April 2026

Highlights & Milestones

April 2026 — that is the month in which this project began. On April 20th, I wrote the first entry with "Day one, patch is on," and somehow that title works well as a summary of the feeling of the entire month: stuck to something new, a little uncomfortable, but determined.

The biggest milestone of April is crystal clear to me: I quit smoking. Not halfway, not sort of — but completely. Starting with nicotine patches on the first day, then on April 24th taking the step into the first day without any nicotine replacement at all. Headaches, irritability, my body in resistance — and I pushed through anyway. Since April 24th, I have been smoke-free, without any aids. That was the hardest hurdle of the first week, and I cleared it.

On top of that, in those eleven days of April I read 254 pages and finished a book — "Wander wissen kompakt" by Christian Hlade. I have already opened the next one with "Die Fettverlust Fibel." So my mind is on the move too.

The Three Pillars

Movement — 91% good days
That surprised even me. In 10 out of 11 tracked days, movement was on track — meaning either 10,000+ steps, a workout, or both. The only outlier was April 26th, my intentional recovery Sunday — and even then I went for a walk. With a daily average of 11,646 steps, I clearly exceeded the 10,000-step mark on average. Movement is obviously the pillar that comes most naturally to me. Or perhaps the one I lean on most heavily when everything else is a little shaky.

Nutrition — 73% good days
There is still room for improvement here, and I know exactly where the problem lies. The evening. The commute home. The autopilot. I named it myself: "The habit runs deeper than I thought." The last three days of the month in particular were weak when it came to nutrition — just one healthy meal each day. At the same time, on April 30th I already started thinking about it as an IT problem: structure it, plan it, solve it. Four days in the canteen, breakfast as a fixed routine — that sounds like me. And it sounds like a plan that can hold up.

What additionally occupies my mind on the topic of nutrition: the average Cola Zero consumption of 1,320 ml per day is a lot. I am not beating myself up about it — but I see it. And I also see that on 8 out of 14 days there were sweets involved. That is probably directly connected to quitting smoking. The cravings are an old trick of the body, and I am still learning not to give in to them automatically.

Quitting smoking — 100% without a cigarette
Not a single day of smoking. Not one. I am writing it down again, because I want it to sink in: 100%. The first days with the patch, then the hard cut on April 24th. The second day without nicotine replacement was easier than the first — and every subsequent day feels a little more solid. I am not yet far from the last drag on a cigarette, but I am moving in the right direction. This is the milestone of the month.

Metrics at a Glance

• Weight: 97.6 kg (monthly average)
• Body fat: 33.9%
• Steps: avg. 11,646 per day
• Water: avg. 1,835 ml per day
• Cola Zero: avg. 1,320 ml per day
• Sweets: 8 out of 14 days — 6 days clean
• Pages read: 254
• Books completed: "Wander wissen kompakt" by Christian Hlade
• Currently in progress: "Die Fettverlust Fibel" by Sjard Roscher (30 pages)

Personal Reflection & Outlook

Eleven days. That is not a full month, and yet this April feels like a real start — not a trial run. I did not wait for the perfect moment to arrive. I simply began. With a patch on my skin and an empty notebook.

What occupies me most, if I am honest: the conditioning. Not the cigarettes themselves — I have left those behind. But all the little autopilots attached to them. Reaching for something greasy on the way home. The cravings in the evening. The sweets as a substitute. I felt and named that in April — that is more than I would have expected of myself.

Impatience is an old companion of mine, I know that. And yet: I am glad I feel it. It means something matters to me. I just have to be careful that it does not lead me to look for shortcuts or measure myself against results after just ten days that will take me months to achieve.

I am taking three things into May: better structure around nutrition — canteen, breakfast, a plan. Increase my water intake and consciously keep an eye on my Cola Zero consumption. And celebrate quitting smoking without taking it for granted. It is not. Not yet.

The patch is no longer on. But I am still in it.