In scientific notation, ∆ means change. But before any meaningful change can happen, you need the starting point. You need to know where you are — not where you think you are, not where you wish you were, but where you actually are.
This is ∆ 01. Observe.
The first phase of the Delta Framework™ isn't about action. It's about seeing. Really seeing. Because you can't engineer a solution until you understand the problem with absolute clarity.
The Refactor Series chronicles my transformation from collapse to rebuild, with each part aligning to a phase of the Delta Framework™. This is Part 1 — where it all began with a single, terrifying realization: I had to face the truth.
The Slow Rot
There wasn't a dramatic crash. No single moment where everything fell apart. Instead, it was a slow rot — a hundred small failures stacking up until one day I looked around and realized I was disappearing.
I was absent. As a father. As a man. Addiction had its grip, but the real problem was deeper: I had stopped observing. I had stopped paying attention to the data that mattered. I was living in denial, and denial is the enemy of all change.
The engineer in me knew better. In code, you debug by gathering data first. You don't guess. You don't hope. You observe what's actually happening, measure it, and then — only then — do you intervene.
But I wasn't applying that same analytical rigor to my own life.
The wake-up call came not as a crash, but as a quiet, terrifying realization: If I keep doing this, I won't be alive to see my kids grow up. That wasn't rock bottom. That was just the truth, finally observed without the filter of wishful thinking.
Desert Data Collection
Two very dear friends invited me to get away from everything and re-center myself with them in the mountains around Phoenix. And in the desert, I started the most primitive form of data collection I could manage: I walked.
Every single day, in blistering heat, I walked. Miles on miles. My toenails fell off. My feet bled. But every morning, I went back out.
This wasn't just exercise. This wasn't a fitness plan. This was me finding a healthy new obsession to replace my addiction. My goal was to transform myself physically, knowing that body and mind play hand-in-hand. So I started by walking. It was proof of concept: Can I do one thing consistently? Can I gather one data point — forward motion — every single day?
Walking 10 miles in the Sonoran desert with a backpack full of water every day — something unexpected occurred. I learned a form of meditation. My thinking became razor sharp during those hours. And it was in those hours that I had the realization: my engineering and analytical acumen could be applied to myself. I didn't know it then, but I was dreaming up the first phase of the Delta Framework.
The desert taught me something crucial: observation starts with showing up. You can't measure what you don't monitor. And I had been monitoring nothing — not my health, not my habits, not my presence in my own life.
Those walks were my first real dataset in years. Distance covered. Steps taken. Days completed. Simple metrics, but they were mine. They were real. They were proof that change was possible, one data point at a time.
Learning Through Experimentation
When I returned to Ohio, I kept walking. But walking led to experimenting. And experimenting led to a series of valuable learning experiences — each one teaching me something crucial about what worked and what didn't.
Keto. Strict, but not miserable — I thrived on it for three years. The guardrails kept me on track. I measured my blood constantly for glucose and ketones, getting immediate data that appealed to my analytical nature. It was incredibly effective for focus — I was diagnosed with ADHD years ago, and part of my transformation was coming off everything, including ADHD meds. I wanted to discover who I was with nothing in my system. Keto gave me laser-sharp focus for the first time ever. But after three years, I realized I couldn't achieve my goal of building significant muscle mass. I was very lean — too lean, always looking flat from lack of glycogen. The data was clear: keto was a powerful tool, but not the right tool for building the physique I wanted.
Intermittent fasting. This wasn't rigid at all — I still use it today, 2-3 times a week. I tested eating windows, documented the effects, and found it to be a sustainable tool. The data showed improved focus, better digestion, and increased flexibility around meal timing. It became part of my toolkit, not a prison.
Endless cardio. Hours on the treadmill, tracking calories burned, sweat produced, time invested. The numbers looked impressive on paper, but the mirror told a different story. I was getting smaller, not stronger. The data was clear: cardio alone wasn't building the physique I wanted.
These experiments taught me something profound: I had extreme discipline, something I never once in my life possessed. The keto and intermittent fasting experiments weren't failures — they were hugely successful learning experiences. I discovered I could stick to protocols, gather data, and make strategic decisions based on results. Keto became a tool in my toolkit, one I just haven't needed in several years. Each experiment was data — I was finally observing what actually worked versus what I hoped would work.
The Gym Wanderer
I wandered into the gym like a lost dog. Picked up weights without purpose. Copied random workouts from guys who looked strong. Left feeling the same as when I arrived.
But here's what changed: I started observing. Not just going through the motions, but actually paying attention. How did my body respond to different exercises? Which movements felt natural versus forced? What happened when I pushed heavy versus light?
I wasn't following a program yet, but I was gathering data. Every session became a small experiment. Every set became a data point. I started tracking using the notes app on my phone, monitoring progress week to week. I didn't know what I was doing was called progressive overload — I was unaware of these concepts. I just discovered them through experimentation.
The gym stopped being a place I wandered aimlessly and started being a laboratory.
The Scientific Method Applied
Then I discovered Jeff Nippard. Everything clicked.
This wasn't bro science. This wasn't motivation porn. This was data. Sets, reps, volume, progressive overload — all quantified, all measurable, all based on research and evidence.
My engineer's brain lit up like Christmas morning.
Here was someone applying the scientific method to physique development. Here was someone who understood that training isn't about feeling the burn or crushing your soul — it's about systematic progression based on measurable outcomes.
I devoured every video, every study he referenced, every piece of evidence-based content I could find. I started treating my body like a system that could be optimized through careful observation and methodical improvement.
Training became data collection. Nutrition became experimentation. Recovery became measurement. I stopped guessing and started observing.
The Foundation of All Change
∆ 01. Observe taught me the most important lesson of transformation: You can't optimize what you don't track.
The desert walks proved I could show up consistently. The diet experiments taught me I had discipline and could make strategic decisions based on data. The aimless gym sessions showed me the difference between motion and progress. The discovery of scientific training gave me a framework for systematic improvement.
But all of it started with observation. With facing reality. With gathering data instead of operating on assumptions.
Observation is painful because it forces you to see things as they are, not as you wish they were. It requires abandoning the stories you tell yourself and confronting the metrics that matter.
But observation is also liberating because it gives you something to work with. You can't change what you don't acknowledge. You can't improve what you don't measure. You can't engineer solutions to problems you refuse to see.
Key Lessons from ∆ 01. Observe:
- Data beats denial. The truth is only scary until you face it.
- Start with one metric. You don't need perfect tracking — you need consistent tracking.
- All experiments provide valuable data. Every test teaches you something about what works and what doesn't.
- Observation without judgment is key. You're gathering information, not passing verdicts.
- Systems thinking beats random action. Once you start observing patterns, you can start engineering solutions.
What's Next: ∆ 02. Question
Once I had data and visibility into my patterns, the next challenge became clear: I had to decide exactly what problem I wanted to solve.
Having information is powerful, but information without direction is just noise. I needed to move from "What's happening?" to "What do I want to happen?"
That's where ∆ 02. Question comes in — the phase where raw observation gets transformed into focused intention.
Next in the series: Refactor, Part 2: ∆ 02. Question — How I learned to ask the right questions to turn data into direction.
This is Part 1 of the Refactor series, chronicling my transformation through the lens of the Delta Framework™. Each part explores one phase of applying the scientific method to physique and life transformation.
