Can Being on a Diet Affect Getting Your Period Early?

From time to time, you may experience a period that comes late or early. This is perfectly normal and most women will experience this due to stress, changes in hormone levels or after pregnancy. The period can also come early due to dieting or rapid weight loss.

Menstrual Cycle

The average menstrual cycle is 28 days, with up to seven days of bleeding. Getting your period before 28 days is considered abnormal and can result from several factors, including hormonal and lifestyle changes. Losing or gaining significant weight can cause abnormal or early menstrual cycles.

Exercise and Diet

Maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly can help reduce the risk of heart disease, strengthen bones and promote menstrual cycle regulation. Thirty minutes of regular daily exercise, which can include walking or jogging, will help. Changing your diet to include fiber, fruit and vegetables, dairy and protein can significantly help increase your health, which decreases the risk of developing chronic diseases such as arthritis and heart disease.

Considerations

Making sudden changes, including participating in too much exercise, can result in irregular menstrual cycles, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center 1. However, aside from exercise, dieting and rapid weight loss, conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome and endometriosis can contribute to early menstrual cycles. BBC News states that high-meat diets contribute to early periods 3. Speak to your physician about changes in your menstrual cycle from dieting or exercising.

Concerns

Contact your physician if you have heavy bleeding, abnormal menstrual cycles or are experiencing abdominal cramps 2. Making sudden changes to your diet can shock the system, causing changes in mood and hormone levels. Start off gradually and cut out trans fats and reduce the amount of saturated fats you consume daily. Slowly add other elements into your diet such as more fruits and vegetables and replace refined carbohydrates with complex carbohydrates. Before starting any new food regimen, consult your physician.