Started IF after thanksgiving and my periods which are always on time is late this month (not pregnant) could IF have something to do with it? I’ve been doing 16:8 but have read that 14:10 I’d apparently better for women. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!
Starting IF is mildly stressful for the body (it has to adjust to a new, different eating schedule), and stress can make your period come late or early. It should go back to normal as your body adjusts to the new eating schedule.
I don’t think there is much good science to support the idea that 14:10 is better for women. I think there’s a lot of baseless fearmongering about fertility, based on wrong ideas about what IF actually is. Yes, starving yourself is obviously bad for fertility, but IF is not starving yourself, any more than “six small meals a day” is.
Anecdotally, it seems that women often have to go to longer fasting intervals than men to lose weight, though I don’t think a real scientific study has been done.
As your body fat percentage fluctuates so do your estrogen levels. So anything that effects your weight can effect your cycle. Some women don’t see much of an impact on it, and for some their period can go haywire. For some it goes back to normal once their body adjusts.