Stop Fighting Your Body: The Real Guide to Women's Health

Your girl friend group has probably tried every diet out there, right? Keto one month, carnivore the next, then suddenly intermittent fasting. And maybe nothing stuck—or worse, you felt terrible.

Here's the thing nobody told you: your body isn't broken. It's just that most diet advice was written for dudes, and your hormones don't care about generic meal plans.

Your Body Isn't a Dude

Let's get real. Your hormones are literally doing a dance every single month. One week you're energized and ready to conquer the world. Two weeks later? You want to sleep for three days and eat everything.

Standard fasting? The kind where you skip breakfast every single day? That might work for some people, but for your body, it's like trying to wear the same size shoe on both feet—technically possible, but deeply uncomfortable.

This is where "fasting like a girl" comes in. And yes, that's actually the name, because it's that different.

Instead of fighting your cycle, you work with it. During the first half of your cycle (when estrogen is climbing), your body can handle shorter fasting windows and lighter eating. That's your sweet spot for maybe skipping breakfast if you want to.

But the second half? That's when your metabolism actually speeds up and your body is screaming for more food. More carbs. More fuel. Forcing strict fasting during this time is basically punishing yourself for having a menstrual cycle.

The wild part? When you stop fighting your body and start listening to it, everything gets easier.

Carbs Aren't the Enemy (And Neither Is Fat)

So you've probably heard that carbs will make you fat, right? That low-carb is the only way? And that fat—especially saturated fat—will clog your arteries?

Yeah, that's outdated thinking.

The real deal: your brain literally runs on glucose. Your mood depends on it. Your energy depends on it. And when you're a woman trying to keep your hormones happy? Carbs are actually your friend.

Here's what matters: the type of carbs. A bowl of cereal and a sweet potato are not the same thing, even though they're both carbs. One sends your blood sugar through the roof and crashes it twenty minutes later. The other keeps you stable and energized.

Eat these carbs:

• Sweet potatoes and regular potatoes

• Quinoa and brown rice

• Oats

• Beans and lentils

• Veggies (yes, they're carbs too)

These are the ones that come with fiber, vitamins, and minerals your body actually needs.

About fat: Stop demonizing it. Your hormones are literally made from fat. Your brain uses it. Your skin needs it. The problem isn't fat—it's bad fat mixed with processed junk.

Eat olive oil, avocado, fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and yes, even butter from grass-fed cows. These are the real deal. A little coconut oil? Great. But don't go crazy trying to hit some imaginary "low-fat" target. Your body will just keep asking for more food because it's actually hungry for something.

The balance that works: good protein, enough complex carbs, and healthy fats. That's it. It's not fancy, but it actually works.

The Part Nobody Talks About: Your Nervous System

Okay, so you're eating better now. You're syncing your fasting with your cycle. But you still feel kinda off. Anxious. Or your digestion is weirdly messed up. Or you can't stop thinking about food.

There's something everyone misses: your body won't fully heal until it feels safe.

If you've been through anything stressful—whether that's a rough breakup, financial stress, a toxic job, or actual trauma—your nervous system is probably stuck in "emergency mode." When your body thinks it's in danger, it does weird things. Your digestion shuts down. Your hormones go haywire. Your hunger signals get all confused.

And here's where it gets tricky: if you've ever restricted food, gone on crazy diets, or had body image struggles, your nervous system might associate restriction with safety. So when you try to eat better or change your habits, something inside you might actually resist it. That's not weakness. That's your body trying to protect you based on past experience.

Healing looks like:

First, calming your nervous system down. Actually resting. Deep breathing. Maybe yoga or meditation—not the aggressive kind, but the slow, gentle kind. Your body needs to know it's safe again.

Second, changing how you think about food. Food isn't punishment. Skipping meals isn't discipline. A "perfect" body isn't the goal. Eating a real meal—with carbs and fat and everything—is actually an act of loving yourself. That takes practice to believe, but it works.

Third, getting help processing what happened. Therapy, talking to friends, journaling, moving your body in ways that feel good—not punishing ways. This isn't separate from nutrition. It's the foundation of it.

When you calm your nervous system and start feeling safe in your body, something magic happens: everything else gets easier. Your digestion improves. Your cravings make more sense. Your hormones settle down. Your energy comes back.

Real Talk: How to Actually Start

You don't need to overhaul everything tomorrow. Here's what actually works:

Month one: Start eating real food. Throw out the processed stuff. Get comfortable with carbs and fat. Notice how you feel. There's no restriction here—just paying attention.

Month two: Start paying attention to your cycle. When do you have energy? When are you hungry? When do you want to rest? Just observe. Write it down if you want.

Month three: Gently try adjusting your eating and fasting around your cycle. Lighter the first half, more substantial the second half. See if it feels better.

Throughout: Deal with stress. Whatever that means for you. Move, create, rest, get therapy, talk to people. Your body isn't a machine you can just optimize. It's a living thing that responds to how safe and cared for it feels.

The Bottom Line

Your body isn't broken. It doesn't need fixing. It needs listening to.

It's not about being perfect. It's about feeling good. Having energy. Not hating yourself around food. Actually enjoying your life instead of constantly fighting your own body.

That's the real goal. That's what happens when you stop force-fitting yourself into someone else's diet plan and start actually honoring how your body works.

Your body is smarter than any diet. Trust it.