Rebooting Your Life
Discussion
Anyone here rebooted their life? If so, what did you do? How did you do it? What did you read/listen to to help? And how did you record your progress? This is me....
I'm 56 in two weeks time and pretty fed up to be honest. Constantly tired, rarely really happy, struggle for money and at times, feel lonely.
I'm obese, weighing in at more than 22 stone although I am 6'3" tall. I can lose weight simply by walking regularly and cutting down what I eat; I lost five stone in ten months pre COVID but mentally, the whole pandemic thing affected me more than I'd care to admit and it's all back on. But...
Life is too busy. I work full time in sports administration (with two days a week from home), part time as a data analyst for a sports data company, I produce football programmes for four non-league clubs and I'm secretary for a club too, though I'm giving this up in just over a month as it's too much now. The data analyst role is the only one I enjoy and I get to meet loads of people however....
My loneliness comes from having been single for fifteen years and having no older family. Have four children (32, 28 and twins of 23) & the youngest two live with me, we get on brilliantly. They came to live with me suddenly in 2012 and I made up my mind not to bring any partners into their life till they settled back down. Since then, no relationship at all which, 99% of the time, I don't mind, but I do sometimes wish there was a +1.
Live in a rented house on the outskirts of Bristol. Rent is cheap, it's not in great condition but tbh if I asked my landlord to spend a lot on it, the rent would go up so I live with it. Most of the issues are cosmetic so I leave them be.
So with time ticking on and my birthday a fortnight today, thought I'd better make a change. Anyone taken stock of their life and made some proper real changes? Who did you get advice from - was it podcasts, books, visits to counsellors or what? Did you just crack on and do it or did you write a blog or tweet about your changes?
I want to change. I'm a funny guy, people like me and I like people. But wobbling around life as I am for another 20-25 years holds no appeal to me whatsoever and I'd welcome any genuine advice anyone can give me, particularly from those folk who have been here.
I'm 56 in two weeks time and pretty fed up to be honest. Constantly tired, rarely really happy, struggle for money and at times, feel lonely.
I'm obese, weighing in at more than 22 stone although I am 6'3" tall. I can lose weight simply by walking regularly and cutting down what I eat; I lost five stone in ten months pre COVID but mentally, the whole pandemic thing affected me more than I'd care to admit and it's all back on. But...
Life is too busy. I work full time in sports administration (with two days a week from home), part time as a data analyst for a sports data company, I produce football programmes for four non-league clubs and I'm secretary for a club too, though I'm giving this up in just over a month as it's too much now. The data analyst role is the only one I enjoy and I get to meet loads of people however....
My loneliness comes from having been single for fifteen years and having no older family. Have four children (32, 28 and twins of 23) & the youngest two live with me, we get on brilliantly. They came to live with me suddenly in 2012 and I made up my mind not to bring any partners into their life till they settled back down. Since then, no relationship at all which, 99% of the time, I don't mind, but I do sometimes wish there was a +1.
Live in a rented house on the outskirts of Bristol. Rent is cheap, it's not in great condition but tbh if I asked my landlord to spend a lot on it, the rent would go up so I live with it. Most of the issues are cosmetic so I leave them be.
So with time ticking on and my birthday a fortnight today, thought I'd better make a change. Anyone taken stock of their life and made some proper real changes? Who did you get advice from - was it podcasts, books, visits to counsellors or what? Did you just crack on and do it or did you write a blog or tweet about your changes?
I want to change. I'm a funny guy, people like me and I like people. But wobbling around life as I am for another 20-25 years holds no appeal to me whatsoever and I'd welcome any genuine advice anyone can give me, particularly from those folk who have been here.
Thanks to everyone that has posted so far, appreciate each & every comment! There's more than I thought there would be waking up this morning.....
I struggle with multi-quoting so forgive me for going back to basics...
White-Noise - I'd already decided to knock the secretary's role on the head. This season with the weather decimating the fixture list at grass roots level, it's been like almost two seasons in one, the amount of rearrangements we've had. And I let the four clubs I produce programmes for know at Christmas that this was my final season - again, the weather has made this a real ballache at times. Three of the programmes are online, one is printed but the work still goes in and I've had 20-25 postponements so many hours of work in the bin.
Hoofy - The time issue is probably the one I need to sort first & I'm taking steps to address this now, dropping the stuff that I don't enjoy or takes up time. Once that is organised, I can get out walking again - I genuinely really like walking and having lost a good amount of weight before, I know I can do it IF EVERYTHING ELSE IS SORTED TOO (capitals on purpose to emphasise the point). I live near the railway path that links Bristol to Bath and can get on there whenever really, this will be a big focus.
dundarach - there's a gym literally 100 yards from my house at the local secondary, I'm not the greatest lover of gyms but it's an idea for sure. I lost a decent amount of weight maybe a decade ago through gym visits, certainly worth considering.
lizardbrain100% correct, I'll never be content until I'm slim(mer) than now. Sure walking will be my saviour.
Hereward A good idea but maybe to consider when I've decluttered my life a little bit. I wouldn't want to take on anything else right now but certainly a way of getting out and improving my health whilst doing good.
asfault They say that "comparison is the thief of joy" and you make the points well. The two areas are 1000% connected; part of the reason I'm single is down to how I look and a lack of self esteem. Regarding the kids, the stance I took on dating was back in 2012 and I've just got out of the habit of dating, there wouldn't be any awkward conversations to be had. As above, I think I'm pretty undateable with my looks, my body size and also how "time-poor" I am. Once those things are sorted out, I'll be more of a catch.
Wacky Racer Thanks, that is definitely the first thing on the list to attack. As mentioned in my OP, I lost 5 stone in 10 months during 2019-20 simply by eating better and walking. Stuck some headphones on and walked about 1,800 miles in that time but when COVID arrived, the hour's exercise didn't really cut it & I lost some work so went to Sainsbury's for a few months doing online picking. Similar amount of steps but all indoors and short jerky turning movements rather than striding out. And then at the shift's end, didn't feel like going for a walk. That got me down and hence I put the 5 stone back on in less than two years.
And yes, it does feel therapeutic already.
I struggle with multi-quoting so forgive me for going back to basics...
White-Noise - I'd already decided to knock the secretary's role on the head. This season with the weather decimating the fixture list at grass roots level, it's been like almost two seasons in one, the amount of rearrangements we've had. And I let the four clubs I produce programmes for know at Christmas that this was my final season - again, the weather has made this a real ballache at times. Three of the programmes are online, one is printed but the work still goes in and I've had 20-25 postponements so many hours of work in the bin.
Hoofy - The time issue is probably the one I need to sort first & I'm taking steps to address this now, dropping the stuff that I don't enjoy or takes up time. Once that is organised, I can get out walking again - I genuinely really like walking and having lost a good amount of weight before, I know I can do it IF EVERYTHING ELSE IS SORTED TOO (capitals on purpose to emphasise the point). I live near the railway path that links Bristol to Bath and can get on there whenever really, this will be a big focus.
dundarach - there's a gym literally 100 yards from my house at the local secondary, I'm not the greatest lover of gyms but it's an idea for sure. I lost a decent amount of weight maybe a decade ago through gym visits, certainly worth considering.
lizardbrain100% correct, I'll never be content until I'm slim(mer) than now. Sure walking will be my saviour.
Hereward A good idea but maybe to consider when I've decluttered my life a little bit. I wouldn't want to take on anything else right now but certainly a way of getting out and improving my health whilst doing good.
asfault They say that "comparison is the thief of joy" and you make the points well. The two areas are 1000% connected; part of the reason I'm single is down to how I look and a lack of self esteem. Regarding the kids, the stance I took on dating was back in 2012 and I've just got out of the habit of dating, there wouldn't be any awkward conversations to be had. As above, I think I'm pretty undateable with my looks, my body size and also how "time-poor" I am. Once those things are sorted out, I'll be more of a catch.
Wacky Racer Thanks, that is definitely the first thing on the list to attack. As mentioned in my OP, I lost 5 stone in 10 months during 2019-20 simply by eating better and walking. Stuck some headphones on and walked about 1,800 miles in that time but when COVID arrived, the hour's exercise didn't really cut it & I lost some work so went to Sainsbury's for a few months doing online picking. Similar amount of steps but all indoors and short jerky turning movements rather than striding out. And then at the shift's end, didn't feel like going for a walk. That got me down and hence I put the 5 stone back on in less than two years.
And yes, it does feel therapeutic already.
Thanks again for all the replies and the email I received, some kind folk on here - even the one that suggested fasting! 
giantt - A friend of mine that writes a blog wrote a piece on Corrour yesterday, the highest mainline railway station in the UK. My ancestors were from the North of Scotland and I've always fancied going up there so I might look at spending a few days up there this year in between the midgie season and the rain! I'm not one for lying on beaches, would be a risk of being harpooned for starters, but a few days in remoteness sounds great.
coldoRS, Hoofy and mcelliott - can't argue with the notion that moving more will help me. As I've mentioned already, walking is my thing and I actually enjoy it. Just before COVID, I was walking to Bath (about 7.5 miles) and then catching the train back, it was great and all for about a fiver. It's quite a pleasant walk, even on the western side of Bath where it becomes urban, you still have the river alongside you all the way. I don't even mind walking in the pouring rain, it worked for me last time and it will work again. But I ain't fasting!
breeks - I think a dog would be good but I'm often away all day and wonder if I could keep it stimulated enough. A cat might be an idea, but they can be funny f
kers at the best of times.... I'll give it some thought.
bristolbaron - Great post, thanks for taking the time. I've looked into MentalHealthMates since your post and there's also one in Bath too which I can get to quickly. Like the idea of the social aspect as I walk on my own most of the time. I'll politely disagree with you about my level of desirability though, it's far lower than you think. And while gastric surgery is an option, I can't see me going for it.
One point you make that stands out is the target; not focusing on the big loss but concentrating on smaller mini-losses. One podcast I've listened to more than once is the Diary of a CEO one with the PT James Smith. He can be a little direct sometimes but he makes the similar point that if you set smaller goals, you will naturally achieve them quicker and more regularly, rewarding yourself each time. So for me, I would be better aiming for a half stone, then another half stone, then another, then another until I've lost all I need to lose. And for me, at my current weight, I'd like to lose seven stone which would get me down to 15 stone 6, the weight I was when I moved up here in 1999 aged 31. So working on that basis, it's 14 mini goals rather than one large one that, to be honest, will be a year or two away for quite a while.
Again, appreciate all your help.
giantt - A friend of mine that writes a blog wrote a piece on Corrour yesterday, the highest mainline railway station in the UK. My ancestors were from the North of Scotland and I've always fancied going up there so I might look at spending a few days up there this year in between the midgie season and the rain! I'm not one for lying on beaches, would be a risk of being harpooned for starters, but a few days in remoteness sounds great.
coldoRS, Hoofy and mcelliott - can't argue with the notion that moving more will help me. As I've mentioned already, walking is my thing and I actually enjoy it. Just before COVID, I was walking to Bath (about 7.5 miles) and then catching the train back, it was great and all for about a fiver. It's quite a pleasant walk, even on the western side of Bath where it becomes urban, you still have the river alongside you all the way. I don't even mind walking in the pouring rain, it worked for me last time and it will work again. But I ain't fasting!
breeks - I think a dog would be good but I'm often away all day and wonder if I could keep it stimulated enough. A cat might be an idea, but they can be funny f
kers at the best of times.... I'll give it some thought. bristolbaron - Great post, thanks for taking the time. I've looked into MentalHealthMates since your post and there's also one in Bath too which I can get to quickly. Like the idea of the social aspect as I walk on my own most of the time. I'll politely disagree with you about my level of desirability though, it's far lower than you think. And while gastric surgery is an option, I can't see me going for it.
One point you make that stands out is the target; not focusing on the big loss but concentrating on smaller mini-losses. One podcast I've listened to more than once is the Diary of a CEO one with the PT James Smith. He can be a little direct sometimes but he makes the similar point that if you set smaller goals, you will naturally achieve them quicker and more regularly, rewarding yourself each time. So for me, I would be better aiming for a half stone, then another half stone, then another, then another until I've lost all I need to lose. And for me, at my current weight, I'd like to lose seven stone which would get me down to 15 stone 6, the weight I was when I moved up here in 1999 aged 31. So working on that basis, it's 14 mini goals rather than one large one that, to be honest, will be a year or two away for quite a while.
Again, appreciate all your help.
gregs656 said:
The health side of it seems like you know what you need to do.
What is stopping the part time analyst role becoming full time, if that is what you enjoy?
The role is collecting data at football matches so I'm limited in how many games I can do in a season. I've done the role for seven years now, initially starting with 20-30 matches per season & now this season will be the third campaign running I've done 80+. I've previously applied for the same role in cricket twice but didn't get it. What is stopping the part time analyst role becoming full time, if that is what you enjoy?
It's just the best job ever but given the lack of roles within the company, would struggle to get more hours than now although they did recently advertise for writers for text commentaries online which would have been another cracking job.
Chainsaw Rebuild - some great numbers there, you're smashing it for sure. Still not 100% on the fasting, even intermittenly, but agree with the target incentive.
xx99xx - good advice and yes, the tiredness needs to be tackled first. It seems odd to say but I think doing more will actually make me less tired, maybe not initially of course but after a couple of weeks of walking, I'm sure I'll sleep better and also be less tired during the day. My sleep is terrible but that is more likely caused by my weight, my age (having to get up in the night) and levels of stress which although manageable, I do find myself being unable to drop off some nights because of mind chatter.
gerradi - Thanks for the post - the dog and the volunteer may have to wait; as before I'm not sure I want to commit to looking after one and also, I'm initially going to start decluttering my life of what is pointless/time consuming/negative before then gradually rebuilding. I volunteer at a local football club which takes several hours a week but it really has almost broken me this season with a lack of support from the club, the weather playing havoc with the fixture lists etc. Not against volunteering but maybe not just yet.
The Selfish Gene, kestonian and jasonrobertson86 - thanks for the support.
Leopard86 - thanks for taking the time to post. Walking WILL be my saviour, I know it, as I genuinely enjoy it. Sticking on a podcast or some music while walking has never been a problem for me, even with the weather. As mentioned higher up, I need to start dropping stuff out of my life as I don't get the time to do this stuff any more because other stuff gets in the way. My commute can be 45 minutes to an hour each day and I've started listening to music rather than 5Live as I find it is more positive, does that make sense?
Love the ideas on DIY. I am truly terrible at DIY, I can put paint on the wrong way around and can't even wire a plug so that should be interesting. I'm going to get shot of a lot of furniture and maybe look at getting my brush out afterwards; shed is brim full with stuff so will maybe look at clearing the house of items I don't use/need and getting a rubbish clearance firm to come in and take it. I only have a Focus hatchback so would take me a thousand trips to the tip to get shot; while it is money I could do with, it's false economy IMO to use all that time travelling across to tip and back.
Have decided two things since starting this thread. One is the amount of weight I'd like to lose - I'd like to shed 7 stone 2 pounds which sounds precise and it is for a reason - it's a hundred pounds in total. I was 15 stone 6 when I loved up to Bristol and IMO, I looked good. That's still overweight according to many references but for me, it's a weight I look and feel good at.
Second thing is that I am considering setting up a Twitter account and posting daily on there for more support. I'd still post very regularly on here, maybe two or three times a week once I've started but Twitter opens up to a different audience too. I'm already on there and have c. 1,500 followers but would maybe look at doing this anonymously so that I can be brutally honest. Realise I'm also opening myself up for possible abuse too but I'm strong enough to handle that, I think.
Appreciate as always, everyone's support.
xx99xx - good advice and yes, the tiredness needs to be tackled first. It seems odd to say but I think doing more will actually make me less tired, maybe not initially of course but after a couple of weeks of walking, I'm sure I'll sleep better and also be less tired during the day. My sleep is terrible but that is more likely caused by my weight, my age (having to get up in the night) and levels of stress which although manageable, I do find myself being unable to drop off some nights because of mind chatter.
gerradi - Thanks for the post - the dog and the volunteer may have to wait; as before I'm not sure I want to commit to looking after one and also, I'm initially going to start decluttering my life of what is pointless/time consuming/negative before then gradually rebuilding. I volunteer at a local football club which takes several hours a week but it really has almost broken me this season with a lack of support from the club, the weather playing havoc with the fixture lists etc. Not against volunteering but maybe not just yet.
The Selfish Gene, kestonian and jasonrobertson86 - thanks for the support.
Leopard86 - thanks for taking the time to post. Walking WILL be my saviour, I know it, as I genuinely enjoy it. Sticking on a podcast or some music while walking has never been a problem for me, even with the weather. As mentioned higher up, I need to start dropping stuff out of my life as I don't get the time to do this stuff any more because other stuff gets in the way. My commute can be 45 minutes to an hour each day and I've started listening to music rather than 5Live as I find it is more positive, does that make sense?
Love the ideas on DIY. I am truly terrible at DIY, I can put paint on the wrong way around and can't even wire a plug so that should be interesting. I'm going to get shot of a lot of furniture and maybe look at getting my brush out afterwards; shed is brim full with stuff so will maybe look at clearing the house of items I don't use/need and getting a rubbish clearance firm to come in and take it. I only have a Focus hatchback so would take me a thousand trips to the tip to get shot; while it is money I could do with, it's false economy IMO to use all that time travelling across to tip and back.
Have decided two things since starting this thread. One is the amount of weight I'd like to lose - I'd like to shed 7 stone 2 pounds which sounds precise and it is for a reason - it's a hundred pounds in total. I was 15 stone 6 when I loved up to Bristol and IMO, I looked good. That's still overweight according to many references but for me, it's a weight I look and feel good at.
Second thing is that I am considering setting up a Twitter account and posting daily on there for more support. I'd still post very regularly on here, maybe two or three times a week once I've started but Twitter opens up to a different audience too. I'm already on there and have c. 1,500 followers but would maybe look at doing this anonymously so that I can be brutally honest. Realise I'm also opening myself up for possible abuse too but I'm strong enough to handle that, I think.
Appreciate as always, everyone's support.
bristolbaron said:
GloverMart said:
bristolbaron - Great post, thanks for taking the time. I've looked into MentalHealthMates since your post and there's also one in Bath too which I can get to quickly. Like the idea of the social aspect as I walk on my own most of the time. I'll politely disagree with you about my level of desirability though, it's far lower than you think. And while gastric surgery is an option, I can't see me going for it.
One point you make that stands out is the target; not focusing on the big loss but concentrating on smaller mini-losses. One podcast I've listened to more than once is the Diary of a CEO one with the PT James Smith. He can be a little direct sometimes but he makes the similar point that if you set smaller goals, you will naturally achieve them quicker and more regularly, rewarding yourself each time. So for me, I would be better aiming for a half stone, then another half stone, then another, then another until I've lost all I need to lose. And for me, at my current weight, I'd like to lose seven stone which would get me down to 15 stone 6, the weight I was when I moved up here in 1999 aged 31. So working on that basis, it's 14 mini goals rather than one large one that, to be honest, will be a year or two away for quite a while.
Again, appreciate all your help.
DOAC is great for the different views and opinions and he seems to be on a real health journey at the moment. Lots of conflicting ideas and I respect that, there’s no point having guests who will just confirm your current views. One point you make that stands out is the target; not focusing on the big loss but concentrating on smaller mini-losses. One podcast I've listened to more than once is the Diary of a CEO one with the PT James Smith. He can be a little direct sometimes but he makes the similar point that if you set smaller goals, you will naturally achieve them quicker and more regularly, rewarding yourself each time. So for me, I would be better aiming for a half stone, then another half stone, then another, then another until I've lost all I need to lose. And for me, at my current weight, I'd like to lose seven stone which would get me down to 15 stone 6, the weight I was when I moved up here in 1999 aged 31. So working on that basis, it's 14 mini goals rather than one large one that, to be honest, will be a year or two away for quite a while.
Again, appreciate all your help.
100lb is a massive target and whilst it’s great to see the bigger picture, working 5lb at a time is the way forward - especially as you reach plateaus.
My wife attends the Winterbourne group and I mentioned you. There’s another chap in a similar boat, a long way to go but absolutely determined to get there. You’d be most welcome to join them.
With desirability, there’s a YOU problem. Okay, for all I know you may hold the weight in the most undesirable areas, but if you’re looking after what you have - haircut/shave/smell fresh/tidy clothing/clean teeth then the other aspects can shine - personality/humour. You’ve said you’re good company, put yourself out there. If you’re waiting until you’ve lost weight you’re losing chances to boost your confidence and opportunity to shine.
Twitters pretty dead/toxic, I’d look at Instagram to be able to share your journey if you think it’ll help motivate you. But back to my previous post, you need discipline for when motivation fails.
From your most recent post, you’ve set the big goals - decluttering/weight loss/social media, but what are you going to do TODAY to make the first steps?…
A lot of the guests Steven Bartlett has on don't interest me at all as they just don't seem to talk to ME. Guests like James Smith, Ben Fogle, Russell Howard and Chris Williamson were decent because somehow I could identify with them but a lot of the guests, particularly the US ones, don't do it for me.
Regards the desirability, a lot of it is basically face and stomach. My limbs are all in proportion, pretty much. Not sure I take care of myself very well at all if I'm honest but I have to take a holistic approach to it and think firstly, getting out walking will help me lose weight, sleep better and eventually look better. The MHM group I will take a look at, for sure.
The first steps? Well, I'd consider that I've taken them given that I've posted on here, started making plans on how to achieve my goals, taken on board some of the advice and thought about how I can implement it in my life. My options for dramatically improving my work/life balance are quite limited in the next few weeks as I'm still involved with the football club which takes a lot of my time up, maybe 7-10 hours a week. So the changes will be small and steady to start with. Given that my time in the short term is limited, planning to do stuff is IMO good use of that time.
With the weight loss, the overall target is 100lbs and yes, that is ambitious but as I said in a previous post, am going to take it half a stone at a time as this will be fairly regular, I'd hope, and more likely to encourage me to stick to it.
Thanks to everyone that has posted so far, really encouraging messages.
Was working at a match this afternoon so parked more than half a mile from the stadium & walked the rest of the way. Felt better for doing so and of course, had to walk back afterwards. I've said it too many times on the thread already but walking is for me!
Was working at a match this afternoon so parked more than half a mile from the stadium & walked the rest of the way. Felt better for doing so and of course, had to walk back afterwards. I've said it too many times on the thread already but walking is for me!
ASA569 said:
You've been given a lot of great advice already on this thread so I'm just going to answer your question
I did a reboot of my life in 2021. I'd been on a fairly self-destructive spiral downwards for a good 10-15 years prior to that putting on weight and drinking and eating too many bad things. The light bulb moment really was regularly seeing myself in Teams meetings and realising I was beach ball shaped rather than humanoid. I was also sleeping incredibly badly, constantly feeling lethargic and had become pretty reclusive.
As I'm an all or nothing sort of person, I immediately cut back on unhealthy fat, salt and sugar in my diet and stopped alcohol consumption. I increased my exercise as well and over the course of 10 months I lost 30 kg, gained muscle, sorted out my sleeping patterns and rediscovered that life can be fun.
I don't actually recommend that you do what I did as it was too fast and I've been left with loose skin which is unsightly. However, I now know that I feel much better with healthy eating and regular exercise and apart from the occasional slip-up, I've kept up those good habits. Diet was the big revelation for me. I completely underestimated how much the wrong foods can have an effect on every other part of life from the obvious energy levels and regular bowel movements (sorry, TMI) to just generally feeling happy. When I do slip up now, I'm amazed by how lethargic and miserable it makes me feel - slipped up towards the end of last year and put on 8.5 kg. Getting back to the healthy habits really brought home again how big a role diet and exercise have in good mental health!
It's a small thing but perhaps start incrementally cutting back on any foods that are high in unhealthy fat, salt and sugar and see how you get on. Do it gradually by replacing say a bag of crisps with snack vegetables or a walk and work from there. If it makes a difference in your general outlook then build on it.
Good luck
Love this ASA, thanks for sharing, even the TMI bit.. I did a reboot of my life in 2021. I'd been on a fairly self-destructive spiral downwards for a good 10-15 years prior to that putting on weight and drinking and eating too many bad things. The light bulb moment really was regularly seeing myself in Teams meetings and realising I was beach ball shaped rather than humanoid. I was also sleeping incredibly badly, constantly feeling lethargic and had become pretty reclusive.
As I'm an all or nothing sort of person, I immediately cut back on unhealthy fat, salt and sugar in my diet and stopped alcohol consumption. I increased my exercise as well and over the course of 10 months I lost 30 kg, gained muscle, sorted out my sleeping patterns and rediscovered that life can be fun.
I don't actually recommend that you do what I did as it was too fast and I've been left with loose skin which is unsightly. However, I now know that I feel much better with healthy eating and regular exercise and apart from the occasional slip-up, I've kept up those good habits. Diet was the big revelation for me. I completely underestimated how much the wrong foods can have an effect on every other part of life from the obvious energy levels and regular bowel movements (sorry, TMI) to just generally feeling happy. When I do slip up now, I'm amazed by how lethargic and miserable it makes me feel - slipped up towards the end of last year and put on 8.5 kg. Getting back to the healthy habits really brought home again how big a role diet and exercise have in good mental health!
It's a small thing but perhaps start incrementally cutting back on any foods that are high in unhealthy fat, salt and sugar and see how you get on. Do it gradually by replacing say a bag of crisps with snack vegetables or a walk and work from there. If it makes a difference in your general outlook then build on it.
Good luck
Someone that has been there, done it and got the (now smaller) t shirt gets a lot of internet credit points for (a) actually doing it and (b) sharing their story. In other news, have set myself two more targets going forward.
The first is to walk a thousand miles during my "reboot". I'm initially going for a year's challenge so this equates to 2.74 miles per day, or 4.4km in new money. I'm going to break it down in blocks of 20 miles per week which is more manageable and less likely to derail me.
I'm also going to aim to do three things each day to improve my life. This could be mental, physical, financial, social... anything really. Just three things that when I go to sleep at night, I can consciously say I'm in a better position than when I woke up that morning. Most days, one of the three things will be the daily walk but sometimes, it might just be a very small win, ie tidying my desk up, spending an hour in the garden or having a round of golf with the kids. Imagining that I can do this, at the end of the year, I would have done a thousand things to make my life better which has to be a positive.
Although sharing on here (and wherever else I post) is a positive, it's not going to be counted as such.
Guv10 said:
Great post - I've just started my "reboot" In regards to exercise i'm simple aiming to move more than I do now. Went out for a 45 min walk this morning, didnt want to but forced myself. Felt much better for it,
Diet - I'm planning to not cut out anything completly as that always causes me to fail. Just being mindful of how much im eating seems to be doing the trick at the minute!
Your job as a data analyst sounds super interesting and my dream job! Do you mind if I DM you?
Hi there, Diet - I'm planning to not cut out anything completly as that always causes me to fail. Just being mindful of how much im eating seems to be doing the trick at the minute!
Your job as a data analyst sounds super interesting and my dream job! Do you mind if I DM you?
Yes, by all means. It's not as glamorous/well paid/dream-like as you think but happy to help.
Afternoon all, a brief update.
So I'm starting my reboot on Wednesday as it's my birthday and a good milestone day for twelve months time when I aim to be seven stone lighter, in a job I love, looking good and shacked up with Myleene Klass in my three bed terrace just outside Bristol!
Okay, well one of those things is clearly not going to happen, after all I'm 56 on Wednesday so unlikely to find someone that will employ me!
Have been making a few notes as to the little things I want to do in my downtime and would like each day to be a day where I do one thing to help myself in the areas of health plus as many days a week as I can, to do something to improve my wealth and my house. Improving the house might just mean decluttering a cupboard, mowing the lawn, cutting the hedge back etc; all little things but they go a long way to improve my mental health which is equally cluttered up right now.
Have also decided to set another target of walking 1,000 miles in the next 12 months. I'd also like to try to do at least 5k steps a day which I almost managed last time I lost the weight. One day, I was so shattered, I went to bed having done 4.8k steps and it was absolutely gutting to miss out on a year's challenge by just one day. I did 3.5 million steps that year equating to almost 10k per day average. Some of the walks at the end of the challenge were 7/8/9 mile walks which bumps the average up.
Going to record the progress (or otherwise) in journals. I already have one that's my diary plus I have another for my house/home stuff and the third will be for this challenge to maybe jot down a few thoughts.
Still struggling with online recording if I'm honest. Don't really want to do too much on Instagram as tried it before and it wasn't really me. I'm more comfortable on Twitter but we'll see. Right now, it's more important that I kick off in a positive manner on Wednesday and see where it takes me. I have considered my social life and I've booked four gigs to go to solo in October along with two already in the diary for July. I'm off work on Friday for nine days so hopefully will start well.
So I'm starting my reboot on Wednesday as it's my birthday and a good milestone day for twelve months time when I aim to be seven stone lighter, in a job I love, looking good and shacked up with Myleene Klass in my three bed terrace just outside Bristol!
Okay, well one of those things is clearly not going to happen, after all I'm 56 on Wednesday so unlikely to find someone that will employ me!
Have been making a few notes as to the little things I want to do in my downtime and would like each day to be a day where I do one thing to help myself in the areas of health plus as many days a week as I can, to do something to improve my wealth and my house. Improving the house might just mean decluttering a cupboard, mowing the lawn, cutting the hedge back etc; all little things but they go a long way to improve my mental health which is equally cluttered up right now.
Have also decided to set another target of walking 1,000 miles in the next 12 months. I'd also like to try to do at least 5k steps a day which I almost managed last time I lost the weight. One day, I was so shattered, I went to bed having done 4.8k steps and it was absolutely gutting to miss out on a year's challenge by just one day. I did 3.5 million steps that year equating to almost 10k per day average. Some of the walks at the end of the challenge were 7/8/9 mile walks which bumps the average up.
Going to record the progress (or otherwise) in journals. I already have one that's my diary plus I have another for my house/home stuff and the third will be for this challenge to maybe jot down a few thoughts.
Still struggling with online recording if I'm honest. Don't really want to do too much on Instagram as tried it before and it wasn't really me. I'm more comfortable on Twitter but we'll see. Right now, it's more important that I kick off in a positive manner on Wednesday and see where it takes me. I have considered my social life and I've booked four gigs to go to solo in October along with two already in the diary for July. I'm off work on Friday for nine days so hopefully will start well.
mcelliott said:
Journaling is a good idea, I've been doing it for the past few years, it only take me 5 minutes at the end of the day, for me its stuff like stress level, what I have eaten, step count, exercise and bodyweight, then I leave a space for notes, so that could be anything from how I feel to work or relationships etc, very therapeutic and interesting when you have built up a decent log of info.
Thanks for the reply, mcelliott, much appreciated. Isort of did journalling before - I set up a little website where I could log in each day, record my steps progress, address my issues and put down a few thoughts. It's funny, I have just been looking back through it again now four years on and it seems quite helpful. Probably a little over-sharing on there at times, but it kept me moving forward. 
So, an update after the first week of my challenge...
Health
Well you will see from the weight ticket below that I shed half a stone this week, a decent start. I always lose a lot in my first week so not totally unexpected but still nice to see a reward. I wanted to break my weight loss into smaller achievable targets of half a stone so it's nice to see a target achieved in week one.
Not sure what happened to my body fat which has gone down a lot in one week but the headline information is my weight which feels correct.
Walking
This week, I have got out every day and walked a total of 22.3 miles including two walks of 5 miles and 5.6 miles. Total steps for this week are 68k which includes a 13k day, two 12k days and an 11k one. Least was 5.4k.
Podcasts
Listened to two long form Diary of a CEO podcasts this week. First one is from the personal trainer James Smith, a really good listen and one I've heard two or three times before. Talks about making targets manageable and not too big, I've mentioned that before, so instead of me thinking about losing seven stone or so, think about losing half a stone then achieve it, celebrate it and move on. Works for me.
The second one, and I'd recommend this to anyone, is the Richard Osman one. Always comes across as someone that has their st together but he's been through some rough times and especially with binge eating, something I have suffered from and still do from time to time. One of his tips was not to worry too much if that particular issue comes back; if you accept it will be there, you are freed from a lot of the hold it has on you. So much of losing weight and dealing with similar issues comes down to what's between your ears.
Home
This section will be quite quiet to start with as with the football season still going, I'm a little "time poor" for the next couple of weeks. One thing I have managed to do is to declutter my desk surface which makes me feel much clearer in the head, if that makes sense. Have sorted out my filing trays, next step is to then clear out the drawers.
Money
Only step forward I've made this week is to cancel the subscription to the publishing website that I used to make the football programmes I produced. As I'm not doing them next year (too time consuming and very little profit), I'll save around £22 per month by cancelling it.
Work
This might also be a slow burner as there isn't a lot I can do each week to improve my employment but that said, have asked for, and been given, three games to cover this Saturday, which will bring in a few quid for sure. Will be a long day but there you go.
Social
This will definitely be a slow burner. Went to Peter Kay on Saturday night at the O2 Arena with my youngest two children and had a great time. Couple of ladies in the row in front that I had a chat to but that's what I'm like, I'll talk to anyone. Maybe when I'm a little more confident around the fairer sex, I'll ask them if they fancy a drink but that can wait.
Health
Well you will see from the weight ticket below that I shed half a stone this week, a decent start. I always lose a lot in my first week so not totally unexpected but still nice to see a reward. I wanted to break my weight loss into smaller achievable targets of half a stone so it's nice to see a target achieved in week one.
Not sure what happened to my body fat which has gone down a lot in one week but the headline information is my weight which feels correct.
Walking
This week, I have got out every day and walked a total of 22.3 miles including two walks of 5 miles and 5.6 miles. Total steps for this week are 68k which includes a 13k day, two 12k days and an 11k one. Least was 5.4k.
Podcasts
Listened to two long form Diary of a CEO podcasts this week. First one is from the personal trainer James Smith, a really good listen and one I've heard two or three times before. Talks about making targets manageable and not too big, I've mentioned that before, so instead of me thinking about losing seven stone or so, think about losing half a stone then achieve it, celebrate it and move on. Works for me.
The second one, and I'd recommend this to anyone, is the Richard Osman one. Always comes across as someone that has their s
t together but he's been through some rough times and especially with binge eating, something I have suffered from and still do from time to time. One of his tips was not to worry too much if that particular issue comes back; if you accept it will be there, you are freed from a lot of the hold it has on you. So much of losing weight and dealing with similar issues comes down to what's between your ears. Home
This section will be quite quiet to start with as with the football season still going, I'm a little "time poor" for the next couple of weeks. One thing I have managed to do is to declutter my desk surface which makes me feel much clearer in the head, if that makes sense. Have sorted out my filing trays, next step is to then clear out the drawers.
Money
Only step forward I've made this week is to cancel the subscription to the publishing website that I used to make the football programmes I produced. As I'm not doing them next year (too time consuming and very little profit), I'll save around £22 per month by cancelling it.
Work
This might also be a slow burner as there isn't a lot I can do each week to improve my employment but that said, have asked for, and been given, three games to cover this Saturday, which will bring in a few quid for sure. Will be a long day but there you go.
Social
This will definitely be a slow burner.
Went to Peter Kay on Saturday night at the O2 Arena with my youngest two children and had a great time. Couple of ladies in the row in front that I had a chat to but that's what I'm like, I'll talk to anyone. Maybe when I'm a little more confident around the fairer sex, I'll ask them if they fancy a drink but that can wait. Thanks all for the feedback and advice.
Fckitdriveon - will have a look at that, cheers for the tip.
bristolbaron - being that it is Facebook, that wouldn't surprise me!! Pleased I could inspire you though, hopefully by doing well and not because of me in my pants.
Quickmoose - thanks for the post, sounds like you're having to reboot when you don't really want to? Agree 100% with your order of doing things, I certainly can't consider a partner right now if only because for the short term, life is no less busy and any time I save is spent out walking. I wish you well.
Slowboathome, GoneabitAMG & Fusion777 - thanks for the kind words, much appreciated.
The Gauge - as I said above, although loneliness is an issue I don't feel like a partner would get the best of me right now. I'm financially still a little wobbly, the house is still a bit messy, I'm grossly overweight and I don't feel sufficiently "time rich" to make a relationship work right now. Thinking about it, I'm not sure the boys thoughts come into it much right now and if they do, it's a very small % as every other reason outweighs it.
As a mini update, went out for a 6.4 mile walk yesterday morning, got back home and received a WhatsApp message from a mate asking if I fancied a walk at 3pm. He's an ex pro footballer who comes out regularly with me, he brings his dog and we chat football, cricket and stuff for an hour or two. Always feel better for going out with him, so I agreed. Went for a shorter stroll with him, about 2.6 miles so will definitely be a shorter walk today as legs have gone.
Glad I made the effort though.
Fckitdriveon - will have a look at that, cheers for the tip.
bristolbaron - being that it is Facebook, that wouldn't surprise me!! Pleased I could inspire you though, hopefully by doing well and not because of me in my pants.
Quickmoose - thanks for the post, sounds like you're having to reboot when you don't really want to? Agree 100% with your order of doing things, I certainly can't consider a partner right now if only because for the short term, life is no less busy and any time I save is spent out walking. I wish you well.
Slowboathome, GoneabitAMG & Fusion777 - thanks for the kind words, much appreciated.
The Gauge - as I said above, although loneliness is an issue I don't feel like a partner would get the best of me right now. I'm financially still a little wobbly, the house is still a bit messy, I'm grossly overweight and I don't feel sufficiently "time rich" to make a relationship work right now. Thinking about it, I'm not sure the boys thoughts come into it much right now and if they do, it's a very small % as every other reason outweighs it.
As a mini update, went out for a 6.4 mile walk yesterday morning, got back home and received a WhatsApp message from a mate asking if I fancied a walk at 3pm. He's an ex pro footballer who comes out regularly with me, he brings his dog and we chat football, cricket and stuff for an hour or two. Always feel better for going out with him, so I agreed. Went for a shorter stroll with him, about 2.6 miles so will definitely be a shorter walk today as legs have gone.
Glad I made the effort though.
SturdyHSV said:
Good thread and look forward to future updates 
On the gym thing, it seems so many people think of the gym as somewhere to go and slog away miserably on some cardio exercise for 45 minutes.
Lift some weights, make your goal getting stronger and let the walking and so on handle your cardio.
I'm sure it's not for everyone, but picking up something heavy can be really rewarding, it's very easily measureable and in your first 6 months or so you'll make an enormous amount of progress which can be very motivating. Personally I find the "huge effort, short period of time" a lot more manageable and enjoyable than the "medium effort for 45 minutes" of running and so on. You really don't have to hate the gym, you may actually enjoy it.
There's so much information available on youtube and so on with guidance and such. There's a lot of noise but watch a variety of things and you'll get some idea. Again, a few personal trainer sessions as mentioned earlier in the thread perhaps to set you on the right path.
If you like a read, Starting Strength by Mark Rippertoe is a bit of an old classic, but realistically it's all you need and for a very solid foundation in getting stronger, which will help you stay active as you get older, and a bit of muscle can also help with how you feel about yourself aesthetically, and hide a bit of extra weight too. Maintaining muscle burns calories 24 hours a day too, so can help with your weight loss goals.
You're not going to turn into some sort of enormous hulk without years and years of extremely deliberate and focused effort, so don't be put off by the ridiculous fear some people seem to have that you're going to unwillingly look like a roided up body builder because you lifted a barbell for 20 minutes.
Thanks Sturdy, some good advice there. I've been a gym member before but generally only for the cardio stuff although I did play with a few weights for a while, just light stuff really. On the gym thing, it seems so many people think of the gym as somewhere to go and slog away miserably on some cardio exercise for 45 minutes.
Lift some weights, make your goal getting stronger and let the walking and so on handle your cardio.
I'm sure it's not for everyone, but picking up something heavy can be really rewarding, it's very easily measureable and in your first 6 months or so you'll make an enormous amount of progress which can be very motivating. Personally I find the "huge effort, short period of time" a lot more manageable and enjoyable than the "medium effort for 45 minutes" of running and so on. You really don't have to hate the gym, you may actually enjoy it.
There's so much information available on youtube and so on with guidance and such. There's a lot of noise but watch a variety of things and you'll get some idea. Again, a few personal trainer sessions as mentioned earlier in the thread perhaps to set you on the right path.
If you like a read, Starting Strength by Mark Rippertoe is a bit of an old classic, but realistically it's all you need and for a very solid foundation in getting stronger, which will help you stay active as you get older, and a bit of muscle can also help with how you feel about yourself aesthetically, and hide a bit of extra weight too. Maintaining muscle burns calories 24 hours a day too, so can help with your weight loss goals.
You're not going to turn into some sort of enormous hulk without years and years of extremely deliberate and focused effort, so don't be put off by the ridiculous fear some people seem to have that you're going to unwillingly look like a roided up body builder because you lifted a barbell for 20 minutes.
So, an update after week two...
Health
Another three pounds gone this week meaning I've lost ten pounds in two weeks. Lost more than an inch on my height, think I must have slumped a little when it was weighing me. Pkeased with that start, will hope to get near to the stone mark next week.
Walking
This week, I have got out every day and walked a total of 23.7 miles including a very long day on Thursday. Went out for a 6.4 mile walk along my local railway path & river, got back and was then WhatsApped by a mate who fancied a walk with his dog. This guy is an ex-pro footballer that lives about three miles from me and we usually walk to the top of a local steep hill & have a chat about footie and cricket. Love going out with him, he's great company but since I started full time work 13 months ago, our walks have dried up. So although I was knackered, agreed to a shorter walk and picked up a coffee on the way back, so clocked up a total of 9.1 miles that day.
Total steps for this week are 67k which includes that day of more than 20k. Achieved over 5k every day though.
Podcasts
Listened to one long form Diary of a CEO podcast this week.It was Jimmy Carr's first one he did which was quite an eye opener and as with the last time I heard it, rang many bells in my head. Super intelligent man but not without his issues, I should add. A great listen.
Home
As mentioned last week, this will be a quiet category in some weeks this week being one of them.
Money
Not much action here either to be honest.
Work
Did the three matches on Saturday which was a nice Brucie bonus at what is traditionally a quiet time of year. Was a long day leaving home before 8am and not getting back till after midnight but saw three good games. Have looked at applying for a different role with the football data company i work for too.
Social
Only social event this week was a podcast get together in Bristol. Two local football guys, both ex local players, started a podcast a couple of years ago and they recently celebrated their 100th guest (I was number 96 a few weeks back) so they had a little do - around 60 people turned up however all of them bar one was male and I've no idea why the woman was even there, someone's missus I think. No chance to practise my chatter so on we go again.
One of the girls at work is leaving next week so we have a meal + drinks on Friday night in Bristol which I'm looking forward to.
Health
Another three pounds gone this week meaning I've lost ten pounds in two weeks. Lost more than an inch on my height, think I must have slumped a little when it was weighing me. Pkeased with that start, will hope to get near to the stone mark next week.
Walking
This week, I have got out every day and walked a total of 23.7 miles including a very long day on Thursday. Went out for a 6.4 mile walk along my local railway path & river, got back and was then WhatsApped by a mate who fancied a walk with his dog. This guy is an ex-pro footballer that lives about three miles from me and we usually walk to the top of a local steep hill & have a chat about footie and cricket. Love going out with him, he's great company but since I started full time work 13 months ago, our walks have dried up. So although I was knackered, agreed to a shorter walk and picked up a coffee on the way back, so clocked up a total of 9.1 miles that day.
Total steps for this week are 67k which includes that day of more than 20k. Achieved over 5k every day though.
Podcasts
Listened to one long form Diary of a CEO podcast this week.It was Jimmy Carr's first one he did which was quite an eye opener and as with the last time I heard it, rang many bells in my head. Super intelligent man but not without his issues, I should add. A great listen.
Home
As mentioned last week, this will be a quiet category in some weeks this week being one of them.
Money
Not much action here either to be honest.
Work
Did the three matches on Saturday which was a nice Brucie bonus at what is traditionally a quiet time of year. Was a long day leaving home before 8am and not getting back till after midnight but saw three good games. Have looked at applying for a different role with the football data company i work for too.
Social
Only social event this week was a podcast get together in Bristol. Two local football guys, both ex local players, started a podcast a couple of years ago and they recently celebrated their 100th guest (I was number 96 a few weeks back) so they had a little do - around 60 people turned up however all of them bar one was male and I've no idea why the woman was even there, someone's missus I think. No chance to practise my chatter so on we go again.
One of the girls at work is leaving next week so we have a meal + drinks on Friday night in Bristol which I'm looking forward to.
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