Can I recover my period without gaining weight? Hypothalamic amenorrhea weight gain Q&A

[@try_athlete]

Sarah - firstly, you are amazing and I gain so much for your videos. I would love your advice on something, when you get the chance, please :) I am super sporty and have struggled with HA on-off with for the past 7 years. Last year, a miracle happened - somehow, I finally managed to strike that food/exercise balance and even though I was training hard 6 days/week (run, swim, cycle, strength), my period was on fire and I was feeling the best I have ever felt I gained weight (rapidly) before my period came back. I can share more with you on how I managed this but basically, by doing a lot of what you suggest to do, except from the fact that sport is such a positive part of my life and it would have made me to sad to cut it out. I was actually training harder then ever and improving by the day! One thing I started doing was eating more non-filling processed carbs, eg. rice puddings, cereal bars, flavored milk, bread. I welcomed this weight-gain with open arms. The only uncomfortable part was that most of this weight fell around my waist. "Uncomfortable" in the sense that I had fat rolls when I sat down and my clothes were too tight, even though I was fitter and stronger than ever. This fat never really went away, until... I went through a very pressurized time and lost the bloody thing again😅It was nothing related to sport/food...for the first time ever lol. I'm determined to get it back again! I have cut cardio and am enjoying slow & controlled weight/resistance training. My BMI is "normal" but at the lower end. My appetite is small and this is what's making it hard to gain weight again. My question - I would really like to avoid gaining weight to my mid-section, this time. Why do you think that so much fat fell there last time? High cortisol (cardio sessions), the fact that I was eating much more sugar than before, the fact that I was eating more overall calories than before, the speed of my calorie increase or just the fact that HA was messing my body up? Can't wait to hear your thoughts, Sarah! Thank you soooooo much :DDDD

[@sarahlizking]

This is such a great question! And one that really requires a thoughtful and nuanced response. In essence we see this inverse relationship with low estrogen and higher waist circumference (as seen in women post-menopausally). Combine this with the body being under a lot of stress with HA and it's the perfect situation for centralised abdominal weight gain. It's a very common experience, but if you allow yourself to maintain regular periods and a good nutritional intake/balanced exercise routine then it's quite likely that you'll notice bodyfat redistribution over time (like 1 - 2 years rather than a few months). I know it might now be the answer you want to hear, but hopefully it helps!

[@try_athlete]

@@sarahlizking Sarah, thank you so much for all of your time, efforts and thought in replying to me. So interesting - you have cleared things up for me hugely. This time, I won't be exercising so much during by recovery (I'm actually thinking of pausing my strength training for the next little while). I'm also trying to eat more nutritionally balanced and wholesome foods, rather than just throwing any sort of fast-absorbing carb in me (if my little appetite allows). I'll let you know if these 2 tweaks to my approach change the nature of weight-gain, this time. Regardless, I am getting ready to say "goodbye" to my tight waist and "hello" to ... my life....again 😁 Thank you so much, Sarah!

[@ghalasaleh5203]

@@try_athlete how are you now ? Did you get your period back :(, am in recovery for 3 months and I feel want quite hope howww looong wil take :(((!

[@try_athlete]

@@ghalasaleh5203 Hey! Thanks so much for your message :) I am generally well, thank you for asking. Yes, wohooo! I'm still nervous to call it a 'period' but I have, indeed, had 6 bleeds over the past 6 months. In terms of my previous question...even when I began to cycle again, I barely noticed any weight gain. That said, my bleeds were super light. Then, in about July time, I really began to notice an increase in abdominal (and face) fat which both still prevail. I'm not going to lie - these are 2 places where I really don't like carrying weight. That said, my bleeds are getting heavier now (touch wood) and overall, I'm feeling a lot healthier and happier :) In terms of your own recovery, please do not worry - your body definitely does not need worry right now :) Mine came back when i was least expecting it. I understand that this wait can be so frustrating because you can't actually see into your ovaries to monitor their progress, haha, but if you are actively taking measures to get your period back, then no doubt your whole reproductive system is working behind the scenes to get things moving again for you. In the grand scheme of things, 3 months is not long, especially if you have had no period for some time. I would highly recommend getting external advice (e.g. videos like these or actually working in a group or 1-on-1 setting with a coach). Keep it up, you can do it :DDD

[@milaa2561]

Thank you so much!

[@sarahlizking]

you're so welcome!

[@viewerfun9201]

Should i start taking pills birth control? Is it safe? Works?