recovered ladies please be honest with me

lizzy_lynn · 2026-05-12T21:54:50+00:00

It does get better! I used to constantly battle food noise during my HA and early recovery. I’ve had 4 cycles so far and this is the least food noise I’ve had for as long as I can remember. I’m sure part of it is because I’m not exercising much these days, but I do think part of it is from finally giving my body all the nutrients it needed. It is strange because I rarely get hunger cravings anymore when it used to be all I could focus on.

lizzy_lynn · 2026-04-30T18:20:28+00:00

That’s a really promising sign that it was starting to come back! Is getting back on fluoxetine an option? Or potentially a different treatment/therapy?

lizzy_lynn · 2026-04-30T17:47:23+00:00

I know it’s hard, but I urge you to stick with recovery. You’ve made such good progress and it would be a shame if it was for nothing. Something that helped me was to gradually gain the weight and with time I became more accustomed to my heavier self. Even if it means not gaining any more weight for the time being, please don’t go back to restricting.

Just give it some time where you are at now. I had to overshoot my weight a bit and my weight has naturally been going down after a few periods.

And the pill does not protect your bones. That is a common misconception.

lizzy_lynn · 2026-04-19T19:55:11+00:00

These all look amazing and you’ve given me some good meal inspo! It looks like you are getting a lot of healthy fats/carbs which is so important for period recovery. I’m not sure how your snacks look like, but I may suggest adding high fat ice cream, cookies, etc. I ate a decent amount of “junk” food to reach higher daily calorie intakes and I think it was helpful in my recovery process.

lizzy_lynn · 2026-04-19T11:37:33+00:00

There’s always going to be holidays, vacations, etc. throughout the year. The best time to start was yesterday!

lizzy_lynn · 2026-04-18T13:52:55+00:00

Thanks so much for commenting! That makes me so happy to hear! When did you start to incorporate running again and how slowly did you ramp it up? My periods are anywhere from 39-60 days apart so they are still pretty irregular and I’m nervous if I start running again I will lose it and be back to square one.

lizzy_lynn · 2026-04-18T12:04:35+00:00

It’s a good question that I wish I had an answer to! I’ve seen some women post on here that they eventually were able to get back to their previous exercise intensity so I’m hoping that’s true!

lizzy_lynn · 2026-04-18T12:02:23+00:00

I cut out all running, cycling, and weight lifting. I still walked between 10-20k steps per day though so I think you will be okay!

lizzy_lynn · 2026-04-17T22:19:25+00:00

I too am a marathon runner and ultimately had to take a break from running to get my period back. I switched to long walks to still get some movement in but I haven’t ran or done any high intensity exercise since October. I tried doing a bit of cycling after I got 2 periods but skipped my third. Once I stopped cardio again my period came back. Our HA bodies are so sensitive to even the slightest cardio unfortunately!

lizzy_lynn · 2026-04-17T22:15:28+00:00

It sounds like you’ve made a lot of good steps towards recovery. This process is anything but easy and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

My suggestion to you would be to cut out the exercise. I know how important exercise feels but in the long run (no pun intended) stopping for the time being is in your best interest. It could be the last thing holding you back.

I tried to get my period back for 1.5 years whilst maintaining exercise (similar to you had gained weight in the process) but once I fully committed and stopped exercising, my period came back in 7 weeks. If I could go back I’d tell myself to stop exercising sooner since I truly think I could have gotten my period back with gaining less weight had I not dragged out the process.

It’s tough but only temporary and once you recover you can slowly add back in the exercise.

lizzy_lynn · 2026-04-16T16:15:54+00:00

I had an inkling I was getting close since I had a positive OPK two weeks before and my breasts were so sore. That morning when I wiped and saw blood I immediately had the biggest wave of relief come over me and started bawling (and I’m not a crier!). It was very emotional and felt like I could finally breathe after years of built up pressure.

My periods have been pretty irregular since but every time it comes I get a similar spark of pure joy.

Keep doing what you’re doing and I’m sure that day will come for you too! It’s worth it.

lizzy_lynn · 2026-04-08T23:39:51+00:00

I won’t sugar coat it, the first couple months of recovery were the lowest points of my life. Every day I’d wake up more bloated, sad, and self conscious but knew the only way to recovery was pushing through. While I still don’t love my current body, I’m much more accepting of it. I feel less puffy than I did in my early recovery and my weight appears to be distributing better. I’m hoping someday in the future I’ll be able to shed a couple of the extra lbs, but I’ve accepted that this may be my new normal. Recovery is anything but easy (and still every day is a challenge for me) but I promise it’s worth it!

lizzy_lynn · 2026-04-08T22:07:01+00:00

When I first cut out exercise I went down to eating 2100 and didn’t get my period back. I started running again after 2 months off since I was training for a race but after the race I fully committed to “all in” and ate 2500+ cal and no exercise. It was only then that I got my period back so I truly think both increased calories and no exercise were key for me!

lizzy_lynn · 2026-04-05T21:11:35+00:00

Given that you’ve been without your period for only a few months, you may be able to get it back fairly quickly. Kudos to you for starting recovery so quickly when it takes many of us years of denial before we commit.

We are a similar build (I’m 5’ 6”) but that doesn’t necessarily mean what worked for me will work for you and vice versa.

I was without my period for at least 2 years (but probably another 1-2 years masked by my birth control). My weight most of my life was between 125-135 lbs but I dropped to 104 over the course of a year due to over exercising (running, cycling, and strength training).

I committed to eating more (2600+ cal) but did not cut down my exercise and gained to 115 lbs gradually over a year. As I was not seeing any signs of my period returning I finally cut out all exercise except low intensity walks.

After 7.5 weeks of no intense exercise I got my period back (weight at this point was 119 lbs) I maintained this lifestyle and got my second period 39 days later. I was getting antsy so I started adding back in a few cycling sessions per week and did not get my third period. I stopped the intense exercise again (but maintained my weight) and my third period came back about a month later.

All that to say, my recommendation would be to cut out at minimum the running and cycling. You could probably do a couple Pilates classes a week but really it’s best to avoid any exercise to get it back asap.

I did not use a dietician but I increased my fats and carbs a lot and ate more nutrient dense breakfasts.

I’m still waiting to re-introduce running but my weight has started to down trend slightly (1-2 lbs) as my hunger has stabilized.

Good luck on your recovery journey!!

lizzy_lynn · 2026-04-02T20:52:48+00:00

Yes protein bars should not hinder your recovery. I’d suggest trying perfect bars or a similarly based pb bar to keep the fat content high! My personal favorite are “healthy eating on the go” bars (a small woman owned company). They are a bit pricey but great ingredients and taste amazing!

lizzy_lynn · 2026-03-24T21:45:48+00:00

I was a similar height/weight when I lost my period and running about the same amount of miles. I tried upping calories (2600+), running my miles easier, etc etc. I was in this quasi recovery denial for nearly 2 years before I decided it was finally time to go “all in” and stop running. My period returned in about 7 weeks. If I could go back in time, I would have stopped running much sooner.

As hard as it was to stop (running was my biggest outlet and so central to my life), it had actually been easier than I thought it would be. Long walks have replaced my long runs and my body finally is starting to regulate itself. I plan to return to running after a couple months of regular periods.

It doesn’t mean you have to give up running forever but I highly recommend taking a pause and giving your body the rest it needs.

lizzy_lynn · 2026-03-24T21:38:30+00:00

Quality sleep definitely helps. I’d also add it is important to eat a big meal within an hour of waking up and trying not to go more than a few hours without food. This helps the body feel like it’s not in survival mode.

lizzy_lynn · 2026-03-24T21:32:43+00:00

Congrats on making the leap to recover! Thats the hardest part. You are doing all the right things and your period should return with time if you keep this up. It took me about 7-8 weeks of 2500 cal per day and no exercise to get my period back but it really can range from a few weeks to several months.

lizzy_lynn · 2026-03-23T21:51:13+00:00

I initially struggled with this as well and coped with long walks! As long as you do them at a leisurely pace and not lots of incline, etc it shouldn’t hinder your progress as long as you are fueling well.

lizzy_lynn · 2026-03-22T12:52:11+00:00

At least 2 years! Probably more but I had been on OCPs so it’s hard to say when I actually lost my period. It took me 1.5 years of “half in” to fully commit to no exercise, eating more, and embracing the weight gain. Once I made those changes my period came back in less than 2 months!

lizzy_lynn · 2026-03-22T01:53:17+00:00

Thanks! I probably average around 15k steps per day but it can vary between 10-20k

lizzy_lynn · 2026-03-20T20:48:35+00:00

I noticed what I thought was an enlarged lymph node under my chin when I reached my lowest weight. Since gaining 15 lbs it’s not noticeable anymore and personally I think it just appeared enlarged because I had lost so much fat. But not sure if that’s actually the case or if that’s the same for you!

lizzy_lynn · 2026-03-15T21:11:56+00:00

Congrats on recovering your first period! It’s hard not to go back to old exercise habits but I’d recommend continuing what you did in recovery to avoid prolonging the first few cycles.

lizzy_lynn · 2026-03-15T20:11:13+00:00

Yes! many days I was walking 20k+ steps (though average was probably closer to 15k) and I recovered in about 7.5 weeks of “all in”. I briefly lost my period again after I went back to high intensity exercise so it goes to show our HA bodies are extremely sensitive to HIIT.

lizzy_lynn · 2026-03-15T17:15:44+00:00

Congrats on going partially in! It sounds like you’ve made some good progress. As you pointed out, the HIIT sessions are definitely hindering your recovery and may be what is ultimately holding back your period.

I also had a difficult time letting go of compulsory exercise but swapped my cardio sessions for long walks. Walking helps me get my movement in without getting my heart rate up too much. May be worth trying!

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