Day one  (June 22, 2023) of this 75-day challenge starts with five simple rules.

1. Wake up every day at 5 a.m.
2. Follow diet of no added sugar, less simple carbs & try to get 125 grams of protein daily.
3. Daily exercise and walk for 10,000 steps.
4. Read 15 pages daily.
5. Consume 8 cups of water daily.

It’s that simple, with no complications.

Statistics indicate that less than 1% of people complete this challenge. However, I aim to be in that 1%. Accomplishing this would prove I can achieve anything the top 1% of the population can. Thus, this will be a lifelong challenge for me, and I’m taking it extremely seriously. For the next 75 days, this challenge will be my top priority.

To jumpstart the challenge with a bang, I am going to undertake a 36-hour fast, something I’ve never done before. This is necessary to shock my body and break the cycle of past failures and successes, ups and downs in my sugar, glucose, insulin, dopamine levels, and my mood.

On the first day, I completed a 36-hour fast. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel any hunger. I felt much better, and within a day, I had lost 5 pounds. I understand this is mostly water weight, but the figure is encouraging.

From the second day onward, I began incorporating the five activities from my challenge rules and have been continuing them diligently. I find the activities reasonable, and I don’t perceive them as challenging. Establishing a morning routine, exercising regularly, walking 10,000 steps, and consuming the majority of the daily water intake before 10 a.m. takes care of four tasks early in the day.

By day five, this challenge didn’t seem daunting. However, I know I shouldn’t underestimate it, as a slip-up could occur at any moment. If I miss even a single activity, I’d have to start over, so I must stay vigilant.

The key to success here is incremental progress. Improving 1% a day or a week adds up significantly over time. During this challenge, I aim to focus more on mental stability, calmness, serenity, and contentment.

My strategy has yielded excellent results so far. I feel more energized and agile during exercise. I’m getting used to the tasks and finding them relatively easy. But it’s not just about accomplishing the tasks. Consistency is paramount, and I must maintain it for 75 days.

As I finish the first week, I’m grateful that I have been able to fulfill all my objectives despite some hurdles. Drinking ample water and occupying myself with reading have been beneficial. Eating healthy has made me feel much better.

I believe the remaining 10 weeks won’t be problematic unless something drastic happens that significantly changes my routine. If everything remains stable, I see myself successfully completing this challenge.

I have made a few changes to the goals. The reading goal has been adjusted from 10 to 15 pages a day. Furthermore, I have included a new goal: to consume 125 grams of protein daily. This is based on my lean mass or fat-free mass weight in kgs multiplied by two, which equals approximately 125 grams. Meeting this target could be challenging, but let’s see how it goes. To reach 125 grams of protein, I need to consume three meals and supplement with a protein shake daily.

As I enter the second week of the challenge, I still carry the energy from the first week. So far, the experience has been surprisingly manageable. The biggest success factor has been waking up at 5 AM, which lays the groundwork for the rest of the day. When you wake up this early, you can get your work and exercise done, consume enough water because you have exercised, and find time to read. Additionally, you are in a high-energy state for the rest of the day, and you only need to monitor your food intake.

On this note, I have imposed a complete ban on consuming sugar or unhealthy food. The most challenging aspect, surprisingly, is not waking up early but going to bed at 9 PM. Achieving eight hours of sleep requires being in bed by 9 PM, which can be difficult due to family commitments and social engagements.

Nonetheless, everything has been going quite smoothly. My body composition has changed, with my body fat percentage dropping to 12.1%. Additionally, my weight has reduced by 5 pounds over the past 10 days. From a cognitive perspective, the volume of reading has led to a wealth of knowledge absorption.

However, these 10 days have not been without their obstacles. I’ve attended large social events and had to resist the urge to break my dietary rules. But I decided to stay disciplined and follow through with the plan.

Today marks the end of week two of this 11-week challenge. Any challenge inevitably meets resistance at first, particularly from our own bodies. But with consistency, the body eventually adjusts to the new routines. I’m proud to say that, despite some difficulties, I’ve been able to complete all my daily tasks. The key to this success has been waking up at 5 AM.

One valuable lesson I’ve gleaned from these two weeks is the importance of a solid morning routine. If you wish to change anything in your life, focus on reshaping your mornings. This, in turn, will affect your nightly routine. Even though the challenge of going to bed early persists due to various commitments, I make up for any lost night sleep by resting during lunchtime.

Today also marks the end of week three, which is often said to be the point where new habits are solidified. Despite this, each day brings unique challenges and opportunities. One constant struggle has been the temptation to eat sugar-laden fruits, especially during mango season. I’ve realized that consuming two mangoes a day contributes a significant amount of sugar to my diet, which is something I intend to cut down on in the upcoming weeks.

In summary, the next week’s goals will be to eliminate sugary fruits, increase protein intake to ensure I hit 125 grams daily, and never skip breakfast. Let’s see how this goes.

Day 25. I’m a third of the way through this challenge with two-thirds still to go. I’ll now share my assessment of how things are progressing. The first couple of weeks seemed like a breeze, but resistance began to emerge during weeks three and four. Nevertheless, I’ve learned to cope with it.

I’ve encountered three types of resistance. The first is from friends and family who might be unaccustomed to the changes I’m making. They’re used to my time and actions being spent in certain ways, and my newfound commitments can indirectly affect them. For example, waking up consistently at 5 a.m., or deciding not to eat certain foods or not go out as often, can disrupt the norms I previously established with them. If I was used to hanging out with friends late at night and then suddenly stopped, there would naturally be resistance.

The second form of resistance is mental. This isn’t about debating with others, but about wrestling with my own thoughts and impulses. Sometimes, my mind tries to persuade me to give up or to indulge in certain habits. This is a struggle against nobody else but my own self.

The third resistance comes from my body. As part of this 75-day challenge, I have to exercise daily, which my body initially resisted. If I change my diet, my body responds. While it’s important to listen to my body, I also understand that I’ve trained it to adhere to a certain lifestyle. When I push it, it reacts.

I’ve encountered all three forms of resistance over these first 25 days, and I’ve realized that they often appear in sequence. First, resistance from friends and family, then from my own thoughts, and finally, my body.

I’ve been able to resist these challenges, maintaining my commitment to the challenge at Day 25. A primary motivator for me, albeit a self-centered one, is the realization that by completing this challenge, I’m achieving something less than 1% of people can do. I understand this could be seen as a self-serving motive, driven by my ego, and it’s something I need to work on. However, there are other reasons driving me, such as the desire to be in optimal physical and mental health and to enjoy my day-to-day life.

Despite these resistances, I’ve held my ground. I’m still in the game and determined to see this challenge through.

Day 31: Yesterday marked one month into this challenge. I successfully completed the first month, and I intend to continue for the full 75 days.

I’ll recap my assessment for the first month of this challenge. The first rule was waking up early in the morning. Now, it’s become automatic, although I still rely on an alarm. There have been nights when I’ve gone to bed at 1 a.m., yet I’ve managed to rise at 5 a.m. the following day, even on weekends. Sticking to this rule has been crucial; any deviation disrupts the schedule for the following day.

The second rule was about diet, specifically avoiding sugar. This has been a game changer; the absence of sugary items has had a significant impact on my glucose and insulin levels and, consequently, my energy levels. Additionally, my diet included 125 g of protein, providing a sense of fullness and aiding muscle growth. Remarkably, my waistline reduced by two inches, while my weight remained stable.

Timing my meals to align with intermittent fasting and shifting my calorie intake to the early part of the day has proven beneficial. The exercise rule was initially challenging as I wasn’t used to working out seven days a week or taking 10,000 steps a day. However, incorporating structured walks and daily exercise has become integral to my routine.

The learning rule, reading 15 pages a day, has expanded my knowledge significantly. This specific target translates to reading 52 books a year. The last rule, drinking water, wasn’t difficult given my focus on exercise and dietary adjustments.

As for the first month, all these rules have complemented one another, creating a beneficial cycle. I’m excited to see how the second month unfolds.

Now, on day 39, I’ve passed the halfway point of the challenge and am quite stable. Last week, my body started voicing its resistance with different aches and pains. To counter this, I adjusted my activities based on my heart rate variability. I incorporated creatine in my protein shakes, which along with adequate hydration seems to have quelled the aches. At this halfway point, I feel stable with minimal resistance from my body, and mentally, I am calm and focused. The progress I’m making is exponential, building on each day’s growth. While the daily progress may seem small, when viewed over the span of a year, the difference is night and day. The countless small daily decisions to stay focused and maintain priorities make all the difference. I’m excited to see how the second half of the challenge unfolds.

 Day 45. It’s been a month and a half since I started this challenge with only one month remaining, and things are progressing well. Last week was particularly steady, with minimal disruptions from my mind and body. As time progresses, I’ve observed that my mind and body have accepted my firm determination to complete this challenge, stronger than any distractions they could present.

Opinions differ on how long it takes to form a habit – some suggest 21 days, others argue for 66 days. In my personal experience, it takes around 75 days to firmly establish an activity as a habit. While 21 days might be sufficient to trick the mind into believing a habit has formed, I believe it takes a longer period to achieve full control and truly consider it a habit.

During these 75 days, depending on your physical and mental health, you may experience resistance from various aspects of your life. But with time, this resistance stabilizes and the habit becomes second nature, requiring no active thought or decision-making. I define a habit as an activity that encounters no resistance from your mind or body, and ideally little resistance from your external environment, though this is not always in our control. Additionally, the activity becomes automatic, requiring no conscious decision or thought.

To form such a habit, your body must be in sync with the activity, your mind must agree without resistance, and your environment should not be a hindrance. The decision to engage in the activity must have been made 75 days prior, and then you just automatically pursue it. This logic applies to numerous activities that we undertake.

Our goal is to incorporate these activities into our identity until they become as natural as breathing. We don’t actively think about or make decisions to inhale or exhale, and our environment doesn’t stop us from doing so. This concept can be extended to exercise, work, eating habits, intellectual pursuits, interactions with others, and even hobbies.

Realistically, nothing can have a 100% success rate due to unpredictable external factors. We can suddenly fall ill, meet an accident, or face a myriad of unforeseen circumstances. On day 45, my energy, mental focus, and work routine have all stabilized. Surprisingly, the biggest challenge for me is not exercise, but waking up in the morning.

Even after 45 days, I still rely on an alarm to wake up at 5 am. As we know, waking up early is closely tied to the time we go to bed. Family commitments and other engagements often prevent me from going to bed at 9 pm. On nights when I know I’ll be staying up late, I try to catch up on sleep during the day. But ideally, I should be going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. Life, however, often intervenes.

The goal for the next 30 days is to better regulate my sleeping habits. Using an alarm can interrupt sleep cycles, and I’d like to wake naturally after having completed six or seven cycles of uninterrupted sleep each night. I’m looking forward to seeing how the remaining days of the challenge will unfold.

Day 51: What a journey this has been. Over two-thirds of the challenge is now behind me. Every week presents its unique set of challenges, just like life; just when you believe everything is going smoothly, a new obstacle arises. Last week, for instance, we hosted a guest for three nights. Hosting means making adjustments to your usual routine. While I managed to maintain my exercise schedule and waking up at 5 a.m., my sleep suffered due to the late-night chats and entertainment. On one occasion, I managed just three hours of sleep. Thankfully, my body bounced back quickly; after a full rest the next day, my heart rate variability returned to optimal levels.

An unexpected twist was my wife’s birthday celebration. Despite having abstained from added sugars for 50 days, I indulged in a few bites of cake. Remarkably, my palate has changed. After reducing sugar intake, excessively sweet foods now taste overpowering. This experience reinforced the belief that occasional indulgences can be enjoyable without leading to overconsumption, especially when one’s regular diet is balanced. As the days have passed, my cravings for sugary treats have noticeably waned.

Concerning physical health, over the past 50 days, my body seems to have gone through a full cycle of aches in different areas – from shoulders to core. While it’s been uncomfortable at times, these pains never linger and tend to shift around, making me wonder about their psychological component. Nonetheless, I remain committed and enthusiastic about this challenge. All in all, things are progressing positively.