Week 4: What I Learned After 28 Days | My Healthy Habit Experiment

Four weeks ago, I set out to answer a simple question: Can a few small, sustainable changes really make a difference?

I did not chase a perfect body or try the latest miracle diet. I simply wanted to see what would happen if I fuelled my body a little better and became more intentional about the choices I made each day.

These numbers tell part of the story. The biggest changes, however, happened where no tape measure could ever reach.

Here Are My Results – Day 1 vs Day 28

·                Age: 61

·                Height: 1.65 m

·                Weight: 60.4 kg → 58 kg

·                Waist: 71 cm → 69 cm

·                Hips: 97 cm → 93 cm

·                Right thigh: 54 cm → 50 cm

·                Right upper arm: 30 cm → 27 cm

·                VO₂ Max: 38

Why Eating More Food Stopped My Hunger

One of the biggest surprises was that I actually ate more than I used to. In the past, breakfast often consisted of a small tub of yoghurt and a piece of fruit. An hour later I would be hungry again, inevitably reaching for a rusk or two.

During this experiment, breakfast became two scrambled eggs with half an avocado. Lunch was usually a generous serving of fish and salad. Between meals, I enjoyed a handful of raw almonds, a small one hundred and fifty ml tub of yoghurt with blueberries and chia seeds, a tablespoon of peanut butter, and a small tub of cottage cheese. I also increased my OVO protein powder intake after strength training. Our evening meal usually consisted of a good-quality protein and plenty of vegetables.

And yes... my two squares of Lindt dark chocolate remained firmly on the menu.

The remarkable thing was that I never felt deprived. I was satisfied, energised, and, for the first time in years, I was not constantly thinking about my next meal. I had heard people say that protein keeps you fuller for longer. Now I finally understand what they meant.

My Taste Buds Really Did Change

At the beginning of this experiment, I could not imagine losing my cravings for Liquorice Allsorts, fudge, and my beloved muesli rusks. Yet somewhere during the third week, something shifted. Those intense cravings simply faded away.

Today I genuinely look forward to fresh salads, vegetables, and good-quality protein. Foods that once felt like "healthy choices" now feel like foods I actually want to eat.

Do I still enjoy a rusk? Absolutely. But now it is a weekend treat rather than an everyday habit—and somehow it tastes even better.

The Three-Second Pause That Changed Everything

If I had to choose one lesson that will stay with me long after this experiment, it would be something incredibly simple.

Sometimes the healthiest thing on your plate is a three-second pause.

The Three-second Pause

I introduced it to help me become more mindful of what I was eating and how I was feeling in that moment. We often eat mindlessly when we are bored, stressed, sad, or upset, without ever asking ourselves why. Whenever I found myself reaching for food out of habit rather than hunger, I paused for just three seconds. Not to deny myself, but simply to ask:

"Do I need it... or do I just want it?"

That tiny pause created enough space for me to make a conscious choice instead of an automatic one. It reminded me of something I have always believed about emails:

There is an old saying that you should never send an email when you are upset or angry. Write the email, leave it alone for a while, and come back to it later. More often than not, you see the situation differently, and sometimes the email never gets sent at all.

Food works in much the same way. Those three seconds gave me time to step off autopilot and decide what I really wanted. More often than not, the craving passed.

This Is Not the End

When I started this experiment, I thought I was trying to lose a little weight. Looking back, I realise I was actually changing habits that had shaped my life for years.

I sleep better. I have more energy. My clothes fit differently. Healthy food has become something I genuinely enjoy rather than something I simply tolerate. Most importantly, healthy eating no longer feels like a temporary project. It simply feels like my new normal.

Will I still enjoy cake, chocolate, a weekend rusk, or the occasional treat? Of course. Life is meant to be enjoyed. But I no longer want those foods to make my decisions for me.

This twenty-eight-day experiment may have ended, but I have a feeling the habits it created are only just beginning.

It turns out I was never really changing my diet. I was changing my life.

Thank you for following along over the past four weeks. Your encouragement, comments, and support have made this journey even more enjoyable than I imagined.

Here is to many more healthy habits—one small choice at a time.

💌 Before You Go

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— Frannie ☕️

I Would Love to Hear From You!

Have you ever tried changing just one habit and been surprised by how many other parts of your life changed too?

Or perhaps you are thinking about starting your own healthy habit experiment.

I would love to hear your story in the comments below!