Back From Travel – Resetting Routine, Measurements & Metabolism. Aging Strong Vlog Episode 179

Описание: The overarching theme of this episode is the challenge of maintaining a data-driven healthy lifestyle while traveling and the importance of resuming structured routines upon returning.

Martin Schweiger reflects on the disruption caused to his health habits during a month-long trip through Germany and Dubai. He highlights how routine, measurement, and preparation are critical to maintaining metabolic health—and how losing access to tools like his Oura Ring, glucose monitor, and supplement regimen caused setbacks in sleep, weight, and metabolic control.

He also outlines his plan to return to fasting, ketosis, and self-monitoring. The episode emphasizes the value of tracking trends over time, not obsessing over isolated metrics, and leveraging affordable tools (e.g. test strips, food marble, body fat scales) for meaningful personal insights.

Timeline of the Talk
00:00 – 05:40

Return from Travel & Routine Disruption

Martin returns to Singapore after a month abroad in Germany and Dubai.

Describes how difficult it is to stick to his routine while traveling.

Outlines his usual daily startup:

Blood pressure

Supplements (including mulberry extract)

Weight & body fat

Lemon water with apple cider vinegar

Glucose, ketone & breath acetone measurements

While traveling, none of this was maintained consistently—tools were missing or forgotten.

05:41 – 09:20

Impact of Losing Measurement Discipline

Lost his ability to log data into Excel.

Oura Ring wasn’t charged, despite bringing the charger unknowingly.

Emphasizes how not measuring leads to loss of control, which then impacts behavior, and then impacts health.

Mentions that he reversed diabetes 2 and metabolic syndrome without medication through self-monitoring.

Goal for the year:

Drop below 93 kg

Improve sleep

Reduce visceral fat

09:21 – 14:55

Challenges While Traveling: Alcohol, Food & Exercise

Business and social travel meant eating & drinking with others.

Alcohol was unavoidable in Germany; much easier to avoid in Dubai.

Soft drinks are a no-go (sugar); lemon water often not available.

Slipped back into drinking wine and eating high-carb foods (dumplings, pretzels, bread).

Slow walking in airports doesn't match the intensity required for metabolic benefits.

Couldn’t maintain strength training routine—only one workout in 5 weeks.

14:56 – 19:50

The Slippery Slope & Restarting the Program

After a few weeks of travel, found himself slipping back into pre-metabolic disease habits.

Skipped walking, fasting, supplements—including vitamin D, which is vital for him.

Lost his continuous glucose monitor during travel.

Recognizes that travel routines make discipline hard, but he's now restarting.

19:51 – 24:20

Restart: Back in Singapore & New 100-Day Program

Restarted new 100-day health program (no alcohol, back to fasting).

First fasting day is today: Tuesday = water fast, Wednesday = dry fast.

Goals:

Blood ketones more than 1.0 mmol/L

Breath acetone more than 50 ppm

No glucose spikes

Mentions previous programs leading up to competitions in January, April, and August, including a 43-day streak before Germany.

New goal: Beat 43 days and potentially drink again only on Christmas or New Year.

24:21 – 29:45

Cancer & Ketosis: Helping a Friend

A friend diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer lost 25 kg since April.

Martin encourages him to get into ketosis, explaining that cancer cells cannot survive on ketones.

Sent links for glucose/ketone monitors on Amazon.

Believes cancer can be “starved” into remission, citing others who did the same.

29:46 – 35:00

Extreme Weight Goals & Philosophical Reflections

Shares long-term goal to compete in the 83 kg class (currently ~106 kg).

Would require 800-calorie diet, 5% body fat—not sustainable long term, but worth trying.

Embraces idea of being “meager cat” (French: chat maigre)

Believes 28% body fat leaves room to lose another 20+ kg.

35:01 – 41:00
Measurement: It’s About Trends, Not Absolute Accuracy
Emphasizes measuring over time, not obsessing over absolute values.
VO2 max example: Use simplified methods to track trend, not lab-grade precision.
Bathroom body fat scales are sufficient if used consistently.
Suggests comparing different tools over time to establish baselines and offsets.

41:01 – 47:15
Using Affordable Tools for Health Insights
Different measurement units (e.g., vitamin D in mg/L vs. mmol) can cause confusion.
Encourages logging data over time, not obsessing over isolated results.
Recommends devices like the Oura Ring, even cheaper alternatives.
Measurement devices help guide habits and provide early indicators of regression.

47:16 – 55:30
New Project: Gut Health with FoodMarble
Starting a new self-experiment using FoodMarble (breath hydrogen monitor).
Tracks food intake, stool consistency, digestive gas, and more.
Will pair that with homemade yogurt experiments using lactobacilli.
Measures pH before and after yogurt fermentation to quantify probiotic effects.