How Can Losing Weight Affect Your Period

The menstrual cycle, though grueling sometimes, is important. Every 28 days, women go through emotional changes, hormonal changes and periods. This is an indication that they are not pregnant. What if the cycle is interrupted? What if you are not expecting, but you miss your periods suddenly? A number of things could cause this. Here comes the question “Can weight loss be one of the things affecting your period?”

Progesterone and estrogen are the two main hormones that affect a woman’s menstrual cycle. Estrogen helps to mature the egg before ovulation and to grow and mature the uterine lining. Progesterone, on the other hand, mainly controls the uterine lining buildup and helps mature and maintain the uterine lining during pregnancy. If pregnancy does not occur, the level of progesterone falls and the uterine lining sheds as menstruation.

So, can weight loss affect your period? Too much weight loss can cause you to miss your periods. Loss of weight either due to dieting or eating disorders can cause fluctuations in the thyroid gland, which in turn leads to a reduction of these reproductive hormones. This will result in the absence of menstruation, a condition called secondary amenorrhea. Amenorrhea can be caused by losing more than 10% of your ideal body weight within a short period of time. This means losing 12 pounds may lead to missed periods for a person whose ideal weight is 120 pounds.

Can Workouts Affect Your Period?

Women who are underweight do not produce enough estrogen. Besides, your cells are unable to convert cholesterol into estrogen if you lack enough fat. Remember, you require enough estrogen to build the uterine lining and have your periods. So women with less fat in their bodies are likely to get fewer periods or stay longer without ovulation.

Can weight loss affect your period? Yes. What about weight gain? The answer is still yes. But how does this occur? A weak estrogen called estrone can be formed from basic cholesterol compounds found in fat cells. Obese or overweight women with extra fat cells have little estrone-forming units that have an estrogenic effect on glands. This extra estrogen may lead to menstrual disorders. A woman with extra weight may go for months without ovulating although the uterine lining keeps accumulating. It gets to a point where the lining becomes unstable. Consequently, a woman can experience a period that lets loose like a flood gate with very heavy or prolonged bleeding.

A woman’s menstrual cycle can be affected by either weight gain or weight loss. However, the opposite may also happen. It may often feel like you have put on some weight during that time of the month. However, menstruation may be not the cause of changes in weight. As much as there may be secondary connections of menstrual cycle to weight gain or loss, there is no direct impact.

Does “that Time Of The Month” Really Affect Weight Loss?

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) comes with food cravings and changes in appetite, which could affect weight. Studies have shown that women will consume more calories during different phases of the menstrual cycle. They tend to crave foods with high carbohydrate and fat content during periods. Some women also experience bloating, a temporary PMS symptom, which makes them feel heavier. Salty foods can cause water retention in the body, which depicts temporary weight gain on the scale. It is important to keep off very salty foods during and after your period. Eat healthy by including plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Take lots of water to reduce the bloated feeling.

Can weight loss affect your period? Yes, it can. And there are many other things can interfere with your period other than weight:Whether you're a man or a woman, postmenopausal or on birth control, your hormones control your energy and appetite. And everything from a poor night's sleep to a stressful day at work can mess with those hormones in ways that sap your energy or stoke your cravings for junk food. (Feel better starting today with Rodale's

So the idea that hormonal shifts tied to your menstrual cycle could play a role in weight loss isn't farfetched. In fact, some research has already borne this out. 

Weight, Exercise, And Why Your Period Might Be Late

As hormone levels naturally change, women's bodies experience increased drive to eat during certain phases that are then offset by a decreased drive to eat during other phases, says Pamela Keel, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Florida State University.  

One example: During the luteal phase (day 16 to 28) of a woman's cycle, energy intakes and energy expenditures are increased, says Nina Geiker, PhD, a nutrition researcher with the University of Copenhagen's Herlev and Gentofte Hospitals. 

Using this knowledge to inform their study, Geiker, Keel, and their colleagues split 60 overweight women into two groups. For 6 months, both groups stuck to a restricted-calorie (~1600/day) diet. But for one of the groups, the researchers adjusted the diet's macronutrient makeup based on the stages of the menstrual cycle. 

Can Diet Affect Your Period: Can Changing Your Diet Change Your Period?

We increased the protein content during the phase where hunger often is seen to increase, Geiker says. During the phase were women have increased cravings for fat and carbohydrate containing foods, we allowed some dark chocolate.

According to the study, the women who stuck with the menstrual cycle diet lost an average of 9 more pounds than the other dieters (who also lost weight, though not as much). The take-home message is that where you are in your menstrual cycle matters, Keel says.

While promising, the study team says follow-up work is needed. With all the recent research on high-protein diets and the benefits of swapping carbs for healthy fats, it's possible the diet tweaks featured in this study boosted weight loss for reasons that had nothing to do with menstrual cycle hormones.

Here's How Your Period May Affect Your Workouts

That said, there's no harm in paying extra attention to your appetite and energy levels during your cycle—and adjusting your eating and exercise patterns accordingly. Try these tweaks, which are based on the study:

Early Follicular Phase (Days 1 to 4): Your energy is probably at its lowest levels during this stage of your cycle, Geiker and her colleagues write. Stick to light exercises like yoga, walking, or stretching. Your appetite should also be mellower, so try to adjust your eating habits to match your energy needs. (You might feel satisfied with smaller meal portions and fewer snacks.) 

Late Follicular Phase (Days 5 to 15): Your energy should be ticking up, so try to increase your workout intensity and frequency. (In the study, the researchers had the participants work out with weights twice a week while doing cardio on two or three of the remaining days.) As your hunger ramps up, try to satisfy it by adding extra protein to your meals. 

How Your Monthly Cycle Affects Your Weight Loss

Luteal Phase (Days 16-28): You tend to have more energy—and also more cravings for energy dense foods—during this stage of your cycle, Geiker says. Try to further up your exercise frequency and intensity. You may find that morning 5-miler is easier now that it was a week or two ago. You'll probably eat a little more than you did earlier in your cycle. (The menstrual cycle dieters in the study added 200 calories to their daily intakes during this phase.) Just make sure those extra calories come from healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, nuts) and protein, not carbs. During the last four days of your cycle, eating some dark chocolate can help satisfy your cravings.

Looked at another way, Geiker and Keel's research is really advocating a listen to your body approach to eating and exercise. If your hunger spikes, try to satisfy it with healthier foods. And when you have extra energy, work in more exercise. 

Women who have predictable menstrual cycles may find it easier to predict these appetite and energy swings, the study suggests. But we'd all do well to pay more attention to the signals our bodies and hormones are sending us. 

How Can Weight Loss Affect My Period?

Markham Heid is an experienced health reporter and writer, has contributed to outlets like TIME, Men’s Health, and Everyday Health, and has received reporting awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Maryland, Delaware, and D.C. Press Association.

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This Diet Tailored To Your Menstrual Cycle Could Help You Lose Weight