In this episode, I’m breaking down why intermittent fasting doesn’t work for (menstruating) women, even when it feels productive or “good” at first. I also give practical guidance on what to eat if you wake up not hungry, especially if your goal is to build muscle, support blood sugar, and improve overall energy.
Why Intermittent Fasting Feels So Convincing
You wake up, skip breakfast, drink your coffee, and start to plow through your to-do list (or workout), get your kids up and off to school, etc. But you never pause to eat. You either don’t wake up hungry ooooor you’re suppressing your hunger (because you think it’s healthy/you’re worried that if you eat breakfast, you’ll watch the scale creep up). Sigh. Unfortunately, that fasted, alert feeling isn’t magic. It’s cortisol.
You’re Turning On Your Body’s Survival Mode
Fasting triggers a stress response in your hypothalamus, the part of your brain that monitors energy and safety. Essentially, your brain sounds the alarm: No incoming fuel? We’re now in survival mode. Furthermore, the buzz of energy you feel is borrowed. Yes, borrowed. And these long-term, repeated cortisol spikes eventually wear your body down.
Personally, those chronic spikes did me DIRTY. I didn’t have a period for years, my hair was constantly falling out (which heightened my anxiety even more), I felt tired but wired before bed, and my daily sugar cravings were through the roof.
Why Women Respond Differently Than Men
Intermittent fasting is a perfect example of copying and pasting male data onto female bodies. And yes, it can work well for men! BUT our bodies are much more sensitive to energy restriction. We respond strongly to scarcity signals, especially when it comes to our metabolism and hormones. So if IF feels harder than expected, that’s completely normal (and not something to get frustrated with).
Basically, when we layer long fasting windows on top of already changing estrogen and progesterone levels (particularly during the second half of our cycle or postpartum), it can quickly backfire. Hello, fatigue, irritability, poor sleep, and stalled body recomp progress. In other words, it’s not that you’re not “disciplined.” Our female biology doesn’t like prolonged fasting. And honoring that biology often means approaching fasting more flexibly, or not at all, depending on the season of life you’re in.
Hunger in the Morning Is… Healthy
Speaking of what’s normal, it’s biologically normal (read: healthy) to feel hungry within an hour of waking.
Cortisol naturally rises in the morning to help you wake up. Eating helps buffer that rise and stabilizes blood sugar. When you don’t eat, cortisol keeps climbing, which can leave you feeling shaky, foggy, or irritable. So if you’ve been fasting for months and ignoring morning hunger, take a breath. It’s time to start listening to your body.
What to Eat When You’re Not Hungry
Maybe you don’t wake up hungry…or you’re nervous that eating early will make you gain weight. Here’s the good news: eating earlier will not make you gain fat (barring you’re starting your day with adequate protein and fiber!). And from a muscle-building perspective, it can actually help.
Protein early in the day supports muscle protein synthesis, pairing it with carbs helps stabilize blood sugar and cortisol, and even a small snack signals to your body that fuel is available. Some practical options:
Smoothie with 1-2 scoops Vital Proteins choc collagen, frozen wild blueberries, peanut butter, milk of choice, and ice
Greek yogurt with chopped kiwi, cinnamon, and bee pollen
Ella’s Flats with mashed avo and hard-boiled eggs
Cottage cheese with strawberries and hemp seeds
Latte made with Slate Milk
The goal here is signal + nourishment, not necessarily having a huge breakfast. For my clients who don’t wake up hungry, I suggest a small snack and then brunch around 10/11 a.m.
Why Eating Earlier Supports Energy and Strength
When you shift from fasting all morning to adding a small, intentional breakfast, you’ll notice a slew of benefits:
Stronger, more productive training sessions (more fuel = improved strength)
More stable blood sugar, leading to steadier energy and fewer crashes
Improved focus and mental clarity throughout the morning
Reduced cortisol spikes, which supports hormones and stress resilience
Fewer intense cravings later in the day, esp for sugar and quick carbs
Less overeating at night and more balanced appetite overall
Support for lean muscle maintenance and growth
Improved metabolic flexibility (your body handles fuel more efficiently)
Better mood and patience (noticeable on busy or high-stress days!)
Breaks the binge–restrict cycle by signaling safety and consistency to the body
Chronically under-fueling makes muscle building harder (read: impossible), and drives stress. Not the goal(s)! But eating early and strategically is one of the simplest ways to improve your body composition.
This Isn’t a Prescription
All to say, if intermittent fasting genuinely works for you (if you’re not staring at the clock, suppressing hunger, or feeling shaky in the mornings…) then truly, you do you. We are all bioindividuals. If we’ve worked together, you know this is the ethos of my nutrition consulting. Ultimately, I never want this podcast or any content I create to feel prescriptive! You don’t need someone on the internet telling you how to live your life. (: This episode is about helping you understand your body’s feedback so you can make informed decisions.
Missed the last podcast ep? You can listen here. I explain why underfueling (eating less than your body needs!) is keeping you stuck. I walk through how chronic restriction impacts everything from your metabolism to your sugar cravings. It lays the foundation for the episode you listened to today!
