QuestionQUESTION: Hello, I'm not sure if your the right person to ask, but here it is.
About 2 months ago I started working out both cardio and weight training because i wanted to lose more weight (I have lost about 30 lbs in 2 yrs time with changing my lifestyle to be more healthy). I am 110 lbs and would like to be 100 lbs and i am 5'0. I was working out everyday for an hour, planning my meals and days activities around the gym.
For the first time in all my years I have missed a period. I didnt have a period the month of November and 3 pregnancy tests have come back negative. I have been researching what it could be and something like overtraining came up as to why i might have missed.
So, my question is; Is this somewhat normal? What should I do? Is it dangerous?
Oh and FYI with all my working out and eating right i still have NOT lost ANY weight (really really frustrating!)
Any information would be GREATLY appreciated!
Thanks
ANSWER: Hi Adriana,
Congrats on the 30 pounds. You mentioned that you are not losing weight now. Could it be that you have lost fat, but have gained muscle as well? I'm not sure what your workouts consist of, and if your weight training is done in a way that would stimulate hypertrophy.
As for the missed periods: this is usually caused by having a low body fat, and not so much by the amount of exercise. An hour a day is not excessive. When women's body fat drops below 12%menstruation can stop. some women can go very low in body fat without losing their periods, while others will lose it right around 12%. At your height and weight I would doubt you are down to 12%, but it's possible. Have you ever had your body fat checked by a personal trainer? I would recommend it. It also wouldn't hurt to run this by your doctor if it doesn't start up normally pretty soon.
It is dangerous for a woman to go without her period for an extended time. This can lead to an early onset of osteoporosis.
Please let me know if I can help you out more.
Sarah
www.sarahpersonaltraining.com
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QUESTION: Thanks for the information but I feel like being a little bit more specific about my current situation.
As i mentioned before i am trying to get down to 100 lbs. So naturally i started a diet of only 1200 calories a day then jumped to 1300 when i started working out 6 days a week. I ate carbs, protein, veggies & fruit and healthy fat every day. I figured 2 months would be plenty of time to lose 10 lbs for the Christmas holiday.
Well here I am at the time i wanted to be 10 lbs lighter and i am not. Its very very depressing and now i have started binge eating since theres no point in me not eating it since i wont lose weight anyway...thats the thought that runs through my head. I still workout but have now uped my cardio and downed my weight lifting when before all this i was doing weight lifting (all multi joint moves) before and doing cardio on the off days.
With all of this going on I have had TONS of stress. I hate my body and have tried everything to get down my weight so when i look in the mirror i dont hate what i see. I have done it in the past and now that i can't lose anymore i'm going crazy. So...it could be stress that has stopped my period as well dont you think?
Please offer some more help or insight.
Thanks again.
AnswerStress can be a big thing. If you are really stressed out you could be producing more cortisol, which could be hindering weight loss. Stress can affect hormones on a lot of ways, so it could be possible for it to be effecting your period. I know it's hard, because you can't just stop being stressed. I would also ask if you are sleeping enough? Our bodies produce a hormone that causes us to feel hungry and one that causes us to feel full. When we don't sleep enough we can over produce the one that causes hunger and under produce the one that causes feeling full. Those two hormones are called Leptin and Grehlin.
It's also possible that you reduced your calories too low. 1200 a day is too little for a lot of people, even when trying to lose weight. Eating too little can make the metabolism become sluggish, meaning your body is less able to burn off calories and stored fat.
I would recommend continuing some weight training. Intense weight training actually burns off more calories than cardio. My best recommendation for you at this point, given what I know, is to make a slight calorie increase (1350-1400 a day), which train 2-3 times a week at a fairly low rep range (very good for giving your metabolism a boost), and do low intensity cardio (brisk walk, or a cardio machine with your heart rate around 145) 3-4 days a week for 45 minutes to an hour. And avoid bingeing. It's just not going to help. It may take time for you to get those few pounds off, but you can. And in reality remember, there are a lot of women out there who wish they were as slender as you already are!
If you have any other issues or continue having trouble, please feel free to contact me.
Sarah
