A Woman’s Guide to Intermittent Fasting: How to Fast Safely with Your Hormones, Not Against Them

This is one of the most debated and confusing topics in the comments across all videos. The audience—particularly women—is acutely aware that most health advice, including fasting protocols, is often based on male physiology. Women experience complex hormonal fluctuations throughout their monthly cycle, as well as major life stages like pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause. These hormonal shifts make the female body more sensitive to stressors, and as some creators point out, fasting is a stressor. Viewers repeatedly ask for guidance tailored to their unique biology, tired of one-size-fits-all recommendations that can leave them feeling exhausted, hormonally imbalanced, or without results.

The core concern among women is that fasting, while potentially beneficial for insulin resistance, could do more harm than good by disrupting their delicate hormonal balance. Viewers express fear and confusion about whether fasting will negatively impact their menstrual cycle, harm fertility, worsen PCOS symptoms, or create unbearable stress during menopause. They hear conflicting advice from different experts and are left wondering if fasting is a powerful tool or a dangerous game for their bodies.

While the creators in the sources don't offer a unified strategy, the collective audience conversation and expert nuance point to one clear tip: Women must approach fasting with caution, personalization, and awareness. Instead of jumping into aggressive, long fasts, women should start slowly, monitor their body’s signals (energy, sleep, cycle symptoms) closely, and consider adjusting their fasting strategy around their menstrual cycle and overall stress levels.

Only a few creators directly tackled the nuances of fasting for women, while for others, it was a notable gap identified by their audience.

• Steven Bartlett (The Diary Of A CEO) & Dr. Pradip Jamnadas: In his interview with Dr. Jamnadas, host Steven Bartlett was praised by commenters for specifically raising the issue of fasting for women and citing conflicting advice from other experts like Dr. Stacy Sims. Dr. Jamnadas’s perspective was confident and practical. He stated that, in his experience, most women can handle fasting just as well as men, with the exception of those who are pregnant or trying to conceive. He differentiated between types of exercise, suggesting that while long-duration cardio while fasted could be problematic for women, resistance training and HIIT are fine because they don't cause the same glucose depletion issues. He provided an anecdote of a female patient who successfully completed a supervised 72-day fast.
• Steven Bartlett (The Diary Of A CEO) & Jessie Inchauspé (Glucose Goddess): Jessie Inchauspé offered a more cautious and nuanced perspective. She stated that fasting works “way better” in men and can “mess up your hormones” in females. Her key point was that fasting is a stressor and should be dosed carefully, especially if a woman is already dealing with an intense job, raising kids, and other lifestyle stressors. She advises against adding fasting on top of an already stressed system, noting that it can cause the body to “freak the f--- out,” leading to issues like missed periods. Her personal approach is to fast only when she is relaxed, such as on vacation.

If you are a woman considering fasting to improve insulin resistance, start with a simple 12-hour overnight fast (for example, stop eating at 7 PM and have your first meal at 7 AM). Pay close attention to how you feel the next day.

• Mistake: Jumping into long fasts (18+ hours or multiple days) without adapting first.
  Fix: Gradually increase your fasting window by an hour every few days, only if you feel good. Start with 12:12 and slowly progress to 16:8.
• Mistake: Pushing through negative symptoms like extreme fatigue, dizziness, or disrupted sleep.
  Fix: Recognize these as signs that your body is overly stressed. Scale back your fasting window or take a few days off. Prioritize sleep and stress management first.
• Mistake: Fasting aggressively during periods of high life stress (work deadlines, family issues).
  Fix: Treat fasting as a deliberate, controlled stressor. On highly stressful days, opt for a shorter fasting window or none at all to avoid overwhelming your system with cortisol.

• “I keep hearing opposing views about it fasting for women… should women fast or not??”
• “Is fasting good for women who just become menopausal? My HBA1C is within normal range but I am overweight... I have been attempting to intermittent fast 16:8 and it seems to feel fine most days.”
• “I am a woman and I agree with the doctor. I gradually learned how to fast and I did a 5 day fast with water and electrolytes only. I lost 20KG in a few months and regained my health”
• “If we could maybe study women’s bodies we might be able to learn a bit more. It’s not just “lifestyle”. Ffs if it was easy all of us would be fixing it. Menopause has been a struggle and linked to all sorts of health issues.”
• “Can you do a video on women in menopause and metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.”

The conversation around fasting for women is a perfect example of where generalized health advice fails. While some experts are confident that most women can fast successfully to improve insulin resistance, the overwhelming feedback from the audience reveals a deep need for a more nuanced, personalized approach. Fasting is a powerful tool but also a significant physiological stressor. For women, its impact is filtered through a complex and fluctuating hormonal landscape. The most valuable guidance that emerges is to treat fasting as an experiment of one: start slow, prioritize sleep and overall stress management, and let your body's response—not a rigid protocol—be your ultimate guide.