Professional Runner Gains Weight to Get Her Period Back After 9 Years Without it
CRAAAAZZZYYYY how things can change in a year!! I wasn't sure whether to post this, feeling self [...]
Because of the intense nature of her work and her lean physique, professional runner Tina Muir spent nearly a decade without her period.
According to PEOPLE, though doctors assured her she was perfectly healthy and would go back to a normal cycle when she stopped running, Muir was worried about the long-term effects such a body change would have on her, especially her reproductive system.
"I was going to the doctors and they were just giving a one-off statement of, 'Oh it's just the running.' They made it seems so simple, that all I had to do was stop running," she told PEOPLE. "As someone who runs for their career, it almost felt comical thinking about just stopping, but I would kind of push it out of my mind. Because I was young and not thinking of having kids, I was able to just go on with my life and say, I'll deal with it down the road."
But when her late 20s rolled around, Muir found herself thinking more and more about what her lack of menstrual cycle would mean for starting a family. Throw in a few additional factors, and a tough decision was made - Muir opted to stop running and purposefully pack on some pounds to hopefully get her period back.
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"I had achieved my lifetime goal, which was to represent Great Britain in the World Championship," says Muir, who is from Great Britain but currently lives in Lexington, Kentucky. "I noticed that as soon as I did that, my motivation had been a little less and I found my priorities shifting. My sister had a baby, so the actual implications of not having a period were very visible. I was not feeling good, I wasn't enjoying running. I've always been someone who believes you should follow your heart, and my heart was telling me that it's time to step away and focus on my health."
Though she doesn't regret her decision, that doesn't mean the transition has been easy. After all, Muir has spent so much of her life tying herself to her identity as a runner, so stepping away from that required quite the shift in perception.
"A big part of my identity is tied to myself as a runner, so it's been a real learning curve, especially as my body is changing shape," she says. "It's tough at times to go against everything you've ever been taught. We're taught how to lose weight, how to be healthier, and suddenly being told you need to loosen up and gain weight and relax seemed like it was wrong."
And yet, the new change is not without perks. For Muir, it's exciting to be able to scan the menu on a night out with her husband for what actually looks best to her as opposed to worrying about what is best for her nutritionally. She also said being able to have a few drinks at dinner doesn't hurt, either.
"I've been sleeping better, I've been happier, people have said I look like I'm glowing. I do feel more confident in not just who I am but how I look. I've actually seen my weight come on in all the right areas," Muir said.
Muir also noted that just because she was lean and toned for her life as a professional runner did not mean she was filled to the brim with confidence. In fact, she said she dealt with a lot of the same insecurities as anyone else, even at the height of her physical fitness.
"It's actually quite liberating to be able to see your body as just a shell, and it's been very refreshing to let loose of high standards and constant need for perfection, and accept that I can just be," Muir said.
As for the decision to share her story, Muir said she knew there had to be other women going through what she went through and she didn't want people to feel so alone.
"I knew how broken I felt going through this over the years," she says. "Whenever anyone would have a conversation about their period or cramps, I would kind of hide in the corner because I didn't want anyone to ask me, and I felt embarrassed. I was terrified people were going to accuse me of having an eating disorder, so I felt ashamed of myself. I just felt like if I was going through this, there had to be other people going through this."
We love her outlook, and we can't wait to see what she shares next!
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