According to the CDC, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects up to 12% of women / people with ovaries in the US. If you're one of those five million people, you've probably been on the hunt for ways to manage your symptoms.

So you've hit your 50s, and while it's not the over the hill season you might have thought it'd be when you were a fresh-faced 22-year-old, it has arrived with its changes and challenges — both good and bad.

Intermittent fasting is a pretty common weight loss strategy, but sometimes, it seems to have the opposite effect. Can intermittent fasting actually cause weight gain? It's certainly possible to follow an intermittent fasting schedule and find yourself gaining weight … which can be distressing, to say the least!

Picture it: you've just started intermittent fasting. You've picked your approach, you've got a meal plan ready to go, and your motivation is sky-high. After a successful first fasting window, you sit down, do a little celebration shimmy, and dive into your eating window with gusto.

If you're a new parent, firstly, you're amazing. Your body has just gone through a superhero-level transformation, your bundle of joy has probably gifted you sleepless nights alongside the smiles, and you're here, reading this article and doing due diligence with your health?!

Thanks to common marketing ploys and promotions like Margarita Monday, Boozeday Tuesday, Wine Wednesday, and Thirsty Thursday, it can feel like there's a fun (often alliterative) reason to raise a toast daily. Not to mention those happy hour deals … But what seems like a fun and relaxing opportunity to catch up with friends, enjoy a cozy date night out, or snag your favorite drink at a steep discount can feel like a minefield when you're intermittent fasting.

It can be daunting to start something new. If you're considering trying a fasting schedule to improve your eating habits, lose some weight, and get on a health kick, you might be anxiously thinking, But how do I even start with intermittent fasting? Let's take the worry and wonder out of the equation so you can get to feeling confident, calm, and in control.

If you're someone living with diabetes, chances are you've experienced fasting ahead of a blood test. But not all fasting is created equal. Intermittent fasting involves a regular routine of timed eating windows and eating breaks. While the specifics and timing of this routine can vary, all intermittent fasting schedules focus on when you eat rather than what you eat.

How many calories should I eat a day to lose weight? It's a natural question to ask if you're chasing weight loss (and one we hear a lot). If it's on your mind, you're in the right place. Simply enter your details into our calorie calculator below, let the nutrition-math elves work their magic on the numbers, and poof! A daily calorie target just for you will emerge.

For an effective method of losing weight and improving your health, intermittent fasting is refreshingly light on rules (ironic, given the title of this article). And, because we know that change happens more easily when people control their own path, we're not here to start laying down the intermittent fasting law.