actual weight is not that low, but my body fat percentage is. I’m also getting pretty nervous about where my period is. If anybody has any helpful thoughts, please share!
Thank you, Cassey, for addressing this. I was a teenager in the mid-1990s when superskinny supermodels ruled the media. I thought losing weight would help me gain friends and popularity, so I did intense exercise two hours a day after school during the second semester of my senior year when I did not worry about my grades as much anymore. I am 5’3″ and started at 115 pounds. To make matters worse, during my body assessment, about 27 of those pounds were fat, and the report said that only 30% of girls my age had a higher body fat percentage than I did. It was at a gym at my hometown’s highly-respected hospital! How devastating! I really felt fat then. To accelerate my weight loss, I refused to eat anything with measurable dietary fat, including meat and fried foods. (The 1990s were the golden age of fat-free food.) I lost about 10 pounds within a month and was barely above 100 by graduation. Guess what? I still wanted to lose more weight. I was ecstatic by the time my weight hit below 100. No, losing weight did not help me gain friends or popularity by graduation.
By the time I entered college, I weighed only 97, and my periods stopped. At first, I thought they stopped because of stress and being in a new environment. I was so busy and happy to be out of the high school that I did not think about having my periods stop. In fact, I thought not having to deal with feminine products and accidents was one less worry. I did not have my period for almost three whole years until I studied abroad. By that time, I enjoyed myself (and was more relaxed) overseas so much that my period finally returned towards the end of my studies.
Now that I am in my 40s, I wonder how much damage I did to my body in my late teens and the beginning of my twenties. I have made it a point to exercise in moderation, enjoy food in moderation, and to get yearly checkups. I am back to square one without the worries of high school, but my body feels more fit (My abs are even developing some lines.), I can fit into a size 0 in most clothing lines (besides Lululemon, H&M, and haute couture designers), and I even have more energy than I did during high school. Another reason I try not to be too skinny is that I do not want to look like a prune in the years ahead of me. Yes, by having a healthy mindset, I have gained friends.
Just out of curiosity as to how much/ if that does extreme damage to the reproductive system…. Do you have any kids?
I have one daughter. I had her two years after I had my periods back. Thank you for asking.
Hi, I’m Emma and I struggle with Anorexia. It all strated with exercising at least an hour a day with not even a rest day. I got a calorie counting app on my phone and only ate around 700-800 calories a day. I immediately lost my period. I also lost about 30 pounds. I got severely underweight and forced into an inpatient facility and couldn’t even see my parents. I was lost and scared. Worrying about your body constantly can make you lose everything. I’m now recovering, but it has been a year and 6 months without my period. Don’t listen to all that stuff on social media about having the “perfect” body. I only just turned 14 2 weeks ago. I started worrying about how I looked when I was 11 or 12 years old. I just found this channel 3 weeks ago but I have already fell in love with it. It helped me learn how to love myself and push me through my journey to gain weight because since I’m still underweight, gaining weight will help me look better! I just want to say thank you!
I have always had irregular periods even before I started working out , because I have always been underweight. And I don’t know if I should continue to workout or not.
OK, I can speak to the damaging effects of amenorrhea and I urge you to address it sooner than later. I struggled with over exercising and not fueling my body in return, and lost my period. Great, right?! Less monthly hastle…..”I must be in great shape”….WRONG! 12 years without a period later, I had a bone density scan. 35 years old, and a diagnosis of osteoperosis. At 36 I finally decided to address the issue. I was put on birth control for the first time to supply my body with estrogen that it had been deprived of all those years. It’s been a very difficult process and I would give anything to not have to take it. BUT, if I don’t try to remedy the bone loss I might as well wrap myself in bubble wrap if I want to remain active. Gaining weight is another component that I am working on. The damage I have done to my own body over the years breaks my heart and I wish I could go back to my younger self and tell her what I know now. Please take care of your bodies….you only get one, and self love, balance, and health are far more important than any level of fitness or body type.
Hi. I lost my period too, about 1 year ago. I was dieting so hard, nearly eating, i was exercising a lot but honestly i didn’t feel tired at all. And then.. Boom. My energy dropped and my blood results was so bad. I even lost two races due to this problem. One year later, I can’t say i eat much but i eat better than then. But I’m still obsessed with my weight and my appearance and I just can’t control it
Holy hell I cannot THANK YOU enough for actually BRINGING THIS S**T UP! This topic needs to start getting more air time as most of us dealing with ammenorhea are thrown a prescription for birth control or told to ‘put some weight on and stop exercising’ yeah Thanks Dr. I lost my period for 18 months as a teenager due to disorder eating but now I’m 30 – haven’t had a period for exactly a year and the repercussions at my age are far for serious. I greatly appreciate that you chose to use your platform to discuss something that is so often kept quiet ESPECIALLY within the ‘health & wellness’ industry.
I’m so glad that you decided to talk about this as this was so important for me to read and understand. This happened to me recently at the age of 18. At the start of lockdown (March 2020) I decided to start working out a little more. I was at home instead of at college all the time so I had more time to work on myself. I had decided I wanted to lose a little weight because as a dancer the way I look is so important. I convinced myself that I was doing it for all the right reasons but that wasn’t strictly true. Truthfully, I did enjoy working out a lot which is why I spent so much of my time doing it. But I later realised that the balance between food and exercise was not right. I had been eating less, thinking I was still healthy because I wasn’t depriving myself. I felt full and my my body felt fine. I would work out everyday for at least a couple hours; doing dance, HIIT, pilates or walks. Combining all of that with intermittent fasting turned out to be too much for my body to handle. So around July, I stopped getting my periods. I didn’t think anything of it, I didn’t really see any problem with it. So I continued as I was, until it had been two months since my last period and I realised that something was wrong. I decided to search about it and was so scared by the results. Not because of the possible side effects of losing my period, but because of the fact that I would have to eat a little more and work out a little less to restore the balance. This felt like a huge step backwards because I had worked so hard to lose weight so undoing all of that just to get my period back was so frustrating. I ended up speaking to members of my family and some of my friends and they allowed me to see sense. I put a little bit of the weight back on and eventually by September my period cycle had returned to normal. I don’t work out as much as I used to. I still dance everyday (as part of my college course) and go for walks every now and then but my intention is not currently to lose weight. I have to find the mental and physical balance all over again so that I can do what is best for my body in the healthiest way possible. Eventually I would like to try to lose a little more weight but I don’t intend to do that until my relationship with food and exercise has fully healed.
Cassie, I’m so glad you addressed this issue. I struggled for a long time with irregularity, my doctor kept saying it was normal. Finally saw a new doctor who told me the health problems it cause, just like you mentioned in your post. It’s definitely a taboo topic that girls need to be made aware of! Thank you for bringing it to light.
Yes i experience it since Nov 2020 and until now my period is not coming. I’m afraid to gain weight after the hardships I made to this, I always calculate my calories intake and doing IF at the same time, I’m stress from school and house. I don’t really know what to do. I eat regularly, i don’t even starve myself. I’m so worried for myself. Thank you for doing this blog, this means a lot 💜 It really helps to all the girls who need it like me.
I am 16 years old and lost my period for two months from now… My mom set an appointment with a doctor for the end of this month because of this. Since May 2020, I’ve lost 16 kg (around 32 pounds) because I was really overweight… I struggle with my image, in part because of my bone structure that makes me appear more larger. And it doesn’t help my brother and mother are thin and don’t need to workout out or diet to be thin… They can just eat whatever they want and done. So, I’ve been struggling with my relationship with food, I had days where I would just eat lunch and dinner because my parents wouldn’t let me skip those or days where I would eat one apple for breakfast, one carrot and a chicken breast for lunch and just had a real meal at dinner, because my parents cooked. I’m terrified of gaining weight because I’ve worked hard to get to where I am now and still it’s not enough. This is consuming my life…
I lost my period dieting (1200 calorie diet), exercising hard, and planning my wedding during the pandemic for 6 months. I ate so much after the wedding and gained 15lbs and stop exercising that my body started my period back up right before I was going to get a Rx for hormone pills from my doctor. From late October up until last month I was on a regular cycle again. I’m now 3 weeks late. I’ve been exercising and eating right. I’m definitely eating more calories and not pushing myself too hard on work outs. I don’t understand why this is happening again. 🙁 I hope it comes back soon or its only trip to the doctors with me. The bills last time were costly with the testing. It sucks. I’m turning 31 in a couple weeks. I’m too young to be having these issues. I feel great this time around though. Last year when this happened I was miserable and moody.
I’m currently trying to get over hypothalamic amenorrhea. It’s been about 5+ years I think since I last had a period (because of my Orthorexia and extreme exercise addiction). I was at a really low weight for years until 2020, when my BMI suddenly increased to a healthy weight. Unfortunately, though, I STILL don’t have my period back. I’ve been seeing a naturopath and trying seed-cycling, acupuncture, supplements, less stress around calories/macros, and even substituting HIIT and intense cardio with dancing a walking (which has been the hardest thing for me to do). I feel EXTREMELY self-conscious because this HA is causing my body to retain water and adipose tissue, despite the fact that I workout daily and stick to a healthy vegan diet. I’m trying to switch my mindset at least slightly away from vanity. I’m telling myself that getting my period back will not only help me to lose any excess weight, but it will also help me to be healthy on the inside (which hasn’t been the case for years now). I pray all the time, and I try affirmations, but nothing seems to be working. I find that HA is also causing my anxiety to worsen. I hate going out in public or seeing my friends, and I even feel like I am a disappointment to my family (even though I know they’re happy I’m recovering). I barely even had my period before I lost it, and now I’m an eighteen-year-old girl with HA problems. It’s really frustrating and upsetting. The hardest part of ED recovery is that just because I might “look” different now, it doesn’t mean I “feel” different. These past several years have been really hard, and everyone just expects me to be fine now that I’m apparently “healthy”. I don’t like to express how I’m feeling to other people because I don’t want to be a problem or a burden for anybody. The naturopath says it could take another 1-2 years before I get it back, but my goal is to try to get it back asap. I’m a major perfectionist with a control problem, so not being able to control my own body has been terrifying. I just bought a bunch of gorgeous clothes with my sister, but I don’t feel confident enough to wear any of them right now because Idk if I still have abs or not. I try not to body-check anymore because it triggers me and sends me spiralling. Any tips to help me get my period back (without gaining more weight) and help my self-esteem?
This happened to me when I was about 15 years old. I’ve got super obsessed with my weight, struggling with an eating disorder and dropping about 17 pounds, from 120 down to 103 lbs (being 5‘6). My doctor said that due to the weight loss my body was basically preventing me from the possibility of having a pregnancy as it wouldn’t have been able to take it. Even though I regained the weight by the time I was 17, it took another year for it to return and didn’t get periodically until I got on birth control after turning 18. I’m 20 now, feeling good about myself and my body. I just hope that this isn’t going to have any impact on my fertility once I desire to have kids.
Just so you know, if your “period” only comes regularly when you’re on birth control, that’s not your real period produced by your body! That is withdrawal bleeding due to the pill.
I’m in in my teens and lose mine so easily. At one point I even ramped up the cardio to avoid it. I had no idea what it meant and I’m so happy people are beginning to talk about this. I’ve been trying to eat more so I’ll get it back again
Hi, so good you share this topic, because not enough talks about it.
I lost my period about 1 years ago, when i started to loose some weight (ca. 70 kg to 56 kg, know 60kg) i was close to overweight before and not underweight now. I lost it pretty quick, when I started to loose weight. I just wanted to be “thin” and thought that every problem will go away and could use every cloth, but weight lose did not help. I try to get it back, but mentally really hard. (Because don’t want to take all the weight on again, but can easily eat enough food and often almost scared of my self, how much I eat and almost out of control and count approximately calories). Look forward to get it back a day, or not that I have to use pads again
I haven’t had a period since 2014. I was an endurance runner/ triathlete
I completed a half ironman with energy to spare. But, when I wanted to have a baby, I needed fertility treatments. Three kids later still no period. Take care of yourselves ladies.
Thanks for sharing this! In high school, I almost always lost my period during cross country and track seasons due to strenuous speed and endurance workouts. More recently, I experienced this coming off birth control. At first, I wondered if my workouts and 6- to 10-mile runs were causing it. But after scaling back workouts, my monthly friend still didn’t return. A quick trip to the doctor and blood work revealed an undiagnosed thyroid disorder causing it. It was bizarre since I had no other “symptoms” of a thyroid problem besides a lack of a period. After getting medication to help, my cycles seem to be normalizing. So, it’s very important to meet your doctor if your cycles seem out of whack or mysteriously gone! It could be workout or diet related or something totally different.
Hello my name is Leslie, i’m 18 years old, class of 2020, and have suffered from secondary amenorrhea along with really bad cramps. As an athlete, I always made sure to properly fuel and nourish my body but as I said , I was a part of the class of 2020. Meaning that my track season was cut short so it resulted in me using my self training to release frustration and under-fueling myself. I have suffered with secondary for over a year and even if prescribed by doctors I did NOT want to put hormones in my body aka birth control. However, once the pain came back and this time the cramps accrued multiple times a day to the point where I had to go the emergency room. I finally saw a specialist who saw that I was doing everything possible to heal myself and in the past week is doing extensive research to make sure I both get my period and don’t have to suffer from stomach cramps. Long story short, over exercising and being TOO healthy can be dangerous and am thankful that Casey is speaking out on the subject.
This really speaks to me. I suffer from anorexia and just a couple days ago I got my first period in 6 years! I also thought not having my period was a sign that I was just really fit and all the exercise I was doing was really paying off but in fact that couldn’t be farther from the truth. If you don’t have your period your body doesn’t trust you to carry a child. So please if you don’t have your cycle don’t just brush it off as nothing. See a doctor, get your hormones tested and see what’s really going on because it’s not normal 💖
hey kiana, just wanted to say you are crushing anorexia, and you can do this!! you’ve got this and im so happy that you have improved so much since 6 years ago! i know nothing about you but i know that you’ve got this! keep fighting! xxx
Hi, I’m 13 and I’m really glad that I saw this because I only recently got my first period. I’m pretty athletic so sometimes I skip, but I actually liked that because I thought it meant that I was working hard. I’m glad I found the truth. Thank you! 🙂
Hello I am new here and English is not my first language so sorry if I do grammar mistakes. I am 14 and since 1 year I don’t have anymore my period. Before I was a little too “fat” so I started exercise and eat less. I was 51kg and now I am 39kg I loss about 12kg in 1year. A few months ago, I weighted 37kg and I was always cold and my skin was yellow. I stopped to eat meat, I tried to avoid all fatty food and I did a lot of sport (I wake up at 4am and I did 2 hours of sport). Now I gained weight but I always feel empty to gain weight I think I am bulimia because I can eat a lot of food and when I eat too much I don’t vomit but I tried to “loss” all what I ate with workouts. I can’t prevent myself to weight everyday (in the morning and at night before sleep). I am worried, I don’t have actually my period and since I did a diet and exercise a lot, I don’t grow up. Please what can I do?
Hi, Deukie! So the first step is to go to your doctor if you believe you have an eating disorder. There isn’t any advice we can give you without you speaking to your doctor first.
Hey, this sounds like a very serious issue! I think the first thing you should do is go to one person or maybe several that you trust! Especially adults. Best would be your parents, but if for some reason you don’t think that they’re the best people to talk to, maybe talk to your aunt/uncle, your grandparents, a teacher, or a friend’s parents. If the person you talk to isn’t helpful, don’t worry, ask another one. Tell them how you feel and what your physical state is at the moment. Ideally the person you talk to will help you get an appointment at the doctor! Ask for help to get the appointment because it’s important that a doctor checks you. In the case that the doctor is a bad one and doesn’t give you help/helpful advice, try to get an appointment at another doctor’s office.
So in a nutshell: Talk to an adult you trust, and go to the doctor.
I hope that this will help you. I wish you all the best that you recover and get well soon!
Hi everybody
It all started when I was 12 year old (now I am 15 and I got my period back AFTER 3 YEARS!!)
When I was 12 years old I was skipping my breakfast and lunch. I was going and coming back to my school by walking and when I came back to home I was literally binging. I thought I was losing weight at school by starving myself. Also I was preparing for high school entrance exams. (in 2018)
In 2019 September I am an high schooler now. I was 42 kg and I was really cared about my appearance because I was not having any more exams or something that makes me worry about. So I continued to skipping breakfast and lunch. But this time when I was at school I was often FEELING DIZZY, COLD, EXHAUSTED. My friends even forced me to eat but I found someone that is really like me who also avoids food. I jumped roped for 30 Minutes straight almost every day btw at that year I went to swim 2 days In a week and kick boxing 3 days a week. (UnTiL ThIs FrIcKiNg QuARaNTinE StaRtEd. It really ruined my life.)
I didn’t started to feel Hungry anymore. I was only drinking water. Not even tea.
And when I came back home I was only eating 1-2 waffles and what my mom cooked. But just in a tiny portion
At the same year in 2019 December I realized that I was 34 kg (14 years old)!!!! at school when every students was weighting themselves in PE. Lesson. I was really skinny and I was really feeling good about being skinny and all the compliments from my friends and even my TEACHERS. I never wanted to gain weight
It lasted to 2020’s march… Which is the time of QUARANTINE. I was always thinking about my period cause I had so much time with my mom to have girl talks. Also I started to gain weight.
I gained ALL THE WEIGHTS AND PLUS 3 KG THAT I LOST IN A YEAR. I became 45kg.
Now in 2021’s march I gained too much then last year but I got my period back last month. And I eat more then everyone in my family that makes me feel guilty every time so I sometimes don’t eat with my family just to not feel guilty when I eat too much then everyone else.
Oh btw I destroyed my health and my metabolism. And now my 1 year younger brother is 18 cm taller then me. I really didn’t get taller on those 3 years ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ
Hi Jenny,
I can relate to your struggles as I went to something similar when I was your age. I’ve lost a lot of weight, lost my period, went on the scale every morning, praying I didn’t gain an ounce, and if I did have only the slightest increase in weight, I would do a lot of workouts that day and watch everything I eat (counting calories and all that stuff). Once puberty progressed, I regained weight naturally, as the weight I was at wasn’t healthy. I’ve had a really hard time accepting that and due to this weight gain, bulimia hit. It took a couple of years for me to realize that what I was doing wasn’t good for myself. I am certainly not a doctor or a professional and therefore probably not qualified to giving you much advice, but what really helped me was talking about it to someone.
Wishing you all the best!
This came at the right time. I lost my period about a year ago when the pandemic was starting and I was dealing with digestion issues that made it difficult to eat normal portions, as I felt myself getting full very quickly. I had unknowingly developed disordered eating habits and feared “overeating” because I would feel very uncomfortable. The stresses of the pandemic exacerbated my issue and I went from 120 pounds to 105 pounds unintentionally. This was a very scary experience for me, as it is my dream to have my own family. When I finally got the chance to see my doctor in December, I was able to seek treatment and got prescribed herbal teas to aid with my digestion. As of January, my body became more comfortable eating normal portions again and my appetite improved. I also began to trust my body again and use intuitive eating. I am slowly restoring my weight and my first period arrived last Friday.
Wow, what a journey. Thank you for sharing and I am glad that things are feeling more normal for you. Sending hugs!!
6 years ago I had situation when I didn’t have my period for more than 1 year because of my strict diet and I was doing exercises every day for 1h or more + walking a lot. I used to check my weight twice a day and I was getting sad if I gain 0,5kg. I am glad that I decided change it. I still eat mostly healthy and I still do exercises 3 times a week but I feel mentally much better
Hey Cassey,
I want to ask your opinion on orthorexia. I recently found out that it’s an actual term concerning obsession with healthy eating, although it hasn’t officially been recognized as an eating disorder. I think I have the symptoms, but I’m still not sure how to feel. I mean, every doctor and trainer out there says a clean and healthy diet is the most important thing, right? But how do you know when you’ve gone too far, or if there even is a “too far”? I really want to know what you think and if there’s any advice you could offer on that subject.
Sincerely,
Worried clean eater
3 years ago when I was 23 years old I was prescribed a medication to treat migraines. It caused weight loss and I got addicted to losing weight. I started counting every calorie. I am 5’2″ and started at 116 lbs. I went down to 94 lbs. I could barely stand sometimes. I remember getting so scared I was going to die but I couldn’t make myself eat. I lost my period for over a year. After alot of work I gained back 20 lbs. Then I went from starving myself to binge eating and purging. I started getting my period again and working to get control of my health. I started exercising and eating the recommended amount I need. It’s still hard and it’s a daily struggle. I realized that I didn’t look good because I was skinny I actually looked sick. Being happy and enjoying everyday is so much more important. I knew when I got my period back I was getting better. It’s hard and seems impossible sometimes still, but then I think of the one life I’m fortunate to have. Cassey, I started looking up excercises to do at home and found your videos and read some things you’ve blogged about and I felt like I could relate. It helps when you see someone take control of their health and it makes you want to do the same. It’s possible and you’re brave to share with everyone!
Thank you for sharing your story! That couldn’t have been an easy journey but I glad you listened to your body’s cues. It’s hard to, sometimes! Sending the biggest hugs!!!!