What going “All in” means and how you can regain your missing period too!
Going “All in” for recovering a missing period!
All in is a term created by Nicola reinoldi, Author of “no period, now what” but has been recently popularized by Stephanie Buttermore. In Short, it is allowing yourself full permission to eat how much and what you want at any time of day. Along with tapering exercise back to light walking or no exercise at all. In terms of period recovery, its suggested you hit a minimum of 2500cals per day (or more) to meet the required nutrient content your body needs to restart your reproductive system.
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Disclaimer: This is not medical advice and should not be taken as such. I am not a doctor and do not claim to be as these are solely based on my experiences. Please consult your family doctor before considering any recommendations listed in this post. Thanks!
Why have you have a missing period
There are multiple reasons why your period may be missing but the common denominator is always stress. Some women are unaware of stressors they are putting on themselves because they are thought of as “healthy”. Stressor you may be overseeing include:
- Dieting
- Over exercise
- Overworking
- Exam time for students
- Unintentional undereating
- Binge/purge cycle
The cause of your missing period can also be multiple stressors, not just one. Take a look at your daily life, activities, and what you eat and adjust according to your goals. Which, if you’re missing a period, should be to regain it.
All in is so much food! Do I need that much?
When my period was missing and I was searching for a quick fix solution, I found a lot of “seed cycling”, supplements, and whatever other false information crowds the internet. Don’t get me wrong, I think there are benefits to supplementing, seed cycling, cycle syncing, etc. BUT when you do not have a period, the most important thing is getting enough food and gaining a bit of weight. Not one of the quick fixes you find are going to bring back you period so please save your money and just eat food.
I’m not saying eat like and A**hole but have treats, whole foods, and a well-rounded diet. Your body will thank you.
How long will it take? Well, it’s different for everybody. For myself, I went 4 years without a period and managed to regain it within a few months of eating about 3000 cals per day and still doing light exercise. Your recovery will look different but don’t give up, it will come back! Your body is made to reproduce so trust the process.
Can you regain your missing period without going all in?
Yes, however, it may take longer if you do it slower which is a personal choice. You may also find if you have been restricting for a while and start to allow more food, your appetite will increase and you end up eating the minimum 2500cals anyways.
If your period has not been missing for very long, you may also find it takes less time and food to regain it back, this is because you probably aren’t far off a healthy weight to begin with. Which is great!
Gaining weight going All in
Sorry to be the bad guy but you are going to gain weight if you want your fertility to return. Chances are your body does not like the weight you’re at and wants a little more. For me, that was adding 10lbs which was a lot at the time but the benefits 100% outweigh being lean.
How my life improved gaining weight:
- Getting my period back
- Going out to eat
- Letting go of tracking my food
- Booty gainz
- Boobie gainz
- Strength in the gym
- Energy throughout the day
- Healthy hair
- Healthy skin
- Improved digestion
So many things to benefit from weight gain that have nothing to do with how you look. It’s about how you feel. I felt my womanhood was missing when I didn’t have my period. I feel more complete now that she’s back☺
Sample of what I ate when I was “all in”:
Breakfast
- Large bowl of oatmeal
- Banana
- Protein powder
Snack
- 2 slices of toast
- Peanut butter
Lunch
- Veg
- Bbq chicken
- Roasted potatoes
- Dessert: granola bar with peanut butter
Snack
- Hard boiled eggs
- Mango
- Cheese
Dinner
- Pasta bake
Dessert
- Ice cream/cookie/chocolate
I do not know the calories on this but defiantly hits the minimum! Hope this gives you an idea of some meals and frequency of meals. I tried to include a lot of calorie dense foods and healthy fats to get the nutrients in without feeling like I was stuffed all the time.
What to focus on when trying to get your missing period back
Fats and carbs! Protein as well but I’m going to assume you have been dieting and idolized protein, time to shift gears! Fats are essential hormone builders and carbs are energy your body so desperately needs right now. I find a lot of woman also lose their cycle when starting low carb. It’s because your womanly body needs carbs to ovulate, no carbs means no ovulation and no period.
Closing thoughts on “all in” to recover missed periods
Ill be real with you, it sucks at the start. Gaining weight is a mind f*ck and its going to be uncomfortable but i assure you the outcome will be worth it! You will regain your period and your health. I cried so many time looking at my body in the mirror which also forced me to change my thoughts about myself, to be kind instead of cynical and start forgiving myself and situation. Life it tough sometimes, but so are you.
let me know in the comments if you have gone all in, or are experienceing a loss of period and have any questions about going all in!
until next time xx
-Hailee
