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.