Can weight loss affect your period?

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It may come as a surprise to hear that body weight has an influence on both reproductive and mental health. Even whether you're attempting to lose weight on purpose or as a result of a stressful incident, it's important to remember that it's not about how much you gain or lose, but about where you began. Your periods are more prone to be irregular if you're overweight or underweight. In addition to conceiving and pregnancy issues, both weight fluctuation can have a substantial impact on your menstrual cycle. Every woman's menstrual cycle is subtly different; however, most women's periods last between 21 to 35 days on average. So let's see how and why a weight loss affects your period.

Sudden unintentional weight loss:

The more and the faster weight you lose, the more chance it is that your period will be disturbed. Your body weight may change on a regular basis. However, losing more than 5% of your body weight unintentionally over 6 to 12 months is typically the reason for worry. You could also have Amenorrhea, or the absence of periods for three months or longer can be caused by an abrupt change in nutrition. It is also brought on by rapid weight loss, stress, or excessive activity.

Strenuous exercise:

Periods might be late or absent due to weight changes, which are frequently triggered by diets and exercise. Sudden and substantial calorie restriction combined with rigorous activity might trigger a stress reaction that disrupts ovulation and leads you to miss your period. This causes your body to produce less estrogen, which is particularly damaging to your bone health. Rapid weight reduction from exercise and dieting can lead to menstrual abnormalities.

Low body fat percentage:

Women with lower body fat may have fewer periods or ovulation that last longer. Starvation, as well as excessive exertion and stress, can cause the hypothalamus to be suppressed. These women may underweight to the point that their bodies cease producing estrogen. Furthermore, the absence of fat prevents cells from converting cholesterol into excess estrogen. If your body fat percentage is less than 17 percent, you're more prone to have late or skipped periods.

We now know that the hormone estrogen regulates our menstrual cycle and that estrogen levels vary according to our weight. Estrogen production varies depending on weight, and low estrogen levels might interfere with menstruation. To properly understand how weight influences your menstruation, you must first grasp how estrogen works and how it is regulated by body weight.

How does estrogen affect our body?

After receiving signals from the pituitary gland and the brain, a woman's ovaries generate the female sex hormones progesterone and estrogen. Estrogen aids in the formation of the endometrium, the cushiony uterine lining that will feed a fertilized egg. If fertilization does not occur, a woman's body naturally removes that lining via a process known as menstruation.

Say no to rapid weight loss!

one thing is sure rapid weight reduction is not healthy. Say no to fast weight loss and be wary of those who promise it. It's not a real promise, much as the slim models in fashion publications who ostensibly show perfection. Several studies have found that fast weight reduction is not only not maintained, but that many people actually gain back more weight than they lost.

As a result, losing weight has an effect on your menstruation, most likely prolonging or even stopping it. It's also crucial to recognize that, even if you're eating and exercising, you shouldn't presume that missing or delaying periods is essential due to weight reduction. While a missing period isn't always a sign of something dangerous, chronically irregular or missed periods should be evaluated by a doctor.

So, what is the most effective strategy to shed pounds?

To lose weight, most women will need to consume fewer calories and consume the appropriate number of healthful meals. Many people find that eating nutritious meals, such as lean protein, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, is the greatest way to maintain a healthy weight. It is preferable to combine good food with increased physical activity.

Last word

It is beneficial to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, whatever that weight is for you. It can help you avoid a variety of ailments, enhance your heart health, boost your mental perspective, give you more energy, and a variety of other benefits. You may stop ovulating if you lose too much weight or lose it too rapidly. You will not be able to have a period or become pregnant as a result of this. It's also worth noting that athletes and dieters, as well as those who are underweight, may undergo delayed puberty. If you abruptly stop having periods or if your period becomes irregular, it's critical to speak with your healthcare professional.