David 2.0 - The Health Reboot
Reclaiming my health after a wake-up call. Down 44lbs and counting.
Imagine you start feeling chest pain.
You’re traveling, so you call the doctor, they’re not worried it’s a heart attack, and say to wait a few days. If it’s still ongoing, come into the office.
So you wait, it goes in and out, but it’s still there.
You head to their office on Monday, and the nonchalant Doctor’s face immediately drops after seeing your EKG.
You’re directed to go straight to the Emergency Room.
A few tests later, and good news, you’re not dying, at least not today, but they don’t know what’s wrong.
Over the coming weeks, you will see specialists and get more tests. The pain eventually goes away. In fact, you never actually find out what the cause of the pain was, but during the process you find something far more important.
Over 20% plaque buildup in both carotid arteries.
If you don’t know, that’s not good. Clogged arteries are the dominant cause of stroke & heart attacks (in this location stroke).
You typically don’t see any buildup until your 50s.
I was only 27.
Statistically, this wasn’t supposed to happen.
Even today, when I see a cardiologist, they look at me funny. I’m way too young compared to their normal patients.
But this was a wake-up call.
It was immediately clear: things had to change—and quickly.
The Overhaul
David 1.0 had clearly run its course. It was time to roll out David 2.0.
The reboot focused on fundamentally reshaping my lifestyle:
Nutrition: Completely revamped my diet, meticulously tracking macros, swapping out foods, and incorporating supplements designed to boost HDL and lower LDL cholesterol.
Fitness: Hired a coach to teach me proper training techniques, going beyond what I learned from my high school gym teacher. Regular weight training 5 days per week, supplemented by consistent cardio through daily walks.
Sleep: Prioritized getting a consistent 8 hours of quality sleep every night, upgrading my bedroom with sleep tech to support better rest and recovery.
Tracking became crucial—watching metrics improve provided powerful motivation to keep pushing forward.
Biomarker Progress
LDL Cholesterol: Dropped dramatically from a concerning 144 mg/dL to 94 through diet alone. Statins further reduced it to 55 mg/dL.
HDL Cholesterol: Increased from 39 mg/dL to 52 — good, but plenty of room to go up
Physical Progress
Weight: Shed 44 lbs (down from a peak of 221 lbs to 177 lbs)
Body Fat %: Reduced significantly from 31% (first DEXA @ 213 lbs) to 19.1%
Muscle Mass: Gained around 7 lbs of muscle since the initial scan
This journey remains ongoing. There’s always more to optimize, refine, and track. Yet already, the difference between David 1.0 and David 2.0 is unmistakable. It isn’t just about weight loss—it’s about reclaiming control after a serious health scare.
Why share this?
I’ve decided to share this publicly largely because of people like Pieter Levels & Bryan Johnson. By sharing their own metrics they created a public discourse that has helped me on my journey. Maybe this will help you.