Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHealthy WeightEffect on PeriodEffects of Weight GainEffects of Losing WeightTreatmentFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Healthy Weight
Effect on Period
Effects of Weight Gain
Effects of Losing Weight
Treatment
Frequently Asked Questions
Gaining weight or losing weight can have animpacton your menstrual cycle—either positive or negative. For example, a weight change might take you from irregular to regular, or it might make your periods come less frequently or stop altogether. It depends not just on how much you gain or lose but where you started from.
A typical menstrual cycle lasts between 24 and 38 days, with an average of 28 days. A normal period lasts between two and seven days, with an average of five days.If you’re overweight or underweight, your periods are more likely to be irregular.
Rick Elkins/ Getty Images
What Is a Healthy Weight?
Rather than looking at just the number on your scale, it can be helpful to calculate yourbody mass index (BMI). BMI is a quick way to estimate how much body fat you have.
BMI is a dated, flawed measure. It does not take into account factors such asbody composition, ethnicity, sex, race, and age. Even though it is abiased measure, BMI is still widely used in the medical community because it’s an inexpensive and quick way to analyze a person’s potential health status and outcomes.
To determine your BMI:
Weigh yourself
So if you weigh 150 and you’re 65 inches tall, the formula would look like [150/(65x65)] x 703 = 24.96. That number then determines whether your weight is considered normal/healthy as opposed to underweight, overweight, or obesity.
How Weight Affects Your Period
Being underweight or overweight can alter your menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle is a result of a complex interaction between yourovariesand your brain.
Changes in certain hormone levels cause ovulation, and more hormonal changes result in your period. Anything that interferes with this interaction can stop your body from ovulating. If you don’t ovulate, you’ll skip a period.
If you are underweight or very overweight and not menstruating, achieving a healthy weight will likely restart your regular period.
Why Are My Period Cramps So Bad All of a Sudden?
Gaining weight can alter your menstrual cycle in a few different ways. If you were starting at a normal weight and weight gain pushes you into the overweight or obesity categories, you may see a change in your periods. If you are underweight and not getting a period, gaining weight could help regulate your cycles.
Infrequent Periods
Women who were normal weight then gained enough pounds to become overweight can begin to have infrequent periods. Increasing your body’s fat stores (also known asadipose tissue) leads to a hormonal imbalance that can stop ovulation.Adipose tissue produces extra estrogen that can hinder ovulation and cause missed periods.
The excess estrogen associated with obesity can increase your breast and uterine cancer risk. Losing weight will restore your regular periods and correct your estrogen excess.
A common cause of missed periods in overweight women is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS can hinder ovulation and cause you to miss periods. In addition, it causes the ovaries to produce excess androgens, a male sex hormone that interferes with the menstrual cycle.
The greater your BMI (particularly in the obese range over 35), the more likely you are to miss your period. It is even possible to stop bleeding altogether, a condition known assecondary amenorrhea.
Body Mass Index: Healthy and Unhealthy BMI Values
Heavier Periods
Women with obesity are more likely to experience heavy periods andabnormal uterine bleeding.This is likely because systemic inflammation from obesity can delay endometrial repair and increase menstrual blood loss.
Untreated heavy menstrual bleeding can lead to iron-deficiency anemia, a common blood problem that causes fatigue and weakness. If you experience heavy periods, talk to your gynecologist.
Why Your Body Might Need Extra Iron During Your Period
Normal Cycle
If you are underweight and not getting your period regularly, gaining weight can help to regulate your menstrual cycle.
When you gain weight from a low BMI, you are reducing the stress on your body. This allows your body to ovulate again, and as a result, menstruate. It also restores your body’s estrogen production and protects your bones.
VOISIN / Getty Images
How Much Water Should You Drink to Lose Weight?
For women with obesity or overweight status in addition to irregular cycles or heavy menstrual bleeding, losing weight can help your periods become lighter and regular. However, losing too much weight isn’t good either.
Being underweight can cause you to not have a period. This commonly occurs in competitive athletes and women with eating disorders. Women need at least 22% body fat to menstruate regularly.Having a BMI of 18.5 or under can impact your period.
As with weight gain, there is no defined amount of weight loss that results in missed periods when starting from a normal weight.
Light and Infrequent Periods
The more weight you lose and the faster you lose it, the more likely your period will be affected. If you lose weight from significant calorie restriction and strenuous exercise, it may cause a stress response that alters your hormone levels, causing your periods to be lighter and less frequent.
Amenorrhea
If you lose too much weight, you may stop having periods altogether. When you do not have a period for three months (and are not pregnant), it is known asamenorrhea.
Being underweight causes a change in hormone levels, including a drop in estrogen. This interrupts ovulation and causes you to miss your period. If you do not ovulate, you cannot get pregnant. In addition to causing infertility, lower estrogen levels are harmful to your bone health.
Other symptoms of amenorrhea include:
Stop Period Pain Immediately: How to Take Care of Yourself
Having regular periods is a good indicator of relative hormonal balance in your body. Both the extremes of being very underweight or very overweight result in hormonal imbalances that stop your periods and over time can lead to serious health issues.
If you experience abnormal menstrual bleeding, irregular cycles, or have stopped getting your period altogether, talk to your gynecologist.
Self Care
Before starting on a plan to gain or lose weight, talk with your healthcare provider, a nutritionist, and maybe a personal trainer. Your goal should be to lose fat, not lean body mass, if you are overweight and to gain lean body mass, not just fat, if you are underweight.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
If you have experienced unexplained weight loss or weight gain, talk to your healthcare provider to see if there are underlying health conditions causing your weight to fluctuate.
You should also schedule a visit if you are unable to lose weight despite your best efforts. You could have a metabolic disorder that can be managed with medications along with diet and exercise. In addition, if you have comorbid health conditions that make exercise difficult, talk to your healthcare provider about medications and physical therapy.
Some people struggle to stick to a diet and exercise plan due to an undiagnosed eating disorder. Women who are underweight may experience anorexia or selective eating disorder. Women who are overweight may have bulimia, binge eating disorder, or night eating syndrome.
If you think you may have an eating disorder that is affecting your ability to gain or lose weight, seek treatment. For more information, visit theNational Alliance for Eating Disorderswebsite.
A Word From Verywell
Making lifestyle changes that will last the rest of your life is one of the most important steps in achieving good overall health. Maintaining your body weight within the normal BMI range (18.5 to 24.9) is one step to achieve this.
14 Reasons for Why Your Period’s Late
Frequently Asked QuestionsIt’s normal to feel like you’ve gained weight during your period because of spikes in estrogen and progesterone, which can lead to water weight gain.Hormonal changes may also cause constipation, which makes you feel bloated and heavier.Learn MoreHormones and Your Menstrual CycleYes. If you lose too much weight or lose weight too quickly, you may stop ovulating.This will make you unable to have a period or get pregnant. It’s important to talk with your healthcare provider if you suddenly stop having periods or if your period becomes irregular.Learn MoreHow the Ovaries FunctionThey can be. Both overweight and underweight women are more likely to experience dysmenorrhea, painful menstrual cramps.These pains can affect quality of life and interfere with work and daily activities.Learn MoreCoping With Obesity
It’s normal to feel like you’ve gained weight during your period because of spikes in estrogen and progesterone, which can lead to water weight gain.Hormonal changes may also cause constipation, which makes you feel bloated and heavier.Learn MoreHormones and Your Menstrual Cycle
It’s normal to feel like you’ve gained weight during your period because of spikes in estrogen and progesterone, which can lead to water weight gain.Hormonal changes may also cause constipation, which makes you feel bloated and heavier.
Learn MoreHormones and Your Menstrual Cycle
Yes. If you lose too much weight or lose weight too quickly, you may stop ovulating.This will make you unable to have a period or get pregnant. It’s important to talk with your healthcare provider if you suddenly stop having periods or if your period becomes irregular.Learn MoreHow the Ovaries Function
Yes. If you lose too much weight or lose weight too quickly, you may stop ovulating.This will make you unable to have a period or get pregnant. It’s important to talk with your healthcare provider if you suddenly stop having periods or if your period becomes irregular.
Learn MoreHow the Ovaries Function
They can be. Both overweight and underweight women are more likely to experience dysmenorrhea, painful menstrual cramps.These pains can affect quality of life and interfere with work and daily activities.Learn MoreCoping With Obesity
They can be. Both overweight and underweight women are more likely to experience dysmenorrhea, painful menstrual cramps.These pains can affect quality of life and interfere with work and daily activities.
Learn MoreCoping With Obesity
15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Office on Women’s Health.Menstrual cycle.Ju H, Jones M, Mishra GD.A U-shaped relationship between body mass index and dysmenorrhea: A longitudinal study.PLoS One. 2015;10(7):e0134187. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0134187The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Obesity in adolescents. committee opinion no. 714.Obstet Gynecol. 2017;130:e127-e140.Kafaei-Atrian M, Mohebbi-Dehnavi Z, Sayadi L, Asghari-Jafarabadi M, Karimian-Taheri Z, Afshar M.The relationship between the duration of menstrual bleeding and obesity-related anthropometric indices in students.J Educ Health Promot. 2019;8:81. doi:10.4103/jehp.jehp_24_18Johns Hopkins Medicine.Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).Seif MW, Diamond K, Nickkho-Amiry M.Obesity and menstrual disorders.Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2015;29(4):516-527. doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2014.10.010Reavey JJ, Walker C, Murray AA, et al.Obesity is associated with heavy menstruation that may be due to delayed endometrial repair.J Endocrinol. 2021;249(2):71-82. doi:10.1530/JOE-20-0446Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About heavy menstrual bleeding.Hulmi JJ, Isola V, Suonpää M, et al.The effects of intensive weight reduction on body composition and serum hormones in female fitness competitors.Front Physiol. 2016;7:689. doi:10.3389/fphys.2016.00689Dempfle A, Herpertz-Dahlmann B, Timmesfeld N, et al.Predictors of the resumption of menses in adolescent anorexia nervosa.BMC Psychiatry. 2013;13:308. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-13-308Baker ER.Body weight and the initiation of puberty.Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1985;28(3):573–9. doi:10.1097/00003081-198528030-00013Schorr M, Miller KK.The endocrine manifestations of anorexia nervosa: mechanisms and management.Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2017;13(3):174-186. doi:10.1038/nrendo.2016.175Texas A&M Health.You Asked: What Is Water Weight?Office of Women’s Health.Underweight.Ju H, Jones M, Mishra GD.A u-shaped relationship between body mass index and dysmenorrhea: a longitudinal study.PLOS ONE. 2015;10(7):e0134187.Additional ReadingCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.BMI frequently asked questions.Committee on Practice Bulletins—Gynecology.Practice bulletin no. 136: management of abnormal uterine bleeding associated with ovulatory dysfunction.Obstet Gynecol. 2013;122(1):176-185. doi:10.1097/01.AOG.0000431815.52679.bb
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Office on Women’s Health.Menstrual cycle.Ju H, Jones M, Mishra GD.A U-shaped relationship between body mass index and dysmenorrhea: A longitudinal study.PLoS One. 2015;10(7):e0134187. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0134187The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Obesity in adolescents. committee opinion no. 714.Obstet Gynecol. 2017;130:e127-e140.Kafaei-Atrian M, Mohebbi-Dehnavi Z, Sayadi L, Asghari-Jafarabadi M, Karimian-Taheri Z, Afshar M.The relationship between the duration of menstrual bleeding and obesity-related anthropometric indices in students.J Educ Health Promot. 2019;8:81. doi:10.4103/jehp.jehp_24_18Johns Hopkins Medicine.Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).Seif MW, Diamond K, Nickkho-Amiry M.Obesity and menstrual disorders.Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2015;29(4):516-527. doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2014.10.010Reavey JJ, Walker C, Murray AA, et al.Obesity is associated with heavy menstruation that may be due to delayed endometrial repair.J Endocrinol. 2021;249(2):71-82. doi:10.1530/JOE-20-0446Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About heavy menstrual bleeding.Hulmi JJ, Isola V, Suonpää M, et al.The effects of intensive weight reduction on body composition and serum hormones in female fitness competitors.Front Physiol. 2016;7:689. doi:10.3389/fphys.2016.00689Dempfle A, Herpertz-Dahlmann B, Timmesfeld N, et al.Predictors of the resumption of menses in adolescent anorexia nervosa.BMC Psychiatry. 2013;13:308. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-13-308Baker ER.Body weight and the initiation of puberty.Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1985;28(3):573–9. doi:10.1097/00003081-198528030-00013Schorr M, Miller KK.The endocrine manifestations of anorexia nervosa: mechanisms and management.Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2017;13(3):174-186. doi:10.1038/nrendo.2016.175Texas A&M Health.You Asked: What Is Water Weight?Office of Women’s Health.Underweight.Ju H, Jones M, Mishra GD.A u-shaped relationship between body mass index and dysmenorrhea: a longitudinal study.PLOS ONE. 2015;10(7):e0134187.Additional ReadingCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.BMI frequently asked questions.Committee on Practice Bulletins—Gynecology.Practice bulletin no. 136: management of abnormal uterine bleeding associated with ovulatory dysfunction.Obstet Gynecol. 2013;122(1):176-185. doi:10.1097/01.AOG.0000431815.52679.bb
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Office on Women’s Health.Menstrual cycle.Ju H, Jones M, Mishra GD.A U-shaped relationship between body mass index and dysmenorrhea: A longitudinal study.PLoS One. 2015;10(7):e0134187. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0134187The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Obesity in adolescents. committee opinion no. 714.Obstet Gynecol. 2017;130:e127-e140.Kafaei-Atrian M, Mohebbi-Dehnavi Z, Sayadi L, Asghari-Jafarabadi M, Karimian-Taheri Z, Afshar M.The relationship between the duration of menstrual bleeding and obesity-related anthropometric indices in students.J Educ Health Promot. 2019;8:81. doi:10.4103/jehp.jehp_24_18Johns Hopkins Medicine.Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).Seif MW, Diamond K, Nickkho-Amiry M.Obesity and menstrual disorders.Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2015;29(4):516-527. doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2014.10.010Reavey JJ, Walker C, Murray AA, et al.Obesity is associated with heavy menstruation that may be due to delayed endometrial repair.J Endocrinol. 2021;249(2):71-82. doi:10.1530/JOE-20-0446Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About heavy menstrual bleeding.Hulmi JJ, Isola V, Suonpää M, et al.The effects of intensive weight reduction on body composition and serum hormones in female fitness competitors.Front Physiol. 2016;7:689. doi:10.3389/fphys.2016.00689Dempfle A, Herpertz-Dahlmann B, Timmesfeld N, et al.Predictors of the resumption of menses in adolescent anorexia nervosa.BMC Psychiatry. 2013;13:308. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-13-308Baker ER.Body weight and the initiation of puberty.Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1985;28(3):573–9. doi:10.1097/00003081-198528030-00013Schorr M, Miller KK.The endocrine manifestations of anorexia nervosa: mechanisms and management.Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2017;13(3):174-186. doi:10.1038/nrendo.2016.175Texas A&M Health.You Asked: What Is Water Weight?Office of Women’s Health.Underweight.Ju H, Jones M, Mishra GD.A u-shaped relationship between body mass index and dysmenorrhea: a longitudinal study.PLOS ONE. 2015;10(7):e0134187.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Office on Women’s Health.Menstrual cycle.
Ju H, Jones M, Mishra GD.A U-shaped relationship between body mass index and dysmenorrhea: A longitudinal study.PLoS One. 2015;10(7):e0134187. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0134187
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Obesity in adolescents. committee opinion no. 714.Obstet Gynecol. 2017;130:e127-e140.
Kafaei-Atrian M, Mohebbi-Dehnavi Z, Sayadi L, Asghari-Jafarabadi M, Karimian-Taheri Z, Afshar M.The relationship between the duration of menstrual bleeding and obesity-related anthropometric indices in students.J Educ Health Promot. 2019;8:81. doi:10.4103/jehp.jehp_24_18
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Seif MW, Diamond K, Nickkho-Amiry M.Obesity and menstrual disorders.Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2015;29(4):516-527. doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2014.10.010
Reavey JJ, Walker C, Murray AA, et al.Obesity is associated with heavy menstruation that may be due to delayed endometrial repair.J Endocrinol. 2021;249(2):71-82. doi:10.1530/JOE-20-0446
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About heavy menstrual bleeding.
Hulmi JJ, Isola V, Suonpää M, et al.The effects of intensive weight reduction on body composition and serum hormones in female fitness competitors.Front Physiol. 2016;7:689. doi:10.3389/fphys.2016.00689
Dempfle A, Herpertz-Dahlmann B, Timmesfeld N, et al.Predictors of the resumption of menses in adolescent anorexia nervosa.BMC Psychiatry. 2013;13:308. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-13-308
Baker ER.Body weight and the initiation of puberty.Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1985;28(3):573–9. doi:10.1097/00003081-198528030-00013
Schorr M, Miller KK.The endocrine manifestations of anorexia nervosa: mechanisms and management.Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2017;13(3):174-186. doi:10.1038/nrendo.2016.175
Texas A&M Health.You Asked: What Is Water Weight?
Office of Women’s Health.Underweight.
Ju H, Jones M, Mishra GD.A u-shaped relationship between body mass index and dysmenorrhea: a longitudinal study.PLOS ONE. 2015;10(7):e0134187.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.BMI frequently asked questions.Committee on Practice Bulletins—Gynecology.Practice bulletin no. 136: management of abnormal uterine bleeding associated with ovulatory dysfunction.Obstet Gynecol. 2013;122(1):176-185. doi:10.1097/01.AOG.0000431815.52679.bb
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.BMI frequently asked questions.
Committee on Practice Bulletins—Gynecology.Practice bulletin no. 136: management of abnormal uterine bleeding associated with ovulatory dysfunction.Obstet Gynecol. 2013;122(1):176-185. doi:10.1097/01.AOG.0000431815.52679.bb
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