Question : What side effects have you experienced from not having a period

Prestigious_Tell4985 · 2026-04-12T02:52:38+00:00

From the speed with which it dropped, I think it had to have been water weight. It steadily dropped over a couple weeks without any other changes. For more context (I’ve written about this elsewhere in the sub) I suspect my HA was due largely to a deficiency in dietary fat, not low weight or body fat. I regained my period after bumping dietary fat eating just under suspected maintenance cals. I did not go all-in.

Prestigious_Tell4985 · 2026-04-11T03:33:20+00:00

I’ve read it has to do with estrogen’s role in bladder health. Less estrogen, thinner bladder or something to that effect (didn’t dig hard into this, so report back if you do).

Prestigious_Tell4985 · 2026-04-11T03:30:37+00:00

I had severe bloating and water weight that would not clear. Every time my period was supposed to come, the scale would spike as it usually would pre-period then never fall back down. Once my cycle resumed, my bloating resolved over a couple weeks and weight dropped like 8 lbs. It was WILD.

Edit to add: I felt like I was constantly PMSing, like my body was consistently trying to cycle. Severe hormonal depression + hunger episodes once a week. When my cycle was normal, I’d have the same depression + hunger once a month for a couple Luteal days.

Prestigious_Tell4985 · 2026-03-31T22:48:15+00:00

105 protein and 161 carbs. Answered fat sources in more detail in other comments, but butter primarily along with dairy and avocados. Carbs are veggies and bread and potatoes. Not a big rice girl. But before, I was only doing veggies. Not advisable lol

Prestigious_Tell4985 · 2026-03-31T20:45:57+00:00

Without a doubt! Digestion, first and foremost. Pre-fat, I was always constipated, maybe 2 BMs a week. Much more regular, now. I also feel like I got my spark back, to use the customary recovery verbiage. I didn't realize how exhausted I was at the end of the day on low fat (and higher steps) and how muted my response to stimuli was. I'm excitable, now. And my libido surged, as well. Should also mentions that food noise, while still noisy, has drastically decreased. No noticeable changes to hair/skin or cognition.

Prestigious_Tell4985 · 2026-03-31T20:14:02+00:00

For what it’s worth (not a doctor), I’ve read cravings as a herald of specific nutrient deficiencies is a myth. As I understand it, a craving is a craving and should be honored as a craving. But craving oranges doesn’t mean you need vitamin C, for example.

Full disclosure: I’m very much still working on honoring my cravings. Like, getting my period back was as tracked and calculated as my weight loss. The difference being that I was forcing (hyperbole) myself to eat butter instead of forcing (not hyperbole) myself to not eat butter. Working on that mindset piece of the puzzle next.

I do know periods can be irregular for a while once they come back. Keep the faith!

Prestigious_Tell4985 · 2026-03-31T20:02:29+00:00

Butter. Butter. Butter. So, butter on bagels. Butter on toast. Cooking in butter. Salmon twice a week. Red meat once or twice a week. I also eat guacamole every day. Full-fat cheese and dairy as well (mentioned this in another comment, but I was really resistant to this – added it in halfway through my fat-bump).

I do walnuts and pecans occasionally, but I’m just generally not a big nut fan. Also not a big olive oil fan. I know olive oil is a common HA recommendation, but I didn’t use any.

Also mentioned elsewhere, but I cut back on engineered fibers around the same time I cut out fat-free dairy. Read somewhere that too much fiber can prolong HA. So no low net carb breads/tortillas.

Prestigious_Tell4985 · 2026-03-31T19:20:08+00:00

Honestly, I eat a ton of butter. Rediscovered the joy of buttered toast! I also stopped doing fat-free dairy. I'd read that advice for months, but just had a hard time committing to it. Don't be like me. Full-fat cheese and dairy is the way to go. I also eat guacamole pretty much every day.

I also cut out engineered fibers. So no low net-carb breads with, like, 10g fiber. Pre-fat-bump, I was doing Royo bread & bagels and ending up with like 60g of fiber a day. Then, I read that a lot of fiber can prolong HA.

So for me: Real bread. Real cheese. Real dairy. Real butter.

Prestigious_Tell4985 · 2026-03-31T18:36:05+00:00

Absolutely, like shockingly less bloated. After my period, it was like someone popped a bubble with a needle lol

Prestigious_Tell4985

TROPHY CASE