How do I get my period back in eating disorder recovery?
So, this is a HUGE topic in eating disorder recovery, and I’ve gotten so many questions about how I got my period back. So, I am going to provide a list of things that I did in my recovery journey that I did when trying to get back my period.*
I think it’s helpful to know that period loss due to having an eating disorder / disordered eating is called “hypothalamic amenorrhea.” It is often caused by being underweight, eating too little, and working out too much, all of which cause a ton of stress on the body.
Okay, so let’s get into how I got my period back in recovery:
I gained weight. I know this is the last thing you want to hear. Truly, I get it. But you HAVE to gain weight if the reason you lost your period was that you’re underweight. And guys, I resisted this for so long. I told every single person and medical professional who tried to convince me of this that they were wrong. But they weren’t. I was.
If you’re underweight you need to gain weight to get your period back. And a reminder that being underweight doesn’t mean the BMI scale says you’re underweight, it means you’re underweight for YOU. Every body is different.
I ate more. To get my period back, I was on a meal plan of three snacks and three meals a day. I appreciate Lindsey Lusson because a lot of what she discusses on her Instagram page and blog is how important eating enough is to get your period back. I encourage you to speak with a dietician and get on a meal plan. If you don’t have this resource, The Plate-by-Plate Approach is also a great resource.
I ate more fats. When I had my eating disorder, I was terrified of eating fats. I thought fat-free products, like powdered peanut butter and low-fat yogurts, were “superior” because health and wellness influencers seemed to opt for these options.
So, when I started recovery, fats became my best friend. Which is good because “Healthy fats are vital for your overall wellness as well as your fertility and you do need some dietary fat to make hormones, fight inflammation and facilitate ovulation.” Fats also help our brains run more effectively and efficiently, so they’re also super important for giving us proper brain function to work through therapy and fight eating disorder thoughts.
Some of my favorite foods that are good sources of fats are: peanut butter (LITERAL YUM!), avocado, butter, cheese, yogurt (I usually go with 2%), fatty fish like salmon, and ice cream!!
I reduced my exercise. In month one of recovery, I set limits on exercise. I only allowed myself to workout for a certain amount of time (determined by me and my dietician), stopped all high-intensity exercise, stopped running every day, and opted for a mixture of jogging, yoga, and weightlifting.
In my second month of recovery, I took a full month off of exercise. No exercise for me meant no working out and no extra walks (sometimes I would go on a super short one with Finn). It also meant not intentionally getting extra steps at all, even if it was around the house.
When I got back into exercising, I still kept limits. To this day, I don’t do anything high-intensity as part of my normal workout routine, just because I know it can put extra stress on the body which could impact my hormones.
Give it time. It took a couple of months for me to get my period back. And this was only after I TRULY tried to get it back. For about a year prior, I was “trying” to get it back but still engaging in things that weren’t helping like over-exercise and undereating.
Other things I did that might have helped me get back my period:
I reduced my stress levels, which Prozac helped a lot with. I don’t gatekeep here so I’ll be super open about the fact that I’m on a low dose of Prozac, an antidepressant / anti-anxiety medication. Which, by the way, a lot of people with eating disorders take medication, so can we please talk about this more?
Since taking Prozac, I’ve noticed better sleeping habits, less generalized anxiety, and less overwhelming thoughts. It’s been such a blessing in my life and since less stress on the body is a good thing when it comes to period recovery, I thought I’d mention it here. :)
I quit vegetarianism. Big thing to note here is that most research I’ve read suggests that there is no conclusion on how plant-based diets impact one’s period, although “results from several cross-sectional studies suggest that clinical menstrual disturbances may be more common in vegetarians.” So, truly, I have no idea if quitting vegetarianism impacted my period.
I quit vegetarianism because it felt restrictive for me (I became vegetarian around the time I developed my eating disorder), and I had vitamin & iron deficiencies that I knew could be more easily reversed if I ate meat.
I took (and still take) a fertility support supplement, specifically Gaia Herbs Fertility Support. This isn’t sponsored at all by the way (although I wish it was because honestly all of their supplements are amazing!!). I just genuinely like the product and feel like it has supported a regular cycle for me.
The active ingredients in the supplement are organic chaste tree, cramp bark, partridge berry aerial parts, organic dandelion, and organic ginger, all of which together are supposed to support healthy hormone levels and consistent ovulation cycles (ie, regular periods). I’ve had 6 consistent periods while taking it, so I figure it doesn’t hurt.
I hope that this was a helpful blog for anyone going through eating disorder recovery or struggling with disordered eating who wants to get their period back. If I had to summarize all of this into a few last words, it would be this:
Eat more, exercise less, and give it time. :)
Sending you so much love,
xx tori
*Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. This blog is intended for educational and informative purposes only based on my own experience, and it is not intended to serve as medical advice. Please consult your physician or other health care professional if you are experiencing period loss.