I micromanage my health like a psycho.

Why?

Because I don’t want to leave the most important thing in life to chance.

Here are 12 health metrics I track in an Excel spreadsheet (every single day):

1. Weight

Not as important when the other 11 are dialed in, but nice to know.

2. Body fat percentage

Better than weight because it actually tells you about your body composition.

If you get to a lean body fat (10-14% for men, 16-20% for women), and put on enough muscle, you'll never need to worry about your scale weight because you'll look great.

https://twitter.com/trynotsuck/status/1599210030372249601?s=20

3. Steps

For most people, step count is the best way to measure your overall activity level, which is one of the most important components of your lifestyle.

The average American gets around 6k steps per day.

Aim for 10-15k to drive down your risk of all-cause mortality.

https://twitter.com/trynotsuck/status/1549396994430468102?s=20

4. Exercise minutes

In addition to low-level activity like walking, you'll also benefit from getting your heart rate up several times per week.

I aim for a minimum of 2 hours of moderate to high-intensity exercise per week through a combination of strength training and cardio.

5. Fruit/veggie servings

It’s not perfect, but for me, this is the simplest way to gauge the nutritional quality of my diet.

When I'm getting 4-7 servings per day, on average, I feel great.

Any less and I start to experience issues with my energy, mood, and digestive system.

https://twitter.com/trynotsuck/status/1621312576914337792?s=20

6. Protein

The most important macronutrient for muscle growth and cellular repair (and most people aren't getting enough).

I aim for 120g or more per day and I typically need to go out of my way to get it, so I find it helpful to track.

7. Fat

Some people feel great on a high-fat diet. Others do better on a low-fat diet.

I'm in the latter camp.

My sweet spot is under 50g per day.

This is easy to overshoot, so I track it closely and try to emphasize healthy sources like eggs, wild salmon, avocado, and EVOO.

8. Carbs

I don't worry much about my carb intake these days as long as I'm getting most of it from whole foods without added sugar.

I just like to track it alongside protein and fat to calculate total calories:

Calories = Protein (g) x 4 + Carbs (g) x 4 + Fat (g) x 9

9. Alcohol

Ok, so I lied about the equation above.

It’s actually Calories = Protein (g) x 4 + Carbs (g) x 4 + Fat (g) x 9 + Alcohol (g) x 7

One drink contains ~14g alcohol, so frequent consumption adds up not just in terms of calories, but toxins your body has to deal with.

10. Calories in

Calories = Protein (g) x 4 + Carbs (g) x 4 + Fat (g) x 9 + Alcohol (g) x 7

I use the equation above to estimate my daily calorie intake, so I can compare it against…

11. Calories out

Calorie expenditure is tough to measure accurately, but I’ve been doing it for years and tracking it alongside calories in and my change in weight, so I have a good handle on it.

I use formulas in my spreadsheet to estimate my BMR and activity from daily steps.

12. Sleep

The most underrated component of a healthy lifestyle.

Most people think if they go to bed at 10 and wake up at 6, they get 8 hours of sleep.

Wrong.

To measure actual sleep time, you need a sleep-tracking device.

I use @ouraring and aim for 7 hours a night minimum.

https://twitter.com/trynotsuck/status/1652436352007548928?s=20

That's a wrap.

You obviously don't need to track all of these things to the extent I do (I actually enjoy doing it).

But I highly recommend it for the areas where you are struggling.

Remember: What gets measured gets managed.

More info for those who are curious:

• How I track my data
• How my spreadsheet works
• How I keep it up without it becoming a chore

All covered in the second half of this post which is a continuation of this thread:

https://trynotsuck.substack.com/p/health-metrics

14 Health Metrics I Track in Excel Every Day (and the Reason for Each One)

Approximately 38% of US adults have prediabetes (nearly 100 million people 18 and older).

Your doctor will send you straight to meds, but you might be able to avoid that.

Try these 4 low-effort ways to manage your glucose levels first:

1. Circadian-Friendly Eating

Your body responds differently to the same meal depending on when you eat it (I did not believe this the first time I heard it).

Eat larger, heavier meals earlier in the day when you’re more insulin sensitive.

A giant steak and eggs is much better for you at breakfast than at dinner.

2. Post-Prandial Activity

Walking is the simplest way to accomplish this.

Even as something as short as a 5-minutes after a meal helps a lot with post-prandial glucose response. But you can do any activity you want.

Lately, after dinner I like to just go to the backyard and kick a soccer ball around with my daughter or shoot on her mini basketball hoop.

3. Eat Certain Foods Before Others

The order in which you eat your foods in your meal makes a big difference.

In general, try to eat fibrous veggies first, followed by your protein and then save your starchy carbs for last.

You can eat the same stuff, just in a different order.

4. Pre-Meal Supplements

2 options for when you have larger “cheat” meals:

• Take a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, or mix it in some sparkling water, make a cocktail out of it, and drink it before your meal

• Take 600 mg alpha lipoic acid 30–60 minutes before you eat (I learned this tip from @InsideTracker)

Recap: 4 low-effort ways to manage your glucose levels

• Eat heavy in the morning, light at night
• Go for a short walk immediately after meals
• Eat veggies first, then protein, then starchy carbs last
• Take apple cider vinegar or alpha lipoic acid before heavy meals

Thanks for reading.

If you enjoyed this post, subscribe below, if you haven't already, to get the next one sent to you.

I'll also keep you updated on other things I'm working on.

Until next time, try not to suck at life.

https://trynotsuck.life

4 Low-Effort Ways to Manage Your Glucose Levels

How I’d Explain Expected Lifespan and Centenarians to a 5th Grader (and a Big Takeaway for Most of Us)

Over the past few years, I’ve developed a strong interest in longevity, and as a result, I’ve learned a lot about centenarians.

Centenarians are people who have lived to be over a hundred years old (less than 0.01% of the world’s population as of 2020).

Researchers have discovered centenarians’ lifestyle habits differ from those of Western people living in cities and contemporary living conditions.

Generally, they lead more traditional, almost rural lifestyles and are found in specific regions of the world known as the Blue Zones.

Centenarian lifestyle and genetics

Initially, I believed that their lifestyle was the only explanation for their ability to live past a hundred. Clearly, there must be something or a set of things they’re doing that the rest of us aren’t.

While their lifestyle habits do play a large part in promoting a long lifespan and health span, I’ve recently learned there’s a strong genetic component involved in living past a hundred.

This makes sense for two reasons:

1. Very few people reach a hundred even with a healthy lifestyle

2. Centenarians are clustered in specific regions with a higher proportion of them than the rest of the world

So, there’s a lifestyle component and a genetic component.

Simplifying expected lifespan

The following is how I’d explain my theory on expected lifespan and centenarians to someone who understands basic arithmetic, like a 5th grader.

To simplify the lifestyle component, imagine a numerical scale representing how healthy one’s lifestyle is, ranging from 1 to 10.

Someone with an ideal lifestyle might score a 10, while the unhealthiest person on earth would score a 1.

Let’s assume this lifestyle component is worth about 85 years. For example, if you practice a perfectly healthy lifestyle, you might live to 85, while someone with a less healthy lifestyle might only reach 50 or 60. Obviously, this is not a blanket statement because there are outliers on both ends.

The genetic factor

Then you have the genetic component, or the centenarian gene, which is binary — you either have it or you don’t.

That gives you an extra 20 years of healthspan and therefore lifespan.

Because what I’ve learned about centenarians is they’re still dying from the same causes and diseases as the rest of us. But somehow, the onset of these diseases for centenarians is about 20 years later than everybody else.

Doing the math, somebody who has the genetic component and is living a perfectly healthy lifestyle could easily make it past 100.

And even those people who have the genetic component but aren’t living perfectly healthy lifestyles could still make it into their 80s or 90s.

Your takeaway

As for the rest of us without that gene, it’s imperative to practice a healthy lifestyle to get as close as we can to that ideal score.

That’s not to say that there won’t be technological breakthroughs that could alter our genetics and help us live longer in the near future. These advancements are accelerating quickly with technology and AI.

But right now, this is my best take on the reality of lifespan and health span.

I would welcome your thoughts and would love to hear what you think about this theory.


How I’d Explain Expected Lifespan and Centenarians to a 5th Grader

At age 46, @bryan_johnson is aging slower than 99% of 20-year-olds.

He spends over $2 million a year on his anti-aging protocol, but you don’t have to.

Just focus on these 6 habits that everyone can afford (he credits most of his results to these):

1.  Don't smoke.

"It's the worst thing for your health."

2.  Engage in 6 hours of exercise weekly

"The type doesn't matter as long as you're active."

Bryan works out 1 hour daily with a mix of weight lifting, cardiovascular exercises, and stretching to flex every muscle

3.  Follow a Blueprint or Mediterranean-like diet

His diet protocol is inexpensive and open-sourced on his website.

"Every calorie in my diet must serve a specific function in the body"

For breakfast, he eats broccoli, cauliflower, lentils, garlic, ginger, and hemp

His second meal includes macadamia nuts, walnuts, flaxseed, pomegranate juice, sunflower nuts, almonds, berries, and pea protein

His third meal consists of berries, nuts, and seeds

4.  Maintain a BMI between 18.5 and 22.5

5.  Consume little to no alcohol

6.  Prioritize sleep

These last 3 are self-explanatory

Bryan says following these six steps can extend life expectancy to roughly 92 years.

Summary:

Adopting 6 affordable habits—

• No smoking
• Regular exercise
• Healthy diet
• Maintaining a healthy BMI
• Minimal alcohol consumption
• Good sleep

can significantly enhance your longevity and overall health

Note: I don't agree with everything in Bryan's protocol (for example, avoiding the sun).

But his results are hard to ignore.

Bottom line is his habits are far better than most people and serve as a good blueprint (pun intended) to follow.

P.S.

You can read more posts like this in my newsletter, which doubles as a public journal.

Check out past issues and subscribe below:

https://t.ly/tnsl

Bryan Johnson’s 6 Affordable Habits to Slow Aging and Improve Life Expectancy

Have you ever wondered how to effectively monitor your blood pressure?

This is a crucial aspect of heart disease prevention, but consistency can be challenging.

In this thread, I'll share my "better than nothing" approach (which involves a machine at my local grocery store).

Home blood pressure monitors, like automated cuffs, can be useful for frequent monitoring.

However, user error and inconsistent measurements can lead to inaccurate readings and lack of confidence in self-monitoring.

What about a continuous wearable like a wrist band?

Continuous blood pressure monitoring, similar to a continuous glucose monitor, would provide a comprehensive picture of blood pressure throughout the day.

Once available, they could revolutionize blood pressure monitoring.

Unfortunately, FDA approval is pending in the U.S.

A few years ago, I noticed a blood pressure monitoring station inside my local grocery store.

This machine, called @higi provides consistent and reasonably accurate measurements because you sit in the same position and place your hand in the cuff the same way every time.

Now, I make it a routine to check my blood pressure on the Higi station before I start my grocery shopping.

By doing this when I'm relaxed and not immediately after exercise, I can obtain decent readings.

Higi also has an app that records and tracks my measurements over time.

I aim to use the Higi station at least once or twice a month.

This frequency allows me to gather 15-20 data points per year, which is far better than the 1-2 inconsistent measurements per year most people do.

Best part is it is totally free.

In conclusion, most people don't check their blood pressure frequently enough.

Home monitors can be inconsistent without professional application.

While continuous monitoring would be ideal, the Higi blood pressure monitoring station provides a better than nothing approach.

By consistently checking my blood pressure and building a monitoring habit, I can gather enough data points to assess trends and take necessary actions if needed.

This habit gives me peace of mind and ensures I have a major health base covered that's a blind spot for most.

My Take on Expected Lifespan and Centenarians

Have you ever wondered why some people live to be over a hundred years old?

I've been fascinated by this topic and have learned a lot about centenarians in the process.

I first thought their lifestyle was the only reason for their longevity. But it turns out there's more to it.

Centenarians tend to lead more traditional, almost rural lifestyles and are found in higher concentrations in specific regions known as Blue Zones.

While their lifestyle habits play a significant role in their lifespan, I recently learned genetics also play a crucial part.

Think of it this way: imagine a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 representing a perfectly healthy lifestyle.

Someone with a score of 10 might live to be 85 years old, while someone with a 4 or 5 might only reach 50 or 60.

This is not a guarantee, as there are always exceptions.

On top of lifestyle, there's a genetic component.

Centenarians possess a gene or set of genes that give them an extra 20 years of healthspan and lifespan.

They still face the same diseases as the rest of us, but the onset of these diseases is delayed by about 20 years.

For example, while a normal person might develop heart disease in their 70s, a centenarian might not develop it until their 90s.

So, if you have this genetic component AND live a perfectly healthy lifestyle, you could easily live past 100.

Even those with the genetic component who don't live the healthiest lifestyle can still reach their 80s or 90s.

But for the rest of us without that gene, it's even more important to prioritize a healthy lifestyle to increase our chances of achieving this mark.

There may be future technological breakthroughs that could help people without the centenarian gene reach even greater ages.

The advancement of technology and AI is accelerating these possibilities.

But for now, this is my take on the reality of lifespan and health span.

Your daily beverage choices are draining your energy and destroying your sleep.

If you want the opposite effects, make these four drink swaps throughout your day.

Did I mention there’s no willpower needed because they all taste amazing?

Let's start first thing in the morning..

Most people begin their day dehydrated.

If water is too "boring," try this first thing upon waking:

Mix a half packet of @drinkLMNT citrus salt into a tall glass of cold, sparkling spring water.

This habit has completely transformed my energy during the first half of my day.

Next up is coffee.

Nothing good comes from regularly consuming the equivalent of a bowl of ice cream plus caffeine.

Ditch the candy latte for a high-quality decaf.

My morning brew of choice is @FourSigmatic chill drip coffee.

Tastes great black. Even better with some Stevia.

Afternoon arrives...

An energy drink is an idiotic thing to consume 8 hours before bed.

Instead, try a cup of hot bone broth with sea salt, black pepper, and turmeric powder.

• Great for your skin
• High-quality protein
• Less than 50 calories
• Won't keep you up at night

Last but not least is nighttime alcohol: a wolf in sheep's clothing.

If you think booze helps you sleep, you need an @ouraring ASAP.

Instead of a nightcap or 3, try a scoop of Portal Dream Midnight Yuzu Chamomile with 6 oz. hot water.

An all-natural sleep cocktail that works.

Recap: 4 daily beverage swaps for more energy and better sleep

• Upon waking: Nothing → Sparkling spring water + electrolytes
• Morning: Candy latte → Black decaf w/stevia
• Afternoon: Red Bull → Bone broth
• Night: Alcohol → Chamomile tea

You're welcome.

You’ll find posts like this in my public journal.

Read below and subscribe to get the next one:
https://t.ly/tnsl

4 Drink Swaps for Better Energy & Sleep

Zone 2 cardio is one of the best forms of exercise for longevity.

It’s also one of the easiest ways to exercise.

In fact, it requires restraint to not go too hard.

The @fitivapp (shown in this screenshot) makes Zone 2 training dead simple.

Here’s how I do it:

First, I start a Fitiv run workout from my Apple Watch.

My goal for the duration of the run is to hover around 70-75% of my max heart rate.

The app notifies me when I switch between HR zones and also shows my HR in real time, so it’s easy to monitor.

When my HR gets up to around 144 bpm (80%), I switch from a jog to a brisk walk.

When my HR gets down below 126 bpm (70%), I start jogging again.

I do this for 30-45 minutes and then I’m done.

The workout is easy.

It’s a nice, relaxing jog/walk where I get outside, get some fresh air, and listen to a podcast.

My average Zone 2 pace is 3-4 minutes slower than my race pace.

I never feel like I’m getting out of breath (which is the whole point of Zone 2).

Doing Zone 2 training consistently has a wide range of benefits.

Long-term, it strengthens your mitochondria, which preserves your metabolic health as you age.

This helps keep chronic diseases at bay (hence the longevity effect).

An unexpected effect of Zone 2 for me was running faster.

This makes sense because you’re training yourself to run with greater aerobic efficiency.

There is some truth to the saying “run slow to run fast.”

Zone 2 training did not appeal to me when I was younger because my ego wouldn’t allow it.

I started doing it at age 38.

Since then, I’ve set PRs for my 5K and 10K times.

So I’m gonna keep doing it.

Recap: My simplified zone 2 cardio workout explained

1. Use the Fitiv Pulse app to start a running workout
2. When HR gets to 80% of max, switch to a brisk walk
3. When HR falls below 70% of max, switch to a slow jog
4. Rinse and repeat for 30-45 minutes

Mastering Zone 2 Cardio for Longevity

Healthy, ultra-fast, and easy-to-prepare meals that actually taste good are incredibly hard to find.

So, I wasn't expecting to be wowed by Kevin's Heat & Eat Entrees... but I was.

For busy, health-conscious people, Kevin's is a godsend.

Here are 5 reasons why:

1.  Natural ingredients:

Kevin's uses high-quality protein. All their meals have antibiotic-free chicken or grass-fed beef.

Their sauces do not contain many of the problematic things like vegetable oils commonly found in pre-packaged foods.

2.  Ultra-fast prep:

There are "quick" meals (20-30 minutes of prep) and then there are ultra-fast meals (5 minutes or less).

Kevin's delivered on its promise to provide an easy-to-prepare dinner in 5 minutes, which is a win on its own.

3.  Idiot-proof cooking:

The first Kevin's entree I tried was Lemongrass chicken.

The chicken was already fully cooked (via sous vide), so all I had to do was drain the broth, heat the chicken in a skillet, and mix in the sauce.

Everything is done in one pan.

My only modification was throwing in some kale toward the end of the cooking process to add some more nutrients and color to the dish. No additional prep time.

Meanwhile, I had the rice cooker going. When the chicken was done, I served it over the rice.

4.  Restaurant-quality taste:

The meal was delicious.

The Lemongrass chicken tasted as good as an entree you’d order at a Thai restaurant.

Since then, I've tried other varieties and they have all been excellent.

5.  Excellent macros:

The meal was low in calories and the macros were surprisingly good:

Lemongrass chicken had 23g protein and only 7g fat per 5 oz. serving (my wife and I split the container, which was 3 servings total).

If you've struggled to find a fast, healthy, and easy-to-prep meal with minimal cleanup that tastes great, give Kevin's Heat & Eat Entrees a shot.

They deliver on:

• Natural ingredients
• Ultra-fast prep
• Idiot-proof cooking
• Restaurant-quality taste
• Excellent macros

Discover Kevin's Heat & Eat Entrees

Another year of health tracking is in the books.

Yes, my spreadsheet is obsessive.

But I love it because it allows me to objectively see how my health is changing from one year to the next.

Here’s what I learned tracking a dozen health metrics for 365 days in a row in 2023.

My personal health score for 2023 was 97% (using my 2023 targets).

Changing one cell shows the same display for 2022. That score was 91% (also using my 2023 targets).

There was clear improvement in all areas except for sleep, which was unchanged.

Daily average stats:

2022
• Nutrition: 4.5 servings fruits/veggies
• Sleep: 7.2 hours
• Steps: 9,898
• Exercise: 14.6 minutes

2023
• Nutrition: 4.7 servings fruits/veggies
• Sleep: 7.2 hours
• Steps: 10,760
• Exercise: 20.1 minutes

The stat I'm most proud of is exercise.

This past year, I made it a point to incorporate more zone 2 cardio and soccer in addition to strength training.

As a result, my average daily exercise minutes increased by nearly 50% from 2022 and I averaged nearly 2.5 hours a week.

I also added a tab to my spreadsheet that summarizes and conditionally formats several habits on a daily basis.

Its purpose is to detect more subtle patterns like which days of the week I performed better than others.

This is useful for targeting opportunities for improvement.

For example, I learned:

• I eat significantly fewer fruits/veggies on the weekends
• My least active day of the week is Sunday
• I tend to eat less protein on Sundays
• I tend to eat more fat on Saturdays

If I close these gaps, I will improve my weekly averages.

For 2024, my average daily targets are the same except for one:

• Nutrition: 4.5 servings (up from 4)
• Sleep: 7.4 hours
• Steps: 10,000
• Exercise: 18 minutes

Sleep is the area with the biggest gap between where I am (7.2 hours per night) and where I want to be (~7.5).

Here's what I'm using to track these metrics (before copying into Excel):

• Body fat: @fitbit Aria 2 scale
• Nutrition: Awesome Habits app
• Sleep: @ouraring
• Steps/exercise: Apple Watch

To learn more about my health tracking process and insights, follow me for updates.

P.S.

If you liked this thread, you’ll love my newsletter.

Weekly public journal entries of ideas that are top-of-mind for me with practical takeaways for you.

Read past issues below and sign up to get the next one:

https://t.ly/tnsl