I lost a lot a weight in my early 20’s from not eating due to stress and I kept it off. I realize how I was essentially fasting but also that I have a genetic disposition to insulin resistance so my case may be different. I was never able to lose weight until I started to fast so why is it touted that fasting is so bad for women?
From what I can gather, this is most apt to happen to women (especially still of child bearing age) that adhere to a strict fasting regimen with no loopholes or variations. If you are mixing things up, indulging on occasion and have periods when you are not fasting (vacations, holidays etc), this is much less likely to happen. I’ve also heard it said that during ovulation and the week leading up to your period, it’s better to have a shorter fasting period and listen to your bodies cues for nutrition and when to eat. I’m no expert, but that’s my 2 cents. I also only lose weight when fasting or doing a low carb/low calorie diet with exercise. I much prefer fasting over “dieting” however.
I don’t know the science exactly, but I have pmdd. One of the supplements my doctor prescribed was inositol, and she mentioned that it is also used for PCOS because it helps to better regulate the metabolism, which can lead to better regulated hormones. I’d extrapolate that if someone is fasting so severely as to damage their metabolism (so, leaving IF and crossing over into eating disorder), that they would run the risk of also mucking up their hormones. But again, I haven’t done heavy research on this area as of yet.
Fasting causes your body to produce cortisol: a stress hormone. Many female hormonal disorders already cause an increased about of cortisol production. PMS and ovulation can also do this.
Consistently high levels of Cortisol also effects the production of other hormones that cause issues with menstruation, the endocrine system as whole, but my understanding of the science is a little fuzzy.
I know personally a lot of people think fasting is unhealthy and they say “oh no how can you do that, won’t you have issues?”.
People say a lot of things and are afraid of fasting. I’m not a woman but I don’t see how it would be any different from a man fasting. And I haven’t felt like my hormones are messed up from fasting.
Also lots of women undereat in order to maintain their bony physique, and they don’t (i think) my have issues with their hormones. Or maybe they do and I don’t know about it.