Last night I ambitiously extended our family walk into a borderline expedition. It began innocently enough—with me making what I considered a brilliantly witty “stick and carrot” joke (a reference to yesterday’s article on bribery). My comedic genius was, unfortunately, not appreciated by my better half. After a few exaggerated eye-rolls and audible sighs, she begrudgingly joined the expedition and quickly earned herself the affectionate nickname “Stick.” Jury’s still out on whether she’s plotting revenge or quietly accepting her fate on that one.
The kids didn’t exactly volunteer for this adventure either, but by the end of it, they were sufficiently exhausted—so exhausted, in fact, that they crashed almost immediately upon returning home. Bedtime was no longer a battlefield, making me feel suspiciously competent as a parent. Winning is rare, so I’ll savor this one.
🩸 The Hungry Lab/Jab Visit
This morning begins with the delightful prospect of fasting for a TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) blood test at Labcorp. Absolutely no food or supplements beforehand, which felt especially cruel given my newfound dedication to fitness—and snacks. Of course, I’ve strategically prepared snacks to devour immediately afterward. Priorities are key in survival scenarios, folks.
🧬 TRT: The Magic Hormone?
For those blissfully unaware, TRT is essentially hormone replacement therapy aimed at correcting low testosterone levels. The potential benefits sound fantastic—more muscle, improved mood, higher libido, and the thrilling possibility of feeling less like a sleep-deprived zombie dragging through life. But, as with all good things, there’s a price to pay: acne, mood swings, hair loss (I don’t really gotta worry about that), and an increased risk of spending way too much time flexing in front of mirrors. Pros and cons, my friends. Pros and cons.
📚 Book Recommendation: Testosterone 101
Speaking of testosterone and self-improvement (or self-maintenance?), I recently stumbled across a gem: “Testosterone for Life” by Abraham Morgentaler. This book breaks down the complexity of testosterone therapy in a surprisingly engaging way, making it approachable even if your science knowledge peaked in middle school. Highly recommended for those looking to reclaim a bit of youthful vigor—or just need something impressive-looking to place on their coffee table.
🌅 Morning Surprises
Surprisingly, waking up today felt suspiciously effortless. No struggles, groggy confusion, or existential dread. Maybe it’s the new routine setting in, or perhaps my body simply sensed snacks on the horizon. Either way, it’s progress I’ll gladly take.
🍽️ Hunger Games: The Semaglutide Edition
Despite being on semaglutide, a medication famous for curbing hunger, I am surprisingly still very much aware of my stomach’s protests. I naively expected hunger to vanish completely, but reality has other plans. Thankfully, my dedicated use of the MyNetDiary App to meticulously log my food intake has kept me on track. Yesterday, I managed a respectable 1,723 calories consumed versus 815 calories burned from general movement and activities. Deficit achieved—but man, I’m still dreaming of snacks.
🇯🇵 Linguistic Struggles: Hiragana Woes
Last night I also squeezed in my Duolingo sessions on Hiragana. I attempted to reset my Duolingo status to relearn Hiragana, but, due to an unfortunate email mishap, my account’s reset feature is temporarily locked. So, instead, I’m now waging war on contracted sounds in Japanese—because apparently, basic pronunciation wasn’t challenging enough.
🎯 Day 4: Still Standing
Four days in and I’m still standing, still hungry, and clearly aware of the ridiculousness of my own ambitions. But hey, self-deprecation and snacks make everything better.
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.