adding #weightnotes to #weeknotes

I’ve never been healthy — not since I was a child and contracted nephrotic syndrome which is a kidney problem (actually the illness that ended up killing rugby legend Jonah Lomu). That said I have also never taken care of myself. I never really exercised — even when I played football all the time I was a goalkeeper and never, ever trained. I drank waaaayyyyy too much for years. My diet is heavy on the takeaways and portions that could feed families are not unheard of.

I also am a total sugar addict. Two or three cans of Coke a day is not unheard of and I rarely go a day without a couple of chocolate bars.

My slight saving grace is that I have always liked to walk so I’m never far from the 10,000 steps a day thing — though I do need to make time for it and drag myself away from this laptop.

I’m also not bad in the kitchen either when I can be bothered so when I do cook it tends to be healthier than anything else I consume.

But I’m fat and it has started to become a problem.

For months now I had been worried about my health but managed to worry so much I buried my head in the sand and basically refused to visit my GP. I had convinced myself I was seriously ill — either prostate cancer or a recurrence of my kidney problems but I still did nothing about it.

I buried myself in my work, my writing and the escapism of Netflix, Spotify, novels and comics.

Last week I was feeling a bit ill and had to take some time out of work — it was nothing serious nor related to these other issues — just a virus that wiped me out a bit. On the Friday though I went to work and for one reason or another I ended up needing to walk home. Its not that far really a few miles up a not steep hill. I’ve done it hundreds of times since I was a kid. This time though I was in pieces. I couldn’t breath. Was dizzy and sweating. I probably shouldn’t have cooled down with a pint but some habits die hard.

It took me almost an hour to feel ok to get up and carry on. Even then I needed to get a bus for the last bit of the journey. It freaked me out and I decided I needed to finally go and see someone.

Still took me until Wednesday to psych myself up.

Turns out neither of the two things I was really worried about are a problem. The weight (ha!) off my mind just having those tests done is immense and I feel like an idiot for not reassuring myself (much) earlier. I mean it wasn’t fun but neither was it the end of the world.

I am expecting to get a call though from the surgery. I am even heavier than I thought (weirdly also taller!) — dangerously so. I’m at risk for all sorts of things but especially diabetes. I have to make some changes and make them now — no more excuses.

So I am who I am and I do things in the open — whether anyone is interested or not. It keeps me honest and keeps me focused so here is the plan.

Feedback appreciated (though to be clear — I can’t ride a bike and don’t intend to learn, the same with swimming and while I do have so ambition to get to doing something like Couch25k I feel a million miles from that at the moment.)

Target:

Lose 2 stone by Christmas day

How:

Drop 1000 calories per day by:

• Giving up Coke (and all sugary fizzy drinks)
• Giving up chocolate and sugary snacks
• Giving up beer (only drink wine at weekends)
• Stop the Greggs breakfasts!

Walking for a minimum of 45 minutes per day (including weekends)

Monitor:

Withings/Nokia Go for activity

Withings/Nokia scales for weekly weighing

Openness

Add the status report to my new season of weeknotes including steps and +/- weight per week (maybe charts if I can get anything from Nokia Healthmate).

Forfeit

If I miss my target of losing two(2) stone I will donate £10 per pound to Diabetes UK.

I’m also going to skip my planned holiday this year (well I’ll do something closer to home than planned anyway.)

Reward

If I meet my goal I will (a) set another one as I’ll still need to lose weight but (b) I’ll book a holiday to somewhere on my list — either Tokyo, Vietnam or maybe Australia/NZ again for the Melbourne graffiti and to see some friends.