Have you lost your period? Today I’m talking about my experience and How to Get Your Period Back After Hypothalamic Amenorrhea!
PIN How to Get Your Period Back
The blog post that everyone has been asking me to write is finally here. And, it’s gonna be long.
How to get your period back after HA, which is what hypothalamic amenorrhea is abbreviated to.
I went down this road to recovery about a year ago now and like I said in the Sunday reflection a few weeks ago, I feel free.
YOU CAN WATCH PART 2 OF THIS VIDEO HERE!
I no longer obsess over what I eat, or what I don’t eat.
I don’t obsess over exercise. In fact, I took 9 months off from it!
I don’t obsess over my body. Yes, there are days where I don’t love it and think about it more than I prefer, especially after having gained weight to heal. But, I think about it a whole lot less than when I was thinner! Which is still so crazy to me.
I don’t think about food ALL THE TIME and plan what I am going to eat the next day the day before.
I don’t fear planned OR spontaneous meals out anymore. I don’t have google what is on the menu before.
AND SO MANY MORE THINGS.
And super importantly? I got my period back. Which isn’t the most enjoyable thing lol BUT it’s important because it’s typically a key indicator that a body is functioning. Although it is not THE key indicator. There are women who don’t lose their period but still have very poor relationship with food and exercise.

What is Hypothalamic Amenorrhea?
This is the fancy term for when a woman loses here period because she is under a weight that HER body wants to be (and is not dictated by BMI charts) or because she is exercising too much/too intensely. It can also be a combination of the both.
I lose mine due to being underweight and I assume exercise played a part in it. And, honestly, I think I lost mine for 10 years but I only discovered it 2 years before I started recovery when I went off the birth control pill. But, I was the same weight for the previous 8 years so I imagine I would not have had one then either.
Many women think they are healthy because they have their period on birth control and this really only masks the fact that something is wrong.
What Helps Get Your Period Back
Alright, now that we know was HA is, how do we heal it?
I’m going to be honest with you, the road to recovery is hard and scary. But it’s also worth it.
Step 1: Read the book “No Period Now What.” This book changed my life and goes really in depth to the recovery process that I am going to briefly outline here. It is a MUST READ for anyone who is struggling with this.
Step 2: Eat a minimum of 2500 calories per day. YES you read that right. And that is a MINIMUM, not a maximum. I had days where I ate much more than that in early recovery.
Note: the goal at the end of recovery is to not count calories. But counting at the beginning can be very helpful for those who overestimate what they eat (like I do) to make sure they are getting enough nourishment.
Your body needs a lot more calories than you think it does to function well. And, during the recovery time, it needs EVEN MORE to repair all the damage done from not having enough energy.

Step 3: Quit intense exercise
Really, the best practice is to quit all exercise for the time being.
I did 3 months of just walking and then slowly added back a couple days of yoga and that is what I did for the rest of the 6 months until I recently started to SLOWLY add back lifting last month.
Not only is this important for the physical repair part of recovery, but for the mental part as well.
I really resisted giving up exercise, and didn’t do it at first because I was really terrified. But, if I would not have given it up, I don’t think my mind would be where it was today. Where I will never ever freak out over missing a workout (or a lot of workouts) because I did it for 9 months.
Exercise also feels really different now. It’s not a “have to” it’s a “get to” and it leaves me feeling energized instead of tired.
Step 4: Do all this until you have at least 3 periods.
For me to get one period it took 6 months. Some people are much less and some are much more. Everyone is different and there is no way to know how long it will take you. After you have 3 periods you can slowly start to transition into a more intuitive eating style of eating OR slowly add back in exercise.
But not both at the same time because if your next period is MIA then you won’t know what the culprit was!
Will you gain weight on this process? Honestly, more than likely.
I did.
But you know what? It’s not as awful as I thought it would be.
Like I said there are days where I miss my old body and being the “super fit girl” for sure. But I could still never go back to her because I truly LOVE my life now and I would never give up my life to lose a few pounds anymore and that is something I thought I would never say.
I lost my abs.
But, I gained my life.
If you want help and support in going through this process, I would love to support you and coach you in my group program “Fearful to Free” Doors are only open until Nov 2/19! Click HERE for more info!
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Vivian @ RISVK says
this might be the topic which people might not want to discuss but in this, you’ve described so much of it! i know it will help!
Taylor Kiser says
I sure hope so! I think it needs to be talked about more! 🙂
Shirley says
That’s great. Huge thanks for sharing this post. Clomid helps me to regulate my periods. So happy 😊 I googled ‘Clo24prg’ ❤️ and got it. The typical starting dosage of clomid is 50 milligrams per day for five days, beginning on the third, fourth, or fifth day after your period begins. You can expect to start ovulating about seven days after you’ve taken the last dose of clomid. Hope this helps.
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks for sharing!
Erica | Buttered Side Up says
I didn’t realize that there was a name for that condition, but that definitely happened to me when I was a teen! I thought that all fat was unhealthy, and I exercised quite a bit. At the time I was thrilled that I didn’t have my period over the summer, but looking back I realize that wasn’t healthy for my body at all. Once I started eating in a sane way again, I got my period back. Thank you for talking about this – it needs to be heard!
Taylor Kiser says
Yes!!! It’s a VERY common condition!! I am so glad you agree that it needs to be put out there!
Rifat AL Amin says
Thank you for sharing it.
Dana Innocenti says
This post resonates so much with me! I am experiencing this now and I am beyond frustrated and discouraged, I was restricting calories (not eating any fats or carbs) and working out a lot last year and lost my period last April. I never got super skinny so I didn’t think it was possible to have this. I ended up seeing a hormonal endocrinologist and my hormones were beyond low (Estrogen and Progesterone) I started eating better and exercising less (walking on treadmill) and doing pure barre occasionally. I FINALLY had a 3 day period in December and thought all was good again. I haven’t had once since and I am still eating good fats, carbs and calories and just got my bloodwork tested this week. My Estrogen was at an 8!! Progesterone was low too, I don’t understand at all and this doesn’t make sense to me! In December, 2 weeks before my first period since April, My Estrogen was at a 93 which is great! I am eating more now than December and I don’t understand how the levels could be so low?! I just turned 40 (not menopausal) and am not on any birth control as it doesn’t agree with me and I want to get my period back naturally, I was beyond excited when I got my period In December and am now so confused! My husband is so supportive and loving which helps but I wanted to see if you have any advice for me at all? I would really appreciate it as I am at a loss! Thank you!
Taylor Kiser says
I recommend you read the book I talk about in the post! You are likely still not eating enough and/or too much exercise!
Kate Conwill says
I have not had a period since February 2020. I have been to the doctor several times this year and even tried medicines to get my period back. All of my bloodwork is normal, and everything else seems to be normal.
Nothing has worked. I know it is from counting my calories and excessive exercise. I make sure I am in a calorie deficit every day, and it is a pretty substantial deficit. I have gotten to the point of cardio every day! I knew this was my problem, I just would not admit it from fear of having to actual eat like a normal human. I am 33 years old and should have a normal menstrual cycle. I have no kids, and my husband and I want to try and have a baby. I am scared to death of changing my lifestyle, but I know I have to. I know I have a long road to recovery, I just hope I can recover before it is too late for me. Thank you so much for sharing. I am purchasing the book you suggested. I am happy to know I am not the only one that has struggled with this.
Taylor Kiser says
Hey Kate! So proud of you! It is a long and scary road but you are definitely not too young. I promise its worth it!
Cecilia says
Can you pls help me
I’m willing to pay of course
Taylor Kiser says
Hi Cecilia! Unfortunately this is not something I help with. I recommend you buy the book “no period now what’ as it will walk you through healing 🙂