60-Day Update (One-Year Challenge)

So, its been more than 60 days since I started my No-Compromise One-Year Challenge, which is:

• Diet: Consuming no concentrated sources of fat (oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, and coconut products.) and eating strictly plant-based.
• Exercising daily.
• Consuming no alcohol.
• Quitting caffeine

Its going fantastically well. Im now completely off caffeine, after a 5-week weaning transition. Here are the stats:

WeightStarting weight was 178.3. After 30 days it was 173.5. Its now 170 pounds, so a total of about 8.3 pounds lost in a little over 60 days.

Blood Pressure. I didnt report on blood pressure before. It went from a high 129/98 to 126/91 in 30 days, and down to 118/80 at the 60-day mark. I think quitting caffeine was key to lower my blood pressure down to a more normal level.

Cholesterol After only 30 days my total cholesterol went from 184 to 134 mg/dl. Ill check it again after 90 days.

Resting Heart RateMy resting heart rate was 67 when I started. After 30 days it was. 58 bpm. After 60 days its now consistently 54-55 bpm.

My back acne keeps healing. My skin is the smoothest its ever been.

My sleep quality has increased, especially since I gave up caffeine. Ive never been a good sleeper. I wake up often, and Im agitated during my sleep. But Im sleeping longer, with more dreams, and feel more refreshed in the morning.

Im still dealing with a lack of motivation to be super productive, which has been the case over the pandemic years. But that my motivation has increased and more importantly, my physical energy and desire to exercise. My mood has improved dramatically.

What worked?

So, is it the exercise, the weight loss or the diet that has produced these benefits?

Because I started the different aspects of this program consecutively, I can tell that most of the benefits have come from the diet, specifically the complete elimination of fatty foods and oils. The improved sleep and mood come mostly from the elimination of caffeine and the increase in physical activity.

But there is a certain synergy in doing all of these things together. Ill be covering some of those aspects in my next article!

Frederic

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