The Women’s Book (by Lyle McDonald) Summary

I recently bought Lyle McDonald’s monumental book, called simply and aptly The Women’s Book (although the full title is The Women’s Book: A Guide to Nutrition, Fat Loss, and Muscle Gain), and it’s the single most comprehensive book I’ve ever read on the topic of nutrition for women (and as I outline in my article, on professional development, I’ve read a lot of books – about 70-80 per year).

And although I have 28 pages of notes that I took from that book, in this article, I’ll summarize the most interesting and actionable points.

Ready? Let’s go!

• According to Lyle McDonald, if the index finger is shorter than the ring finger, the person was exposed to more testosterone prenatally. If it’s the opposite, the person was exposed to more estrogen.
• The magnitude of the effect of a hormone depends on 3 factors:
  • The amount of the hormone itself. The more the hormone is present, the greater its effect
  • Hormone affinity: how well a hormone “fits” into its receptor. The tighter the fit, the greater the effect
  • Receptor sensitivity: how sensitive a receptor is to the hormone
• Estrogen improves insulin sensitivity, so during the estrogen-dominant part of the cycle, women can have more carbs. Aren’t you glad you’re reading this article?
• Progesterone increases metabolism by 100-300 calories per day, but with it, also cravings
• Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (FHA) occurs due to stress (dieting, exercise, or mental/emotional). Amenorrhea is when the woman loses her period.
  • In FHA, estrogen drops to 33% of normal, and progesterone to 10% of normal.
• Most birth control doesn’t cause major weight gain. Most of them cause a 3-4 pound gain over a year. One type actually causes very slight fat loss. The exception is Depo-Provera. One study found a gain of 11 pounds over 3 years
• A smaller body burns fewer calories, because metabolism is lower and the amount of calories burned during exercise is lower. However, metabolism during dieting tends to slow down more than would be predicted based on body weight alone. This is called “adaptive thermogenesis” (AT). In other words, based on bodyweight, daily caloric expenditure would be predicted to have dropped by 100 calories, but in reality, it might have dropped by 150 calories.
  • The AT is largely variable between 2 individuals.
  • In one study, TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) dropped by 100 cals in the first week (the range was 0-250 cals). That’s before very much fat is actually lost.
  • At the bottom levels of body fat, AT is very large.
  • Women over about 35% body fat might have AT of under 15% (this might be 150-250 calories per day)
  • Women under about 35% body fat might have AT of up to 25-30%. The leaner a woman is, the great the AT.
  • The above only applies to dieting women. Women who are naturally under 35% body fat without dieting, will not have an adaptive component.

• Four types of menstrual cycle dysfunction:
  • Luteal phase defect: this is when the luteal phase is shorter than 10 days, or when insufficient progesterone is made.
  • Anovulation: no egg is released from the follicle. Estrogen is lower than expected, and there’s no spikes in FSH and LH
  • Oligomenorrhea: menstrual cycle is longer than 35 days. Two types of oligomenorrhea:
    • Type 1: a woman with PCOS. This type was likely present from a very early age.
    • Type 2: a woman first cycled normally, and then the oligomenorrhea began.
  • Amenorrhea: there’s no cycle, or less than 3 cycles per year.
    • This is marked by both low estrogen and progesterone
  • The above dysfunctions are progressive: luteal phase defect à anovulation à oligomenorrhea à amenorrhea
  • Menstrual cycle dysfunctions are more prevalent in athletic women, compared to sedentary, and even more so in aesthetic and endurance sports.
    • In the general population, amenorrhea occurs 2-5% of the time. In distance runners, it’s about 60%.
  • All of the above menstrual disorders are adaptations to stress (cumulative allostatic load). Pregnancy is energetically demanding, so decreasing the possibility for pregnancy allows the woman to deal with her stress, and when it’s over, make the chances of a successful pregnancy higher.
  • The overall factor for whether a woman will get menstrual cycle disorders is energy availability (EA)

EA = (calorie intake – exercise energy expenditure)/Lean Body Mass

Original source: here.

• To restore menstrual function, typically, calories are increased (by 250-350 cals/day), and activity decreased.
  • This will come with some fat gain, which is why most women resist doing it.
  • Typically, the menstrual cycle will resume 2-6 months after raising calories, and lowering activity levels, although the hormonal profile improves before then.
    • The longer a woman has been amenorrheic, the longer it’ll take her to get her cycle back.
  • In response to psychological stress, men show a rise in cortisol in response to anticipated events. Women show no change.
  • Women show a greater stress response to interpersonal conflict and social rejection
  • Women release cortisol faster than men, causing blood levels of cortisol to reach a higher peak
  • Women with central adiposity (more belly fat than thigh fat) show an overactive stress response
  • In one study (the Menstralean study), researchers had one group of women eating the same diet for 6 months, and a different group of women change their diet every 2 weeks, to accommodate to changes in their menstrual cycle:
    • Subjects: 60 overweight women (body fat of 29-35%)
    • Participants were divided into 2 groups:
      • Group 1: control group: 1600 calories per day (15-20% protein, 45-50% carbs, 30% fat)
      • Group 2: menstralean group: 1600 calories per day (follicular phase: 30% protein, 50% carbs, 20% fat; luteal phase: 30% protein, 40% carbs, 30% fat)
    • Results:
      • Drop out rate in control group: 61%
      • Drop out rate in Menstralean group: 38%
      • Menstralean group lost 11 lbs. (in 6 months) more than the control group, and larger drops in waist circumference

The overall message that the author, Lyle McDonald, is trying to say in The Women’s Book is that despite women’s physiology and female fat loss being infinitely complex, he repeatedly says that the entire 400+ page book can be condensed into “eat more protein (1.6-1.8 g/kg per day), and strength train properly (sufficient weight, proper progression, and all the other stuff I talk about in my articles).”

I’ve read almost all Lyle McDonald books, and The Women’s Book would certainly be in my top 3.

I myself have also written extensively about female hormones in the past, so if you’re interested, check out my article on the key biochemical differences between men and women, as well as my article about PCOS.