This isn’t a lifestyle post. It’s a controlled experiment.
For the past 90 days, I’ve been running a level of dietary and supplement control that most people would never attempt, and frankly should not attempt, without significant medical oversight. The goal was not extremity for its own sake. The goal was to eliminate noise, establish a clean baseline, and then build forward using data instead of guesses.
That’s what makes this a 10 out of 10 for me. Not because it’s perfect, but because it’s optimized.
The Context Most People Miss
I understand why this raises eyebrows. If I saw someone consuming three protein shakes a day, a small amount of fruit, and a large supplement stack, my first reaction would probably be concern too.
The difference here is context.
This project has had medical oversight from the beginning, including primary care, mental health care, and functional medicine input. Nothing is endorsed. Nothing is promoted. Everything is reviewed for safety. I was also willing, at every step, to make changes or pull back when labs or symptoms indicated something needed adjustment.
This is not something I would ever suggest doing without similar oversight.
Radical Input Control, Intentionally
My daily intake during this phase was fixed. Exactly three Premier Protein shakes per day. Precisely measured berries. Measured water. No deviations.
Yes, calorically, it’s extreme. Roughly 565 calories per day including fruit and supplements. I’m fully aware most people consume that in a single meal. The average American consumes closer to 3,600 calories per day. I’m not unaware of how unusual this looks.
The reason for that level of restriction was simple: data quality.
Ninety days of near-total consistency allowed me to establish a baseline with minimal dietary noise. Once that baseline was established, changes in biomarkers became far easier to interpret. Over this period, my labs improved, not deteriorated, and I did not experience muscle atrophy.
When something drifted, it was caught early.
Why Labs Matter More Than Opinions
A recent round of labs showed my sodium was significantly low, which explained symptoms I was already feeling: cramping and shaking. When sodium was increased, the shaking resolved almost immediately. Magnesium was also low. Increasing magnesium resolved the cramping.
That’s the point. I knew something was off. The labs explained why.
Without frequent testing, I could have guessed wrong. With testing, the correction was simple and effective.
This is why I believe supplement use without regular bloodwork is fundamentally incomplete.
The Schedule, and Why It’s Structured This Way
What makes this protocol rare isn’t just what I take, it’s when and how everything is separated to avoid interference and maximize absorption.
Mornings are fasted and focused on cellular and mitochondrial support. Compounds that compete with minerals or food are isolated. Supplements that benefit from co-ingestion with protein or fat are taken with meals. Alpha-lipoic acid is kept away from minerals. Iron is taken alone, sublingually, with vitamin C. Fiber is isolated aggressively with a strict exclusion window. Evening dosing prioritizes recovery, mineral balance, and sleep.
None of this is accidental. Every separation exists to prevent known conflicts that would otherwise blur the data.
What I Mean by “Optimized”
For me, optimized means crafting my diet and supplements so my biomarkers are as high as possible.
When I started this phase, my SiPhox liver health score was in the low 60s. It’s now sitting at 92%. That doesn’t mean anything is “fixed.” It means the inputs are working.
That kind of movement is what I’m tracking across the board.
Transparency Is Non-Negotiable
This project is built on full transparency. Lab screenshots are already published on the site and will continue to be updated. Full supplement schedules and changes are documented. Problems and adverse effects are not hidden. Raw lab reports are available, even when they’re uncomfortable to share.
If someone looks at older labs, I expect concern. If they look at newer ones, I expect improvement to be obvious. That before-and-after contrast is the entire point.
Without that level of transparency, this project would be meaningless.
Where I Am Now
My weight is now in a range I’m happy with, though I’m still slowly losing. The structure remains highly restrictive, but it’s slightly more flexible than it was during the baseline phase.
That flexibility is measured. It looks like an occasional, literal one-inch-by-one-inch piece of cake, not a return to normal eating. The supplements, structure, and testing remain unchanged.