.jpg)
Throughout my medical training and now at Admire Medical, I've observed a fascinating pattern: people are often capable of far more than they initially believe possible. The whole premise behind this blog, our fledgling YouTube series, and our educational talks is to help recalibrate these expectations. Even the most self-aware and experienced individuals benefit from external perspective – particularly one grounded in medical expertise and performance optimization principles.
This post was inspired by a long-time supporter, "L," whose journey exemplifies the question many successful patients eventually face: what comes after achieving your initial health goals?
L's story is particularly compelling. Over the past year, they've achieved what many would consider transformative and *admirable* results:
They've reached what I call the "icing on the cake" phase of health optimization. At this juncture, many patients choose to enter a maintenance phase – and that's perfectly acceptable. However, others find themselves having successfully navigated to their initial destination and immediately begin charting courses for deeper waters and more challenging currents.
For those ready to push beyond their initial achievements, here are several evidence-based approaches to consider:
A detailed assessment can reveal opportunities for optimization that weren't priority targets (or even apparent) during the initial phase. Note that while many metabolic markers improve with weight loss, some parameters may temporarily shift in unexpected directions:
Understanding these nuanced changes allows for targeted interventions rather than becoming discouraged by what may appear as regression in certain laboratory values.
Success often opens doors to possibilities that weren't previously accessible. Consider how your achievements have created new opportunities:
Once core competencies are established, there's often value in addressing relative weaknesses or exploring complementary modalities:
For some patients, this phase presents opportunities to fine-tune their supplement or medication regimen to further bolster progress:
Progress often reveals new challenges that require attention:
With a solid foundation established, more specialized training methods become appropriate:
The key to this next phase is understanding that health optimization is an ongoing journey, not a destination. While celebrating achievements is crucial, viewing them as stepping stones rather than endpoints can open doors to continued growth, development, and sustainability of recently achieved milestones.
For patients like L, who've achieved their initial targets, the question isn't really "what's next?" but rather "what's possible?" The answer often lies in finding the sweet spot between navigating new waters while maintaining the sustainable habits that propelled you through the initial voyage.
Remember: whether you choose to maintain your current achievements or chart courses for new horizons, the most important factor is that your choice aligns with your personal health philosophy and lifestyle goals. The role of your trainer, coach, or physician partner in this journey is to help you explore these options safely and effectively, while ensuring that any new challenges you undertake serve long-term health objectives.
Important news: we’ve got some partnerships coming! Admire has just teamed up with an agency to help provide discounts on health/wellness products for readers- things like supplements, meal replacements, etc. Right now, we’re vetting them to pick a handful that we truly believe in, so keep an eye out for more updates on this soon
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.png)