What My DEXA Scan Taught Me About Growth
How disappointing results can lead to breakthrough insights
A few months ago, I won a body composition contest at my gym with a first place overall. The goal was to lower body fat percentage while maintaining or building muscle. I was proud of the result, especially considering the discipline it took to stay on track with training, nutrition, and recovery.
Then came the curveball.
Roughly two months later, I had another DEXA scan to measure my progress… and the results were disappointing. I had lost a surprising amount of lean muscle mass. People at my gym were confused when I responded with excitement instead of frustration.
But here’s the thing: that scan was one of the most valuable inputs in my fitness journey.
It gave me insight.
It turns out the drop in lean mass was caused by something seemingly minor: I had been falling well short of my hydration and protein targets for several days before the scan. And when you’re dehydrated, your muscles lose water and glycogen, which makes them appear smaller and less dense—almost like they’ve deflated.
You waste a lot of your hard work in the gym if it’s not supported by adequate hydration and protein. Your body simply can’t build muscle efficiently without both. That scan gave me the clarity I needed to adjust my approach. About 10 days later, I ran another scan after rehydrating and dialing in my nutrition. I had regained most of the lost lean mass.
But more importantly, I gained a new level of diligence. Now, by consistently tracking protein, calories, and hydration, I’m building muscle far more efficiently—without needing to push any harder in the gym.
From Personal Gains to Business Gains
This experience reminded me of how we manage growth in a company. Whether you’re building muscle or building a business, the game is the same: identify what moves the needle, and apply consistent effort and measurement to improve.
In both cases:
You’re trying to understand the causal relationship between actions and outcomes.
Data without context can mislead you.
Discipline turns insights into results.
In personal health, DEXA scans, calorie tracking, and macros give you feedback loops. In company growth, it’s retention curves, cohort analysis, and customer surveys.
But there’s one key difference: in a company, the learning is a team sport.
An example that comes to mind is from one of my early Breakout Growth Podcast interviews with Nilan Peiris at Wise (formerly TransferWise). For a long time, they relied on NPS to drive growth. And it worked—until it didn’t. As they scaled, growth started to decelerate. The team eventually realized that customer service quality had dropped as they grew too fast, which in turn impacted NPS. That understanding—connecting customer experience to growth—was a game-changing insight. It gave them a clearer picture of the real levers behind sustainable growth.
That’s why the growth process is not just about running experiments—it’s about syncing on what you're learning. You need to contextualize results through both data and direct input from customers. Just like I needed both a DEXA scan and a deeper understanding of my hydration and nutrition habits to truly improve.
In the End, It’s About Discipline and Discovery
Whether you’re managing your health or leading a company’s growth, success comes down to two things: discipline and discovery.
You show up, you track the right inputs, you learn from unexpected results, and you keep improving.
The best part? Sometimes the most disappointing outcomes are the ones that teach you the most.
🎥 If you're curious how this mindset has shaped my journey beyond growth—into some deeply personal challenges—check out this video podcast interview published this week.
I share how an autoimmune disease at 18 and a bladder cancer diagnosis at 33 pushed me to take ownership of my health and build a system of discipline, data, and continuous learning—lessons that now guide both my body and my business. And in the last year, I’ve doubled down—getting into the best shape I’ve been in since I was a teenager.
Interesting comparison. Amazing how the growth mindset and approach intersect with daily life.