Menstrual Cycle & Weight Loss Stall

[BoredFatGirl 61]

My periods have always been irregular. Before today, I hadn't had my period in over 150 days. I was diagnosed with PCOS around August last year. I was told weight loss and exercise were my only hopes of salvation. I get pretty bad back pain, so I don't exercise very much, but I try to here and there. I've been really working on my weight loss since December through dieting.

This past week, I have not lost ANYTHING. My diet is all the same **** I normally eat and I may even be moving more now than previously. Went to the bathroom today and found out I had a surprise visit from Aunt Flo (on Valentine's Day, no less - perfect timing, as usual). Now I am sitting here, having cramps from hell, wondering if maybe the weight loss stall has to do with my menstrual cycle starting back up. Anyone else experience this?

Here's to hoping my body will figure this out soon and get back to making progress. 😅

[LeahC 4]

While I do not have PCOS, I have always found that my weight loss efforts have stalled around my period.

For me, i am guaranteed a little stall around ovulation and my period. It feels frustrating because as you said, you are doing everything the same. For me, I know I just have to ride out the stall for a few days and then it's back on track. I'm not sure if that's the same for PCOS since I know there is some irregularities in the cycle, but I would like to think it's not too far off base.

Hang in there and keep holding steady. All your hard work with catch up to you soon!

[MsMocie 190]

The short answer to this is yes. Your cycle often will affect your weight.

For women, the menstrual cycle should be taken in to more consideration than it does. It affects alot of things we will, want or experience. Bloating and cravings are just a small bit of this.

In females we often see that weightloss, feeling great, changing in the body etc happens for the first two weeks in the cycle. The last week we often feel tired, do not have as much energy, craving, see no results or feel the results from the previous weeks have just disapered, hurting, feeling the world is against us etc etc..

The most I have gained "overnight" due to my cycle is 10kgs. If I didn't know what was happening at that time, I'd problably freak out of this world.

Stalls are quite normal. The body needs to adjust everything to the new weight and the new routines. That does not mean that fat don't disaper. Most often fat cells are empty due to deficit, and they fill up with Water. You can actually feel it, if you squeeze your fat, the fatcells with water will be more squishy, and feel like marbels under your skin. Everything might feel more loose and you feel probably fatter because of it.

Look up the "woosh effect" to read more about water retention.

Also, I am just going to warn ya a little. Maybe your hormones are regulating (i-e insulin levels) due to diet and weight loss. Deficit frees hormones in your body. And with rapid weightloss it gets even worse for the body to clean up. This can lead to quite huge PMSing, sore boobs, sore uterus, you know, all the normal stuff - but times 1000. I had my first period in two years in november (I had a IUD so not because of weight or PCOS in its self) and I was SO out of it. I couldn't sit because there was this shooting pain from my uterus down my vagina. When I moved, I moaned, I could not wear a bra because they hurt my boobs etc.

Edited February 15 by MsMocie

[BoredFatGirl 61]

Thanks for the responses, ladies! I had been basically begging to finally have my period and now that it's here.. I wish I could take it back. 😂 As @MsMocie said, it's what you'd normally go through, but 1000x worse.

Time to ride this one out..