375. From HA to Purpose: How Recovery Led Meg Dapper to Help Other Women

A reddit thread about people worrying about becoming 'like us' in order to recover strikes up a conversation between us.Restore Your Fertility Blueprinthttps://www.thehasociety.com/Work 1:1 with us to get your period backhttp://thehasociety.com/coachingVisit us on YouTubehttps://youtube.com/c/danisheriffFollow us on IGhttp://instagram.com/thehasocietyhttp://instagram.com/danisheriffhttps://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarciahttps://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.

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 changeHer struggle with eating breakfast without “earning it” firstWeight gain and the moments she wanted to restrict againWhy getting her first period back didn’t magically fix her relationship with food and exerciseLearning how to read her cycle and understand what actually moves the needle for HER bodyReintroducing exercise without going straight back to old habitsWhy recovery gets easier when you finally have enough experience to trust your bodyHer TTC journey and chemical pregnancyWhy she’s actually grateful she didn’t get pregnant immediatelyBody 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 itZoe 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 Blueprinthttps://www.thehasociety.com/Work 1:1 with us to get your period backhttp://thehasociety.com/coachingVisit us on YouTubehttps://youtube.com/c/danisheriffFollow us on IGhttp://instagram.com/thehasocietyhttp://instagram.com/danisheriffhttps://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarciahttps://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/-Qe0iWrbd1gIn today's episode of The Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Podcast:Front of podcast banter:How to Solve Your Smelly Arm PittsHow People Respond When We Tell Them Our Job Is To Get PeriodsSkip to the meat of the episode: 27:005 Things You Can Do During RecoveryPast clients we mentionTatum (Musician): https://open.spotify.com/artist/5yq9dgatAJy6Hj0Rn89Q7ZRosa (Make Up Artist):https://www.instagram.com/primroseglamSofia (Artist):https://www.instagram.com/sofiadelriveroartJoin The HA Societyhttp://thehasociety.com/joinWork 1:1 with us to get your period backhttp://thehasociety.com/coachingVisit us on YouTubehttps://youtube.com/c/danisheriffSky &Sol:https://skyandsol.co/pages/home Follow us on IGhttp://instagram.com/thehasocietyhttp://instagram.com/danisheriffhttps://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarciaThe 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/YEQr60v4uD8Q&A starts at 10:00 minute markIn 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 HAand more!Watch the free Masterclasshttps://thehasociety.com/yt-masterclassRestore Your Fertility Blueprint https://www.thehasociety.com/Work 1:1 with us to get your period backhttp://thehasociety.com/coachingVisit us on YouTubehttps://youtube.com/c/danisheriffFollow us on IGhttp://instagram.com/thehasocietyhttp://instagram.com/danisheriffhttps://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarciaThe 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 naturallyBeing misdiagnosed with PCOS and told to "just go back on the pill"How over-exercising, under-fueling, and diet culture contributed to HAThe mental challenge of eating more, exercising less, and accepting body changesWhy recovery is about so much more than getting your period backThe 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 herselfWhy she chose to become an HA coach and now helps women recover around the worldThe importance of support, patience, and not comparing your recovery to someone else'sRecovery 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 Practitionerhttps://www.holistichapractitioner.com/Connect with Bianca:Instagram & TikTok: @letthemeatcarbsTry the Blueprinthttps://thehasociety.com/blueprintJoin The HA Societyhttp://thehasociety.com/joinWork 1:1 with us to get your period backhttp://thehasociety.com/coachingVisit us on YouTubehttps://youtube.com/c/danisheriffFollow us on IGhttp://instagram.com/thehasocietyhttp://instagram.com/danisheriffhttps://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarciaThe 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:Meg's journey from anorexia to hypothalamic amenorrheaWhy eating disorder recovery and HA recovery are two different healing journeysHow control around food often shifts into exercise and routineThe hidden mental work required to fully recoverThe importance of finding a compelling "why" during recoveryWhy community is one of the most powerful tools for healingHow recovery can lead to a complete identity transformationTurning your own healing into helping other womenThe realities of building a coaching business after recoveryWhy purpose and service often become the greatest rewards of healingConnect with Meg:Instagram: @meg.n.recoveryBecome a certified HHAP Practitionerhttps://www.holistichapractitioner.com/Try the Blueprinthttps://thehasociety.com/blueprintJoin The HA Societyhttp://thehasociety.com/joinWork 1:1 with us to get your period backhttp://thehasociety.com/coachingVisit us on YouTubehttps://youtube.com/c/danisheriffFollow us on IGhttp://instagram.com/thehasocietyhttp://instagram.com/danisheriffhttps://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarciaThe 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 Blueprinthttps://thehasociety.com/blueprintJool Wellness https://www.joolwellness.com/Work 1:1 with us to get your period backhttp://thehasociety.com/coachingFollow us on IGhttp://instagram.com/thehasocietyhttp://instagram.com/danisheriffThe 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:Early pregnancy concerns as an HA’erRecovery sleep disruptions when you get your period back or are working toward recoveryCan I recover without losing my body composition and gaining weight?Weight gain: how can I accept it?Set Point theory, how and why does this work?Have a question for the show? Email dani [AT] thehasociety.com or comment on our YouTubeJoin The HA Societyhttp://thehasociety.com/joinWork 1:1 with us to get your period backhttp://thehasociety.com/coachingVisit us on YouTubehttps://youtube.com/c/danisheriffFollow us on IGhttp://instagram.com/thehasocietyhttp://instagram.com/danisheriffhttps://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarciaJool 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.podanovaBecome a Certified HHAP Practitioner:https://www.holistichapractitioner.com/Work 1:1 with us to get your period backhttp://thehasociety.com/coachingVisit us on YouTubehttps://youtube.com/c/danisheriffFollow us on IGhttp://instagram.com/thehasocietyhttp://instagram.com/danisheriffhttps://instagram.com/ashley_marie_smith_https://www.instagram.com/itsmishigarciaThe Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.