11/09/2025
Learning to Live the Model I Built
Personal Blog:
Dr. Nikhil Asher M.D. | Founder, Aspirational Health
When I founded Aspirational Health, my mission was simple but deeply personal: to build a model of care that reflects my belief in preventive medicine, lifestyle change, and team-based accountability.
But as I began this journey, I quickly realizedโitโs one thing to guide health, and another to truly live it.
Starting a healthcare practice brings tremendous purpose, but also tremendous pressure. Between running the practice, caring for patients, and leading a team, I began to lose touch with my own health and wellbeing. My energy dipped, sleep worsened, and I started to notice the early warning signsโweight gain, fatigue, elevated blood pressure, and cholesterol.
It became clear: I wasnโt living the very principles I founded Aspirational Health upon.
Those challenges became my greatest teacher. I learned that health isnโt about perfectionโitโs about practice. Itโs a constant process of learning, experimenting, and adjusting as you go.
I began applying the same framework I use with my patients: setting SMART goals, focusing on consistency over intensity, and tracking progress through intention.
Facing My Own Data
In Nov 2024, my InBody results told a story that did not seem at first of obvious concern.
Height: 6 ft, Weight: 191 lb, BMI: 25.9, Body Fat: 30%, Skeletal Muscle Mass: 74 lb, BMR: 1,676 kcal
However, I was carrying more fat than I wanted and less muscle than I needed.
A year later, after intentional changes in nutrition, training, and recovery, the progress was visible and measurable:
Weight: 179 lb, Body Fat: 24%, Skeletal Muscle Mass: 78 lb
BMR: 1,719 kcal
Lower visceral fat and improved muscle tone
It wasnโt dramaticโbut it was sustainable.
As a vegetarian who includes eggs and dairy, my biggest breakthrough came from rethinking protein. I began intentionally incorporating protein at every mealโthrough eggs, no added sugar Greek yogurt, and low-fat cottage cheese [paneer], lentis, legumes, and whey protein isolateโwhile balancing it with fiber--fruits and vegetables, hydration, and nutrient-dense foods.
Small changes made big differences:
Planning meals ahead to avoid unbalanced, โquickโ choices
Snacking on low-calorie, high-protein foods like Greek yogurt, fruits and vegetables, and healthy portions of nuts and seeds
Using food intentionally for nourishmentโnot as guilt
Exercise has always been part of my life, but now itโs structured with purpose. My ultimate ambition is for four consistent strength training days per week, split between upper and lower body, with mobility or cardio sessions on the non-strength training days.
Focus: Progressive overloadโlifting slightly heavier or performing more reps each week. This is challenging and an interest of mine to manage programming of strength-based work outs to translate to muscle hypertrophy and increased muscle mass.
Cardio: Alternating steady-state incline walks, Peloton rides, and moderate-intensity runs
Itโs not just about burning caloriesโitโs about building resilience, mobility, and longevity.
My Re-composition Goal:
Metric Target Range Change Needed
Body Fat %
