B. Scott Hoadley's Blog

The Health & Fitness Journey (2025)

Photo by julien Tromeur on UnsplashMy commitment

They say the best way to stick to a goal is to go public with it—so here goes. My fitness is nowhere near where I want it to be, and I’ve mentioned that before. Over the last nine months, I’ve managed to get on top of many other areas of my life, but exercise and healthy eating haven’t been part of that success. So today, I’m throwing down the gauntlet.

From now on, I’ll use this weekly update to share exactly where I’m at. It might not be pretty, and I’m being very open about it, but I believe this kind of accountability is the only way I’ll truly commit to building a healthier lifestyle. So, no more excuses—here are the stats.

GOALS

These are my starting goals. I may add more along the way.

Weight goal: 100kg

Belly measurement: 100cm

VO2 max goal: 30 to 40

WEEKLY PROGRESS

What follows is my weekly progress. I may add more measures along the way, especially if I add things like weightlifting to my activities.

WEEK 1: 3 April 2024

Weight: 132.5kg (groan)

Belly measurement: 137cm

VO2 Max: 17.2

Note: I’m starting this on a Thursday, but intend to do weekly measurements on Mondays, so the next update is 4 days away. I’ll be interested to see if there’s any movement in my stats. I’m following the FAST800 diet until 19 April and will reevaluate once I’ve reached that point.

B. SCOTT HOADLEY is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Paying a Visit to Past Work

Old Blood Saga

I’ve mentioned on social media that I’m working on revisions to several novels I’ve already published: The Weaver, Old Blood, Hunter’s Moon, and Blood Ties. I’ve been at this for a while, having already completed revisions on my first two novels, and I’m currently revising the third book, Hunter’s Moon.

A bit of history first.

When I started my writing journey (or the current phase of it) back in 2020 during the pandemic, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was doing or where I was going. Up until that point, I’d written many short stories and made several attempts at novel-length fiction—none of which I ever really finished.

But the pandemic prompted change in many people’s lives, mine included. I wrote the first draft of The Weaver in three months, and after revisions and editing, published it by the end of that year. It was my first book, and I was excited.

I’d originally planned to write five books in the series, which eventually became six. To date, I’ve written and published four of them. And I can assure you, there will be two more books to complete the series (the first draft of the fifth book is fully outlined and about a quarter written).

My epiphany.

As with any new endeavor, you improve your skills the more you practice. In any career, you eventually look back and think, I could have done a bunch of things so much better. Writing is no exception. I’ve had many of those moments over the last year, not only about my writing, but in other areas of my life as well.

While I dug deep to tackle issues in those other areas, the idea of revisiting books I’d already published felt daunting. And it is daunting. But seeing how much progress I’ve made by not being timid taught me that taking risks is worthwhile.

Another realization over the last five years is how much I truly love writing. It shouldn’t be a surprise—I’m one of those stereotypical authors who wanted to be published from a very young age. I even obtained a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Emerson in Boston.

Writing is a passion project, but I’ve come to realize it’s so much more than that. I see writing as the cornerstone of the next phase of my life. I’ve spent too much time away from it, giving priority to other things. I don’t want writing to be just a hobby or a side project; I want it to be how I earn my living moving forward.

Tackling the books.

With that in mind, I stepped back to examine the series. I reviewed feedback and critiques, spoke with trusted friends, re-read the books, and set out to improve them. I’m doing this because I care deeply about these stories and characters. And I genuinely feel I’m a better writer today than I was five years ago.

I also realized that once I started revising The Weaver, changes in that book would need to be carried through the subsequent novels. It’s important to do this thoroughly and get it right because I want my readers to have the best experience possible. I hope they read, enjoy, and love these books.

I’m not naïve about making these changes. I know not everyone will like my books—some people won’t enjoy the story, pace, or characters, and there’s nothing I can do for them. But for those who do enjoy my work, I want to make their reading experience the best it can be.

What’s next?

I’m now focused on finishing the revisions to the third and fourth books in the next couple of months. This includes updated content, new back matter, updated Amazon pages, and a pass through my new proofreader. I want these versions to be as polished as possible. Will there still be mistakes? Probably. It’s a lot of content, and errors can slip through. But as an indie author, I can update and correct them—especially if readers point them out.

Once these four books are revised, they’ll enter a cycle of minor updates as needed. More importantly, I’ll be able to return to finishing the first draft of book five, and then outline and write the first draft of book six while I revise book five. This journey will take me—and you—to the conclusion of the Old Blood Saga.

I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to that journey. And I’m looking forward to completing revisions to books 1–4.

I hope you’ll check out the series. I’ll share updates here when the revised versions are available.

B. SCOTT HOADLEY is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Building Multiple Income Streams: Start with What You Know

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

First off, I don’t do “get rich quick” schemes. They’re a money pit, and you’ll come out the other side feeling ripped off…like paying for a fancy meal and leaving hungry.

I’ve always been a grafter. Growing up in upstate New York, I hustled. I was the kid with the lemonade stand on a quiet country road. I grew vegetables and sold them. In winter, I sold Christmas cards. I worked at stables and dairy farms. I always had my own money and never relied on anyone to pay for the things I wanted.

Hard work is in my DNA. That hasn’t changed.

What has changed is the world around us. It feels like society is in a steady state of decline. Power-hungry megalomaniacs are running the show, and the rest of us are left scrambling for what’s left. The old adage about putting all your eggs in one basket? It doesn’t hold up anymore, something many of us learned the hard way since the pandemic.

The last five years haven’t been easy. I lost my mother and brother within a month of each other. My consulting work has seen its fair share of struggles. My anxiety has ramped up, thanks to the state of the world. I’ve felt lost, knocked down, almost broken. A far cry from the kid selling lemonade on the roadside.

But over the past year, something shifted. Maybe I got sick of my own misery. Maybe life had kicked me one too many times. Or maybe I just needed a reset. I took a deep breath, stepped back, and looked at my life, really looked at it, and realized just how much experience I had. How much I had to offer.

In some ways, I got lucky. During the pandemic, I started writing novels; something I’d always wanted to do but never found the time for. That led to publishing four books, with a fifth in the works. While my consulting business had its ups and downs, I wrote. That gave me two potential income streams. Writing is still in its early days as a business, but it’s showing real promise.

Then, I started thinking about my work over the years, the common challenges my clients’ teams faced. A couple of years ago, a client hired me to create and deliver courses for their customers and prospects. It went really well. And I enjoyed it. It took me back to my grad school days, teaching undergrads while studying for my MFA in Creative Writing. I designed my own curriculum and taught semester-long courses in person.

That experience got me thinking. I mapped out a whole series of course modules designed for my clients’ teams; quick, digestible sessions that fit into their already-packed schedules but still made an impact. Those courses are now in development, and later this year, I plan to start offering them as an add-on to my consulting work, and then as a standalone online platform.

Without straying far from what I already knew, without endless research or chasing random trends, I’ll have three income streams by the end of this year. No more relying on one basket. I’ve spread the risk. And the more I go down this path, the more ideas I come up with; ideas that align perfectly with my expertise and experience.

Now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that I’ve also gone through and slashed my expenses. To the point where any one of these income streams could support me moving forward. But that’s a topic for another day.

The not-so-big takeaway here? Start with what you know. Instead of chasing someone else’s big idea, look inward. Prospect your own experience and interests. You never know; something that’s been sitting in your blind spot all along might just turn into your next income stream.

Thanks for reading B. SCOTT HOADLEY! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

A few thoughts from a designer and novelist on AI

Photo by A Chosen Soul on Unsplash

There’s a lot of anxiety and fear around Artificial Intelligence (AI).

As with any new technology that feels like it’s outpacing our ability to understand it, people develop strong, visceral reactions to it. Television, movies, fake news, and social media hysteria haven’t helped. Threats of job losses have amped up the fear. And I’ll admit, a couple of years ago, as a writer and designer, I was deeply skeptical, even afraid of AI. Would it advance too quickly? Would it replace my work? My writing? Would it disrupt and negatively impact society?

It might do all of that and more things we haven’t even considered.

But I’ve realized that ignoring it won’t make AI go away. It’s weaving itself into everyday tools, and if I ignore it, I’ll just get left behind. So instead, I’ve chosen to engage with it, learn about it, understand where, and how, it has a place in my life.

Pitchforks and torches

As a lifelong designer, I could talk about the Design community’s fear of AI replacing creative work (which, in my view, only happens if you see design as merely replicating past outputs). But instead, I want to use a more unexpected example…my work as an urban fantasy author.

Lately, social media has been in an uproar over the use of the “em dash.” Yes, the em dash. Readers (and even some authors) are accusing writers who use it of relying on AI to generate their books. Some are even launching mass “cancellations,” leaving one-star reviews, and publicly shaming authors.

Well, let me tell you a secret: I use the em dash — a lot. I always have. I used it while studying for my MFA in Creative Writing back in 1995. I’ve used it in both business and creative writing for decades. And I still use it now. I don’t use AI to write, edit, revise or proofread my books. And I certainly wasn’t in 1995.

These accusations stem from fear of AI. Fear of the unknown, fear of change, fear that something is being lost. And I get it. Maybe something is being lost. But I also feel like it’s reached the level of a digital-age witch hunt — where if someone’s writing doesn’t conform to their view of “human-written” they’re branded as AI frauds, whether it’s true or not.

What do I do?

I don’t want to be the kind of person who casts aspersions on others out of ignorance or fear. So I maintain a healthy, cautious curiosity about AI. I play with it to understand what it can, and can’t, do. I don’t want to be left behind as the world moves on.

I still have misgivings, but I also see some of its potential.

There are many with perspectives out there on AI. Some are quick to grab their pitchforks and torches. Others are trying to understand and navigate its impact on their lives, taking a longer view. I think I’d rather be curious and cautious, than ignorant and fearful, knowing that may change as things evolve.

Where do you stand on it?

Thanks for reading B. SCOTT HOADLEY! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Getting fit 2.0

Nearly a year and a half ago I got all bloggy and sanctimonious about getting fit. I made a set of proclamations, set goals, and looked all organized and great–on paper. And then…it all fizzled.

In truth, though my head meant well, my heart was broken. I’d lost my mother 8.5 months before and my brother passed away a month later. Two losses, two funerals, two people who were closest to me gone nearly a month apart. My head and heart weren’t aligned, and I was nowhere near ready to commit to anything.

Now it’s been a little over two years since their loss. My weight has ballooned. My levels of fitness have dropped to new lows. And I won’t lie, the first half of this year was personally and professionally difficult and challenging. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before your head and heart are able to reconnect with one another, before you’re able to discover the fortitude to do what you must to overcome your challenges.

Where are things at today?

And so, a couple of weeks ago, I started going for daily walks again. There was no rhyme or reason. No particular agenda. Just a desire to venture out again. I’d learned to love going for walks during the pandemic, and kept them up for quite a while after. As we’d moved in the Spring and are fortunate enough to live in a place with plenty of nice places to walk, I ventured out and began exploring.

I also decided it might be time to tackle my weight. Walking alone wasn’t going to get me to where I needed. Far from it. I’ve found through experimentation in the past that the most reliable way to get on top of my weight is to focus on diet.

And so, while out on my walks I began listening to The Fast 800 book by Dr. Michael Moseley who unfortunately passed away after getting lost on a walk earlier this year. I’ve read his book several times over the last 5 years, and listening to it on my walks, in his voice, replanted the seeds of how and why I should focus on tackling my weight again.

Embarking on something as disruptive as Fast 800 is challenging. And while it would likely work for anyone who made the attempt, it’s my strong belief that your head and heart will need to be aligned in order for it to have any chance of taking hold.

The most recent nudge

A few weeks ago, we lost our last cat. With nearly 18 good, well-lived years, diabetes and failing kidneys finally caught up with her. I too have diabetes and her passing was in some ways a wake-up call. The finality of her condition, and the feelings it aroused, helped me understand that for the first time in a very long time, my head and my heart were finally in relative sync with one another.

I finally felt ready to take on the challenge of doing something about my own weight issues, and poor levels of fitness. And let's face it…heading into a long English winter you almost feel compelled to find some distraction other than work to focus on or risk going mad. The timing was good. I felt aligned. And I was ready.

What happened next?

I started my walks. Enjoyable walks around my neighborhood. I even discovered a beautiful forest nearby and go for hikes on the muddy trails there. And I started the Fast 800 diet…about a week and a half ago. I’ve had fits and starts with it. Some good days and some not so good days. It can be like that in the beginning as your mind and body adjust. I take each day at a time and each Monday is my benchmark.

About a week and a half into the diet, I’ve dropped 6kg, or 4.5% of my body weight. I have a long way to go. I’ve committed to a target of 2kg a week, which under normal circumstances is a daunting and challenging target. On Fast 800 it's not unusual to lose more than that in a week (as can be seen by how much I’ve lost in 1.5 weeks).

To be clear, some things I’m hoping to achieve with this new challenge are:

To lose 30kg (at 2kg a week, it's a potential 15 week process)

To increase my general health and levels of fitness (walking and eventually gym)

To increase my VO2 max - this is a proven factor of health and longevity

To change my diet and relationship with food

These are solid goals, and good ones. I’m not in a hurry. But neither do I want to drag the process out over years. I’d like to get to a level of weight, health, and fitness that I can focus on maintaining. I want to feel better. And I want to improve my prospects for the future by getting myself in the best state possible.

I plan to write about my experiences here (amongst the other things I write about). I keep a tracker, so I’ll drop occasional stats into my posts. Encouragement is of course always welcome. And should you have any questions about the journey I’m on, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be happy to answer questions the best I can. And so, wish me luck this week. I have a 2kg target. Next week I’ll let you know how I did.

Thanks for reading B. SCOTT HOADLEY! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Finding the courage to write

As an author of three novels, with a fourth on the way, I could tell you all the usual stories… about wanting to write since I was quite young, about what an avid reader I am, about how many stories I have inside of me.

“I could do that… I could write a novel.”

It’s a story I could tell you that would see many people nod and respond, “yeah, I’m the same. I also want to do that. I’ve got a book in me.”

And yet, for so many people writing a book, opening a café, starting a restaurant are the stuff of unfulfilled dreams. For those who take the leap, a high percentage quickly realize that romantic notions, when translated into reality, often become hard work.

Because, as so many of those who leap before they look find out, writing is a job.

Getting started with Writing

Let me tell you why.

Most people don’t have the luxury of giving up their day jobs, hiring nannies to look after their children, or letting their lives go in order to sit down and write. So in the beginning, for most of us, writing becomes a side-task to the other things that we do.

It’s the thing that you squeeze in, between a 9-5 routine, cleaning your house, doing your laundry, cooking meals, spending time with your spouse, partner and/or kids. It’s the thing you do when you’re not too tired, or too ill to focus. It’s the thing that you do that once you begin, you realize is going to take a long time to complete.

And that’s just writing the first draft.

But let’s step back for a moment.

The Process of Writing

Before you start writing, you need to know what you’re writing about. Who you’re writing about. Why are you writing to begin with? What story are you trying to tell? What genre? Are you writing romance? Science fiction? Dystopian? Who is your audience, and what is it about the genre that excites you?

I can’t speak for everyone, but writing a book for me was like going on holiday to a place you’ve never been before. First you need to decide you’re going on holiday. Then you need to pick the destination. Then you need to figure out how you’re going to get there, where you’re going to stay, and what you’re going to do once you’re there.

When it comes to these things, I’m not much of a planner.

But in writing a book, let alone a series, you need to have some sense of who your characters are, what the precipitating actions are, how and why they respond to them the way they do, and how you evolve them over the course of a book / series. This takes planning. It’s tough to just wander in and meander without a high prospect of getting completely lost.

So you have to put skills to use that may not be natural to you… or you may have to borrow skills from other things that you do and make them applicable to your writing.

Once you’ve figured these things out… you write. And you write. And you write. 

There is no simple way around this. You get up early in the morning and put some words on a page. During your lunch break, you put some words on a page. In the evening, you find a few spare moments to put some words on a page.

And you repeat this process indefinitely… or at least until you have a full draft. But, you’re not done yet.

Then come the revisions. Because no matter how proud we are about completing a full draft, the moment we put those last words on the page we realized that they’re not the last words you’ll put on the page.

Now you’ll need to follow the same process as above, possibly several times over, before you get to a manuscript that you are happy with. And then the next part of the process begins.

If you’re going to try and find an agent you’ll begin reaching out with cover letters and excerpts… but as I didn’t go that route, I’ll focus on the indie author route.

The Indie Publishing Process

I won’t go into detail here as I’ll save that for future posts. But suffice to say that you will need to…

Find a book cover designer

Find an editor

Find a proofreader

Format your books into ebooks and paperback

Consider building a beta group of readers

Build a website

Have social media accounts

Have an emailer programme for newsletters

Write newsletters

Build a following

Figure out if you’re going to be wide (on all platforms) or exclusive to Amazon

Create marketing and advertising materials

Set up advertising accounts on Facebook and Amazon

Upload your books to the platforms you’ve chosen

Promote them… 

And most importantly… write more books…

This becomes a never-ending cycle, and some might think at this stage… Why would anyone put themselves through that?

Writing as a career

It’s simple… this is the point where you separate the wheat from the chaff. Writers who move beyond the romantic notion of writing and want to become authors recognize that being an author is a job. It is hard work. And it can be thankless work in the early years.

Think about your own career. Maybe you graduated from University and got an entry level job. Maybe you moved into a vocation as an entry level worker. No matter how you started, you likely started at the bottom of the ladder. You are given tasks to do, you perform them, and you are critiqued by your boss and others on how well you do them. It is a learning loop that you never really escape no matter how long you’ve been doing it, and no matter how senior you become.

As writers who become authors, we do this too. Except in our early years, our “on the job” learning is public. Our readers are our co-workers and bosses. They tell us how well we are doing. They rate and review our work. And if we are smart, we listen and learn and look to improve–as you would do in any job.

That’s how it works. Our mistakes are out in the world for all to see. And will our first book be perfect? There’s a secret here… very few are. But you hope that as you listen and learn, and practice the craft of writing, you progress and become better over time. Bad reviews on early books can hurt. I can tell you from experience. But they can also be tools for learning.

What you do with feedback and criticism sets you up for how well–or badly–your career will go.

So Why Am I Writing This?

I can tell you, it’s not to disabuse you of the notion of being an author. Without authors I would never have developed the joy of reading and writing. No, it’s not about that. It’s to say that writing is a profession that is worth pursuing… if you are willing to put the time and effort into it, to learn, to make mistakes, to grow, and to thrive.

I’ve spent a lifetime becoming somewhat of an expert in other disciplines. And now, I am a new starter once again. I am learning from the ground up. And I am making mistakes. And I am listening. And learning. I admit, I won’t always get it right. And I’m also learning that where one person loves what you write and can’t say enough about what it means to them, for others it will miss the mark.

Every book isn’t for every reader. That’s a lesson I’ve learned.

But it doesn’t mean that what they have to say is invalid. You need to allow for all kinds of feedback in your career if you want to find your way. You need to be willing to put in the hard work that it will take to get you there. You have to take it seriously, or your readers won’t. When you’re starting out, most won’t expect you to be perfect. But they want to see that you’ve put effort into it and that you’re growing.

Every time you set out to write, write the best thing that you possibly can with what you have learned. Demonstrate that you listen by making progress in your prose. Show readers that it's not a hobby–that you take it, and them, seriously.

And swallow your pride. You’ll need to do that because when you look back at your earlier work, unless you are one of the few whose first novel was their best, you will recognize how much you have learned and evolved over time.

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for your time!

B. Scott Hoadley is the author of urban fantasy series OLD BLOOD SAGA.

His books, The Weaver, Old Blood and Hunter’s Moon are available in Kindle, Kindle Unlimited and Paperback on Amazon - https://author.to/bscotthoadley

His fourth book, Blood Ties, is due out Christmas 2023.

Thanks for reading B. SCOTT HOADLEY! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

The launch of Hunter's Moon

My third novel, Hunter’s Moon is now out. And I can tell you, it’s been in the works for quite some time. I published my second novel, Old Blood, in December 2021. And by that point, I was already writing my third book. If I’d been able to stay on target, Hunter’s Moon would have come out sometime last year.

But sometimes life throws you a curveball… or in my case, two.

So what happened?

Last year started out well enough. I was coming off having written and published my second novel since the pandemic, on track to fulfilling a lifelong goal of being a multi-book published author. I’d started writing my third book, and balancing my writing time with client work had begun to make progress on it.

But life doesn’t always play by the rules. And when you’re on a high, you can almost always expect that lurking around the corner is a low ready to scupper your plans.

My low was two-fold.

Back in New York my mother was being treated for cancer. And my parents, being the stoic upper lipped types, failed to discuss just how bad things were. Thinking back on it, I’m not sure they fully realized, or if they did, wanted to accept the situation. By the time I went over in September of last year, things had progressed to a pretty dire place.

We brought my mother home from hospital and took care of her in her last week at home. I won’t lie. It was incredibly difficult and I’m not sure that any of us were prepared for how difficult it was going to be. But we worked as a team. My dad, cousin, and a close, dear friend of the family.

We persevered.

These were some of the most difficult days of my life. And some of the most rewarding. I wouldn’t trade them for anything. I got to make memories with my mother right up until the last moments of her life. And I miss her.

But that wasn’t the end of it. I returned to London and was home for a short time when we got news my brother had passed away… just a little over a month after my mother. You can’t imagine the shock of that phone call. The unexpected nature of it. Another loss landing right in the midst of a grief I already found difficult to manage.

So I went back to New York. And spent the next couple of weeks helping my father, who’d been ill and had surgery after my mother’s passing, supported him and my nephew and worked with them to make all the arrangements. We were already in full-on grieving mode. I couldn’t imagine how any of us could feel any worse in the moment.

It was a difficult time. We all chose to handle it in our own way.

The writing

At some point, in the middle of finishing working with one client, and starting a new engagement with two others, I sat down and checked in on where I’d left off with the manuscript for my third novel. I’d pretty much stopped writing it mid-sentence, a testament to the sudden nature of everything that had happened.

The book gave me an on-ramp to reengaging with… something. I found talking to people difficult. I didn’t want to talk about what had happened. I internalized a lot of things during that time. But I persevered. I have a great partner whom I can speak with. I have a cat that talks back, making it seem like she’s listening. I had some great groups of friends and colleagues with him I could share things.

And I had my book. You see, my mother was a great supporter of my writing. I think that she was very proud of the initiative I took to finally sit down and do what I’d always said I would do since I was about seven years old. It wasn’t so much in what she said to me over the last few years. It was in her actions… buying books for friends and family to the extent that I had people reaching out to me that I hadn’t spoken with in years.

My mother was my biggest supporter and fan.

And I knew that she’d want me to keep writing. She’d want me to finish that book and to carry on. And so I did. I picked up that unfinished manuscript and between November and spring of this year, I completed it. I worked with my editor during the summer to complete it and a new cover designer to give the books a lift I felt they’d deserve.

My mother never saw the new covers, or the new book. But I am pretty sure she would have been proud of them. And of me.

And now

And so, finally, it’s finished. The kindle version is now out on Amazon. The paperback version will be out in the next week or two. And in the midst of everything I also returned to my first novel, and gave it the revision and edit it deserved. My first two books got new covers, and with the launch of the third book this week, I also relaunched the first two books, The Weaver and Old Blood.

But that’s not all I’ve done this year. I’ve also written the fourth book in the series, Blood Ties. It needs a set of revisions. It’ll require attention from my editor and proofreader. And of course it’ll need one of these lovely new covers. But the first draft of the book is done. And I know mom would be proud.

I’ve put these books out in the world first and foremost because they are the culmination of a lifelong dream for me. But now they also have the added significance of being something that reminds me of a mother’s love. Going home a couple of years ago and seeing my first book on the coffee table in the living room, and in the hands of the friends and family she so proudly bought the books for reminds me that writing has been a labor of love… and not just my love.

I hope that if you read this, and you look the books up you enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed writing them… and as much as my mother loved proudly handing them out to people.

Feel free to reach out and say hello. And remember to cherish those you love. Because you just never know how things will turn out.

OLD BLOOD SAGA

You can find the books on Amazon.

THE WEAVER on Amazon

OLD BLOOD on Amazon

HUNTER’S MOON on Amazon

Getting fit

So I’d like to say—since my last post—that I’ve done all the right things with respect to losing weight, getting a bit more fit, etc.

But I haven’t.

When you decide to try and do better, and in this case, I mean eat better, exercise more, get the right amount of sleep, meditate, look after yourself, you are putting yourself on a path towards something. But like paths in nature, you can find yourself meandering, doubling back, misstepping, and getting lost from time to time.

The last month and a half had been that.

On the upside, I am managing to get my diet more under control. I’ve been exercising more, whether that means going to the gym, going for a walk, or a run. I even sat down to meditate this morning, something that has lapsed with me of late, and much to the detriment of my mental health.

On the downside, I started a Fast800 diet a week ago this past Tuesday, and while I’d lost about 3.9kg, I stepped off the wagon last night and ate takeaway. Did I need to? No, but having had a couple of low days emotionally, I very badly wanted to. I also didn’t keep up the couch to 5k—but on the upside, have restarted it and am on day 4.

But I’m determined.

I’m not doing this for short term kicks. I’m doing it for long term health benefits. And so like anything in life, when you get knocked down, you get back up, brush yourself off and get moving again.

So what am I learning?

It’s okay to have a down day. Lean into it. Figure out what is bothering you and face it. It’s the only way to keep it from repeating over and over.

If you are making generally good diet progress and then fall off the wagon for a meal, that’s alright. Enjoy that meal. Own it. And use the next meal to get yourself back on plan.

You don’t need to lose all of your weight at once. A little weight lost each week adds up and if you are in it for the long term benefits, each week you get a little closer to your goals. And that’s okay.

Scales are great for giving you that all important measure… but don’t feel the need to step on it every day, and don’t step on it multiple times a day. Your body weight changes naturally over the course a day. Don’t sweat the details.

Find forms of exercise you enjoy doing, and do more of it.

Life is going to give you knocks. Just roll with it. Take each day as it comes, and if yesterday didn’t go so well, today is a brand new day. Just restart.

Anyways, enough for now. Will have some updates on my work and writing next time.

Have a great day!

Thanks for reading B. SCOTT HOADLEY! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

FAST:FAT:FIT

So yesterday I was unable to get out for exercise. I sat in front of my screen until 10pm, so not a stellar day on that front.

Also, I was going fine on food until dinner. I did a soup for lunch and had a shake late afternoon. And then I gave in to the craving of the pasta my partner made for dinner. Alright. It happened. Two thirds of the day went to plan and I gave in at the end.

On the upside, this morning, I went for my first Couch to 5k run. I did it on the treadmill at the gym. Afterwards I did some upper body free weight exercises.

It’s a new day. Let’s see how I get on. Hopefully I’ll have a happier report for you tomorrow.

Read my article, The path to health and fitness is a journey, for context on these updates.

Thanks for reading B. SCOTT HOADLEY! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

The path to health and fitness is a journey

The struggle

Fitness is something I have struggled with for a very long time. When I was younger I was a skinny kid. I had a great metabolism and I was always busy doing things. But as I got older, inevitably things changed. I spend more time in front of a screen, less time doing physical activities. And my physiology has changed.

Now my body retains weight like a pond retains rainwater. Only my weight doesn’t evaporate in the sun. It just sits there. I’ve tried lots of things over the years… gym, walking, diets. Nothing sticks. A few years ago, in the run-up to the pandemic (winter ‘19/’20) I tried the Fast800 diet for a couple of months. I lost 16kg. It actually felt amazing. But because it was another thing I tried, without a plan or objectives, over time I put all the weight back on.

Health and fitness isn’t a destination… it’s a journey

You see, health and fitness, the act of losing weight isn’t a destination. It’s a journey. Once you are on it, you remain on it forever. Or… you put the weight back on. And it’s not just about losing weight. It’s about achieving better health and fitness. I didn’t have a plan. And I didn’t understand I was on a journey. So naturally, I reached a level of attainment, and stopped. Job done, right?

Wrong. The job wasn’t finished. In reality I hadn’t really started the job, as I started without a plan. Without a realization of what I was doing, or getting myself into. Was that the fault of the Fast800 diet? Not really. If you read the book it does talk about lifestyle change, having a healthier diet and lifestyle, and the importance of maintenance. I think I must have skipped over that.

A new plan

So where am I now? Well, I’ve been talking about doing something again for a while. And talking. And talking. But talk is cheap. It doesn’t make you fit. Maybe your jaw muscles, but certainly not the rest of your body. So this time, I’m working on a plan. And it looks something like this…

FAST

What

A period of time used to break the bad food cycle and cleanse the body.

Why

To create a transition between poor habits and creating new ones.

To break the body and mind’s cravings for bad foods.

To create basic discipline to underpin the FAT part of the program.

How

Use replacement shakes and soup only.

Take vitamins.

Monitor blood glucose carefully.

No snacks under any circumstances.

Light cardio.

Define a specific period of time, e.g., 2 weeks and stick to it.

FAT

What

A period to focus on tackling weight and excess fat.

Why

To significantly reduce weight.

To stabilize blood glucose levels and reduce dependence on medication.

To develop new habits and a better relationship with food.

To improve overall health and wellbeing.

To improve self-image.

How

Use replacement shakes and soup.

Calorie count with other foods - reduce carbs significantly.

Take vitamins.

Monitor blood glucose carefully.

Only small, measurable lightweight snacks that keep within a calorie range.

Follow a program of cardio and light weightlifting.

Define a target weight to reach - don’t stop until you achieve it.

FIT

What

Maintain a healthy lifestyle with a focus on fitness, wellbeing, and health.

Why

To maintain a healthy weight.

To normalize blood glucose levels with a low dependence on medication.

To have good habits and a healthy relationship with food.

To have good health and wellbeing.

To have a strong, positive self-image.

How

Eat healthier, less carb and fatty foods.

Identify a weight range and use fasting to maintain it.

Follow a regular program of cardio and weightlifting.

Practice meditation and mindfulness.

Maintain good sleep practices.

Take vitamins.

Monitor blood glucose regularly - adjust diet if necessary.

Healthy snacking only - no sweets.

What next - and some goals

Now, I have no idea if this is going to work or not. But it’s more of a plan than I had last time. And so it’s worth giving it a go. This seems like a sensible plan. And I’d really like to achieve my goals.

So maybe it’s worth putting some of those goals down.

Current weight: 125kg… (ouch… it hurts just typing that)

New weight goal: 95kg (that’s my target… if I hit it, I may set a new one)

Current workout schedule: 3-4 days a week (cardio only)

New workout goal: 5-6 days a week, weights and cardio

Current Time Restricted Eating (TRE): 16:8

New TRE: Keep as is - it’s a good TRE - I just eat too much during that time.

Current average resting heart rate: 73 BPM (over 26 weeks)

New target resting heart rate: 62 BPM

Current average steps per day: 6,742 (over 26 weeks)

New average steps per day: 10,000

Current blood glucose (GMI): 7.2% (over 90 days)

New target blood glucose: 6.8%

These things should all be achievable with the right mindset, determination and focus. We’ll see if I’m able to do this, and if so, what differences it makes to my day to day life. So I’m going to commit to posting progress. I’m not going to step on the scale every day, as I think it’s counterproductive. But I will try and update these numbers once a week to see if there is any shift.

And I’ll let you know if I make any adjustments either to the process described above, or to my goals. I figure committing to them in an open way like this is a form of contract that I intend to achieve my goals and targets. Or look a bit of a fool in the process.

Wish me luck. And feel free to comment and share your views along the way.

* image generated using MidJourney

Thanks for reading B. SCOTT HOADLEY! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.