One week into 100 Days of Not Being a Fat Ass. We’re either building momentum—or Googling “keto-friendly donuts.”
⚖️ Progress Check: Shrinking But Still Sweaty
I’d love to say things are looking up—and technically, they are—but when the scale barely budges and you still feel like a sweaty sack of mashed potatoes, it’s hard to celebrate.
Weight: Down from 275 to 271.1 lbs – goal was only 3.5lbs!
Waist: Shrunk over 4 inches. That’s… significant. I no longer need to check my belly button for circulation.
Arms and legs: Slightly bigger. Not saying it’s muscle—but I’m also not saying it’s not.
Let’s be real: if I dropped my keys in a parking lot today, I’d still consider leaving them. But hey, progress is progress.
🧪 Testosterone Results: Dad Mode Activated
Bloodwork’s in. Testosterone is sitting at a staggering 301 ng/dL.
For context, that’s just above “needs a warm blanket and a Lifetime movie” and below “can open a pickle jar without wincing.”
- Total T: 301 ng/dL (Ref: 264–916)
- LH: Normal—so my body can produce testosterone; it just… doesn’t.
- SHBG: Low-normal. Meh.
- PSA: Green light.
No word from the doc yet, but the note will probably read: “You’re alive. Barely. Let’s fix that.” TRT may be on the horizon—and if it boosts energy, mood, or revives my nearly nonexistent libido (currently a 2/10), I’m game.
💪 In Defense of Insulin (and Carbs)
Let’s break down a misunderstood fitness villain: insulin. While we’re at it, we’ll sprinkle in some science on hormone stacking and carb timing.
Insulin: The Anabolic Hormone Everyone Loves to Hate
Somewhere along the paleo-to-biohacker pipeline, insulin became public enemy number one. But plot twist: insulin is anabolic. It promotes glycogen storage and reduces protein breakdown.
In gym terms: insulin is your bro who helps you move and expects pizza after.
In Bodybuilding:
Insulin isn’t just tolerated—it’s manipulated. Often stacked with testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH):
- Insulin drives nutrients into muscle cells
- HGH boosts IGF-1 production
- Testosterone increases protein synthesis
On paper, it’s a muscle-building dream team. In practice, it’s a metabolic landmine—hypoglycemia, organ stress, even death if mishandled.
Study Check: A BMJ case report warns of insulin abuse in bodybuilding, citing severe hypoglycemia and coma.
Science says: Don’t be that guy.
Supplements: Natural, Legal, Occasionally Useful
If you’re not injecting vet-grade hormones, some supplements can help:
- Cinnamon extract: Mild blood sugar support
- Berberine: Sometimes as effective as metformin
- Flaxseed, selenium, omega-3s: Help with insulin sensitivity
Helpful? Yes. Miraculous? No. Think of them like seasoning—nice, but not the steak.
Carbs: Not What, But When
Carbs aren’t the enemy. Timing is.
Carbs fuel performance—especially for high-intensity training. The trick is knowing when to eat them.
- Best window: ~3 hours before a workout, you gotta earn’em.
- Why: Tops off glycogen, improves endurance, and boosts performance
Skip carbs, and you’re bringing a Nerf bat to a gunfight.
Study Check: The Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition confirms nutrient timing—especially carbs—improves both performance and recovery.
📘 Book Rec: “Anabolics“ by William Llewellyn
If you’ve ever wanted a biochemical cheat sheet for how bodybuilders turn into comic book characters (and sometimes ER patients), this is it. Anabolics is the encyclopedia of performance-enhancing drugs—insulin, steroids, growth hormone—you name it.
It doesn’t glamorize, but it also doesn’t sugarcoat. Think: science textbook meets underground guidebook. Perfect if you’re curious, cautious, or just tired of getting your “facts” from gym bros who think creatine is a steroid.
I’m not saying you’ll read it and become Mr. Olympia. I’m just saying if you’re gonna poke the hormonal bear, you might want to know what the hell it eats first.
Available on Amazon. Worth the read—especially if you’re the type of person Googling “what does insulin do” at 2AM in a protein shake haze.
🎌 Japanese Progress: I Can Invite You to Dinner (But Only in Japanese)
Still grinding through Pimsleur Japanese daily. Just wrapped up Lesson 7, which officially kicked my ass.
So far, I can:
- Invite you to my favorite restaurant
- Ask if you’d like to eat something
- Say the weather is good/bad
This lesson was tough, but it was the first time I could imagine having a real conversation—probably while sweating in Tokyo with Google Translate at the ready.
🧠 Final Thoughts
Down a few pounds. Gained inches in the right places (no, not those). And possibly one prescription away from escaping Low-T purgatory.
Oh—and I’m getting closer to chatting up ramen shop owners in Tokyo. That makes me, what—18% cooler?
Still XXL. Still snoring.
But less round, more fluent, and just getting started.
🔥 Ready to Stop Feeling Like a Sweaty Sack of Mashed Potatoes?
If you’re tired of being tired, sick of your shirts clinging in all the wrong places, or just want to see what happens when you actually commit for 100 days—join me.
Take the 100 Days of Not Being a Fat Ass Challenge at
👉 rewiredwithdrew.com/100-days-of-not-being-a-fat-ass-challenge
We’ve got a growing Discord community full of folks who are lifting, learning, and leveling up—no shame, no fluff, just progress.
👍 Like what you read? Give it a like.
💬 Got thoughts, jokes, or your own Day 7 feels? Drop a comment below.
🔔 Follow along for updates, lessons, and occasional oversharing.
Let’s get less round—together.
Drew Karriker is a self-proclaimed professional tinkerer, self-experimentation enthusiast, and lifelong learner with an inability to sit still. A former nuclear engineer turned DevOps architect, he’s built a career (and a life) out of breaking things, fixing them, and then making them better.
Despite wrestling with ADHD, anxiety, and an unrelenting need to optimize everything, he transformed his career and life in just a few years—not because he’s special, but because he figured out how to turn obsession into execution. Now, he’s doing it again—publicly—one 100-day challenge at a time.
His past projects? Some were successes. Some flopped spectacularly. Each one left him a little wiser (and probably a little more caffeinated). Now, he’s on a mission to document his transformation—mind, body, career, and everything in between—so that others might pick up a thing or two along the way. Or at the very least, be entertained by the chaos.
Follow along at RewiredWithDrew.com and get inspired, get motivated, or just grab some popcorn and enjoy the ride.