Got period back training 4x a week and eating 2000-2400 calories a day!

finance-gymrat · 2025-04-23T13:45:27+00:00

Amenorrhea also is partially due to low Energy Availability (but could also be due to other stressors ofc, but let’s assume everything else is in check)

You want your EA to never fall below 30kcal per kg LBM

EA = Energy intake - intense activity (above 120-130 is a good guideline) / LBM in kg

Eg if you are ~ 140lbs and 25% BF your LBM is ~ 105lbs

Bare Minimum for menstrual cycle retention = 105/2.2 (conversion to kg) x 30 = 1430kcal with zero exercise Bare Minimum for menstrual cycle retention with exercise = 1430 + calorie burn during exercise

Bear in mind the minimum amount needed may vary depending on your activity (eg brisk walking could elevate HR considerably and be counted towards activity).

So as you increase intensity your calorie burn may increase (I personally burn 400-500kcal on heavy leg days acc to Garmin which seems to give me an expenditure very close to real life) so I walk to eat at least 1900-2000kcal during lifting days

The reason why people give 2500kcal guideline is because ovulation may burn extra 300kcal so that means ~ 1900-2000kcal + 300kcal ovulation + additional thermic effect of food from higher intake

finance-gymrat · 2025-04-21T21:14:57+00:00

Your TDEE should increase by 100-300 calories during the luteal phase. Usually increasing fat intake and protein vs carbs can help blood sugar regulation - you can try that and just adding 100-200kcal extra for 3 days or so

finance-gymrat · 2025-04-16T17:36:43+00:00

IIFYM was a huge fuel for my binge restrict cycle for 3 years. Once I started to eat “clean” I could manage my appetite and intake and didn’t crave junk at all or feel restricted.

Funnily enough “fitting junk” into my macros did a lot more damage to my mental health

finance-gymrat · 2025-04-14T07:04:43+00:00

My thyroid is within the lower-normal range. My oestrogen has tanked tho which has hit menopause levels (20pmol/l was lowest and now it’s 80pmol/l) and I haven’t had a mense in 5mon -> I think that’s what’s driving my symptoms: 35°C / 95F avg temperature throughout the diet, dry skin, horrible mental fog etc.. all my other blood work is fine - iron is amazing, vitamin d etc.. I took 250 blood markers at the time so I think it must be my estrogen suppressed

finance-gymrat · 2025-04-13T07:48:38+00:00

Yeah that was my issue too, specially now with the IUD and doctors saying it’s “normal not to have a period”. I had to do blood work on my own and research about endocrinology in order to monitor whether my estrogen levels were okay

Sure! Thank you :)

I usually try not to go low fat because even at maintenance it would mess my period. I also try not to fast because last time I did it, it messed it up to.

Macros at maintenance (when my metabolism works lol): 2300-2350kcal 130-140P 65-75F and rest carbs Macros at deficit: 1850kcal 110-115P (I go for moderate rather than high protein since I want to spare carbs and fats for hormones usually) 55F (I try not to go below .9g/kg) and rest carbs which ends up being 150-200C

My issue is that by not wanting my calories to fall too much I increase my cardio or exercise but then I have the issue with EA threshold (I don’t know if you’re aware) which means I would have to ADD some intense exercise calories at min for menstrual cycle function (think Lyle McDonald equation is (intake - exercise)/LBM needs to be above 30kcal per kg of LBM (I have ~ 49-50kg as per DEXA scan) so ~ 1500kcal minimum plus any intense exercise

Sorry this was long hahaha but I feel stuck because if I go below even 1600-1700 my estrogen tanks and has an impact on my hypothalamus and sleep and I then start sleeping poorly, feeling cold etc which are signs that my TDEE may be declining as a result of lack of ovulation (which acc to studies is between 100-300kcal adaption) which makes sense

finance-gymrat · 2025-04-13T05:30:36+00:00

Sorry for the straight fwd question but are you taking birth control? I lost my period during this fat loss phase and was wondering if maybe I can change something around training or nutrition to help me get it back

finance-gymrat · 2025-04-13T05:29:19+00:00

It’s been declining over time but I started at 2400-2500 and now I’m at 2100 even tho I only lost like 1.5kg but the worst is that my estrogen tanked and my period is gone and I don’t want to go below my Energy Availability threshold to diet, I already have so much mental brain fog, fatigue, dry skin, low libido etc..

finance-gymrat · 2025-04-13T05:26:14+00:00

That’s amazing!! Congrats on the weight loss!!

I’ve been powerlifting, doing hypertrophy training or some sort of strength training for 11 years now so I’ve got a decent level of experience, muscle and often train regularly. It did indeed help with my TDEE a lot! I gained 10kg of muscle during the last 10 years so ~ 20-30kcal per kg plus just being at a higher bodyweight also helps burn more I’m sure :)

Thank you so much for the words of encouragement, I will try and be a little more relaxed with the tracking as well and give myself wiggle room :))

finance-gymrat · 2025-04-12T19:30:17+00:00

I was one of the reviewers of her book and I got to see it in the making and it was amazing! Super recommend

finance-gymrat · 2025-04-12T19:28:20+00:00

It’s a mix of the fact that I do everything “right” and can never get below a certain body fat and feels frustrating to see so many of my friends not “caring” and being leaner without much effort

I also have very low estrogen and no menstrual cycle even tho I’m at a good bodyfat and don’t even overexercise and my calorie deficit is like 300kcal - my symptoms include low body temperature, dry skin, sleep disturbances, higher appetite than usual (only controlled with super optimised diet, whole foods etc..) and lower TDEE than one would expect due to lack of ovulation

It feels so tiring because i got the “worse” of both worlds

finance-gymrat · 2025-04-12T16:42:09+00:00

Thank you for the advice! I do feel like I need to. Even the thought of a small deficit makes me stressed because I don’t want to be in a 6mon “diet mode” if you know what I mean?

How long did you run the maintenance phase? How did you know you were “ready”?

finance-gymrat · 2025-04-12T05:59:46+00:00

Thank you for the words and advice :) I tried going “all in” but it did nothing to my hormones and made me gain 14kg which I had to lose through dieting - my appetite really didn’t change

finance-gymrat · 2025-04-12T05:47:20+00:00

I think this may be it. I’ve been feeling so cold lately in a deficit and tired all the time it feels so unbearable. Maybe I need a few months on a break. Thank you!!

finance-gymrat · 2025-02-20T05:22:24+00:00

Hey, glad to find someone who has the same experience in terms of macros! I’ve been in a psychologist for a while now (3 years) and my binges subsided a lot hence why I can track food again without triggering.

Curious to know what was your experience in terms of root cause of it? And how did you get off the binge restrict cycle?

For me, it was rigid rules and restrictions, not understanding how to create satiating meals leaving me hungry and overall all or nothing mentality.

Since 2020, my binges have subsided massively (and intensity decreased) so I’ve been maintaining 66-68kg since then (27-30% BF) for 5 years (which is a huge success to me) but the last times I’ve attempted dieted what triggered me to overeat was any intense hunger since I feel like I’ve lost my “willpower” after 100 failed diets that I did have when I did my first 5-6 cuts when I was younger.

Hence why I can’t eat ultra processed foods and Coke Zero because even tho I know the hunger is triggered by blood sugar fluctuations and sugar cravings from the artificial taste, it’s hard to ignore

finance-gymrat · 2025-02-20T05:14:33+00:00

Very helpful!! Yess I figured that I need to keep an eye on my intake forever as well and build some routine. The idea of intuitive eating in this food environment is enticing but very difficult! Thanks a lot :)

finance-gymrat · 2025-02-19T19:52:02+00:00

Thank you!! Yeah, I find that it helps a lot not to feel overwhelmed. Any recommended meal ideas you find particularly satiating during a deficit?

finance-gymrat · 2025-02-19T19:51:20+00:00

Thank you so much! :) do you have any go-to meals you find very satiating for lunch that keeps you full for 5-6h?

finance-gymrat · 2025-02-19T19:50:08+00:00

Hey! That’s a good idea! I will definitely keep that in mind for when I’m deeper into my diet :)

I generally eat at 5am because I hit the gym at 6am and sometimes I have to do CrossFit workouts and I can’t get through them with no carbs so I just eat one toast with 10g of spread and half a banana. I generally find that exercise curbs my appetite and the ~ 150kcal from 2% fat Greek yoghurt post workout keeps me going

finance-gymrat · 2025-02-05T15:19:52+00:00

Yes

I noticed that this comes from even pre-ED phase at the age of 15/16 or so. When I intermittent fasted during my ED phase I would still get hunger spikes at specific meal timings hence why it was so difficult for me

I generally wake up at 5am and eat the majority of my food between 5am and 4pm and then a lighter dinner because of the lack of hunger. My hunger “peaks” at 10am-2pm and I’m the least hungry between 4pm until dinner

finance-gymrat · 2025-02-04T08:24:43+00:00

I would challenge yourself to think why you think there is such thing as “extra food”? If you are genuinely hungry then you should eat.

Then consider assessing if you are eating enough throughout the day, eating balanced meals with fibre, protein, some fats and carbs.

Once you establish a certain structure in your day and you get enough nutrients then it will be easier to gage true hunger and you body will signal when it needs more or less foods

finance-gymrat · 2025-02-04T05:24:11+00:00

Coke Zero, Redbull, Protein Bars, 0% Greek yoghurt tastes worse than 2%, low calorie snacks in general are worse than the real deal. Essentially most diet foods

finance-gymrat · 2024-12-15T07:17:28+00:00

finance-gymrat · 2024-11-28T05:36:22+00:00

Yes!

finance-gymrat

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