If you pay attention to the health headlines, you’ve probably heard about intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting has been linked with several important health benefits.
But fasting isn’t the same for men and women. If women try fasting but don’t do it properly, it can cause more harm than good.
Why?
Because women’s bodies are biologically built for fertility and reproduction. Extended periods without food tell the body that now isn’t a good time for reproduction.
You might be thinking So what? I don’t want to get pregnant now or maybe ever. But fertility isn’t the only problem. Women need to consider that estrogen and progesterone do more in the body than simply get us pregnant. Estrogen helps us with metabolism, weight loss, mood, anxiety and stress, energy, bone density, and cognitive function, to name just a few.
If you’re a woman, intermittent fasting can disrupt estrogen balance and throw a wrench in all these essential physiological processes. But when you know how to use intermittent fasting in a way that is safe for your unique female biochemistry—that is, when you know how to biohack intermittent fasting to improve hormone health instead of harm it—you can reap some amazing benefits.
Keep reading. I walk you through the benefits, dangers, and how-to of intermittent fasting for women below.
Women’s Hormones and Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting has been associated with numerous health benefits (more on that below), but it is also linked to hormone disruption in women. Here’s a close-up look at the cascade of hormone imbalances that can start with intermittent fasting.
First, intermittent fasting can disrupt estrogen balance. Estrogen imbalance may show up as:
- Low energy
- Poor glucose control
- Weight gain
- Impaired cognitive function
- Decreased bone density
- Poor muscle tone
- Reduced skin and hair health
- Poorer cardiovascular health
- Infertility
A disruption in one hormone system in the body can trigger other hormone imbalances. The other major hormone considerations for women when it comes to intermittent fasting are cortisol, the stress hormone, and thyroid hormone. When cortisol is imbalanced, symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Low energy
- Insomnia
- Feeling wired-but-tired
- Sugar cravings
When thyroid hormones are imbalanced, symptoms include:
- Weight gain
- Brain fog
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Dry skin
- Dry hair
- Irregular periods
- Trouble regulating body temperature
So while intermittent fasting may have some benefits, this cascade of negative health effects for women may outweigh any benefit.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Simply put, it is going for short or intermediate periods of time without food. This “not eating” window can be as short as 12 hours and include sleep time—for example, you could stop eating at 8:00pm one night and not eat again until 8:00am the next morning and call it a fast—or as long as 16, 20, or 24 hours.
People fast in different ways. Some people try to go 12 or more hours without eating everyday. Others try to go 12 or 16 hours without food a couple days a week. Some people don’t eat for a full 24 hours one day each week.
Why Intermittent Fasting is So Hot Right Now
Studies have shown that intermittent fasting may help improve certain health conditions, including:
- Intermittent fasting is associated with improved insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity is an important factor in hormone balance and in overall health
- Intermittent fasting has been linked to reduced body fat
- Meta-analysis also suggests that adherents to intermittent fasting regimens don’t compensate by overeating during their designated eating windows. In fact, studies suggest that there is a “carry over effect” of calorie reduction by as much as 20 percent on eating days
- Intermittent fasting may improve health biomarkers associated with Type 2 diabetes
- Intermittent fasting may improve cognitive function and quiet neuroinflammation in the brain
- Intermittent fasting may help dampen stress hormone production in certain situations
- Intermittent fasting may help lower the risk of chronic health conditions
What Makes Intermittent Fasting Trickier For Women
A woman’s reproductive function is intricately connected to her metabolic function, and vice versa. So anytime a woman’s body gets a “starvation signal” from her environment (like not eating for a stretch of time), it goes into preserve and protect mode, where it holds onto weight (to survive the famine), increases production of the hunger hormones ghrelin and leptin (so that you feel famished and rush to get food ASAP), and slows down non-essential functions like reproduction (so you can keep yourself alive and not waste energy on growing a baby).
Animal studies bear this out: in one study, female rats who engaged in intermittent fasting for 12 weeks had smaller ovaries and experienced more insomnia than male mice. But the researchers found that these changes started in as soon as two weeks after the female mice started intermittent fasting.
How Women Can Use Intermittent Fasting Safely
This doesn’t mean women have to miss out on the benefits of intermittent fasting. Instead, I recommend that women follow some simple rules when it comes to intermittent fasting. This will help you tap into the many benefits associated with intermittent fasting while sidestepping the risks.
- Don’t fast on consecutive days
- Instead, pick no more than two or three non-consecutive days in a week to practice intermittent fasting
- Don’t fast for more than 12 or 13 hours at a time. Going any longer can trigger a negative hormonal cascade
- Don’t do intense workouts on fasting days
- Don’t fast when you’re bleeding
- During your eating window, choose the best diet for your hormonal health
- If you give this slow and steady approach to intermittent fasting a try for a couple months and feel great, you can consider going for a longer window of time each day without eating (up to 16 hours), but pay close attention to how you feel and drop back to a smaller window—or stop intermittent fasting all together—if you start experiencing symptoms of hormone imbalance
If you start to experience symptoms of hormone imbalance while intermittent fasting, or if the hormone imbalance symptoms you already experience get worse, stop fasting right away. These symptoms include:
- Your period becomes irregular or stops
- You start having problems sleeping or falling asleep
- You notice changes in metabolism and digestion
- You feel moody or experience brain fog
- You notice negative changes in how your hair and skin looks
- You’re always cold
Do NOT Try Intermittent Fasting If…
- You have a history of eating disorders
- You’re pregnant or are trying to conceive
- You have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or trouble waking up in the morning
- You have adrenal fatigue
- You are currently dealing with PMS, PCOS, Fibroids, Endometriosis or other diagnosed hormonal issues
Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!
Intermittent Fasting & Women. Watch Now!
Is Your Period Healthy?
How do you know if your hormones are healthy? The answer is in your 5th vital sign – your period.
The color of your flow, frequency of your period, and symptoms you have each month can tell you a lot about your health. There are 5 different V-SIGN TYPES, and knowing which one you have will help you get healthy now and prevent disease in the future.
I’ve never read this negative effect of IM before and I’d love to see some studies backing this up… it’s very interesting! Thank you!
https://www.precisionnutrition.com/intermittent-fasting-women
She mentioned and linked one.
Here is an other one:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16504426/
The first article is more anecdotal stories, no scientific evidence. The second is not about intermittent fasting, but short-term fasting in ewes, not people. The ewes were fasted for 5 days and there was a difference in the size of their ovaries after that period, which returned to normal size after 96 hours. I don’t see that as evidence.
Have you tried fasting in the luteal phase lady? It’s nearly impossible, your fight or flight hormones kick up, you get bloated, severe cravings etx. this is spot on.
I can intermittent fast every other day in a luteal phase if I’m careful but everyday?nope. Also my cycles has gotten longer in the past from not listening to certain cues !
You’re comment is also anecdotal. It would be great to see the studies mentioned in the text stating the consequences in women – not only in rats.
I just had this happen to me.It was horrible, I am fit and not overweight.I started fasting to help my body be more efficient.Within 6 weeks everything was out of whack.Thankfully the minute I stopped fasting within 3 to 4 days my body began regulating itself again.After 2 weeks I am now beginning to lose the 3.5kgs I put on from it as well.Personally I think it should be done under drs supervision and I am someone who is very fit and healthy.I have exercised my whole life and this had so many adverse effects.Yet my husband it works perfectly for him.
What about fat fasting? Having bulletproof coffee with MCT oil and grass-fed butter in the morning with no carbs and no protein til later in the day?
Hi Jessica,
You can listen to the Facebook live that I just did the other day by going to my Facebook page. In general, you should be eating a balance of nutrients at all meals. That balance is something that is personal to you. Coffee is not a friend of your hormones at any time of day but ESPECIALLY in the morning, even with grass-fed butter. Again, a lot more info (including this question) on the facebook live!
Alisa
I love your site and your app! I am hoping for clarification – you recommend not doing IF consecutive days, however if my schedule is that I eat dinner at 7pm most nights and don’t eat until around 8am each morning, is that consecutive nights and therefore a bad schedule habit to have?
That should be ok, just notice how you feel. Also, if you are here looking for solutions to hormone related issues, then it could be helpful to keep it to 12 hours only.
Alisa
Interesting! I have read here that one should avoid IF if they have fibroids among others. However I have also come across articles that encourage IF for women with fibriods-to allow the body heal. Can you please elaborate more on the dangers of IF for a person with fibroids?
I have been doing IF for almost 3 months now. I started with the approach of 12 hours for a week, 13 for a week then did 14 hour fasts for 2.5 months I just increased to 15/16 hours by not eating after supper. I now eat 3-4 meals instead if the 6 before. I was hypoglycaemic before and was starving every 1.5 hrs even when I ate smaller amounts of refined gluten free carbs. Now I eat bigger meals and more fat and I’m fuller longer and go 3-4 hours without becoming hangry, dizzy which were the norm before. My digestion has improved a lot too as I’m not constantly eating and making my body digest food. My poops are finally the right consistency and no longer loose and no longer have bloat. However my periods are still on the short side and usually start on day 25 making them 24 day cycles. But mentally, sleep wise and digestion wise I have never felt better. I did have adrenalfatigue 1.5 years ago. And have implemented lots of stress management tools since then and learning to say no. I find it hard to stop fasting when it works so well for me (my periods have been short 25 days and since having my kids 2 and 5 they have been 23/24 days). So it’s nothing new. I also developed post partum hypothyroid post first baby. Even though I have never been overweight and always borderline on the thin side as I am a fast burner. I am reading your book now and loving it and have implemented resting and not working out my last two periods, and my cramps have lessened sooo much from this alone. My cramps have always been insanely painful, heavy periods and clots. My question is can I continue fasting when I love it so much and see so many other benefits? Especially since it fixed my blood sugar hypoglycaemia issues which is huge!
I think this is the first article on IF I’ve ever read that actually felt honest. It wasn’t just about how you can not eat for 18 hours and lose all your flappy skin. lol Thank you
I been doing 17/7 IF for about a week and half. I was really starting to get into it. I am on hormone therapy and had no clue doing IF would interfere . I am finding out the hard way. Hot flashes are trying to return and having chills? so I guess I need to stop IF?
I would!
Alisa
I have been on HRT and have not found much information about IF while on HRT, any recommendations on how to start? Have read here that someone used the 24 hr fast with success, might that once a week be a good start?
I was doing IF for a year and a half (the 16;8 method) Once i tried to eat during my fast period, my hunger hormones went out of control to the point it was scary, and felt as though my stomach was in serious starvation! I originally stopped IF to try to give myself a better complexion (which quitting IF has given me ) But I have had to deal with levels of extreme levels hunger follows eating normal amounts, so I am trying to regulate my hunger cues once again, learning to eat smaller meals regularly, but getting back to that is a tough process. I wouldn’t recommend IF to any woman after what I’m going through….
I have had similar experiences. After I ovulate, I get extreme hunger pains regardless, and trying to fast during those times made it almost unbearable, especially when they would occur at night. I am trying to just stick to 12 hours at a time, although sometimes I got to bed really late because of work and end up eating breakfast just 8-10 hours after my last meal at night. I’m still unable to lose weight, so I wonder if this my short fasting windows are to blame or if it’s just stress and imbalanced hormones. I recently had hormones tested, and estrodiol was a little high due to a lack of phase 2 detoxification. I’m on some supplements recommended by my doctor to combat that.
I am curious about this but can’t find any studies. Could you please post a link?
What’s more relevant is that the studies that HAVE been done on humans have all been healthy young men. Who are on a 24 hour cycle (as are we) but not on a 28-day (more or less) menstrual cycle. I’ve been tracking this scene for many years now. Countless women in countless health forums keep reporting the same thing, that IF has not worked for them regarding their hormonal health OR has given short term benefits but then messes up their ability to handle stress/ cognitive ability/ menstrual health. Every body is different, but to tune in deeply with your own cycle is the first priority. Without a healthy hormonal cycle, we women can’t be in the world to our fullest. I recommend the Zesty Ginger podcast for a treasure trove of information about how to start befriending the immensely powerful and wonderful inner world we women have. Then, if IF becomes congruent with your own relationship with your body and health, you won’t need a study- you will be your own perfect study,
After a month of IF my period was 6 days late and I couldn’t even detect ovulation. I was spotting a lot and I didn’t know what was going on in my body. I was on an extreme fast but now I’m back to fasting only 3 days out of the week. I need to monitor my hormones closely because. IF changed it drastically
I am proof of this. I have been doing If for the last 4 years. Yes, it keeps my weight under control, but I have always been skinny and it even helped to reverse my insulin resistance. I do not have a thyroid so I am on thyroid replacement hormones. After many tests, because I have been struggling with my hormones, I think it can only be the IF doing it. My testosterone levels are zero, my estrogen and progesterone are non existent, my thyroid hormones that were so well controlled, have been a disaster area over the last years. I decided to stop IF for a while, doctor wants me to gain about 4 kgs, which has not been easy, to see if things change. If it stabilises than I will try to do it as in the article. I did 16hours daily. Another thing, my hair has become a dry, brittle ratnest.
I am proof of this. I have been doing If for the last 4 years. Yes, it keeps my weight under control, but I have always been skinny and it even helped to reverse my insulin resistance. I do not have a thyroid so I am on thyroid replacement hormones. After many tests, because I have been struggling with my hormones, I think it can only be the IF doing it. My testosterone levels are zero, my estrogen and progesterone are non existent, my thyroid hormones that were so well controlled, have been a disaster area over the last years. I decided to stop IF for a while, doctor wants me to gain about 4 kgs, which has not been easy, to see if things change. If it stabilises than I will try to do it as in the article. I did 16hours daily. Another thing, my hair has become a dry, brittle ratnest.
I am eating normally and hopefully will see an improvement in my period and hair health. I have also been struggling with poor sleep the last years.
Did things every improve?
This is the first I’ve heard of this. I have been doing IF the past 4-6 months eating 11am-8pm every day. I recently have started having trouble with anxiety, depression, extreme fatigue, brain fog, and headaches. I assumed it was symptoms of my birth control, but I’ve been on this pill for 1-2 years without symptoms until now. If I stop doing IF will my hormones level out on their own?
Hi Kyndal, I would certainly stop the IF. Your body may normalize on its own, or you may need a little support to bring your hormones/brain chemistry back on track.
Alisa
Birth control tricks your body into thinking it is pregnant. This would trigger energy storage processes in the body in an effort to support the fetal development.
So, how would this affect the effectiveness of Intermittent fasting in woman who are taking birth control medication?
You say not to fast for longer than 12-13 hours, but that implies to encourage more meal frequency. 12-13 hours fast is basically a few hours after you wake up, so this doesn’t really do much for fat burning. I feel like this article doesn’t really explain why fasting over 12 hours to be damaging. You mention that it can affect the reproductive system, which I agree with. However, I think this is more of a point geared towards women of a lower body fat. The female body wishes to hold onto fat more as opposed to men. As long as you are not underweight, you really shouldn’t be having any negative effects.
Women have completely different physiologies than men. If the female body is under stress (being under nourished and having low blood sugar are a stressors) the following cortisol release will signal the body to hold on to fat. Stress a woman’s body out on a frequent basis and she will end up tired, overweight and imbalanced.
Alisa
Dear Alisa, thanks so much for all the great articles and info, and for your care and concern for the unique physiology of the female body in a world where the womb is not often a focus of health and well-being.
As a woman with a highly sensitive nervous system, I have spent a lot of my life fearing hunger – that moment when I won’t have anything in my purse to tide me over. I have feared the irritability and I have feared the tiredness. I put on some weight over the course of the past few years (I’m in my late 30s now), which I attribute to some chronic stress and an ensuing lifestyle that didn’t help my health, and probably changes in my body that make me less resilient now to neglecting my health compared to my 20s. I put on the belly fat and all the dangerous fat around my torso that through my 20s and early 30s I completely managed to avoid. And it crept on quickly. And all of a sudden there it was. And I could intuitively sense hormonal imbalances at the root of it all.
I’ve gone in baby steps to move forward with my health, taking cues from an inner guidance and finding validation in other sources (including your articles!). The baby steps involved incorporating exercise more frequently, and then growing my exercise practice as I grew stronger and had more stamina, conditioning. I learned to exercise for all the benefits of exercise rather than just for weight loss. I cut out processed sugars, but kept a bit of honey for green tea, and ate all kinds of veggies and fruits, lots of broccoli daily, dark leafy greens, bananas and eggs, plantains, dark chocolate and nuts for “treats”, some meat and sweet potatoes, etc. and in general had a good run of having abundant whole foods meals all through the day, and I did this for about 8 months. I also incorporated a whole foods prenatal multivitamin because I figured that would support hormonal health for a woman. I also practiced belly breathing and I enjoy praying and meditating. And I started to feel better in terms of my overall health – less fatigue (though it was still there), more overall energy (though I wished I had more), a little bit of weight loss (very slow, but I could feel it coming off), and a sense of feeling much stronger. So this was the time that I feel I took to recover from stress and give myself a lot of love and abundance in terms of nutrition. Thankful for all the abundance.
My next phase has been a 24 hour fasting protocol (see Dr. Jason Fung’s work) and the idea of doing this frightened me at first for all the reasons we’ve heard about women’s reproductive systems and how negatively we can be affected. But the more I learned about it, the more I intuitively understood that, although I wasn’t extremely overweight and was just holding onto a few extra pounds (the dangerous belly kind), I realized that my body probably had some degree of insulin resistance, because it wasn’t using up my fat stores. And insulin is a hormone! So I just imagined that insulin health would probably help my overall hormonal health.
I want to share the incredible changes I’ve experienced since trying the 24 hour fasting protocol – I have never felt more energized, more clear-headed during the day, more able to focus on work and be productive, and I now have a huge sense of hope for overall wellness and that my hormones will balance themselves out now that I’m caring about insulin.
I feel that it’s a huge stress on a woman’s body to constantly be processing food. And it’s stressful to constantly be thinking about what the best food would be to have right now, when really this is not how we evolved. We didn’t evolve eating all the time. Women, too, evolved eating in smaller windows of time, and gaining nutrition within that window. After a time of practicing eating in shorter windows of time, I have found that the body adapts (you stop feeling hungry all the time because the hormone grelin chills out), and the body reverts to its original evolution, which involves a ton of healthy side effects – including helping with anti-aging, and I believe for myself intuitively, with reproductive health.
So I wanted to share this as an area to look further into to help more women through the use of fasting (not starvation – very different things). I was afraid that stress from fasting would make my body produce more cortisol and that would set off the hormonal imbalance and make the belly fat stick even more if I tried to fast. I am happy to report that’s not the case at all. And I no longer am irritable at all from not having food. I don’t have a fear of being hungry because I know that my body can totally handle it! In fact, I notice now the fatigue of eating too often. (And I’m still a highly sensitive person… it’s helping my nervous system too… ) And I’m losing weight that just wouldn’t go anywhere from my belly and upper torso, which tells me my insulin sensitivity is probably doing better. I also can workout during fasting periods as my body becomes more adapted to burning fat rather than needing glucose all the time.
But it took a bit of time to get adapted. It’s a lifestyle change that’s given me back a ton of time, saves on groceries, makes me feel stronger and more energized, and allows me to eat food for health and medicine, and even enjoyment, rather than out of fear.
Dear Nadia,
Thank you so so much for your comment. It said everything I needed to hear right now and it has been a massive inspiration.
Thank you,
Tanja
I am reading this and l want to tell my story. I am from Germany and my uncle is a biology professor. My family followed his advice of not eating after 6 pm. He also fasted one day a week. While my family didn’t do it, l did fast one day a week as well as longer fasts two times a year. I am 45 now unknowingly “intermittently” fasted all my life before it became a trend.
I am living in the United States for 10 years now and recently, in the last 4 years heard of this. Meaning that women should eat more frequently. I went through all my reproductive years fasting and never had any problems with either my cycle, weight, mood or sleep.
I never missed a period,,never experienced pain and they were super regular. I used to brag about it. All my life l had no health issues, skin issues or any of the symptoms listed…
I find it weird to believe that women had access to the diversity and amounts of food back then when our hormonal clocks were programmed???
I think it’s necessary to look into how our food is different from back then too. I believe sugars, processing and pesticides are the real culprit in most of our problems… also that we have programmed ourselves to “need” food all the time. In Europe we mysteriously don’t. At least not where l grew up. Food was secondary and we were all feeling great and healthy.
My aunt did his lifestyle too by the way. Same experience as me.
I totally agree with you, Paul. My normal living is breakfast at 8am and dinner at 6pm. That’s 14 hours fasting before I ever heard about IF. I felt very healthy.
I understand you need to be careful about 3 days to 40 days fasts. But concerned about even only over 12 hours, that is too much. That means if breakfast at 8am, you could still eat after 8pm. That’s very unhealthy lifestyle on its own. Maybe all the health problem were caused by these unhealthy lifestyle in the first place.
I am concerned by your blanket statement with “as long you are not underweight, you really shouldn’t be having any negative effects”
Women’s bodies are complicated and not consistent. For example, we can miss our period if we are stressed or even if we aren’t. Sometimes it just happens.
I have PMDD – which impacts 5% of menstruating women – and there is research that shows IF and the severity of PMDD symptoms. But of course, women’s health isn’t studied as much as men’s health. Case in point the vaccine and menstrual cycles. At first the medic Communtiy agreed that it had no impact on our cycles, but sooo many women have said it disrupted their cycles.
Depending on your own medical history, family history and lifestyle things will impact you differently.
My feeling is that the most important thing to take away from this article is that when something is trending – it doesn’t always include thorough research in women’s health and the varieties and complexities with it. So before embarking on a new lifestyle, think about how this could impact all the things you need to function at your best, i.e sleep, mental health, alertness, energy, regular periods and other important things.
At the end of the day, we make decisions about our bodies and the what feels good to us.
Nadia that is…we sound very similar and would love to exchange experience
Alisa, thanks for this article! This is one of the very few articles that talk about differences in IF for men and women and the potential pitfalls. I tried IF for health and longevity reasons, not for weight loss (I was 110 pounds for many years, so quite skinny at 5.4 ft). I tried 16:8 and did get an impressive increase in mental clarity, my cravings went away, and food became something I could take or leave – rather than my hunger controlling my choices. But what happened next was totally puzzling – I put on 10 pounds and can’t get rid of them! Funny enough, my husband went on IF with me – and he lost 18 pounds within the same time. I’m trying to understand what’s going on, because I love all the other effects IF has on my mental clarity, mood and cravings, and I’m not experiencing any other negative effects apart from this stubborn weight I can’t drop. Can you point me in the right direction? Thanks a lot, love your book and the app, and can’t wait to receive the new book in January!
Are the 10 lb everywhere on your body and making you more curvaceous and sexy? I am 5’4 and was 110 lb and extremely unhealthy after a depressing pregnancy. 10-15 pounds later I look and feel better than I ever have before. I would highly recommend frequent weightlifting with a positive group 🙂 muscle weighs more than fat and is important to maintain for long-term health 🙂
That list of imbalanced cortisol is exactly what I’m experiencing BUT other effects excellent and have co-occurring factors… I would like to read the article you referred to, and see more research studies. Bio-individuality is a thing, as all these comments illustrate!! I am currently on 16:8, workout religiously, and definitely have some weird effects (new skin tags literally dissapeared within days of IF, but I also have worse wrinkling and dark circles under eyes for the first time)…. Isn’t What you eat, as important as when you eat!!!??? If those mice were eating crap on IF, of course their hormones went off the rails! Our intuition is powerful and I’m trying to figure out if eating more veggies and converting to veganism cures these eye problems. I Need to get off implanon immediately to figure this out too. Have been having a lot of breakthrough bleeding since on strict IF, but had some before so it’s impossible to determine direct cause. We are wonderfully complex creatures with different arrays of genes and lifestyle choices!
Thank you so much for the article. I’d like to share my experience, which mirrored the potential negative effects of IF.
I’m 42 years old and did IF for 4 months with 16/18 fasting windows. Initially, I felt great, like I would after a run, and lost weight.
Then the insomnia crept in and my period was late for three cycles. My family also noticed that I was becoming increasingly moody and irritable. By the time I quit IF, my internal thermostat was so low I was cold most of the time and my memory was affected by brain fog, so I couldn’t pull specific words from memory.
These symptoms were gradual and increased in intensity, which I would then try to off-set with exercise, which I now see just increased the effects of stress.
In the end, it was the insomnia that had me re-thinking IF.
I started eating breakfast again, and the effect was immediate. Insomnia went, my next period came on time and my family liked living with me again.
However, my weight loss has plateaued and the weight loss I had while on IF is tempting me back. I was thinking that I could perhaps manage IF better next time, but after reading your article, I won’t be considering it.
Your article was the first one I read which identified the different hormone symptoms, so I was able to join the dots of the cascading effect IF has on oestrogen, thyroid and cortisol. It was super helpful and reminded me to be always be aware of the interconnected nature of hormones and the importance of hormone health. Thanks again.
Before starting the pill, I had been intermittent fasting for a few months and it had been fine, and I continued while I was on it as well. However, once I came off it I developed amenorrhea despite gaining weight back. I am considering stopping until I get my period back, and maybe trying to start again slowly once I’ve got a regular cycle?
Hi Tanya,
Women can lose their periods when there is a lack of nutrition and stress on the body. Fasting is depleting and stressful for the female physiology – you want to focus on creating balanced blood sugar by eating regular and balanced meals – this will keep your stress hormones low, inflammation low, and will keep your metabolism and endocrine system humming along.
Alisa
Hello, please help. I started IF about 2-3 weeks ago, and recently got my Acne back that was gone for many years. The acne’s pretty severe they are cysts acne’s and I believe this is due to hormonal imbalance triggered by IF. As soon as I realized this I stopped IF. However the acne is still ongoing (stopped IF for about a week now) and I’m wondering how long will it take for my hormonal levels to return to normal again so the acne will stop? Or is my normal levels permanently imbalanced now? I am so scared please help.
Hi Lisa,
It may take a little while for your body to rebalance, but it will with the right diet and lifestyle support. You can refer to Alisa’s first book, WomanCode, or enroll in the online hormone healing protocol HERE. And, check your iron and Vit D levels!
XO, Christina – FLO Coach
Hi Alissa,
Thanks so much for this article and all the information you offer. I do an extended fast a couple of times a year (usually with juice and broth, but we just tried our first water fast). I only do intermittent fasting 1 or maybe 2 times/ week. I’m curious about your thoughts on extended water fasting. I’m trying to figure out the best time of the month to do these. I have been doing it during my follicular and ovulatory phase, and not during the luteal and menstrual phases – is this the best system or does it even get more specific than that? Thank you for your help!
Hi Leah,
I cannot recommend water fasting, as it is extremely stressful and depleting for the body.
Alisa
Ok, thank you Alisa for your honest answer.
For intermittent fasting, juice or broth fasting what times of a woman’s cycle are the safest? And when should women not be fasting?
Hello,
I have been using your app for years now and this morning I spoke to a friend about Intermittent fasting and she told me to read your book. So here I am asking you a question. I have endometriosis and I have been doing IF for about 4years. I feel very good since I do it, it reduce the endometriosis pain a lot. But when I ready your post you mention to not fast if we have endometriosis.
I do 18h 5 times per week. Could I simply reduce to 15/16h few times per week? Instead of cutting it all
Thank you in advance for your reply ??⭐️
Hi! I’m new to you and your work! Holy Hannah have I been missing out. I loved your WFW podcast episode! I’ve just downloaded your first book and will move onto the new one soon!
Question – What about IF for women with insulin resistance? I’m done having babies, age 38 and my fasting insulin is very high so I’ve been doing 16-18s and can honestly say I feel great most days and have naturally implemented some of your protocols on exercise according to my cycle and eating more calories in the luteal phase.
Is one book better for us with IR? Thank you so much
Hi Alisa!
I came here after noticing my weight was not budging with a 16:8 IF after three days which I was just thinking wasn’t long enougj of a go at it. I am 43 and had my uterus removed for endometriosis. My one ovary seems to be working. I get it tested every 6 months. Any sweats I get is related to caffeine or alcohol. Now I’m wondering if my hormones, which were pretty normal, and my history, make IF a no. I need to lose 35 pounds and IF is so doable for me. What do you suggest?
I’ve had my acne under control for a really long time with my acne regimen. It’s out.of.control right now. I’m 3 weeks in to IF, haven’t really had any weight loss, but at least I’m not gaining anymore. The 16 hour fasts aren’t too bad, but I’m wondering if I should stop because of possible side effects of hormonal imbalances.
Hi Jade,
I really cannot recommend IF for women. It is not good for hormones and long term health. If you are seeing symptoms like acne, I would reconsider.
Alisa
Hi Alisa. You mentioned in your article not to try IF if we’ve been diagnosed with PCOS. Will IF just make the hormonal imbalances worse? Thank you.
So I have all the symptoms of thyroid disorder and where they overlap with women hormone list for disorder. But in general I don’t have women issues that many talk about. I think my progesterone is low cause I definitely spot though not regularly. But I would say in large my thyroid symptoms are all there. In addition, I tracked blood sugars for a while and regardless of what I ate, if I went keto for more than 24 hours they would drop to the 80s but typically they stayed between 90 (upon waking) – 130 (post meal). I am easily 60lbs overweight and can’t seem to lose it to save my life. I am frustrated and don’t want to try something else to fail. Could this help thyroid issues? Or is it just dealing with Estrogen and Progesterone?
Hi Kimberly, You want to look at adrenal health in order to heal your thyroid. Be careful of extreme diets as they will make everything worse at this point. Look at sleep, micronutrient deficiencies and getting enough protein, carb, fat and veggies! There is more about this in my WomanCode book!
Alisa
Hi Alisa, I am 46 and have not had a period since January. My hormone levels indicate menopause. I am saddened due to realizing that 16-18 hour IF which I have been doing for couple of years might have made me entering early menopause! I have young children and want to stay young. If I stop IF will my hormones go back to normal? I did IF to lower weight, health benefits and blood sugar control. Any advice?
I started IF in March was doing 18/6 and 6 months later although nearly 2 stone lighter I started really struggling with insomnia and digestive issues (as mentioned above) I worked out that it was probably because I jow needed to eat more as down to normal BMI so switched to 14-16 hours a day but still no change in my sleep, after reading this I think I’ll have a break for a few weeks to see if I can get a better sleep pattern again, then keep to the 12 hours. Brilliant to begin with and I felt sooo good but now I’m suffering! I’m nearly 44 and perimenopausal and have just been put on hrt but not sure if symptoms are to do with the long consistent fasting over 6 months! Great article, many thanks xxx
Great article but it feels like the conclusion is based on this animal study (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23382817/) which linked to hormone disruption. The science evidence quality to draw conclusion from a animal study apply it to humans are low. Do you have other human studies supporting the conclusion above?
Hello, I’ve been Fasting every 3 days, have felt some of the positive benefits, better sleep, acid reflux reduction and better digestion. However, 2 months ago, I noticed a change in my menstrual cycle, it was a week early and lighter than usual, I also started breaking out horribly, all over my face, neck, shoulders and arms, I thought nothing of it and let it go, then last month, it was 4 days earlier, and even lighter! So I visited my GP, he sent me for a full hormonal test which came back normal! Estrogen levels were fine, testosterone fine, all my reproductive hormones fine, and my thyroid fine! So my doctor told me I simply wasn’t getting enough calories even though I ate like a pig on my feeding days! But of course I didn’t listen, carried on fasting and this month, I was 2 days early, and it was so watery and pink, and only lasted 2 days! 🙁 I now fear that I won’t get my period at all next month! 🙁 I stopped the fasting, and have eaten every day for a week now in hopes that I can rebalance everything! My question is, will I have a normal period next month if I carry on eating regularly every day? Or is it too late? 🙁 I just want to be healthy and maintain a normal weight, but it seems it’s more complicated for us women than we think 🙁