Low BMI and periods

[Stargazer2404]

Hi

My BMI has always been quite low. Ive eaten as healthy as I could, and been eating frequently but ive always only ever gained 1kg at most. Ive been to the GP and they always say 'some people are just like that'

Its now starting to affect my periods because for the last 4 months, theyve been getting shorter and this month i havent got it at all it seems (3 weeks late)

No chance of being pregnant

Was wondering if anyones been through something similar and how soon after did your periods return again?

Doctor said he isnt worried yet and to call back in another 2 months if its completely not come back

Have you had your thyroid tested? An over active thyroid could make it harder for you to gain weight. If it's normal then I'd say you simply need to eat more. What do you eat in a typical day?

Oh i didnt even think of that. I will ask if i can have a blood test to check that

Yesterday for breakfast i had 2 toasts with a banana

Lunch time I had mushroom pasta

Dinner i had rice with chicken and a glass of blue milk

I guess writing it out has made me realise im not eating enough, i dont have any snacks between meals, barely any fruit. Its no wonder my period is disappearing. Ive neglected myself a lot since having 2 kids

Looking at what you ate yesterday op, you need to add fruit, veg and fat to your diet. Have some fruit or veg with every meal. Snack on nuts, cheese, avocado etc. Treat yourself to a bar of chocolate or a slice of cake at the weekend.

You definitely need to eat more fruit, veg, lean protein and "good" fats. Your entire menu yesterday must have been beige!
Instead of banana on toast you could have avocado and a couple of eggs. Or porridge with full fat milk, some nuts or seeds and sliced banana.
Add some protein and more veg to your pasta at lunchtime, add some grated cheese on the top of it, and veggies to your chicken & rice at dinner.
Have a piece of fruit or some raw veg e.g. carrot / cucumber mid morning and mid afternoon and add a piece of cheese or some peanut butter on the side.
Also check your portion sizes - if i'm trying to loose weight I would stick to 60g (uncooked weight) or pasta and rice so you probably need at least that much but I would be careful about adding too many carbs without also increasing your protein, fat and veg intake.

Have a google of body building diet plans - they're primarily aimed at men wanting to build great big muscles so don't take them too literally but it should give you an idea of the sorts of foods to be eating without using junk food and refined carbs to add extra calories.

Thank you so much for the suggestions. I made a habit out of eating like this so didnt even think about all the other stuff i could be adding into my diet like the grated cheese and peanut butter etc. I really appreciate it @emmathedilemma and @doctorhamster thanks a tonne

Yes, I didn’t have a period for 6 years because of low body fat. I wasn’t eating enough intentionally though.

For me I did gain some weight but eating a high fat diet was what really worked. Lots of full fat yoghurt, oily fish, peanut butter, eggs. My periods have been regular ever since.

Yes, stress and weight loss has affected my periods.

You had 2 portions of fruit/ veg. Not good :)

Low BMI needs to drop below the norm of 18.5 usually before any affect on periods. How low is yours?
How much do you weigh/ height?

I have a low body weight (under 8st) but my BMI is 19 and I've never missed periods.

Looking at your diet, maybe eggs for breakfast?

Lunch- make a salad with your pasta and include things like avocado, pepper, tomatoes, grated carrot.

Dinner- get at least 2 veg with your protein - ideally 3- and eat a piece of fruit.

You are also desperately short of calcium and if you are missing periods, low weight etc this is a huge RISK factor for osteoporosis in later life because loss of periods means you are not ovulating so your estrogen is low= loss of bone mass.

How low is your BMI? My periods stopped at a BMI of 16.5, regular now at a BMI of 18.

I agree with what others have said about more veg and dairy, nuts as a snack and so on.