Should you fast if you don’t have a cycle? The short answer is yes! In fact, fasting may be the healing tool that energizes your cycle. Fasting has the ability to bring the body into homeostasis and balance, allowing to naturally regulate sex hormones, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. The key is understanding how to use fasting to help your cycle.
Women can lose their cycle for a variety of reasons. Women may be on birth control, have had a hysterectomy, are in the perimenopausal, menopausal or postmenopausal stage of life, or have a condition such as PCOS.
However, many women aren’t sure why they don’t have a cycle. In these cases, I recommend doing a Dutch Hormone Test. The Dutch Test is helpful at determining where your hormones are at and how fasting can be personalized to support your specific hormonal needs.
For most women, cycle dysregulation results from a breakdown in three areas of the body.
3 Things You Need to Regulate Sex Hormones
- You need to manage insulin. Hormones are intricately connected to insulin, which is why fasting is so effective at regulating hormones, as fasting keeps insulin in check.
- Your HPO axis needs to be working properly. The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Ovarian axis (HPO) needs to be working properly to ensure your brain and ovaries are communicating properly and making hormones. When these organs are not in sync, often a woman’s cycle will be thrown off.
- Your gut needs to be metabolizing hormones properly. Just because you are making hormones doesn’t mean you are metabolizing them, ie. your body is using them in the way it needs to. To metabolize hormones, the liver and gut need to be working properly, so if a woman has liver stagnation, leaky gut or poor microbiome diversity, this can affect metabolization and the menstrual cycle.
Which Fasts Can Help Fix Your Cycle
Autophagy Fast: My favorite fast for getting the brain to work right is Autophagy Fasting. Autophagy fasting entails 17 hours of fasting, where you break your fast with good fats then wait at least one more hour before opening your eating window. The autophagy window is anything between 17-72 hours of fasting, at which you hit maximum autophagy. This type of fasting can be especially healing to the ovaries and repairing the HOP axis. I like to do these on a weekly or monthly basis.
Gut Reset Fast: In order for hormones to be working properly, you need a healthy gut microbiome, specifically an abundance of estrobolome–the gut bacteria in charge of breaking down estrogen. A gut reset entails 24 hours of fasting and I like to do this about once a week. This style of fasting is able to regenerate intestinal stem cells and reboot your digestive system.
Hormone Foods: Healthy eating is just as important as fasting. I recommend stepping out of fasting 1-2 days per week, where you lean into hormone building foods that feed healthy hormone production. This is a pivotal part of the fasting lifestyle that often gets overlooked, causing the further depletion of women’s hormones! Hormone building foods include pumpkin, squash, yams, tropical and citrus fruits, raw nuts, seeds and cold pressed seed oils like Andreas Seed Oils.
Hello,
I understand that have a menstrual cycle is the healthiest option however I do have a hormonal IUD. This works for contraception and also for my busy shift work lifestyle.
What would be the best recommendation for fasting? Sometimes I do have spotting or maybe even a light period (I think) if very stressed. Any help is much appreciated.
Exact same question for me!
I have the same question as above. I have a hormonal iud and no menstrual cycle. If I am still ovulating, how do I know how to fast at the appropriate time?
Looking for information. I am in my 30s, had a hysterectomy, but still have my ovaries so still have a “cycle” (aka all the hormones with no bleeding). I’m looking for guidance on when to do my fasts or how to track my cycle. I have bad hormonal acne after getting off birth control, so I’m trying to reset my hormones! Thanks.
I hope this isn’t a double post, but I can’t see my last comment.
Looking for guidance on when to start my reset.
I am in my 30s and had a hysterectomy, but was able to keep my ovaries. So still got all the hormones without the periods. I’ve got severe hormonal acne after stopping birth control, and want to work to reset my hormones.
When should I time my fasts, or what is the best way to find where I am at in my cycle?
Thanks for the help!
Same. I’m looking here for info as I listen to the book. I have the mirena IUD and also don’t have a cycle / bleed so do we still follow the gut reset and autophagy schedule ? I also have PCOS which is why the schedule suggested those two.
Same question as above. I’ve had an IUD for five years now and no cycle. How can I figure out the schedule to follow? Also, I’m pretty sure I’m entering perimenopause at this point (turning 43 this year).
Yes I too have the same query. I have a hormonal coil and no cycle. Is it better to have the iud taken out, I have it now mainly for progesterone purposes for HRT purposes? The more I learn I’m thinking it’s not the way to go? Is there any information I can find on this.
I also have I mirena. This is continuous low dose progesterone. Is this interfering with my results?
Hi I also have an IUD and I am wondering how this will effect fasting , many thanks
I’m 47 and decided to go back on the pill because of how short my cycle was (24-25 days) and how long bleeding would last (7 days) and how heavy and painful bleeding was. However, I don’t want a leaky, messed up gut. My gynecologist recommends that I be on the pill, but that may just be the easy answer because of how difficult my cycle is for me. So my question corresponds to the questions from the ladies above … Except I’m wondering if I should go off the pill and just deal with the short cycle, long bleeding, and heavy cramps. Just to heal my body and to be able to pair with my cycle …?
Same question… IUD answers please
Yes! I am wondering the same about an IUD. What fasting cycle should I follow?
Same question as other commenters – I use Nuvaring (monthly birth control) and because of terrible period migraines, I use it for four straight weeks (skip the placebo week) then go directly to the next month of birth control so I don’t have a period. I’ve been doing this for years with my ob-gyn’s oversight and approval. So how do I determine where I am in my hormone cycle, and therefore when I should be eating/fasting in what ways? Do I just consider the start of the week when I would normally get my period as the start of my hormonal cycle??
Not seeing any answers to these questions but I’m hopping in. I work in the fitness industry so I workout a lot and haven’t had a cycle in years. 43 and fasting worked great but I’ve now gained 20 lbs and would love to see if this helps. No clue when to start day one since I haven’t had a period since 2009!
I have the same IUD question, as above, this doesn’t appear to be covered in the book?
I’m so glad others are confused about their cycle and being on an IUD! I have two questions: how do I know when to adjust my fasting to shorter windows vs longer windows if I have little to no period? And, if I am not bleeding, am I still in the nurture phase? I usually have 1-2 days of very light spotting. I use the Fast Like A Girl app and used the moon cycle as my schedule since I don’t have much of a flow, but they had me in the nurture phase much longer than I think I should be. For example, I spotted on the 2nd and 3rd of the month and it still has me in nurture (the 9th). Today I’m supposed to be in nurture phase, so no more than 13 hour fast, but I decided to fast longer for about 15 hours and felt energized and alert.
Same as many of the other comments. I am peri menopausal, have an IUD, no cycle, and am on HRT estrogen patches. How do I approach the fasting??
I have the same curiosity as other commenters. I am 49 and am in the middle of my 4th month back on birth control prescribed by my doctor as HRT. I revisited my doctor after the 3rd month because my mood had drastically changed for the worst and wanted to check in to make sure the pill wasn’t the cause and if it was still the best option. He said to stay on the pill but to skip the 4th week to not allow my period to come, this way maintaining the same level of HRT throughout the month. I just finished reading ‘Fast Like a Girl’ and am read to start the Reset, just not sure when to start? at the start of a new pill pack? if it matters at all? or if I should maybe go completely off the pill ? I have so many symptoms and am not sure the pill is helping at all.
This also is my situation and question… it would be great if this post was answered to :(
I am 48, with the Mirena IUD and unsure where to start with the fast? What would be my day 1??
Same situation here too! A Mirena IUD, no cycle. Help!
Wondering the same thing as above! I have IUD and not knowing how it changes hormones when it releases progesterone. It is also hard to stay on track of my cycle.
I would love to know the answer as well. I’m 47, on birth control and little to no period. When would my day 1 start?
Same question for me! I have an IUD, havent had a bleed for over a year now.
I am reading Fast Like A Girl, and I have began my fasting journey. I would really like to know where I am in my cycle so I can understand my body/hormones more, and how I can maximise fasting according to my cycle. Any help would be great
So I have just come across the book fast like a girl and have the same qn as above re I have a mirena. Is anyone actually responding because I’m very keen to hear the response too. Thanks
I am a 51 year old woman with a Mirena IUD and also currently get HRT. pellets. I also take a progesterone capsule at night. I am periodless, have no hotflashes, and feel largely asymptomatic other than unwanted new gains to my mid -section and less energy than I would like. I am a relatively “clean” whole foods eater and sleep decent (not great) I’m so confused. I recently came across your fasting protocols / moon cycling and purchased your menopause reset book. I am unclear about how to manage fasting to help ween off IUD and HRT. + progesterone. Are there any thoughts / women who have successfully done this and where might I find this info? I would be ECSTATIC to manage my health through fasting vs. the current protocol I use.
Thanks so kindly!
Same question! I have an IUD (Mirena) and no cycle at all anymore due to this. I am 50 with perimenopause symptoms and endometriosis (reason for IUD). I have no clue where I am in my cycle. Would love info on how to time my fasts in this situation. I love Dr. Mindy and Fast Like a Girl. Have lost over 20 lbs! Just need further guidance please.
I have the same query as others – I am perimenopausal and have a mirena to treat heavy bleeding caused by adenomyosis and no longer have a period. It would be great to get some guidance about where to start with fasting – I have the book but it doesn’t cover this.
Hi Maria,
You can do the 30 day Reset in my book, Fast like a Girl, using the new moon as your day 1 or a weekly variation like the 5 1 1 or the 4 2 1.
The 5 1 1 is 5 days of various fasting lengths, 1 day of 24 hours fasting and 1 day NO fasting. In the 4 2 1 it is 4 days various fasting lengths, 2 long fasts and 1 day of 24 hours fasting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsJTmok9LgA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgDKBnXISzo
Does this answer apply to being on hormonal IUD (Mirena)? Thanks!
Hi Dr Mindy. I’m 46 and been put on my second Mirena after 3 years of rest (I’m unsure if to keep it on, but I have a gut feeling I should take it off) . I’m also trying to find out what happens with my fasting if I’m not making progesterone on the Nurture phase. Can I do longer fasts, should I keep the Hormone Feasting diet or change it in this case?
Thanks very much in advance , I really look forward to an answer.
Hi Dr Pelz- i heard your podcast with Mel Robbin’s and am so interested to start fasting after reading your book. I am just unsure if it is good for me – You mentioned you should stop fasting the week before your cycle or based on the moon phases if you don’t get a period. Since I am on a progesterone only birth control pill for endometriosis would it be ok for me to fast or would that be unsafe because of the progesterone I’m take daily? Thank you !
Please help, I’m (like the dozens of other women above) on an IUD (Mirena), although I am prone to very heavy cycles (thus the IUD), so I DO still occasionally bleed and thus might be able to sometimes guess where my cycle is. But most of the time, I don’t bleed. Mindy, could you please give those of us with IUDs advice?? Are our hormones just dampened, so if we can kind of figure out where we are, just use the normal protocol? Or are we considered stuck in a specific phase? I’m sure this varies a bit by person, but in my case, I’m pretty sure I’m still having hormonal fluctuations. (Note, I am in early 40s.)
Id like to add a tad to the above questions. I recently got my IUD removed (mid 30s), and after about a month my cycle has not returned. I have NO idea what my cycle looks like/when its going to start. I want to fast but afraid it might inhibit my cycle returning??
Hey y’all. Wanted to share the following clip from podcast: https://podclips.com/ew/us4X. She says if you follow the cycle of the moon you can use that for your fasting, because its a 28 day cycle and it often corresponds to a women’s cycle.
Hello all,
PLEASE HELP!!!
so I am new to fasting and have purchased the fasting for girls book but it doesn’t advice on how to start fasting if you don’t have a regular cycle. I am 47 and have the mirena coil and haven’t had a period for about 15 years. I also have high cholesterol high blood pressure and have had a few mini strokes so I am desperate to start my fasting journey to improve and repair my health and want to do it the correct way. Any advice would be greatly appreciated xx
I don’t see Dr. Mindy is replying to the questions above at all. That is concerning. I’m also trying to find out what happens with my fasting if I’m not making progesterone on the Nurture phase. Can I do longer fasts, should I keep the Hormone Feasting diet or change it in this case?
Thanks very much in advance , I really look forward to an answer.