Why “Normal” Labs Don’t Mean You’re Fine
You’re tired, bloated, moody, or can’t lose weight no matter what you do — so you finally get the labs run. Only to be told...
“Everything looks normal.”
Cue the frustration. Because you know your body. You know something isn’t right.
Here’s the thing most doctors don’t explain: "normal" doesn’t mean optimal. It just means you fall somewhere within a huge reference range — often based on averages of sick populations.
Let’s break this down.
The Problem with Conventional Lab Ranges
Lab reference ranges are designed to catch disease, not dysfunction.
They’re not built to ask:
Why are you so tired by 2pm?
Why are you getting migraines before your period?
Why is your hair falling out in clumps?
They’re built to detect life-threatening illness, not early imbalances. And by the time your results fall outside the lab range, you’ve likely been struggling for a while.
What Functional Ranges Do Instead
Functional ranges are narrower and focus on optimal health, not just absence of disease. They help us spot imbalances early and prevent them from becoming bigger problems.
Examples:
A TSH of 4.2 is "normal," but functionally we aim for 1.0–2.0 — because that's where most women feel best.
Ferritin at 15 is technically fine, but you might feel amazing at 70.
Progesterone in the luteal phase might be "present" but not nearly high enough to prevent PMS, anxiety, or insomnia.
Commonly Missed Issues in "Normal" Labs
- Low progesterone causing mood swings + heavy periods
- Suboptimal thyroid slowing metabolism + causing hair loss
- Iron or B12 deficiency causing fatigue
- Insulin resistance driving cravings and hormonal chaos
- High cortisol or burnout masking as "fine" labs
If you're nodding along, you're not crazy or dramatic. You're just working with outdated information.
You Deserve Deeper Insight
Your symptoms are messages, not mistakes. And your labs are a tool — but only if someone knows how to read between the lines.
This is exactly what I do inside my 1:1 programs and lab reviews.
Want to know what your labs are really saying?
Click here to book a functional lab review!