just came off of TOM a week and a half ago, and i am already having another. is this a normal ip thing at first, or a normal weight loss thing at first? anyone else like this??

I'm not doing IP, but I've had some crazy cycles since restarting my weight loss in March. I had a cycle, then about 2 weeks later another one, and my other cycles started in fewer than my regular 28 days.

Someone on the board mentioned that it could be due to estrogen release, which is stored in fat- or something along those lines.

I didn't have cycles - but I had MAJOR emotional ups and downs....like a month of PMS. It was awful...glad my bf is supportive as he was put through the wringer a few times.

I had just finished my TOM the day I started the diet. Exactly one week later, here it came again. It lasted about a week and then one week after that one ended another one. So needless to say I've had two unexpected "events". When I asked my coach, I was told that it was normal. We store estrogen in our fat cells, and so when they start to shrink, the estrogen gets absorbed back into the blood stream and thus TOM again. I was told that it was nothing to worry about. I havent had any episodes since the beginning of the diet, so Im assuming that it takes a few weeks for the body to get adjusted.

Spotting is normal. Fat stores estrogen, and as you lose fat, the estrogen gets released back into your body.

A full-blown cycle is not. See a gyn if that happens. :-)


Yep, THAT is normal. I've heard a lot of people comment on that on these boards, and I've experienced it myself. It comes and goes.

From what I read, there are MANY ppl that have done IP, and had 2 cycles or more a month, and One lady who had hers off and on (light and spotty, and heavy with clots) for 2 whole months! It's the estrogen stores, and each persons body deals with them differently.

TOM issues are very common with this diet as I had on and off bleeding for my first 30 days and I am on the pill! I not only attributed the estrogen release from the fat cells, but also soy can do this to woman as well. I do alternative IP mixed with only the soy free IP products like the choc pudding and the S/V ridges. My TOM is pretty much in check so far as I think I am on week 7 of this way of eating

I was told that even women who had gone through menopause could get their cycle back while on IP. Crazyness!!

Wow.. I'm relieved to see these posts. I started IP and had a normal TOM then had a bad week while on vacy my TOM came and wasn't normal. Now I seem to be back on it since last week now! I was starting to get worried and annoyed. Thanks for sharing!

Come to think of it, I think I got mine a week early right after starting IP. I hope I don't get it every 2 weeks, that would suck.

I actually got my TOM late by almost 2 weeks....lets see what happens.

I've also read that the packs with soy (which has more estrogen) can cause you to spot and have clots continuiously. I wanted to test this theory so I stoped using the packs with soy for a day & half and it has really slowed down.
Hmm.. maybe there is some truth to this.

Omega 3 also has estrogen levels in it and can cause you to spot in the middle of the cycle. I used to suffer from PCOS and I was prescribed Omega 3 and primrose oil to make me regular and it worked

Very true for me! I had to go soy free and I was only doing the choc pudding shake and S/V Ridges... Now that Im in phase 2, I just use the choc pudd twice a day as a mixer w/ iced coffee! I had TOM issues for my first 30 days!!!