Hi Reader

How do you know that you're "Healthy"?

The way we feel can be a good proxy but is also deceiving until you know your worst, and your best.

In my case for example, I thought I was healthy until I made changes in my lifestyle (started a mindfulness practice, quit sugar, stopped drinking and smoking). I then reached unprecedented levels of cognition, energy and wellbeing.

"Being healthy" went to a whole new level I didn't know existed.

Today if I asked you "How well your is business doing?", I bet you'd use profit as a marker of performance or the growth you've seen in the past year.

But if I asked you "How healthy are you?", you'd probably use a subjective feeling or a mental comparison to someone else you know.

We have key performance indicators for our businesses but not for our bodies.

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When interested in living a longer life, The result will not reveal itself until decades in the future. So how do you know if what you're doing is working?

The answer: markers. Key performance indicators.

There are three longevity biomarkers, metrics that are well documented for being associated and predictive of lifespan and healthspan:

• Cardiovascular fitness, measured by VO2 max​
• Muscle mass, measured by body composition methods such as DEXA scan or impedance
• Muscle strength, measured by grip strength or progress in weight lifting

I am personally tracking these 3 markers since January 2024.

In January, I was 5 months post-partum and started to make lifestyle changes to lose body fat and gain muscle mass.

Today I want to share my progress, together with what's working and not working.

I hope that you can learn from my mistakes, and that this supports you in your own longevity journey.

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The results​
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In February, I weighed 127lbs. My total body weight in June was 121.6 lbs.
I lost weight and I don't look pregnant anymore. That's a win for me. Progress pictures have been my favourite tracking tool.
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However, my body composition measurement with Inbody scan revealed that I have not lost only fat but also some lean mass.
Despite the weight loss, my body fat also seems unchanged.
I have to mention that, since I moved in a different town, I had to get my measurement done on a different machine, which makes the comparison between March and June less accurate.
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I am not planning to measure VO2 max until January 2025 as I am focusing on muscle mass and strength.

My grip strength is unchanged.
But I most definitely am stronger. Picking up and carrying my 30lbs daughter is a lot easier than it was earlier this year.
At the gym, I have also been able to increase the weight I am using.

What worked

• Make training a habit

This was my #1 goal in the beginning of the year.
Having coached high-achieving men, I have noticed that my clients who were able to focus on the process, rather than the outcome, not only created more momentum in their health goals but also enjoyed themselves more.

I have learned that when first making a significant change, like creating a strength training routine, it's important to make consistency the goal.

In order to achieve that, with little to no experience in weight lifting, I found a group fitness class. Led by a coach, in a supportive gym where I could take my daughter, and surrounded by other people pushing themselves, creating a habit of training felt effortless.

This was definitely a success. One that unlocked a path to results.

• Build skills

I have become more proficient in the gym. I did not know how to lift properly.
In the right environment, I learned enough about form and technique to be more comfortable.
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I have been working out on my own for 2 months thanks to what I learned. I would have not been able to do that in January.
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​One of the secrets to success is to find the easiest path to get started, then improve along the way.

• Build strength

In March, I struggled to lift 8lb-dumbbells when performing a thruster.
Last time I performed this exercise at the gym. I was able to use 15lbs.

Similarly, I used a 16lb-kettlebell in March for kettlebell swings.
I used a 30lbs kettlebell just a few days ago.

When performing a dead hang, I could hardly hang for 17 seconds back in March.
I have pushed my time to 30 seconds.

I have touched on the concept of progressive overload in training for strength. It is not only a method for training, using the principle to keep challenging your muscles. As you see, it is also a great way to measure progress in numbers as opposed to "how it feels".

It was humbling for me to start at the gym. I realized how much I was struggling. Before putting myself to the test, I honestly thought I could do better. A 30-second hang? That didn't sound like a long time. Surely I could do that.

I was proven wrong: 30 seconds was a long time.... ​
Awareness is always the first step when wanting to improve.

This only reinforced my motivation. I knew I had to work for it.
But this is where mindset is so important.
Without the right mindsets, it is easy to feel discouraged and crushed by how much work you have to do.

• Appearance and subjective experience

I look better and feel better. I feel stronger, a lot more confident, I have great energy and I love working out.

Huge wins.

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What I can do better

As mentioned, my body composition showed no change in fat mass and that I lost some lean mass in the process.
After doing some research and reflection, here is what I think may have contributed:

• Lack of consistency

I have been very inconsistent in tracking my protein intake. And when tracking, I have also found to be highly inconsistent in my intake. Sometimes reaching 100% of my target (1 gram protein per pound of body weight), often just reaching 60%, and everything in between.

I have learned that it takes a lot more planning to reach this goal. Protein intake is key.
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Moving forward, I will be more disciplined in meal planning and will make sure to have a protein shake post workout.

• Nutrition

I pay no attention to portion size and I don't track my fat intake. This may have contributed to less fat loss.

That said, I think I have been in an overall calorie deficit. It is possible to lose fat and gain muscle in a calorie deficit, when the deficit is 200-300 calories. According to the days I was tracking, my deficit was higher than that on most days.
This could explain a lack of muscle gain.

• Exercise intensity and programming

I was going to group fitness classes for 3 months at the beginning of the year, 2 to 3 times per week. Although this helped me achieve my goal of creating a habit, the classes were often programmed for HIIT (high intensity interval training).

Too many HIIT sessions is not ideal when the focus is on building strength. This higher intensity probably helped me lose the weight, but the volume of my strength training was not enough for me to keep lean mass.

I can look into going to the gym more than 2 or 3 times per week.

I have also learned that my repetition and set numbers could get optimized. I perform all my exercises with a manageable weight, a rep range of 8 to 12, and for 4 sets.
But I may be able to gain faster if I picked a much more challenging weight with less repetitions.
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Programming at the gym is an art.

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What I am changing moving forward

Most of us don't like to be proven wrong. But I do.

I love that I was proven wrong. I didn't have the best plan. I didn't have the best consistency. I didn't have the best results.

And without testing and tracking, I would have never known. I would have kept doing what I've been doing with little to nothing to show for.
This has not only fueled my motivation and desire to progress, it has also given me the ability to course-correct.

Progress pictures, nutrition tracking, workout journals, and schedules check-ins were instrumental in my ability to build muscle mass to age like the 1%.

Working out on my own, I have the feeling that I don't have a clear plan. I pick exercises in a way that feels random. It lacks direction.

Should I lift heavier and reduce the reps?
Does my form allow me to do this safely?
Which exercises should I focus on the most?
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To find answers to these questions, I have approached trainer Brock Harling, who has experience programming for longevity.
Having a conversation with him helped me address my lack of consistency.
​I am no longer going to do things on my own. I start working with Brock next week.

I am going to leverage accountability and his expertise to accelerate my results.

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I truly hope that sharing my personal journey will help you in yours. I know just how much more work I have to do in order to feel and look the way I want and age like the 1%.
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Everything I am learning will serve my clients in 1UP the extra life program I will be opening in the fall this year.

I can't tell you how much fun I'm having. I'm learning tons and this race to beat myself is the healthiest competition I've ever been a part of.

I am looking forward to support you in racing yourself too, so you can age like the 1% and redefine old age.

Til next week,

Jihane