Post #39: Introducing the 28-Day Wellness Challenge Program

I spent the last 10 days of 2024 in India, 5 of which were at my nephew’s amazing wedding, gorging on everything sinful (and, importantly, without feeling guilty even once). I also had the good fortune of running into numerous people who read my blog posts and found them insightful. Although my blog posts are being read by about 40,000 people, it still gives me a sense of great joy when I hear stories from individuals about how specific posts and recommended interventions helped make a difference in their lives or the lives of their loved ones. My thanks to all of you that take the time to read and act on them.

A common theme many people articulate is that their desire to start their health journey seems overwhelming because they are uncertain about where to begin or how to proceed, which often prevents them from taking that crucial first step. Another misconception that I heard a lot is the belief that the lifestyle changes needed to be healthy are hard, require a lot of discipline and entail giving up everything people love to eat. This second point, as I can attest to, couldn’t be further from the truth. When I walked some folks through the details of my typical day, they felt a lot less intimidated about the journey and were enthused about getting started. These interactions made me realize that, while the blog post is a useful source of credible information and provides ideas for a certain segment of people, the large majority need a more hands-on approach. I began my journey 9-years ago by slowly experimenting with a lot of things that I have condensed into a list of small changes that have led me to experience big improvements in my various health markers, as seen in the table below:

This transformation was achieved by building sustainable habits that fit naturally into my lifestyle, not through sacrifices. Over the last 4 years, I have been able to get about a thousand people in a 1:1 setting to follow my interventions that have demonstrated very compelling results. What really surprised these participants was how simple they were to incorporate into their daily lives, relative to all the previous programs that required them to make difficult-to-follow changes.

The goal is to now scale this positive impact for a larger group of people. With this in mind, I decided to pilot an interactive program to help make all these interventions very real, practical and sustainable. Starting on January 13th, we will be launching a 4-week health journey (the 28-day Wellness Challenge) for folks who are ready to make real changes to their health but are unsure where to start. Through a WhatsApp-based community, for a set of motivated individuals who want to take control of their health in a supportive and fun environment, this program is designed to inspire and guide you on a journey to better health, without making it feel like a sacrifice.

Here’s what I will be doing to make this program truly effective: I’ll be sharing real-time glimpses into my daily life, including a view of all the meals I consume - the good stuff (salads, vegetable bowls, etc.) and the “good” stuff (Nutella crepes, strawberry shakes, etc.), the habits I follow and how I adapt them to deal with practical constraints that creep up in life, details of my exercise routines, and the opportunity for you to use the tools I employ daily to help guide me on this journey. I’ll invite you to share your story to whatever extent you are comfortable, as well as have you ask any questions are top of mind for you. I’ll be joined by a clinical nutritionist in this group to help answer your questions and ensure you have expert guidance every step of the way.

To get the most out of this experience, you will be asked to set whatever goal it is that you want to achieve, whether it is weight loss, bringing down your cholesterol levels, being able to pick up your grandchildren, increasing your muscle mass, or just being pain free. If you have a recent blood test and/or a body composition measurement (weight, muscle mass, visceral fat, etc.), that would be ideal, so you can check the impact of the program before and after; however, this is not needed. If you have a wearable, you can get some automated insights around your sleep and activity levels, but again not necessary. You can join this community by yourself or, if you think you will have more fun doing it with a buddy, spouse or sibling, sign them up as well. This will remain a safe, no-judgment zone community, where we each learn, support, and grow alongside one another.

By the end of the program, my goals are for you to develop practical habits with a clear understanding of why they are effective, and to make you feel confident that improving your health can be fun, effective, and sustainable. You can expect to start seeing some initial gains towards your goal but, more importantly, you should be comfortable that you have the tools and the desire to continue this journey. As this is the first time, we are running such a program, we’ll keep it limited to 4 weeks and to a small group of people, but if you find it impactful, we will expand this to a longer duration and a larger group in the future. The program fee for these 28 days is Rs. 999 for participants from India and $49 for participants outside India, solely to help cover the cost of the paid resources I’ll use to support the program. Spots are limited and will be filled on a first-come-first-serve basis, so if you’re interested, please register here. (update: as of January 9th, the batch is full but you can get added to the waitlist for the next challenge)

Until next time ….

Disclaimer: Note that this is a lifestyle intervention program rather than a medical program. The information provided in this program is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or wellness program. Reliance on any information provided in this program is solely at your own risk. The individual and organization behind this program make no representations or warranties, express or implied, regarding the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or effectiveness of the information contained herein. The inclusion of specific products, services, or strategies in this program does not imply endorsement or recommendation. The individual and the organization disclaim any liability for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use or application of the information presented. You are encouraged to consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle.