Do I need to gain weight to recover my period?
If you have been struggling with absent or irregular periods, you may be aware that your eating habits, exercise, and stress could be playing a role.
First, it is important to point out that amenorrhea (loss of your menstrual cycle) can occur for several reasons other than high amounts of exercise and dietary restriction. Other causes of amenorrhea include conditions like PCOS, the use of hormonal contraceptives, or normal phenomena such as pregnancy and menopause.
I’m assuming you’re here because you know or suspect you have hypothalamic amenorrhea (often also referred to as athletic amenorrhea, exercise-induced amenorrhea). This form of menstrual cycle disruption occurs when your brain decreases signalling to your reproductive organs, reducing hormones like estrogen to the point where menstruation stops.
So, if you have this form of amenorrhea, is weight gain required to recover?
The answer is not a simple yes or no. Here’s why…
Hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA) can occur at a range of body weights
You may think that HA only affects those with an underweight BMI. This is actually not true. HA can occur in any body size or shape, and the health consequences are just as important to address.
That being said, having a low body weight can hinder recovery from HA. Low body fat stores are sensed by the brain via a hormone called leptin. When there is not enough leptin, the brain reduces the production of GnRH, which indirectly decreases the production of estrogen and progesterone from the ovary.
Energy balance is more important than body weight
Energy availability represents how much energy is left over in your body when you account for the nutrition you’ve eaten, the exercise you’ve done and the amount of energy required for your body’s daily processes (like beating your heart, digesting your food). Your nutritional intake increases your energy resources while your exercise and normal daily processes decrease your energy resources.
What happens when there is not enough energy in, to account for the energy out? The brain shuts down energy-intensive functions to resolve this imbalance, ergo suppression of your menstrual cycle. We refer to this as negative energy balance, and this is a big contributor to why people experience HA.
To regain your period, you need to be in positive energy balance. This can be accomplished by eating more and exercising less (of course, there is a lot more nuance than that). Consistently being in positive energy balance, is a greater predictor of recovery than weight gain. Focusing on meeting your energy needs can also help decrease unhelpful stress and anxiety about the scale.
Now, won’t being in positive energy balance mean I gain weight?
The answer is maybe. There are times when recovery occurs without significant weight gain, but in many cases, some weight gain occurs as part of the process.
If this scares you, I encourage you to look into where that fear is coming from. Perhaps there is a mindset piece you’ll need to address to recover successfully. The body that wasn’t able to menstruate might look different than the body that has healthy regular cycles.
I know how incredibly hard recovery from hypothalamic amenorrhea is because I’ve been there (If you haven’t read my story, it’s here). If you’re looking to regain your period (for good this time), check out my brand new online course “The Period Recovery Project” below.
Struggling with Missing Periods?
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