#049: Metabolic Damage, Fearing Weight Gain, & Hormonal Imbalances

Hi Ladies,

I would like to first thank y’all so so much for all that you do and how much you’ve helped me and many other women in their health journey. I can’t even begin to tell you how much listening to your podcasts and reading your blogs has encouraged me in the process of navigating my struggle with body image and hypothalamic amenorrhea. I feel like you two are my good girlfriends and I look forward to tuning in with y’all every week.

I’m 33 years old and I have been struggling with body dysmorphia, PTSD, and hypothalamic amenorrhea, ever since I went through a severe trauma 8 years ago that left me dealing with debilitating depression and a plethora of health issues due to the amount of stress that I was under.

Since, then, I’ve been through years of cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma therapy, and faith-based recovery programs, all which have helped me. But finally going on antidepressant medication has been the most effective in helping me get my life back. I now use my pain to help others who are hurting or have been through trauma. I’m so grateful that I’ve come so far but there are still a lot of areas in my life that need healing.

I had completely lost my period for a year after the trauma when I was 26. And my cycle has been irregular and sparse ever since. My OBGYN decided to put me on birth control for my irregular cycles and PMDD (severe PMS when I would experience severe depression and suicidal thoughts). And, of course, once I got off the pill, my period never really came back.

I started seeing a functional MD who has been wonderful in helping getting my body back in balance. She also has improved my nutritional profile and put me on the paleo diet which has greatly improved my GI, mood, and skin issues. But we haven’t been able to get my period to come back.

I have been on various antidepressants on and off over the past years. And I finally found one that works great for me but the side effect of weight gain (over 13 lbs. and I’m only 5 ft. tall and have a petite frame) has been very difficult for me to deal with even though we’ve reduced the dose to half the recommended dose in order to reduce the side effects.

I tried intermittent fasting and it helped me lose the weight I had gained from the meds. Right before I started intermittent fasting, I had gained a lot of weight due to the meds and was just starting to get my cycles back (although only once every 2 to 3 months) . And when I started IF, my period never came back. I figured it would eventually come back because I heard the IF helps improve hormone balance and I kept intermittent fasting (about 14-16 hours a day, which I now realize was too much) and would do fasted high intensity workouts like HIIT in the morning.

After reading Stef’ blog post about the dangers of intermittent fasting for women and its connection to hypothalamic amenorrhea, I have stopped IF so that I can get my period and health back as my husband and I would like to start a family soon.

Now I stick with walking and light strength training and yoga. I try to do a light fasted workout first thing when I wake up in the morning but I do this with caution by stopping to have a small snack, like some nuts, MCT oil and bone broth if I start to get hungry to prevent sending starvation signals to my hypothalamus which may keep HA going. Is this okay? Or is it best to wait til I get my period back and have a stable cycle for some time before doing any type of fasted and/or HIIT workouts even if I go lightly? All these changes in my exercise routine have been difficult to accept because I really loved my HIIT workouts in the morning as they energized me for the day and also combats my depression.

I heard that it’s safe for women to intermittent fast only a couple times a week at 12-14 hours max. I was wondering what your take is on this? Do you think it’s okay to, once I get my cycle back, to slowly try to reintroduce light intermittent fasting, and fasted workouts that are supplemented with bone broth or MCT oil and to do it only once or twice a week?

At this point in my recovery, I have reluctantly come realize I need to be on medication long term as I’ve tried many times to get off the meds and would relapse. And I realize now that I’ve been dealing with depression since I was a child and didn’t know it at the time. So I have to bite the bullet and do what’s best for my mental health. And intermittent fasting was a way for me to keep the negative side effects at bay.

I know that this is the right thing to do but I feel so discouraged as I’m starting to gain weight. I’m a sensitive person and I have struggled with disordered eating and overexercising in the past and I’m working on changing my perspective. Your blog posts about body image have been immensely helpful and encouraging to me, so thank you!

I know that I need to gain weight and exercise less to get my period back and I’m learning to be okay with that. But I’m worried about the additional weight gain from the meds, especially now that I may not have intermittent fasting and fasted workouts to help me keep the extra weight off. Am I just supposed to live with this and accept that I’m going to be a couple pounds heavier due to these meds that I need to take in order to stay healthy mentally? If IF is not the answer, do you have any recommendations for combating antidepressant weight gain?

And because of the trauma and years of struggling with depression, is my body broken and going to need a lot more time to get my period and body back in balance?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Sorry it’s a bit long. I really appreciate all that you do to help women like me who are struggling to get their health and happiness back. Ya’ll are amazing 🙂

God bless you,

Christine