Hi gang,

I hope I am not offending anyone by asking this question - but seeing that we are all facing a vast weight loss challenge I had to ask - have any of the females begun dieting and had their menstrual cycle go completely out of whack?

I went to see the DR. and she informed me that there was nothing wrong with me but the dramatic change in my eating habits began screwing with my hormone levels and caused me to be nearly four weeks late. At first, i thought it was some weird irony happening and my family may be having a new addition. I almost laughed because I was losing weight and totally motivated and the idea of gaining was just amusing to me.

She also said that my dramatic mood swings ( I have been a total looney tune) were because of it too...

I am just SO surprised the effect of removing almost all my fat and calorie intake has had on my body. Has anyone else had something this totally weird happen to them when they finally decided enough was enough?

- Paula

I have had this "problem" since last fall. When I eat junk, I'm regular -- when I actually diet and exercise, I can go months without a "visit". Having had my "baby maker shut down" -- I've learned to roll with it myself The first time I went to the doctor over a period that was two months late she laughed at me -- apparently my chances of getting pregnant are "about the same as my husbands ".

It eventually all evened out again when I stuck to my diet -- but when I fall hard off the wagon (a couple of weeks) it messes up again.

Being 27 my "baby maker" is still intact. Lol, although, i keep thinking about a pseudo-hysterectomy (or the "take it until I need it" fix) to just get rid of the cramps. I was just totally baffled. I can't imagine what else in my body that is effected. It is amazing what you think of when you finally take the blinder off and figure out how badly you have treated your body.

Although my cycles are still normal I experience some spotting mid-cycle since losing weight. I freaked at first thinking I was pregnant!

I hear it's pretty normal. I've read here that estrogen is stored in fat and releases as you lose weight. I haven't heard that any place else, but it sounds valid enough. It's great that you checked in with your doc.

Don't worry the question is offensive! As you'll notice everything is discussed here, no holds barred - from poop to sex to girly bits.

im completely opposite. because of my weight i never get my period regularly (no complaints). Through out the year i may get mine tops 4 times. My Dr says if i lost some weight they should come more frequently. lol.

I just talked to my doctor yesterday about this. My weight has made mine heavier and longer than normal. He said that the best thing was to take birth control until I lost some weight, in order to keep my hormones stable and my time regular. It's weird that my weight affected it so much, but for me, when I eat better, my time is easier.

I hope that everything works out okay for you.

Next time around I'm coming back as a male. I am getting mine every other week-no medical problems. Peri-menopause??? I thought they got further apart for that but my doc says many get closer together. BC pills don't seem to control it. It has a mind of its own.

I use my birth control like seasonique (though on my doctors recommendations, I just skip the placebo week of cheaper low-dose bc and starting a new pack).

Every three to four months I take the placebo week to have a period. Usually they are ligher and less "crazy" than when I was having them every month, but this month's one is a doozy. The period itself is light, but the moodswinngs and cramps have been terrible. I'm back on the regular pills so I'm getting back to normal, but it's reminded hubby and I why we used to call it "meat week" as I'd crave junk food, especially burgers and big steaks - where I normally don't eat all that much meat, even eating relatively low-carb.

I think a LOT of things affect my hormone levels. Dieting, stress, heat, carbs especially refined ones..... I've decided that my body is a complicated chemistry set with no directions (and the instructions available are bad or written in a foreign language).

We store a form of estrogen in our fat cells. When we dump the contents of those cells back into our body during weight loss, this can throw our hormone balances off. Many women have actually gone through early menopause during weight loss. Many of us can get irritable and develop a form of PMS. So, your situation is totally normal.

I personally think when you are "done" with your period -- it should stop I've had my two boys, so I don't need it any more!! I also feel bad, my sister is unable to have kids but she gets her "friend" every month -- how annoying!! Wishful thinking I guess

Ohhh! That has been happening to me as well.. even though my period has become moderate & regular and my cramps have become less severe... I started getting spotting between cycles, and it started when I started losing..
I freaked out too the first time wondering the same thing.. lol. I have been fine health-wise so I always wondered why I was spotting.. I read somewhere else that it is hormonal and well that explains it! Thanks~