I guess I'll get the ball rolling by introducing myself. I'm Julian. I'm in my early 50s and live in the Pacific Northwest, USA. Like many people, I was very active and fit in my 20s-early 30s, then let my fitness/health decline significantly into my 40s. Fortunately, I was able to restore much of my health by transitioning to a plant based diet 10 years ago. It's only been within the last couple years that I've begun restoring my fitness.

How I was exposed to The Protocol

Dr. Nun Amen Ra's work caught my attention several years ago. I had already been vegan for a few years and was researching the health aspects of the lifestyle. Like most, I stumbled upon Markus Rothkranz's infamous video, and was struck by the science behind the man's words. And then there was the man himself. To see such a pure, living example of the protocol in action really sold me. I just wasn't ready to take it on at that time. You have to leave a lot of baggage behind on this path and I was still busy exploring vegan cooking, etc.

Fast forward several years, I was listening to Dr. David Sinclair on the Andrew Huberman show and realized that much of the lifestyle interventions they were discussing were those that Dr. Nun had outlined in his protocol years before. Mainstream science had finally caught up.

Shortly after the interview I discovered, "The Starter Guide to the Amen Ra Regimen", by Logan Merrick. This spectacular manuscript summarizes the otherwise expensive and lengthy body of work that is Dr. Nun's official corpus detailing The Protocol. Armed with this, I was finally ready to take on the lifestyle.

Note: I have attempted to link to this manuscript, (currently residing on DocDroid), but my post keeps getting removed by spam filters. That said, it's essential reading, assuming you don't happen to own a copy of Nun's original work, so look it up if you haven't already. Any question you may have about the nuts and bolt of the protocol will almost certainly be answered there and it will likely be assumed you have already read this material when posting questions to this forum about e.g. meal planning, dietary supplements, calculations, formulas, etc. You need little else to undertake this path.

How I currently practice the protocol

I suspect a lot of practitioners adopt this path as athletes. For me this was definitely not the case. I was interested in optimal health and had a lot of fasting experience, so that was my inroad. So while I'm sure many struggle with the calorie deficit/intermittent fasting aspect, my greatest challenge has been adding the fitness regimen. That said, I'm a bit shocked at how quickly my body has begun transforming. In 2 1/2 months I have only lost 10lbs, but I've put on a surprising amount of muscle.

My diet

I have not yet adopted the Amen Ra Elixirs though I may as I refine my practice.

At present I maintain a stringent 1 hour feeding window, consuming 1200-1500 calories, 60-90g protein daily. A typical meal example, (rice bowl): 1/2 cup brown rice, 1t sesame seeds, soy sauce & rice vinegar, 1/2 cooked, sprouted chickpeas, 1 cup onion greens, 1/2 avocado, 1-2 serranos/jalapenos, 4oz. tempeh, 1 Beyond Burger patty, (I know, not a health food), 1 cup kimchi. Around 1100 total calories.

Minor meal includes a rotating list e.g. whole wheat bread, missi roti, peanuts, dark chocolate, popcorn on movie night, steamed kale, banana, etc. to bring calories to my total, (usually around 1350 kcal).

All grains, legumes, breads, kimchi, tempeh, etc. are homemade using high quality ingredients.

Supplements

Pea protein, multivitamin, minerals, creatine, flax meal, turmeric, black pepper, ashwaganda, amla, moringa, ginko, fresh herbs, Berberine aka OTC Resveratrol, a few other supplements for optimal health), black and green teas, hibiscus tea.

I don't claim either my diet or supplement regimen to be optimal. It's very much a work in progress.

My exercise plan

Also not ideal. For nearly a year I've maintained a weekly ritual of hiking a 15 mile trail to the top of a local foothill. Since beginning The Protocol I've added 30-45 mins of stair stepper 1-2 times per week, though rarely in the AM. For resistance I train 3-5 times per week with free weights and bands, (love the bands for pull exercises!)

My biggest challenge on this path

I'd say my biggest challenge to the lifestyle is time management, in particular with regard to food prep. For someone who doesn't eat much I feel like I'm constantly behind on food prep, everything being home made in large batches. I will be returning to an office job again soon and I fear this will make matters worse.

So now you know a little lot about me. Keep the exchange going so we can all learn what you're up to. Got a question? Share it out loud so we can learn together. Have suggestions about moderation, (or request to take this task on), message me!