Sorry in advance if this is just too much information but I'm wondering if low carb (and/or increased exercise - went from 30 min 4-5 times a week to 1 hr every day) can cause an increase in periods? Mine are fairly regular and I just had it 1/11 and now it seems like it's starting again which coincides with me cutting back on the carbs again (was getting about 35-40 a day and went back to less than 20) and upping the exercise. I've always heard about females NOT getting TOTM due to too much exercise but never getting it more frequently!

FWIW, I did just go to my doctor on Monday and I mentioned this - she did an exam and said it looks fine but she'll send the results to the lab and call if anything is abnormal. She said she thought it was the increased iron due to low carb - does that make sense? Thanks!!

I'd trust your doctor's assessment, but it sounds like spotting from ovulation to me (which is fairly normal to experience occasionally). I've experienced it only four or five times in my 35 years of TOM (too few to suspect a particular cause).

It's human nature to draw conclusions based on too little evidence. It's just human nature to see patterns, even when they don't exist. To be confident that you're experiencing a pattern and not coincidence, you have to experiment, keep good records of your experiences and repeat your experiments many times (not just once or twice).


I've read that exercise can increase the odds of mid-month spotting, but haven't experienced that myself. I've not read anything about low-carb doing so.

Low-carbing does affect my periods, but in a positive way. When I eat low-carb, my cramps aren't as severe and my periods seem shorter/lighter. I say seem, because it's not something I record (I have kept records of pain levels and other health symptoms). It's possible that when I'm in more pain, TOM may just seem longer/heavier.

Me too. I'm fairly more regular when I lose weight.

Low-carb made my last period ****. It started a couple days early, and I had cramps for days. Extra dietary fat can cause extra estrogen floating around, which causes worse cramping... that's what I read anyway. I think it varies person to person, but yes, it certainly can have an effect!