Hmmm. There’s something quietly powerful about waking up day after day with a clearer mind and a stronger body. It’s like watching your own sunrise.
I’ve been thinking about something lately: how long does it take before a new habit stops feeling like a fight? For me, it’s two weeks. Fourteen days. That’s the line in the sand. Do something daily for two weeks, and it stops shouting for attention. The resistance fades. The discomfort shrinks. And suddenly, the new thing starts to feel like part of who I am.
🌟 “Discomfort is the price of admission to a better version of yourself.” — Unknown
After 14 days of doing inversions, for example, that horrible blood-rushing sensation in my head just disappeared. The bitter taste of MSM stopped bothering me. Pushups didn’t ache the same way. What used to be a fight became a flow.
Now, does that mean I’ve conquered the habit forever? No. That comes later. But this two-week point—this threshold—is where things start to feel doable.
Let’s break that down with a simple framework.
🎯 The Four Stages of Learning: A Quick Primer
The Four Stages of Competence were first described by Noel Burch in the 1970s at Gordon Training International. Here’s how it works:
- Unconscious Incompetence – You don’t know what you don’t know. You’re unaware and unskilled.
- Conscious Incompetence – Now you know what you’re missing. This is when things feel hard. But it’s also the start of learning.
- Conscious Competence – You’ve learned it, but it takes effort. You’re still thinking through each step.
- Unconscious Competence – The skill becomes second nature. You don’t have to think about it anymore—it just flows.
Two weeks in? That’s usually the shift between Stage 2 and Stage 3. The point where the discomfort lifts, and your brain says, “Okay, I got this.”
⚖️ Daily Progress:
Here’s how I’m doing today.
🔥Weight Loss
| 📅 Date | ⚖️ Weight – lbs | ⚖️ Weight – kg | 🥅 Goal Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight Goal | 176.4 | 80.0 | Future Day |
| 8 May 2025 | 207.2 | 94.0 | Worst Day |
| 10 May 2025 | 203.5 | 92.3 | Day 1 |
| 10 June 2025 | 192.5 | 87.3 | Month 1 |
| 10 July 2025 | 190.7 | 86.5 | Month 2 |
| 11 July 2025 | 189.4 | 85.9 | Week 9 |
| 12 July 2025 | 186.7 | 84.7 | Lowest the year |
| 13 July 2025 | 185.9 | 84.3 | Lowest – again! |
| 14 July 2025 | 187.2 | 84.9 | Slight rise |
| 15 July 2025 | 185.2 | 84 | Nice drop |
| 16 July 2025 | 186.1 | 84.4 | Slight rise |
| 17 July 2025 | 185.0 | 83.9 | Another nice drop |
| 18 July 2025 | 185.0 | 83.9 | Today |
✅ Today’s Change: -0 lb (0 kg)
📉 Total Loss (in 70 days): -22.2 lbs (-10.1 kg)
📊 Average Loss Per Day: -0.32 lbs (-0.14 kg)
It’s a pause. A plateau. And that’s okay. NoMAD (No Meals A Day) fasting Friday gives me a strategic edge—no need to panic or snack. If I must break it, I’ll break it with a purpose, not panic.
❤️Blood Pressure (BP)
| 📅 Date | 📉 Best of 3 | 📈 Worst of 3 | 📊 Average |
| BP Goal | 120/80 | ||
| Worst days | 134/86 | 161/88 | 147.5/87 |
| 10 May 25 – Day 1 | 151/86 | 168/88 | 159.5/87 |
| 10 June 25 – Mth 1 | 133/83 | 150/94 | 141.5/88.5 |
| 10 Jul 25 – Mth 2 | 134/84 | 145/90 | 139.5/87 |
| 11 Jul 25 – Wk 9 | 130/50 | 151/97 | 140.5/72 |
| 12 Jul 25 – Day 64 | 142/83 | 141/93 | 141.5/88 |
| 13 Jul 25 – Day 65 | 143/89 | 149/95 | 146/92 |
| 14 Jul 25 – Day 66 | 107/73 | 120/78 | 113.5/75.5 |
| 15 Jul 25 – Day 67 | 113/74 | 120/76 | 116.5/75 |
| 16 Jul 25 – Day 68 | 118/81 | 131/79 | 124.5/80 |
| 17 Jul 25 – Day 69 | 133/93 | 145/87 | 139/90 |
| 18 Jul 25 – Day 70 | 137/80 | 147/84 | 142/82 |
💪 Today’s Systolic Change (1st number): +3
💪 Today’s Diastolic Change (2nd number): -8
Still under the 140/90 line—no meds today. Winning!
🍬Blood Glucose
| 📅 Date | 🍬 Glucose (mmol/L) |
| Blood Glucose Goal | 4.2 |
| 23 Apr 2025 – Worst day | 7.4 |
| 10 May 2025 – Day 1 | 6.4 |
| 10 June 25 – Month 1 | 4.6 |
| 10 July 2025 – Month 2 | 5.4 |
| 11 July 2025 – Week 9 | 4.8 |
| 12 July 2025 – Day 64 | 4.9 |
| 13 July 2025 – Day 65 | 4.7 |
| 14 July 2025 – Day 66 | 4.6 |
| 15 July 2025 – Day 67 | 4.7 |
| 16 July 2025 – Day 68 | 4.7 |
| 17 July 2025 – Day 69 | 4.6 |
| 18 July 2025 – Day 70 | 4.1 |
📊 Today’s Change: -0.5 mmol/L
🏆 Days in Normal Range (3.9–5.6 mmol/L): 45 out of 70
That’s the kind of quiet success I love.
💬 Reflection
🎯 What’s Working
The magic of 14 days is real. Habits stop being friction. My body’s responding to the structure, the discipline, and the love I’m giving it.
🔍 What I’m Watching
This plateau is just a blip. NoMAD fasting, hydration, and tracking are my tools. I’m also watching how mindset ties directly to results—it’s not just the food; it’s the follow-through.
I’ve noticed as I’m approaching my goal weight that I’m feeling tired at night more often than I was. It may be telling me that my ideal weight may be around 187 lb (85kg) rather than down at 176 (80). I set the lower numbers because it’s been over a quarter of a century since I weighed that little. But even then my friends were so shocked by how thin I looked that they pleaded with me to put some weight on!
I don’t give up on goals though, even when it’s stupid to continue. If you don’t want it, don’t set it in the first place is my motto. Every time you quit or miss a target, you lose a little bit more of what makes you you. Not that I get them all quickly. I’ve taken decades on some of them.
But I think as soon as I hit my goal this time, I’ll allow my weight to pop back up to 187 before I stabilize it.
Anyway, that’s the plan.
😊 See You Tomorrow, My Friend
Still aiming. Still showing up. Still grateful to be me.
Warmly,
Paul
