I don’t want to stop IF… but it’s really confusing having a perfect period history before IF and being increasingly late after starting IF.
The craziest part is that I’m not even strict with it, I’ll do anywhere from 13-17 hours all month, but on average a 14-15 hour fast which is almost what I was doing naturally before starting IF anyways. I do water only during fasting window and I dont restrict anything at all during eating. I feel completely fine, I love the regulation in sleep and hunger that fasting gives me. But I started in June and this is the second month my period has been late and I hate it. No birth control, no other funny business. No other symptoms. Does it go away eventually? Hard to believe I went through traumatic stress many times and lost tons of weight then but had no ill effects on my period, but now when I’m trying to get healthy, it’s being finicky!😩
Oh boy… It’s so validating to finally find this subreddit and see this question being discussed more – but also so frustrating :( YMMV, but in my case, I’ve been on the IF wagon for 2.5 years now, which has also coincided with 2.5 years of almost no periods. I menstruate only on the rarest of occasions, 2-3 times a year, even though I’m always hovering around the healthy/overweight BMI line.
I’ve done all the hormonal tests – and apart from subclinical hypothyroidism, and high cortisol levels which form a vicious cycle with insomnia (pandemic pals, where you at <3 ), there is no gland-related issue that could explain the amenorrhea.
I’m coming to the conclusion that the last factor I’ve yet to n=1 experiment with is the IF, and I hate it. This way of eating has done such wonders for my eating habits and daily life in general, and I don’t like the idea that I might have to give it up. But, as the supportive weightloss subreddits kindly remind us, every body is different, and maybe some just throw tantrums and disagree with IF :/
Anyway, must keep in touch with this subreddit re. the period stuff. Good luck, fellow (non)menstruating people!
Edit: typos