Week 9 - A Healthy Obsession

Just over 2 months down now and as I said last week, my progress in terms of weight loss at least, have far outstripped my expectations.  I put in a bit of extra effort this week, even putting in a 10km rowing session, which I haven't done for the better part of a month now.  The most pleasing aspect of which was that my time actually improved.  Certainly nothing like what I was doing when a year or so back when I trained at it specifically for months on end.  However, I am pleased enough to say that along with the weight loss, my methods are improving my fitness overall.  I still want to drop some time from my rowing, but, that is now a secondary thing amongst the goals that motivate me more broadly.

One of the primary goals of course is weight loss.  This week caught me a little by surprise in that it resulted in a 1.6kg drop on the scales.  This brings my progressive total to 13.2 kgs and exactly 50% of the loss required to reach the magic number!  As I said to my dietician in my weekly weight check in email, 'I know my run can't continue forever, so I'll take what I can get for now!'  My goal for this stage when I set out was based on 1 kg per week, of course meaning 9 kg.  I thought that was a pretty lofty goal.  So to be in advance of that is very pleasing indeed.

Certainly in many respects I think my results are representative of the hard work paying off.  For me, whilst I have put in consistently in StrengthFit classes and on the MMA mats, the biggest effort has been around improving my diet.  Nothing flashy.  Just being meticulous around what I am putting into my mouth.  Combine that with researching and educating myself around how to train and eat and you have the whole strategic package.  I call it strategic, my beautiful wife calls it obsessive!

I think she has a valid point too.  Whatever label that you put on it, I certainly think that when you genuinely want to be successful in an endeavour, it requires a certain level of investment and commitment.  When I look at the truly high achievers in life, whether it be athletically or in any of the other myriad of paths people walk, I would hazard a guess that none of them did so without a little healthy obsession around what it was they were working towards.  I imagine that in some cases the obsession was less than healthy too and therein lies the key challenge for me.  To get a sustainable balance to my boots and all approach.

If health and weight loss are the primary goals of this whole show, speaking from past experiences, I can yo-yo diet\health kick with the best of them.  In the past few years I have ranged from 140+kg to just under 100 kg and anywhere in between depending on my level of apathy or obsession at the time.  The key ingredient that has been missing is sustainability.  So what is different this time?  An excellent question that I have been tossing around in a very fearful dance in my head since I set out this time.  The fear is centred on the prospect of putting in the work again, only to find myself a big couch potato in a year's time.  So the question again is, what is different this time?

Well apart from abject fear of returning to the world of poor health and obesity statistics, I genuinely want to be a good example of what it is to lead a healthy lifestyle to my kids.  I like to walk rather than talk in that I believe in modelling the right behaviours to others, in work, in life generally and most particularly with regards to my children.  That objective requires long term and sustainable outcomes.  In support of that aspiration, I have been targeting my self education process on defining what a sustainable healthy lifestyle looks like for me.

My MMA coach will be very please to know that I finished the first book he suggested I read a couple of months ago called "The Fighter's Body: An Owner's Manual" (small round of applause for the author of this blog who is notorious for not reading anything longer than an SMS message).  It was a comprehensive guide to nutrition and training for the martial arts.  In addition, it had sections on maintaining a positive mindset and building a sustainable approach to long term health.  A quote, directly from it's pages:

"Why not make it a goal to be as healthy as possible this date next year, and a long-term goal to be as healthy as possible this date 10 years from now?  If you are going to be around anyway, why not be as healthy as you can?"

Kind of makes sense eh? Simple enough right.....?  Fortunately in addition to the thought that I have been giving it, the book, along with other reading that I have been doing has giving me some good ideas to help formulate a longer term strategy.

I work best with goals in mind.  For example, right now I am working towards light heavyweight with a view to competing in MMA at some stage in the future.  The act of doing so in a division where I feel I would be most competitive necessitates the weight loss that I desire.  So that is a short term goal with an end point in the next year or so.  What about 5 or 10 years from now?  Well, those goals are still being formulated.

One such goal that is working its way around in my thinking is grading in my MMA.  This is a multi year process and whilst the colour of my belt is not the be all and end all, to me, it holds significance in terms of the commitment it represents.  Commitment to yourself and others.  To being disciplined and determined over a long period of time.  What better symbol of my work towards long term health?  Being at a healthy weight for the duration of my progression through the levels of my MMA training would be such a great outcome and genuinely satisfying.  As would the opportunity to help others along the same journey.  Walking that mile in the same shoes of those seeking to be both better martial artists, or in addition, like me, trying to find that one thing that inspires them to put the work in to get healthy.

In a nutshell, knowing myself and how I work in mind, body and spirit will be the key to long term success in this endeavour.  Whilst things are going well now, history tells me that having plan to go forward with that includes short, medium and long term goals is the right way to go for me.  Fortunately I have a good network of supportive people.  Another vital piece of the puzzle.  With all the right measures in place and all going to plan, living light heavy will be a long term reality.