Engineered blueprint

Back in August 2023, I decided to take control of my healthspan and dive into my own mini-protocol.

My approach was a simple habit-building framework designed for continuous improvement. Here’s a look at what I aimed for, how I got there, and the game-changing results.

My "engineered life" rules:

I thrive on structure, so I set three core rules to keep me on track:

1. Small, continuous wins: The goal wasn't overnight transformation, but consistent progress. Think about it: a tiny 1.4% improvement each week compounds to over 100% betterment in a year!

2. No more than two missed days: Life happens, but I adopted a "streak freeze" mindset, Duolingo-style. Never let a habit slip for more than two days straight.

3. Aim for 80%+ consistency: Over a rolling 30-day period, I targeted at least 80% adherence to my new habits. This built momentum and made them stick.

My healthspan targets and measuring what matters:

I set clear, measurable goals to guide my healthspan journey:

• Total body fat: Get it under 17%.

• "Engineered" age: Significantly reduce my biological age indicators compared to my chronological age, specifically:

• Optimal blood markers: All key indicators in the green.

• The ultimate goal: Look good, and more importantly, feel fantastic.

My daily protocol, fueling the transformation:

Consistency was key, especially with nutrition and activity.

• Calories: I maintained a slight deficit of around 200kcal/day (aiming for ~2000kcal total). My Huel-powered plan looked like this:

• Protein: To support muscle growth and recovery, I aimed for 1.5g of protein per kg of my target body mass (that’s about 110g for me).

• Activity & exercise, the upward spiral:

My tech stack, the tools that helped:

• WHOOP: For detailed physiological data tracking.

• Huel: For convenient, nutrient-packed meals.

• fitIQ: (This came later!) For diving deeper into my WHOOP analytics.

The journey & the payoff:

Let's be clear: WHOOP alone didn't do it. Huel alone didn't do it. And no, it wasn’t always easy. But the combination of a structured approach, consistent effort, and the right tools? That worked. And ultimately, that’s what matters.

My "overnight success," one year later:

I didn't just meet my goals; I surpassed them.

• Movement is now my default: Exercise isn't a chore anymore; it's a necessity. If I skip a gym session or a run, I genuinely feel off, a complete reversal from when I started.

• WHOOP strain skyrocketed: My 90-day average Strain climbed from under 8 to over 13. On WHOOP’s logarithmic scale, that’s roughly a 2.5x increase in effort!

• Body composition transformed: I feel incredible. My metabolic age is now estimated at 20, a full 15 years younger than my calendar age!

• Cholesterol conquered: Finally got those numbers into the green zone! (Still need to chart out the full before/after data, so stay tuned for that!)

• The visual proof: And yes, the before/after photos are in!

What’s next? Leveling up, not slowing down.

This journey doesn't stop here. I'm continuing my routine, currently maintaining an average WHOOP Strain above 13 and riding a 3-month streak of 10+ Strain days.

This transformation lit a fire in me. I wanted to contribute to the healthy habit-forming movement. That's why I’m thrilled to have joined Nick (@paynedigital) at fitIQ.io, the home of advanced analytics for WHOOP, built for data enthusiasts like us. We're all about unlocking those insights that drive real change.

If you got inspired, you can support me by using my referral links below, or go directly to whoop.com, huel.com, biogena-one.com to join and start your journey. Please get in touch so we can motivate each other!