My Longevity Journey

I Took My Function Health Mid-Year Test: Now We Wait

Published

2 months ago

May 27, 2026

Sean Callahan

After January Function Health labs showed major progress and a few stubborn biomarkers, I went back to Quest for the full 126-marker retest.

Yesterday, I went back to Quest Diagnostics for my Function Health Mid-Year Test.

Or at least, that was the original plan.

Function Health (referral link) offers a standard mid-year follow-up, but I decided to upgrade to the full panel instead. The reason was simple. Earlier this year, a handful of my out-of-range biomarkers were not included in the standard mid-year test. And if the whole point is to measure what changed, I want to actually measure what changed.

The upsell was $269.00.

For a full re-test of the same 126 biomarkers I did earlier this year, that did not feel crazy to me. Expensive? Sure. But in the world of health optimization, where people will spend that on supplements, wearables, cold plunges, sauna blankets, or one very enthusiastic Whole Foods or Erewhon run, this felt like a reasonable investment.

Now the waiting begins.

According to Function Health, full results should be ready in about four weeks.

A Quick Recap of My January Labs

When the dust settled from my January Function Health labs, the scorecard looked like this:

126 biomarkers tracked
12 Out of Range
94 In Range
20 Other

That was after five additional biomarkers showed up as In Range after I published my last blog post on February 24th.

Overall, the big picture was encouraging.

My cardiometabolic risk profile had improved dramatically compared to where things stood one year earlier. ApoB was strong. Inflammation was low. Triglycerides were stable. A1C looked good. My biological age was trending younger than my calendar age.

That was the win.

But the remaining out-of-range markers were where the real story moved next.

Not disaster markers.

Not panic markers.

More like “your body is doing a lot, maybe pay attention” markers.

The Markers I Wanted to Recheck

The first was ferritin.

My ferritin came in at 32, up from 18 in November 2025 after my WHOOP Advanced Labs. That was not anemia. My hemoglobin was strong at 15.5. But my iron stores were still lighter than ideal, especially with a high training volume and no red meat intake in over a year.

The good news was that ferritin had already nearly doubled from my November WHOOP Advanced Labs to 32 in January. So the question now is whether the trend continued.

Did the iron strategy keep working?

Did training volume blunt the improvement?

Did I actually build a stronger reserve?

That is one of the numbers I am most curious to see.

The second was DHEA Sulfate.

Mine came in at 45, which was low for age. Testosterone was still strong at 550, but DHEA is more of an upstream reserve signal. I think of it as one of those “how much output are you demanding from the system?” markers.

High training load. Chronic output. Lots of running. Lots of work. Lots of life.

Eventually, the body cashes the checks you keep writing.

The third area was immune and blood counts.

White Blood Cell Count was 3.2. Platelets were 131. Mildly low, and not necessarily alarming in the context of endurance training, but still worth watching.

This is the part of longevity that is easy to miss. Sometimes the thing that makes you healthier in one direction can create pressure in another. More training can improve cardiovascular health, body composition, mood, insulin sensitivity, and sleep pressure.

But too much training without enough recovery can start showing up elsewhere.

That is why labs matter.

They turn “I feel fine” into “let’s check the receipt.”

The fourth surprise was LDL Pattern B and small dense LDL.

This one annoyed me a little.

ApoB was excellent. Inflammation was low. The overall lipid story looked strong. But Function flagged elevated small dense LDL and Pattern B, suggesting particle quality could still improve.

Not a red alarm.

But definitely a signal.

So, that is why I upgraded to the full re-test. I did not want a partial answer. I wanted the full sequel.

The Quest Diagnostics Moment

Going to Quest for blood work is always funny to me.

You are sitting there trying to act completely normal while someone is literally extracting life out of your body. For me this time it was 14 vials of blood plus a urine test.

The technicians are always good at small talk. I assume this is part of the training. Keep the person chatting. Keep them relaxed. Make it feel casual.

“So, how was your Memorial Day weekend?”

“Good,” I said. “Also, I’m fine with the blood draw.”

Then, because I apparently cannot behave like a normal person even while being medically drained, I asked her a question.

Which third-party testing provider is the most popular at this location?

Her answer surprised me.

Function Health, by far.

Then WHOOP, Oura, and Superpower.

That was interesting.

Not scientific. Not a market report. Just one Quest location and one technician’s perspective. But still, it was a fun little real-world signal.

I also asked if she was familiar with Bryan Johnson or his blood panel.

She was not.

That surprised me too, mostly because in my corner of the internet Bryan Johnson is everywhere. But it was a good reminder that the longevity bubble is still a bubble. Most normal people are not spending their free time comparing ApoB, epigenetic clocks, ferritin, DHEA, HRV, and small dense LDL.

Imagine that.

The Blood Work Bundle Economy

The more I think about this space, the more interesting it gets.

Function Health, WHOOP, Oura, Superpower, Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint ecosystem, and others are all playing a similar game in different ways.

They are bundling biomarkers.

Quest Diagnostics or Labcorp usually handles the actual blood draw and lab testing at one of their thousand plus sites nationwide. Then each company layers its own interpretation, interface, recommendations, tracking, and “magic sauce” on top.

That is where the consumer value is supposed to show up.

The labs are the raw material.

The interpretation is the product.

And honestly, I think this is a good thing.

As more companies compete to package blood testing in a way normal people can understand, the cost of regular testing should keep coming down. The experience should improve. The insights should get clearer. And eventually, more people will stop waiting until something breaks before they look under the hood.

That is the future I want.

Preventive health should not feel like a luxury hobby for biohackers with spreadsheets.

It should feel normal.

What I Hope to See

I am not expecting perfection when the results begin to trickle in.

That is not how health works.

What I want to see is direction.

Ferritin moving up would be a win.

DHEA improving would be a great sign that my recovery and stress load are better matched.

White blood cells and platelets moving into a stronger range would suggest my training volume is not quietly suppressing immune reserve.

Small dense LDL improving would be another nice confirmation that the lipid story is not just good on the surface, but cleaner underneath too.

And if some things are still out of range, great.

That gives me the next experiment.

This is the part I enjoy most about health optimization. It is not about pretending you can control everything. You cannot.

It is about collecting better feedback.

Then making better decisions.

Final Thoughts

I took the full Function Health Mid-Year Test because I wanted the real comparison.

Not the highlight reel. Not the partial update. The full panel.

Earlier this year, my labs showed that the big cardiometabolic cleanup had worked. The next phase is more nuanced. Iron stores. Recovery capacity. Immune reserve. Particle quality. Training load. Stress adaptation.

I’m no longer fixing obvious risk, but instead building margin.

Now I wait about four weeks for the results.

And when they come in, we will see what the body says.

Hopefully something like, “Nice work and your biological age is steady around 35 years old.”

But knowing biomarkers, it will probably be more like, “Good start. Here are seven more things to obsess over.”

🩺 Disclaimer

The content on I Won’t Die is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with any health concerns.

🚀 Get Started with Blueprint

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My Longevity Journey

The Foods That Help Me Eat Big and Stay 155 to 160 lbs

Published

3 weeks ago

June 26, 2026

Sean Callahan

Satiety may be the underrated longevity hack hiding in plain sight when the foods you enjoy also happen to keep you full and align with the Don’t Die Food Guide.

This morning, it hit me. I have a new theory about dieting.

Maybe one of the best longevity diets is not the one that makes you suffer the most.

Wild concept, I know. Hahaha!

Maybe the best diet is built around foods that are nutrient-dense, filling, repeatable, and enjoyable enough that you can actually eat them every day without feeling like you are being punished by a spreadsheet.

That is where the Satiety Index gets interesting.

Last year, when I began intentionally choosing what I put into my body, I kept hearing about the Satiety Index. Nearly 30 years ago, researchers compared 240 calorie servings of 38 common foods and ranked them by how full they made people feel compared with white bread.

And honestly, that tracks.

Some foods leave you satisfied. Others leave you wondering what else is in the kitchen.

Some foods are just better at turning calories into fullness. They stretch further. They slow you down. They tell your brain, “We are good here.”

When I looked at my own diet, I realized something funny.

A lot of the foods I already eat every day are either in the Satiety Index or behave like high-satiety foods because they are loaded with fiber, water, protein, and volume.

Even better, many of them overlap with the broader Don’t Die Food Guide style of eating: whole foods, legumes, vegetables, berries, fruit, clean protein, healthy fats, and food that looks like it came from the earth instead of a factory.

That feels like a pretty good place to live.

My Current Diet Is Basically A Satiety Experiment

Most days, my weight bounces between 155 to 160 lbs. This morning it was 157.6 lbs.

That range has been surprisingly steady considering how much I eat.

Breakfast is usually 1 cup of oatmeal with a mashed banana, almond milk, and either peanut butter powder or raisins.

Lunch is a giant plant-heavy meal: 3.5 cups of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and a smoothie with 8oz of spinach, 1 cup of blueberries, 4 scoops of Orgain protein powder, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and water.

Dinner is usually salmon, tilapia, or chicken with 1 cup of black or pinto beans, 1 cup of brown Mexican rice, salsa, and two avocados mashed into homemade guacamole.

Dessert is often a few oranges or maybe some berries.

Sometimes I add homemade popcorn with either a light amount of olive oil or avocado oil spray and salt.

When I estimated the full day, it probably lands somewhere around 3,300 to 3,500 calories on a normal day, and more on popcorn days.

For many people, that would be a lot.

For me, because I run a lot, lift weights, walk, and generally move like I am trying to win an invisible step count war against biology, it seems to balance out.

The diet and exercise meet in the middle.

The Satiety Index Foods I Actually Eat

Here are some of the big ones in my diet that show up in the Satiety Index or closely match foods that do.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal scores very high for satiety. That makes sense. It is slow-digesting, high in soluble fiber, and feels like it actually lands in your stomach.

This is why I like it as a breakfast anchor. It does not feel like a diet food. It feels like real food.

Add a banana, almond milk, and peanut butter powder, and it becomes a breakfast that is simple, filling, and repeatable.

Fish

Fish is one of the highest satiety foods in the index.

Tilapia is lean and high-protein. Salmon brings protein plus omega-3 fats. Chicken works well too, even though it was not part of the original Satiety Index in the same way.

For me, the protein at dinner is key. It turns the meal from “a bowl of carbs and plants” into something that supports muscle, recovery, and fullness.

Beans

Beans are a longevity cheat code.

Black beans and pinto beans give me fiber, plant protein, slow carbs, and a lot of fullness per calorie. They also fit perfectly with the kind of Mexican-style meals I actually enjoy eating.

That part matters.

A food can be healthy, but if I do not want to eat it, it is not a protocol. It is a temporary hostage situation.

Beans are different. I actually like them. A lot!

Oranges

This one surprised me.

Oranges score really well for satiety, but when you think about it, it makes sense. They are sweet, juicy, high-volume, and take a little time to eat.

As a dessert, they are kind of perfect.

They give me the sweet finish without turning dessert into a nightly processed-food detour.

Popcorn

Popcorn is one of my favorite examples of how preparation changes everything.

Air-popped or lightly sprayed popcorn can be a high-volume, high-satiety snack.

Popcorn drowned in oil is basically a movie-theater calorie ambush.

At home, using avocado oil spray and salt keeps it much more reasonable. It still feels like a snack, but it does not blow up the whole day.

Banana

Bananas are not the highest-satiety fruit, but they work well in oatmeal.

For me, the banana is less about being the perfect satiety food and more about making oatmeal enjoyable enough to eat consistently.

That is still a win.

The Don’t Die Overlap

This is where the whole thing gets practical.

The goal is not just to eat filling food.

A giant bowl of random processed diet food might fill you up, but that does not mean it supports healthspan.

The better target is overlap.

Find foods that are:

Filling
Nutrient-dense
Minimally processed
Easy to repeat
Enjoyable
Aligned with long-term health

That is the sweet spot.

For me, that overlap includes oatmeal, beans, vegetables, berries, oranges, fish, chicken, spinach, brown rice, salsa, and homemade popcorn.

Then there are the calorie-dense foods I still love, especially avocados and olive oil.

Avocados are not “light,” but they are full of fiber, potassium, monounsaturated fat, and satisfaction. Olive oil is not especially filling per calorie, but it fits the Mediterranean-style pattern I like.

The key is knowing the difference.

Some foods are satiety engines.

Some foods are nutrient-dense calorie boosters.

Both can belong in the diet, but they play different roles.

Why This Helps Me Maintain Weight

I think this is why my weight stays relatively steady between 155 to 160 lbs.

I am not eating tiny meals.

I am not starving or hungry.

I am not trying to survive on protein dust and sad lettuce.

I am eating a lot of food, but most of it is food that fights back against overeating.

Vegetables create volume.

Beans bring fiber and slow carbs.

Protein keeps me full and supports recovery.

Oatmeal gives me a strong breakfast base.

Oranges handle dessert.

Popcorn gives me a snack that feels fun without being ridiculous.

And because I actually enjoy these foods, I do not feel like I am constantly negotiating with myself.

That may be the real secret.

The best food plan is the one you can keep doing when nobody is watching.

My Rule Going Forward

Here is the simple takeaway:

Choose foods in the Satiety Index that you actually enjoy eating, then prioritize the ones that overlap with the Don’t Die Food Guide.

That is the game. Not perfection, suffering or chasing every new diet or longevity food trend that shows up on social media.

Just build the plate around foods that fill you up, nourish your body, and make consistency feel almost automatic.

For me, that means oatmeal, beans, fish, vegetables, oranges, berries, popcorn, salsa, and yes, plenty of guacamole, because apparently the secret to not dying might include eating foods you actually like.

Nom nom nom 😋

🩺 Disclaimer

🚀 Get Started with Blueprint

Start optimizing your health today with $25 off your first order! Use our referral code to begin your Blueprint journey and take control of your longevity.

🏋️‍♂️ Track Your Sleep, Workouts & Recovery

Boost your performance and recovery with Whoop. Join with my referral link to get a free WHOOP 5.0 and one month free!

📲 Download the I Won’t Die App

Stay ahead with the latest news, updates, and insights. Download the I Won’t Die app now on the Apple App Store and Google Play!

📩 Contact Us

Have tips, photos, or questions? Want to collaborate? Reach out at [email protected] — we’d love to hear from you!

🔗 Stay Connected

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My Longevity Journey

I’m Officially a Rejuvenation Olympian, Ranked #167 Behind Bryan Johnson

Published

1 month ago

June 19, 2026

Sean Callahan

My verified 0.77 pace of aging puts me on the longevity leaderboard and Bryan Johnson remains just 166 spots ahead, for now.

Today, I have officially entered the Olympics.

Not the kind with a marathon, sprinting, swimming, or an opening ceremony.

This is the Rejuvenation Olympics, where people compete to see who can age the slowest.

Apparently, running about 7 miles and weightlifting every day was only the warm-up.

I’m Ranked #167

After completing three Blueprint Speed of Aging tests, my results are now verified on the Rejuvenation Olympics leaderboard.

My official ranking is:

#167

My average pace of aging is listed at approximately:

0.77

My best result is:

0.68

That means my best test suggests my biology was aging at roughly 68% of the expected rate.

For perspective, Bryan Johnson currently sits at #1 with an average score of 0.503 and a best score of 0.48.

So yes, I am officially competing against Bryan Johnson.

He is just 166 places ahead of me.

I assume the Olympic committee is already preparing the podium. 🏆😂

How My Score Was Calculated

The Rejuvenation Olympics does not use one lucky test result. A verified ranking requires at least three qualifying tests.

My average was calculated using these results:

0.95
0.69
0.68

Together, they produce an average of approximately 0.77.

That first score of 0.95 is doing some serious damage to my ranking. Without it, Bryan might need to start checking over his shoulder.

Okay, probably not yet, but it does show why repeated testing matters. One great result can be exciting. Multiple results begin to reveal whether the change is real and sustainable. And a pattern can be shown over time as in my case.

What Is the Rejuvenation Olympics?

The Rejuvenation Olympics is a public longevity competition built around biological aging data.

Participants use TruDiagnostic testing to measure DunedinPACE, an epigenetic marker designed to estimate how quickly the body is aging. Lower scores are better.

A score of 1.0 suggests the body is aging at roughly the expected rate. A result below 1.0 suggests slower biological aging.

The leaderboard ranks people using the average of their best three eligible tests. To receive a verified badge, participants must complete at least three qualifying tests.

Most people can enter through a TruAge subscription. I completed my testing through Blueprint, which is a participating clinic.

In other words, I did not wake up one morning and declare myself the 167th-slowest-aging person in the world.

There was paperwork involved and better yet, Blueprint did all of that when I opted into the Rejuvenation Olympics.

From 0.95 to 0.68

The ranking is fun, but the trend is what really matters to me.

My first result in January 2025 was 0.95. My most recent result came back at approximately 0.68.

That is a meaningful improvement in a little over a year.

During that period, I stayed consistent with the same basic routine:

Mediterranean-style diet
Daily cardio
Strength training four to five days per week
Better sleep and recovery
Consistent supplements
Regular testing and adjustments

There was no single miracle intervention.

It was mostly doing the boring things repeatedly until they became less boring and started appearing in my biomarkers.

Then WHOOP Made Things Confusing

My WHOOP data adds another twist.

My WHOOP Pace of Aging previously reached a low of -0.3x, which briefly suggested that I had discovered how to reverse time.

It has since risen to 1.1x.

That would normally suggest I am currently aging slightly faster than expected. At the same time, WHOOP still estimates my biological age at approximately 31, making me 15.5 years younger than my chronological age.

So am I aging slowly, aging quickly, or somehow doing both?

The honest answer is that I am not entirely sure.

WHOOP and DunedinPACE measure different things across different timeframes. WHOOP’s pace can move as recent sleep, fitness, activity, and recovery change. Its WHOOP Age reflects a broader physiological picture.

DunedinPACE uses DNA methylation to estimate biological aging at the cellular level.

These scores are interesting signals. They are not identical measurements, and they should not be treated as interchangeable.

That may explain why my WHOOP Pace of Aging can rise while my WHOOP Age remains low and my latest epigenetic result remains strong. Then again, perhaps my WHOOP Age is simply playing catch-up after falling so far below my chronological age.

Or my body may simply enjoy giving me more data to obsess over.

Am I Really the 167th-Slowest-Aging Person?

Not exactly.

This does not mean I am literally the 167th-slowest-aging human on Earth.

It means I currently rank #167 among verified participants using this specific testing method and leaderboard formula.

That is still pretty cool.

More importantly, it gives me a benchmark. I can continue testing, compare future results, and see whether my average improves.

The rankings may change daily. My position could move as new participants qualify and existing competitors submit new results.

For now, however, #167 is mine.

The New Goal

Bryan Johnson’s average is 0.503.

Mine is approximately 0.77.

That is a substantial gap, but longevity is a long game. Conveniently, that is the entire point.

My next goal is not to chase one spectacular result. It is to produce another strong test and replace that 0.95 score in my three-test average.

If I can do that, my ranking could improve significantly allowing me to break the Top 100.

The plan remains simple:

Stay consistent.

Protect recovery.

Keep training.

Keep testing.

And slowly climb a leaderboard dedicated to moving slowly.

Final Thoughts

When I started this longevity journey, the goal was not to win an internet competition.

I wanted to reduce cardiovascular risk, improve my biomarkers, feel better, and build a healthier future.

The leaderboard is simply a fun way to measure progress.

Still, becoming a verified Rejuvenation Olympics competitor feels like a meaningful milestone. My results are no longer just sitting inside a private health report. They are now part of a public competition involving people around the world.

I am ranked #167.

Bryan Johnson is ranked #1.

There are 166 people standing between us.

Game on. Hahaha! 🙌

🩺 Disclaimer

🚀 Get Started with Blueprint

Start optimizing your health today with $25 off your first order! Use our referral code to begin your Blueprint journey and take control of your longevity.

🏋️‍♂️ Track Your Sleep, Workouts & Recovery

Boost your performance and recovery with Whoop. Join with my referral link to get a free WHOOP 5.0 and one month free!

📲 Download the I Won’t Die App

Stay ahead with the latest news, updates, and insights. Download the I Won’t Die app now on the Apple App Store and Google Play!

📩 Contact Us

Have tips, photos, or questions? Want to collaborate? Reach out at [email protected] — we’d love to hear from you!

🔗 Stay Connected

📬 Subscribe to I Won’t Die Newsletter

Get the latest longevity breakthroughs, Blueprint updates, and exclusive content straight to your inbox — sign up now!

My Longevity Journey

When More Exercise Stops Moving the Needle

Published

1 month ago

June 17, 2026

Sean Callahan

My latest Function Health results suggest that longevity may be less about maximizing and more about balancing.

Last week my latest Function Health results arrived along with clinician notes, covering blood work collected on May 26, 2026. As usual, opening the report felt a little like getting a report card back from biology.

Some biomarkers improved.

Some stayed flat.

And a few unexpectedly moved in the wrong direction. 🤦‍♂️

This is now about 18 months into my serious longevity journey. Since January 2025, I’ve been intentionally improving sleep, nutrition, recovery, exercise, and biomarker tracking. I expected that with enough consistency, the numbers would just keep improving.

Biology, as it turns out, is more nuanced. Sometimes better health is not about pushing harder. It’s about finding the right balance.

The Big Picture: January 2025 → June 2026

Eighteen months into this journey, the biggest risks have largely moved into the rearview mirror, and the remaining work is about building resilience for the long game.

Biomarker	Jan 2025 (Blueprint)	Jan 2026 (Function)	Jun 2026 (Function)	Longevity Take
ApoB (mg/dL)	87	51	59	Massive improvement, still elite
hs-CRP (mg/L)	4.38	0.3	<0.2	Inflammation nearly eliminated
LDL-C (mg/dL)	83	56	61	Excellent cardiovascular risk
Triglycerides (mg/dL)	113	74	60	Metabolically elite
HbA1c (%)	5.4	5.2	5.2	Stable and optimal
Insulin (µIU/mL)	2.4	5.2	2.2	Exceptional insulin sensitivity
Omega-3 Index (%)	3.1	8.4	7.3	Dramatic improvement from baseline
Ferritin (ng/mL)	55	32	31	Lower than baseline, now stable
Homocysteine (µmol/L)	11.1	7.1	9.1	Meaningfully improved
Vitamin D (ng/mL)	~50s	57	70	Excellent range
WBC (K/µL)	Normal	3.2	3.4	Mildly low but stable
Platelets (K/µL)	Normal-low	131	129	Stable, likely athlete pattern
DHEA-S (mcg/dL)	Not measured	45	55	Improved, still below optimal
LDL Particle Number (nmol/L)	830	979	1166	Worsened despite excellent ApoB
LDL Small (nmol/L)	N/A	175	234	Area for continued optimization
Biological Age	~46 chronologic	35.3	37.0	Still ~9 years younger biologically

Looking at the full picture, this is no longer a story about preventing disease. It is increasingly a story about balancing performance, recovery, and longevity.

The Good News First

Objectively, my health today is significantly better than it was in January 2025.

Inflammation has collapsed.

Cardiovascular risk markers have improved dramatically.

Metabolic health remains elite.

My ApoB is now 59 mg/dL. My hs-CRP is less than 0.2 mg/L. LDL cholesterol sits at 61 mg/dL. Triglycerides are 60 mg/dL. Insulin remains a remarkably low 2.2 uIU/mL.

Those are the kinds of numbers I hoped to achieve when this journey began.

Even my Omega-3 status, while lower than earlier this year, remains far better than where I started.

The Surprising Part

A few markers regressed despite doing almost everything the same.

Between January and May 2026, I made virtually no dietary or supplement changes. The biggest lifestyle change was exercise.

In 2025, I averaged roughly 5 miles of running per day.

From January through mid-February 2026, I increased that to nearly 10 miles per day.

Since then, I have averaged around 7 miles per day while continuing my weightlifting routine.

The result?

Some lipid particle markers worsened.

Biomarker	January 2026	May 2026
LDL Particle Number	979	1166
LDL Small	175	234
LDL Medium	182	244
HDL Large	6763	5816
LDL Pattern	B	B
LDL Peak Size	215.6	216.4

At first glance, that was frustrating.

After all, shouldn’t more exercise always equal better biomarkers?

Maybe not.

Have I Reached Diminishing Returns?

The more I look at these results, the more I wonder if I have crossed from “healthy exercise” into “elite endurance training.”

There is a difference.

Exercise is one of the most powerful longevity interventions we know of, but like many things in biology, the dose matters.

Based on the clinician notes, and the help of AI tools, my body is showing several signals that recovery demand may be approaching or exceeding recovery capacity:

Ferritin remains below optimal.
White blood cells remain mildly low.
Platelets remain mildly low.
DHEA-S remains low.
Omega-3 levels declined.

None of these findings concern me individually. Together, though, they tell a story.

The story may simply be this:

I may be training harder than my body needs for optimal longevity.

The Ferritin Story

One biomarker I have been watching closely is ferritin, the body’s iron reserve.

In January 2025, my ferritin was 55 ng/mL. By late 2025, after increasing my running volume, following the Don’t Die Food Guide, eliminating red meat, and maintaining regular sauna sessions, it had fallen to 18 ng/mL.

My latest test came back at 31 ng/mL.

Date	Ferritin (ng/mL)
January 2025 (Blueprint)	55
November 2025 (WHOOP Advanced Labs)	18
January 2026 (Function Health)	32
May 2026 (Function Health)	31

At first glance, that looks discouraging, but the story is more nuanced.

Ferritin does not exist in isolation. Endurance athletes lose iron through sweat, foot strike hemolysis, increased red blood cell turnover, and sometimes through dietary changes that reduce heme iron intake.

When I look at the full picture, I do not see a body breaking down. I see a body adapting to a high training load.

The encouraging part is that ferritin appears to have stabilized. After a significant drop from 55 to 18, it held steady around the low 30s over the next six months despite continued running, strength training, and sauna use.

That suggests my current iron strategy is largely replacing ongoing losses, even if it is not yet rebuilding reserves.

The goal now is not simply to raise ferritin. It is to rebuild iron stores without sacrificing the habits that transformed the rest of my health.

Longevity is rarely about maximizing a single number.

It is about balancing the entire system.

Biological Age: One Step Back?

Function Health also nudged my biological age upward from 35.3 years old to 37 years old.

At first, that was disappointing. Then I remembered something important. Nearly six months have passed.

A 1.7-year increase over a 6-month period is not necessarily a meaningful deterioration, especially when nearly every major cardiovascular and metabolic marker remains excellent.

If anything, it is a reminder that biological age estimates are useful signals, not final judgments.

Building LabReady

One unexpected outcome of all this testing is that I kept getting confused about fasting requirements.

Function Health has one protocol.

WHOOP Advanced Labs has another.

Blueprint guidance can differ.

My healthcare provider has others.

Some tests require avoiding exercise. Others require fasting windows. Some involve supplement restrictions.

I found myself repeatedly asking:

When do I stop eating?

Can I drink tea with caffeine?

Should I pause creatine?

What about hydration?

So I built a solution.

I just released LabReady, a simple fasting timer for blood work prep.

After using a few different lab companies, I kept finding myself double-checking when to stop eating, pause green tea intake, hydrate, review supplements, avoid exercise, or follow specific test instructions.

LabReady turns those moving pieces into a clear prep timeline based on your lab appointment time.

It’s built for anyone tracking biomarkers, longevity labs, lipid panels, glucose, hormones, heavy metals, or routine blood work.

You can check it out here and please review the app with a simple star rating as it helps with app store discovery:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/labready-fasting-tracker/id6774012579

Final Thoughts

At the start of this journey, my goal was simple:

Literally, don’t die.

Over time, the goal evolved.

Now I am learning that longevity is not about endlessly pushing harder. For me, it is more about balance.

The body keeps score, but given the right inputs, it also adapts.

Sometimes the next breakthrough is not doing more. It is recovering smarter.

The experiment continues. And for now, the data suggests I’m heading in the right direction.

Function Health Biomarker Results (May 2026)

Function Health May 2026 Download

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