346: Several Moments of Courage & Bravery to Break the Cycle: A Recovery Story w/ Lydia

In this episode, Lydia shares her recovery story and the moments of courage it took to break long standing patterns around food, exercise, and control. After years of disordered eating, inconsistent cycles, and being told she was pre-menopausal, Lydia struggled to accept that HA could apply to her, especially since she didn’t relate to the “typical” HA story.Skeptical but encouraged by her husband, she joined our Bootcamp and found the clarity and direction she had been missing. That led her into the Restore Program, where she received the structure, support, and education she needed to heal both physically and mentally, regain her cycle, and release the final grips of her eating disorder. This episode is an honest look at what recovery can look like when you stop doing it alone.Register for Bootcamp | Starts January 12th 2026https://thehasociety.com/bootcampApply for the Restore Your Fertility Group Program | Starts January 19th 2026https://thehasociety.com/restore-liveWork 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/danisheriffThe Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-hypothalamic-amenorrhea-podcast/donations

In this episode, Dani sits down with her client Sara to share her journey from feeling like a “unicorn” who doubted recovery would ever work for her, to getting her period back and becoming pregnant just months later. Sara opens up about the fear, hesitation, and resistance she felt in the beginning, especially around weight gain, and how those emotions showed up as she moved from our Bootcamp into 1:1 coaching. Together, Dani and Sara walk through each phase of recovery, the key changes that finally moved the needle, and what shifted when she stopped questioning whether recovery would work for her and started fully committing to the process. If you’ve ever felt like the exception, worried it’s taking too long, or wondered if this path will actually work for you, this episode is for you.Register for Bootcamp | Starts January 12th 2026https://thehasociety.com/bootcampApply for the Restore Your Fertility Group Program | Starts January 19th 2026https://thehasociety.com/restore-liveWork 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/danisheriffThe Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-hypothalamic-amenorrhea-podcast/donations

In this episode, Patricia shares a recovery story so many women will see themselves in. She began with a PCOS diagnosis and followed the typical low-fat, low-carb protocol, only to slip deeper into HA. Even though she wasn’t “overexercising” in the traditional sense, her naturally active city lifestyle kept her body in a constant state of output.Inside our Restore Your Fertility Program, Patricia learned that her body wasn’t the problem, her protocol and rigidity was. She and Ashley created a plan that reduced unnecessary movement, added nourishment, and helped her release the rigid rules that were pushing her further from the period and fertility she wanted.Her story is a reminder that when you trust your body and give it what it truly needs, not what you think it should need, healing happens. If you’re stuck between diagnoses, confused by protocols, or frustrated that you’re doing “everything right,” this episode will feel like exhale.Jool Wellnesshttps://joolwellness.comRestore Your Fertility Group Programhttps://www.thehasociety.com/restore-liveJoin 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/itsmishigarcia/https://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.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-hypothalamic-amenorrhea-podcast/donations

In this episode, Heather continues her journey of recovery, diving deeper into the specific steps she took to restore her missing period and rebuild her health. She shares the practical strategies, mindset shifts, and lessons learned along the way, giving listeners a clear roadmap for navigating recovery from HA.This is part 2 of a 2-part series.Trigger warning: Discussion includes periods, hormones, numbers, and eating disorder behaviors. Please listen with care.Jool Wellnesshttps://joolwellness.comJoin 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/danisheriffThe Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-hypothalamic-amenorrhea-podcast/donations

In this episode, Heather shares her journey of finding hope and healing after a severe eating disorder. She opens up about the realities of recovery, the mindset shifts that made lasting change possible, and the deeper freedom that comes with reconnecting to your body. This is part 1 of a 2 part series.Trigger warning: numbers, calories, talk of eating disorders and weights are discussed here. Please listen with care.Join The HA Societyhttp://thehasociety.com/joinWork 1:1 with us to get your period backhttp://thehasociety.com/coachingJool Wellness Supplementshttps://www.joolwellness.com/pages/beef-liver-and-oysters-for-hypothalamic-amenorrhea-recoveryFollow 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.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-hypothalamic-amenorrhea-podcast/donations

Sometimes a beautiful lady with hypothalamic amenorrhea has so many questions to ask me and I just can't get to them all at once... but I will save them up and do it eventually!Petra is recovered her missing period but things are still a little whacky and confusing for her. So today I try to answer her lingering questions.Jool Wellnesshttps://joolwellness.comJoin 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/danisheriffThe Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-hypothalamic-amenorrhea-podcast/donations

Claudia’s story will hit home if you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything right in recovery but your period still isn’t coming back. Like so many of us, Claudia started by “just trying to be healthy”, eating cleaner, working out more, cutting carbs, and following what everyone around her said was good for her.Early signs of recovery came, but her period didn’t, until she realized one big thing was still standing in the way: control. This episode dives into the mindset shifts that finally allowed her body to trust her again, what it really means to “let go,” and why you truly can’t out-eat control.Jool Wellnesshttps://joolwellness.comJoin 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/itsmishigarcia/https://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.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-hypothalamic-amenorrhea-podcast/donations

Today I wanted to talk about signs and symptoms that are actually pretty normal and expected for early hypothalamic amenorrhea recovery. When you first go in to recovery a bunch of stuff is likely to happen and it's normal to think some of it is a bit weird or concerning... good news it probably isn't.Join The HA Societyhttp://thehasociety.com/joinWork 1:1 with us to get your period backhttp://thehasociety.com/coachingJool Wellness Supplementshttps://www.joolwellness.com/pages/beef-liver-and-oysters-for-hypothalamic-amenorrhea-recoveryFollow 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.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-hypothalamic-amenorrhea-podcast/donations

In this episode, Ashley sits down with Samantha, her Restore Your Fertility client, to talk about how recovery transformed her relationship with herself. From growing up as a dancer to facing pressure to be thin for her wedding and “bounce back” after pregnancy, Samantha spent years chasing perfection and approval. What started as restriction for control turned into health challenges and burnout. But through recovery—and learning to truly let go, she found freedom with food, her body, and what others think. Her story is a powerful reminder that when you stop living for everyone else, life starts to feel a whole lot lighter.Jool Wellness - Use HASOCIETY for 12% offhttps://joolwellness.comJoin The Restore Your Fertility Programhttps://www.thehasociety.com/restore-liveJoin 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/itsmishigarcia/https://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.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-hypothalamic-amenorrhea-podcast/donations

Today I answer listener Q&A's with a few underlying themes:- does my short height make a difference for how much I need to eat to get my period back?- My step count is above 5k, 10k, 11k and 13k.Enjoy!Jool Wellness - Use HASOCIETY for 12% offhttps://joolwellness.comJoin The HA Societyhttp://thehasociety.com/joinWork 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.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-hypothalamic-amenorrhea-podcast/donations