How bad does TOM affect the JUDDD experience?

[Carly]

Those were interesting studies. I feel more alert and more energized, but would not like to think of myself as becoming less fertile since if I am going to have a baby I would want to become pregnant in no more than the next 18 mos. I always wonder about the rat ---> human conclusions, though.

[SlimNana]

Originally Posted by Carly

I always wonder about the rat ---> human conclusions, though.

I'm beginning to feel like we may be IF/JUDDD guinea pigs.

[Carly]

Yes- I've often thought about that. I can't believe TOM still hasn't started. I'm not pregnant for sure, but I don't want to be following a WOE that could damaging my chances down the line.

[Carly]

Well... It's here... At least my losses should pick back up.

[Carly]

Well... It's here... At least my losses should pick back up.

[marlamp10]

Not only is yours here, but MINE HAS RETURNED TODAY. 26 DAYS.


:

[piratejenny]

Originally Posted by SlimNana

My first TOM was 2 weeks late this month, which was my first one since starting JUDDD. And I'm beginning to wonder that maybe Intermittent Fasting does effect our female hormones, because of the VLC. Anyone know if there's been any research done on that?

Here's some info:
Paleo for Women | Shattering the Myth of Fasting for Women: A Review of Female-Specific Responses to Fasting in the Literature

Bear in mind that JUDDD might not be considered true IF, since you do eat some calories on DDs.

My "theory", for whatever it's worth , is that if a woman starts to experience insomnia on JUDDD, it could be a signal that her hormones are being adversely affected. (Insomnia may show up before menstrual irregularities or fertility issues.)

PS: I see SlimNana beat me to this reference, but she didn't include the link, so I hope my post isn't entirely useless!

[Spoonful of Happiness]

So... reading all of this, I need some advice.
I missed TOM this month - for the first time since I started menstruating. I also do have trouble sleeping - I don't sleep until after midnight and ALWAYS wake up around 6-7 am even if my alarm is set for 9.
Do you guys think I should stop JUDDDing?

[Carly]

My sleep has improved on JUDDD. The 50 pound loss was/is worth it for me. I can't say what would be best for you.

[SlimNana]

Originally Posted by Carly

Well... It's here... At least my losses should pick back up.

Just curious how late was it? We should probably start keeping a record to conduct our own study, since there doesn't appear to be any done yet.

[SlimNana]

Originally Posted by piratejenny

Here's some info:
Paleo for Women | Shattering the Myth of Fasting for Women: A Review of Female-Specific Responses to Fasting in the Literature

Thanks for the link! I couldn't figure out how to make it active without having to copy & paste.

[SlimNana]

Originally Posted by Luv is a fairytale

So... reading all of this, I need some advice.
I missed TOM this month - for the first time since I started menstruating. I also do have trouble sleeping - I don't sleep until after midnight and ALWAYS wake up around 6-7 am even if my alarm is set for 9.
Do you guys think I should stop JUDDDing?

Any chance you're pregnant? If not, sometimes a low body fat % can cause your period to stop. Best advice would be to see your doctor to find out what's up. I'm peri-menopausal, so it's not uncommon for my cycle to be irregular.

[Spoonful of Happiness]

Originally Posted by SlimNana

Any chance you're pregnant? If not, sometimes a low body fat % can cause your period to stop. Best advice would be to see your doctor to find out what's up. I'm peri-menopausal, so it's not uncommon for my cycle to be irregular.

Nope, not pregnant but hope to be one day or another, which is why the link concerns me quite a bit, honestly.

[SlimNana]

Originally Posted by Luv is a fairytale

Nope, not pregnant but hope to be one day or another, which is why the link concerns me quite a bit, honestly.

From your stats, it looks like you've lost 25 lbs. in the past 5 months of doing JUDDD and are within a few pounds of your goal. For health reasons, maybe it's time for you to stop weight loss and move onto the higher calorie maintenance % levels?

[piratejenny]

Originally Posted by Luv is a fairytale

So... reading all of this, I need some advice.
I missed TOM this month - for the first time since I started menstruating. I also do have trouble sleeping - I don't sleep until after midnight and ALWAYS wake up around 6-7 am even if my alarm is set for 9.
Do you guys think I should stop JUDDDing?

You could try higher calorie DDs instead of just stopping.
Also, are you eating breakfast on DDs, or saving most/all of your calories til dinner? Just eating breakfast can make a big difference.

Also, the quality of your sleep is important, not just the number of hours you're getting. Do you stay asleep once you get to sleep? Do you wake up tired, or energetic?

[Spoonful of Happiness]

Originally Posted by piratejenny

You could try higher calorie DDs instead of just stopping.
Also, are you eating breakfast on DDs, or saving most/all of your calories til dinner? Just eating breakfast can make a big difference.

Also, the quality of your sleep is important, not just the number of hours you're getting. Do you stay asleep once you get to sleep? Do you wake up tired, or energetic?

I've thought about higher calories on DDs but in my experience, it's much easier for me to not eat at all than to eat little and feel deprived. I usually wait at least 16-18 hours from my last UD meal to eat anything on DDs so that I can get some benefit from IFing. So, I rarely eat breakfast - even on UDs.

As for sleep, when I am asleep, I sleep relatively well. But, because I usually get less than 7 hours a night, I feel very tired and have my energy flagging.

[Carly]

Originally Posted by Carly

I started JUDDDing late March and didn't record when TOM started in April, but here it is starting in May- it has not been 28 days yet.
May 17th- TOM started
June 19th- " "
July 20th- " "
Aug 24th- " "
Sept ?- It's already the 27th.

Sept 28th- TOM started
(About a week late)

[Carly]

Luv- I agree with slim nana, how tall are you? Perhaps your body is suggesting you have lost enough/ too much weight? Do you know what your current BMI is? If your BMI is dropping below 20% maybe you have lost a bit too much.

[piratejenny]

Originally Posted by Luv is a fairytale

I usually wait at least 16-18 hours from my last UD meal to eat anything on DDs so that I can get some benefit from IFing. So, I rarely eat breakfast - even on UDs.

Well, that's the thing...you have to decide whether you ARE getting the benefits you want from IFing, or if your hormones are getting out of whack.

From what I've been reading the last couple years--if a person has adrenal (cortisol/blood sugar) issues, they *must* eat breakfast (preferably low-carb), and eat every 4-5 hours, to rest and heal the adrenal glands.

It usually takes about 3 days to get used to a new eating schedule.
The idea of breakfast used to make me nauseated...now I wake up hungry. I can ignore it for a couple hours...I'm not "uselessly" hungry...but my blood sugar keeps climbing the longer I fast. So it's better for me to eat.

If I eat the right kind of breakfast, it does not lead to my snacking or being hungry all day. Sometimes I have 2-3 scrambled eggs, sometimes I eat a green salad with cottage cheese or a small can of tuna; chicken soup, slow-cooked pork, Italian sausage, whatever! I'm not big on protein shakes, but those work too.