Ovulation can be switched back on by consuming more food and aiming for a daily intake of at least 2500 total calories and 200 grams of starch. With increased calories and starch, ovulation should resume within six months. It takes that long because of the “100 days to ovulation” I describe in Period Repair Manual.
Foods with more energy per volume can make it easier for you to meet the high metabolic demands necessary to get your period again. However, it's important to note that there are no specific foods that will cause you to get your period back.
Getting enough sleep, keeps your hormones running smoothly which can help in terms of how to get your period back. Getting in your daily physical activity can do wonders for our health, however over exercising and going overboard at the gym can have a negative effect and put your reproductive health at risk.
It took me reverse dieting to a slight surplus for three months before my menstrual cycle returned. Yes, I gained a little weight back during this time, but I also reaped the benefits of reverse dieting like improved energy, crushing workouts, better sleep, and, eventually, a normal menstrual cycle.
The goal is to have about 15 calories per pound of body weight of “available energy.” This means, if you weigh 100 pounds, you need about 1,500 calories PLUS enough calories to replace those burned during exercise.
Excessive or sudden weight loss can cause your periods to stop. Severely restricting the amount of calories you eat stops the production of hormones needed for ovulation.
A caloric intake that is too low can cause you to skip a period or otherwise alter the regularity of your menstrual cycle. But a diet that consists of 1,100 calories a day or fewer poses additional health risks such as fatigue, hair loss, intolerance to cold and gallstones.
It's possible for your periods to return as soon as 4 to 6 weeks after childbirth. If you bottle feed or partially breastfeed your baby, you'll tend to start having periods sooner than if you exclusively breastfeed. If you choose to breastfeed exclusively, your first period may not return for several months.
Excessive or sudden weight loss can cause your periods to stop. Severely restricting the amount of calories you eat stops the production of hormones needed for ovulation. Your GP may refer you to a dietitian if you're underweight, which is when you have a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5.
Weight loss-related amenorrhea is defined as the cessation of menstrual periods for >6 months following a short-term weight loss >10–15% of the standard body mass, and mainly occurs in adolescents and women of reproductive ages (2).
Losing periods from dieting, excessive exercise, and stress is called functional hypothalamic amenorrhea. It's a rarely discussed but common side effect of getting lean, but also occurs at higher body weights. The condition is reversible though, and women can regain their health with lifestyle tweaks.
Incorporating healthy fats at main meals: olives, avocados, extra virgin olive oil, nuts & seeds, nut butters, salmon or other oily fish a couple times a week to ensure there is adequate fat intake to make reproductive hormones in the body.
Amenorrhoea is the absence of menstrual periods. The most common cause is hormone disruption, which can be due to emotional stress, extreme weight loss, excessive exercise or certain reproductive disorders.
"A low-calorie intake or calorie-restricted diet can suppress ovulation, which can lead to infertility and lack of menstrual bleeding, especially if the calorie restriction is severe," says Yvonne Bohn, MD, FACOG, an obstetrician and gynecologist with Santa Monica Women's Health in Santa Monica, California.
Losing your period to undereating is called hypothalamic amenorrhea and is common, especially in women under thirty.
When to see a doctor. Consult your doctor if you've missed at least three menstrual periods in a row, or if you've never had a menstrual period and you're age 15 or older.
A loss of 10 percent of body weight in one year also can stop periods.
If you lost your period, 2,300 – 2,500 calories per day is a good place to start. You don't have to track calories, and you should never stop eating if you're still hungry. That being said, if you've been undereating for a long time, you might need to count calories temporarily just to be certain you're eating enough.
The main treatment healthcare providers use for hypothalamic amenorrhea is lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes may include limiting vigorous exercise, gaining weight or finding ways to reduce stress levels.
Amenorrhea treatment
You may need to make lifestyle changes, such as diet, activity, and stress. Certain hormonal medicines and birth control pills can help trigger a period. Others can help trigger ovulation, such as for PCOS. Hormone therapy may be used to balance out your hormones.
No specific threshold at which exercise leads to menstrual dysfunction has been defined because contributing physiological and psychological factors produce considerable individual variation. However, women who run more than 50 miles each week have a significantly increased incidence of amenorrhoea.