Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Q&A: Is it possible to recover with the minimum calories?

[@Linaelbitar]

hello, i'm at a healthy weight as a number but i've had a missingperiod for almost 7 months.... and i assume its because of over-training and undereating. so do i still need to be in a caloric surplus to recover ? or shouldmaintenance calories be enough ?

[@spring7643]

Maintenance cals won't be enough, surplus is the only way. The goal is to restore your body fat % which requires lots of cals, eat way more than 2,500 if you are still growing and/or have a faster metabolism.

[@mckamy4711]

​@@spring7643I think her point though is that if you're already a healthy body weight, you shouldn't need to increase your body fat percentage, and therefore why would you need to eat above your maintenance calories

[@orang1414]

@@mckamy4711I have a similar situation, I’ve had my cycle regularly prior to incorporating an exercise routine. Since my cycle has become quite irregular which I think I due to the increased exercise and not eating enough. So would I just need to eat enough to balance the energy I’m using for exercise? Also does overall calories matter most for HA recovery or having enough of each macronutrient in a day? Should any be prioritised? I make sure to have a lot of healthy fats and protein, but slightly lower carbs. Any help would be very helpful x

[@pragyagill7929]

I need to start my recovery... I missed my periods for 4 months now

[@DaniSheriff]

Yup, get on top of it!

[@melinahernandez7387]

It is normal for my second cycle to take longer to come? I have waited 34 days for my second period😞

[@DaniSheriff]

It's COMMON, but I wouldn't say its NORMAL.