My low-carb diet wrecked my wife’s hormones and sleep

This was a mistake. In 2024, my wife and I started a low-carb / low-calorie diet. For me, the impact wasn’t critical: + Low testosterone (133 ng/mL) + Lack of energy for heavy workouts + Low body fat, but muscles were maintained + Felt good overall My wife had a very different experience: + Significant weight loss + Wrecked sleep (wakes up at 2 a.m., can’t fall back asleep) + Lack of overall energy (not just for workouts) + Female hormones dropped to extremely low levels + Reduced libido, missed periods It took us almost 2 years to find the culprit. At first, we blamed her sleep habits: We stopped eating a while before bed, stopped drinking coffee, etc. Then we blamed her workout intensity—so she stopped doing Hyrox and switched to lighter training like pilates. Two months ago, during our usual 6-month blood test in Korea, she decided to also check her female hormone levels (Estradiol & Luteinizing). They were at an extreme low (3.5x lower than minimum normal levels) We then saw a gynecologist in Korea, who explained that the low-calorie diet was the source of all her problems. Wonji has been eating more (and reintroduced carbs), and her symptoms are disappearing step by step: + More energy + Close to perfect sleep + Reasonable muscle and weight gain + More libido (nice!) + Periods are back We blindly followed @bryan_johnson’s ethos: “every calorie must fight for its life.” It was our mistake to assume that what works for a 48-year-old man with medical care would also work for a 33-year-old woman.

Marc Lou@marclou · Dec 10, 2024I tried a new diet for 2 weeks (didn't change my workout plan): ❌ Cut carbs completely 🍏 Eat only nuts, meat/fish/eggs/tofu, vegetables, and dairy 🍽️ 2 meals per day (breakfast at 10 am, dinner at 2 pm) This happened: - My body fat has decreased to the lowest I've had - My cravings are gone I used to snack between meals (fruits, wheat bix, snacks) because I was hungry even just 1 hour after a meal. I can't believe my cravings are gone, although I eat less than before (from 3 to 2 meals a day).