A reddit thread about people worrying about becoming 'like us' in order to recover strikes up a conversation between us.

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Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

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The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

Zoe got her first period back about a WEEK before she was supposed to start coaching with us. Amazing, right? Except… she knew she wasn’t actually recovered.

Her luteal phase was basically nonexistent, her relationship with food and exercise was still crap (her words 😂), and part of her was already thinking: cool, I stopped exercising, got my period back… now I can go back to what I was doing. And THAT is what we talk about in this episode.

Zoe shares her long history with an eating disorder, years of running 10K a day + going to the gym + doing HIIT, being told by doctors that her exercise was “great,” and eventually learning that she had hypothalamic amenorrhea.

She also talks about what happened AFTER that first period came back. Because getting one bleed and building a body that can consistently ovulate are not necessarily the same project.

We talk about:

• Why exercise was the biggest thing Zoe had to change
• Her struggle with eating breakfast without “earning it” first
• Weight gain and the moments she wanted to restrict again
• Why getting her first period back didn’t magically fix her relationship with food and exercise
• Learning how to read her cycle and understand what actually moves the needle for HER body
• Reintroducing exercise without going straight back to old habits
• Why recovery gets easier when you finally have enough experience to trust your body
• Her TTC journey and chemical pregnancy
• Why she’s actually grateful she didn’t get pregnant immediately
• Body comments from other people and learning to care a whole lot less 😂
• And the freedom of being able to miss a workout, sit on the couch, and… not lose your freaking mind over it

Zoe is now 8 cycles into recovery, exercising again (WAY differently), fueling for it, TTC, and in a completely different relationship with her body than when she started.

This episode is such a good reminder that the goal of recovery isn’t just to force your body to produce one period.

Restore Your Fertility Blueprint

https://www.thehasociety.com/

Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

http://thehasociety.com/coaching

Visit us on YouTube

https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff

Follow us on IG

http://instagram.com/thehasociety

http://instagram.com/danisheriff

https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_

https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia

https://www.instagram.com/abbylowekey/

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

Did you know this episode is WATCHABLE on YouTube? https://youtu.be/-Qe0iWrbd1g

In today's episode of The Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Podcast:

Front of podcast banter:

• How to Solve Your Smelly Arm Pitts
• How People Respond When We Tell Them Our Job Is To Get Periods

Skip to the meat of the episode: 27:00

• 5 Things You Can Do During Recovery

Past clients we mention

Tatum (Musician): https://open.spotify.com/artist/5yq9dgatAJy6Hj0Rn89Q7Z

Rosa (Make Up Artist):

https://www.instagram.com/primroseglam

Sofia (Artist):

https://www.instagram.com/sofiadelriveroart

Join The HA Society

http://thehasociety.com/join

Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

http://thehasociety.com/coaching

Visit us on YouTube

https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff

Sky &Sol:

https://skyandsol.co/pages/home

Follow us on IG

http://instagram.com/thehasociety

http://instagram.com/danisheriff

https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_

https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

Did you know this episode is WATCHABLE on YouTube? https://youtu.be/YEQr60v4uD8

Q&A starts at 10:00 minute mark

In this episode we answer questions around hypothalamic amenorrhea AND:

- the provera pill. Does the progesterone challenge have side effects?

- breast feeding and period recovery expectations

- intuitive eating vs mechanical eating for HA

and more!

Watch the free Masterclass

https://thehasociety.com/yt-masterclass

Restore Your Fertility Blueprint

https://www.thehasociety.com/

Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

http://thehasociety.com/coaching

Visit us on YouTube

https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff

Follow us on IG

http://instagram.com/thehasociety

http://instagram.com/danisheriff

https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_

https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

For years, Bianca did everything she believed a "healthy" woman should do, she exercised daily, tracked her calories, avoided carbs, and was repeatedly told by doctors that nothing was wrong.

After nearly 8 years without a menstrual cycle, countless specialist appointments, blood work, MRIs, and a misdiagnosis of PCOS, Bianca finally discovered she had hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA). That discovery didn't just lead to getting her period back, it completely changed the trajectory of her life.

In this episode, Bianca shares her recovery journey, the mindset shifts that helped her embrace weight gain and rest, and how recovering from HA inspired her to become a certified Holistic HA Practitioner so she could help other women avoid the years of confusion she experienced.

We also discuss:

• Bianca's 8-year journey to recovering her period naturally
• Being misdiagnosed with PCOS and told to "just go back on the pill"
• How over-exercising, under-fueling, and diet culture contributed to HA
• The mental challenge of eating more, exercising less, and accepting body changes
• Why recovery is about so much more than getting your period back
• The surprising symptoms of HA that disappeared after recovery (cold intolerance, fatigue, hair loss, food obsession, irritability, and more)
• How recovery transformed Bianca's relationship with food, movement, and herself
• Why she chose to become an HA coach and now helps women recover around the world
• The importance of support, patience, and not comparing your recovery to someone else's

Recovery gave Bianca far more than a menstrual cycle, it gave her freedom, purpose, and a life that no longer revolved around food and exercise. If you're in the middle of HA recovery and wondering whether it's worth it, this conversation is the reminder that the life waiting on the other side is bigger than you can imagine.

If you want to turn your mess into your message like Bianca, check out our Holistic Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Practitioner (HHAP) Certification program.

Become a certified HHAP Practitioner

https://www.holistichapractitioner.com/

Connect with Bianca:

Instagram & TikTok: @letthemeatcarbs

Try the Blueprint

https://thehasociety.com/blueprint

Join The HA Society

http://thehasociety.com/join

Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

http://thehasociety.com/coaching

Visit us on YouTube

https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff

Follow us on IG

http://instagram.com/thehasociety

http://instagram.com/danisheriff

https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_

https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

Aspiring recovery practitioners need to know how to review a client intake form and build a personalized recovery plan. In our upcoming live session on August 13th, our Head of Coaching Ashley Smith show you exactly how we do this with a real client intake form.

The Holistic HA Practitioner Certification is open for enrollment starting TUESDAY AUGUST 11th - learn more here AND sign up for the free training with Ashley.

In this episode, Dani sits down with Meg Dapper, an HA Society HHAP Certified Practitioner, to discuss her journey from anorexia and hypothalamic amenorrhea to helping women recover their health and reclaim their lives.

Meg shares how she physically recovered from an eating disorder as a teenager but later realized she had never truly healed her relationship with food, exercise, and control. Years later, those same patterns resurfaced in a different form, leading to hypothalamic amenorrhea.

Together, Dani and Meg explore the difference between physical recovery and mental recovery, why identity plays such a significant role in healing, and how recovery ultimately led both of them to discover a deeper sense of purpose.

If you've ever wondered whether life after recovery can become bigger than simply getting your period back, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. Meg's journey from anorexia to hypothalamic amenorrhea
2. Why eating disorder recovery and HA recovery are two different healing journeys
3. How control around food often shifts into exercise and routine
4. The hidden mental work required to fully recover
5. The importance of finding a compelling "why" during recovery
6. Why community is one of the most powerful tools for healing
7. How recovery can lead to a complete identity transformation
8. Turning your own healing into helping other women
9. The realities of building a coaching business after recovery
10. Why purpose and service often become the greatest rewards of healing

Connect with Meg:

Instagram: @meg.n.recovery

Become a certified HHAP Practitioner

https://www.holistichapractitioner.com/

Try the Blueprint

https://thehasociety.com/blueprint

Join The HA Society

http://thehasociety.com/join

Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

http://thehasociety.com/coaching

Visit us on YouTube

https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff

Follow us on IG

http://instagram.com/thehasociety

http://instagram.com/danisheriff

https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_

https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

This listener had 5 cycles after recovering her missing period from hypothalamic amenorrhea but the 6th one never came after reintroducing weight lifting. In this episode I will go over her case with what information I have and help her find a path forward.

Try the Blueprint

https://thehasociety.com/blueprint

Jool Wellness

https://www.joolwellness.com/

Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

http://thehasociety.com/coaching

Follow us on IG

http://instagram.com/thehasociety

http://instagram.com/danisheriff

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

Today on the Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Podcast we answer viewer-questions about a lot of period recovery topics!

Questions we answer for our HA'ers:

1. Early pregnancy concerns as an HA’er
2. Recovery sleep disruptions when you get your period back or are working toward recovery
3. Can I recover without losing my body composition and gaining weight?
4. Weight gain: how can I accept it?
5. Set Point theory, how and why does this work?

Have a question for the show? Email dani [AT] thehasociety.com or comment on our YouTube

Join The HA Society

http://thehasociety.com/join

Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

http://thehasociety.com/coaching

Visit us on YouTube

https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff

Follow us on IG

http://instagram.com/thehasociety

http://instagram.com/danisheriff

https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_

https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia

Jool Wellness:

https://www.joolwellness.com/

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

In this episode, we sit down with Tamara, an HA Society HHAP graduate and practitioner, to unpack her 11-year journey with hypothalamic amenorrhea, despite having a medical background and helping others recover.

We talk about the hidden patterns that keep high-achieving women stuck, how control can simply shift forms (from food to work), and why recovery ultimately comes down to doing the basics consistently, eating more, resting more, and telling yourself the truth.

If you feel like you “know what to do” but aren’t fully doing it, this episode will hit.

Connect with Toma:

https://www.instagram.com/tamara.podanova

Become a Certified HHAP Practitioner:

https://www.holistichapractitioner.com/

Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

http://thehasociety.com/coaching

Visit us on YouTube

https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff

Follow us on IG

http://instagram.com/thehasociety

http://instagram.com/danisheriff

https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_

https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

In this episode, Ashley sits down with recent HHAP graduate Katie Weber to talk about her journey from eating disorder recovery, to HA to getting her period back and helping other women do the same.

Katie shares how years of food rules, control, over-exercise, and “wellness” beliefs slowly led her into HA, and why true recovery required much more than just knowing the science. Together, Ashley and Katie talk about the deeper emotional work of HA recovery, including identity loss, surrender, external validation, and the uncomfortable unraveling that happens when control is no longer an option.

They also discuss:

1. How Katie’s eating disorder recovery still left her with lingering food rules
2. The wellness and “crunchy health” messaging that contributed to her HA
3. Why many women with HA look healthy on the outside but are deeply under-fueled
4. The difference between eating enough to survive vs eating enough to ovulate
5. Why HA recovery is simple, but not easy
6. The role of coaching, accountability, and body feedback in recovery
7. How Katie used her faith and personal recovery journey to shape her coaching practice
8. What it’s been like graduating from HHAP and beginning to coach women through HA recovery

If you’ve ever felt stuck in quasi-recovery, trapped in control, or like you “know what to do” but still can’t fully let go, this conversation will hit home.

Become a HHAP Coach:

https://www.holistichapractitioner.com/

Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

http://thehasociety.com/coaching

Visit us on YouTube

https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff

Try our beef liver & oyster:

https://www.joolwellness.com/

Follow us on IG

http://instagram.com/thehasociety

http://instagram.com/danisheriff

https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_

https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

Resources Mentioned

1. Katie’s Substack: Caitlin Weber
2. The Period Recovery Movement podcast

There are symptoms that can get in the way of low hormone restoration and period recovery... and then there are the ones that are stories in your head that your brain is using to negotiate you NOT committing.

In this video I help you determine if your uncomfortable symptom during recovery is a mindset issue or if it's something you need to stop drop and roll on.

Join The HA Society

http://thehasociety.com/join

Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

http://thehasociety.com/coaching

Jool Wellness

https://www.joolwellness.com/

Follow us on IG

http://instagram.com/thehasociety

http://instagram.com/danisheriff

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

Use my Factor Nutrition Link to get $150 off of your first order:

http://bit.ly/4pp734a

In this episode we cover a LOT of subjects:

- The different recovery goals of women with HA in different regions

- Toxic families making it harder to gain weight in a safe environment

- Teenagers trying to recover and advice for their parents

Check out our HA Recovery for Teenagers Course

https://thehasociety.com/teens

Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

http://thehasociety.com/coaching

Join The HA Society

http://thehasociety.com/join

Jool Wellness Beef Liver & Oyster

https://www.joolwellness.com/

Follow us on IG

http://instagram.com/thehasociety

http://instagram.com/danisheriff

https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_

https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

After years of searching for answers, seeing multiple specialists, undergoing extensive testing, and being told she was "healthy," Caroline still didn't have a period.

Like many women with Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (HA), she spent years believing she was doing everything right. She exercised regularly, ate what she thought was a healthy diet, maintained a lean body, and followed many of the wellness trends praised by society.

But underneath it all were years of intermittent fasting, under-fueling, chronic stress, and high physical output.

In this episode, Caroline shares how she went from:

✔️ No period for over 4 years

✔️ Multiple doctor visits, lab tests, MRIs, and specialist referrals

✔️ Being told everything looked "normal"

✔️ Training for a triathlon while trying to conceive

✔️ Struggling with food rules and exercise habits

To:

✔️ Recovering ovulation in just 93 days

✔️ Restoring her menstrual cycle naturally

✔️ Conceiving on her second ovulation

✔️ Being 21 weeks pregnant at the time of recording

We also discuss the emotional side of HA recovery, navigating weight gain, letting go of exercise, learning to ask for help, and why investing in support can dramatically change your recovery journey.

If you've been told your labs are normal, you've been trying to recover on your own, or you're wondering if Hypothalamic Amenorrhea could be the missing piece, this episode is for you.

Join The HA Society

http://thehasociety.com/join

Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

http://thehasociety.com/coaching

Visit us on YouTube

https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff

Jool Wellness

https://joolwellness.com

Use code HASOCIETYFREE to get 1 free bottle (ends August 2026)

Follow us on IG

http://instagram.com/thehasociety

http://instagram.com/danisheriff

https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_

https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia/

https://www.instagram.com/abbylowekey/

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

We asked our email list subscribers for their questions, fears and concerns about weight gain and hypothalamic amenorrhea and today we're excited to be ANSWERING THEM!

Join The HA Society

http://thehasociety.com/join

Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

http://thehasociety.com/coaching

Visit us on YouTube

https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff

Jool Wellness

https://joolwellness.com

Follow us on IG

http://instagram.com/thehasociety

http://instagram.com/danisheriff

https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_

https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

Join the Restore Program: https://thehasociety.com/restore-live

Today on the Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Podcast we answer viewer-questions about a lot of period recovery topics!

1. Questions we answer for our HA'ers:
2. Early pregnancy concerns as an HA’er
3. Recovery sleep disruptions when you get your period back or are working toward recovery
4. Can I recover without losing my body composition and gaining weight?
5. Weight gain: how can I accept it?
6. Set Point theory, how and why does this work?

Join The HA Society

http://thehasociety.com/join

Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

http://thehasociety.com/coaching

Visit us on YouTube

https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff

Jool Wellness

https://joolwellness.com

Follow us on IG

http://instagram.com/thehasociety

http://instagram.com/danisheriff

https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_

https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia/

https://www.instagram.com/abbylowekey/

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

Join the Restore Program: https://thehasociety.com/restore-live

Romi did everything “right.” She worked out. She ate clean. She was disciplined, knowledgeable, and praised for it. And still...her period disappeared.

In this episode, Romi shares what it actually looked like to unravel years of restriction disguised as health, control disguised as discipline, and an identity built around being the “fit, healthy girl.” Her journey wasn’t fast. It wasn’t linear. And it didn’t fit neatly into a 10-week recovery "timeline", but that’s exactly why her story matters.

We talk about low energy availability that hides behind salads and productivity, binge eating that was really just hunger, the fear of eating more and resting more, and the deep resistance that comes up when healing asks you to let go of who you’ve been praised for being. Romi opens up about body changes, grief around muscle loss, developing body image for the first time, and the quiet but powerful moment when her body finally felt safe enough to ovulate again.

This episode is for the woman who feels stuck even though she’s “trying.” For the one whose labs aren’t moving, whose body won’t respond on command, and who secretly wonders if she’s broken. Romi’s story is a reminder that recovery is not just about food and exercise, it’s about trust, identity, and learning how to stop micromanaging your body long enough to let it heal.

If you’ve ever thought, “Why is this taking so long?” or “Why can’t I just fix this?”- this one is for you.

Restore Your Fertility Group Program

https://www.thehasociety.com/restore-live

Join The HA Society

http://thehasociety.com/join

Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

http://thehasociety.com/coaching

Visit us on YouTube

https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff

Jool Wellness

https://joolwellness.com

Follow us on IG

http://instagram.com/thehasociety

http://instagram.com/danisheriff

https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_

https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia/

https://www.instagram.com/abbylowekey/

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

In this episode we talk about the slippery slope of wedding diets and Mishi shares her experience with extreme weight loss in the lead up to her own wedding. Consider this a cautionary tale for anyone telling themselves "I'll resolve my missing period later"

Join The HA Society

http://thehasociety.com/join

Apply for The Restore Your Fertility Group Program

https://www.thehasociety.com/restore-live

Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

http://thehasociety.com/coaching

Visit us on YouTube

https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff

Follow us on IG

http://instagram.com/thehasociety

http://instagram.com/danisheriff

https://www.instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_/

https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia/

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

Anna is in her early 20's but still had a long road with misdiagnosis, crappy medical advice and confusion around her missing period.

After discovering her dedication to weight loss was the issue causing her amenorrhea, she hit the group running with recovery.

Join The HA Society

http://thehasociety.com/join

Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

http://thehasociety.com/coaching

Visit us on YouTube

https://youtube.com/c/danisheriff

Follow us on IG

http://instagram.com/thehasociety

http://instagram.com/danisheriff

https://www.instagram.com/abbylowekey/

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.

In today’s recovery story, Ashley sits down with Jasmine, a psychologist from the UK whose journey challenges the idea that you need to completely lose your period to struggle with Hypothalamic Amenorrhea.

For over 10 years, Jasmine lived in the gray area: irregular cycles, delayed ovulation, low estrogen, intense exercise, chronic stress, and constant reassurance from doctors that everything was “fine.” Because she still got periods (sometimes), she convinced herself it couldn’t be HA.

But beneath the surface was a body running on stress, control, perfectionism, and chronic under-fueling.

In this conversation, Jasmine opens up about:

1. Being dismissed by doctors for years despite obvious cycle irregularities
2. The connection between chronic pain, perfectionism, control, and HA
3. Going from 10 periods a year > 6 periods a year > 70-day cycles
4. CrossFit, running, Hyrox training, and why exercise became emotionally complicated
5. Extreme hunger, weight gain, and the fear of “losing control”
6. Delayed ovulation, temping anxiety, and becoming obsessed with chart data
7. Why recovery wasn’t a dramatic overnight transformation, but consistent forward movement
8. Learning that your body doesn’t need to be your sole source of happiness
9. Recovering physically while also healing your relationship with food, rest, and yourself

This episode is especially for the women who:

1. Still get periods “sometimes”
2. Have long or irregular cycles
3. Feel stuck in denial because they don’t fit the stereotypical HA picture
4. Are high-achieving, Type A, and used to pushing harder for results
5. Know deep down something is off, even if labs come back “normal”

Jasmine’s story is a powerful reminder that you do not need to wait until your period disappears completely to start listening to your body. Sometimes recovery isn’t about one massive breakthrough. Sometimes it’s about consistently not going backwards.

Join The HA Society

http://thehasociety.com/join

Work 1:1 with us to get your period back

http://thehasociety.com/coaching

Follow us on IG

http://instagram.com/thehasociety

http://instagram.com/danisheriff

https://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_

https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarcia

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.