Nathan's Insights

After 224 days, commencing 1 November 2025, today 13 June 2026, I’ve completed Stage 2 of my Health and Wellness plan having achieved a body mass index reading of 24.9 (considered healthy) so I’m no longer medically consider overweight / fat.

I’ve made a significant investment in myself during this time starting with a blood pressure (BP) reading of 156 over 102 (stage 2 hypertension) and a weight of 127.1 kgs.

Today (13 June 2026) however my BP was 115/76 (normal range) and weight is 76.4 kgs (normal for males 175 cms height).

This investment should hopefully pay off with more enjoyment of my post retirement years (see Transition to Retirement)

Body Mass Index (BMI) Milestones

• BMI 41.5 | Weight 127.1 kilos (obese) | 01 November 2025
• BMI 29.9 | Weight 91.7 kilos (overweight) | 09 April 2026
• BMI 24.9 | Weight 76.4 kilos (healthy) | 13 June 2026

Weight Loss: 50.7 kilos (127.1 kgs to 76.4 kgs)

Timeframe: 224 days (1/11/25 to 13/6/26) or 7 months 13 days

I’m still struggling to believe what I have done, originally back at the start of November 2025 when I was scared into action my focus was to lower my blood pressure which was out of control and probably dangerous. 

It seemed to me that increased physical activities and lowering my weight was the best way to help drive lower a BP. My initial aim was to be under 100 kgs by 11 November 2026 (when I start back to back trips).

However as I progessed I kept adjusting the targets for my BMI, first to getting into the ‘overweight’ range which for me was 91.7 kgs or lower within the year timeframe. However as I achieved this much earlier on 9 April 2026 (so Stage 1 Achieved), and with the encouragement of my Doctor, I created new Stage 2 goals of a BMI in the healthy range (76.4 kgs or lower).

Getting to the top of a heathy BMI range however is not the long-term solution, maintaining weight, increasing my health and fitness measures plus being a bit under the top of my heathy weight range (76.4 kgs) should bring longer term health benefits and a much better and active retirement beginning in 2029. This will become the new Stage 3 (more on this in my next blog post).

Google Health (Fitbit) Anaylsis

I use a Fitbit Versa with a premium plan which recently converted to Google Health and it records all my daily data and now can provide AI generated anaylsis of what I’ve achieved since 1 November 2025. Below is the extract of today’s Google Health Analysis report:

Nathan, the data shows you haven’t just lost weight—you’ve completely transformed your metabolic health. Since November 2025, you’ve transitioned from Class II Obesity (BMI 41.5) to a Healthy Weight range (BMI 24.9).

Your Transformation by the Numbers:

• Total Progress: You’ve lost 50.7 kg, representing an incredible 39.89% reduction in total body mass.
• Rate of Loss: You averaged a steady 1.6 kg per week. This aligns closely with clinical recommendations for safe, sustainable progress, which typically aim for 0.5–1 kg per week to ensure long-term maintenance.
• Consistency: Your monthly data shows a remarkable linear decline, proving that your high-volume walking habit effectively powered a continuous metabolic shift.

The Clinical “So What”:

• Disease Risk Reduction: By moving into the healthy BMI category (18.5–24.9), you have significantly slashed your risk factors for Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease.
• Mechanical Load: Dropping over 50 kg has removed a massive amount of physical strain from your joints and lower back, which is likely why your 20,000+ step days feel so much more manageable now.
• Cardiovascular Efficiency: This weight loss is the primary driver behind your Resting Heart Rate dropping from 64 to 56 bpm, as your heart now has significantly less tissue to oxygenate with every beat.

Nathan, your BMI transition is a textbook example of high-impact behavioral change. Since November, you haven’t just lost weight; you’ve effectively moved from a clinical category of Class II Obesity (BMI ~39.5) to a Healthy Weight range (BMI 24.9).

The “so what” of this shift is massive for your long-term health:

• Disease Risk Reduction: Moving into the healthy BMI category (18.5–24.9) significantly slashes your risk for Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease.
• Mechanical Relief: At 175 cms in height, reducing your BMI by over 14 points has likely removed a tremendous amount of mechanical strain from your joints and lower back, which explains why you’re able to maintain those massive 20k+ step days without injury.
• Sustainable Pace: Your progress over the last 7 months aligns with clinical recommendations for healthy, sustainable weight loss of roughly 0.5–1 kg (1–2 lbs) per week, which is the “gold standard” for keeping the weight off long-term.

The most striking change is your autonomic efficiency. Your Resting Heart Rate (RHR) dropped from 64 to 56 bpm, while your Heart Rate Variability (HRV) surged by 22%. For a 52-year-old, a sub-60 RHR and rising HRV are clear markers of a heart that’s getting stronger and a nervous system that’s much more resilient to stress.

Your daily movement is the engine behind these wins:

• Cardiovascular Strength: You’ve increased your average daily steps by nearly 12%, now sustaining a massive 22,949 steps. This high-volume “Low-Intensity Steady-State” (LISS) activity is directly correlated with that lower RHR.
• Stress Revolution: Your average Stress Score dropped by a staggering 70.7%. There is a clear “dose-response” relationship here: your high step count is likely acting as a powerful buffer against psychological and physiological strain.
• Metabolic Momentum: You’ve stabilized your BMI at 24.9, successfully hitting that goal through sheer walking volume.

How I achieved this

I decided early only to make adjustments and new challenges and goals each month, slowly stepping up my approach and building on each month’s achievements. I found a General Practitioner (GP) who provided guidance and motivation along the way and who kept my doing this is a safe way while having baseline medical records and blood tests to check against. He pushed me further than I thought possible to aim for a healthly BMI instead of a my orginal goal of 100 kgs for example.

Monthly Goal and Approach Evolution

• November 2025: Commenced with 14,000 daily steps. Cut out fast food.
• December 2025: Increased daily steps to minimum of 16,000 steps. Cut out snacks unless an apple.
• January 2026: Started each morning (usually at 6.00 or 6.30 am) with 9.5k steps before breakfast. Aim for daily average of 20k steps.
• February 2026: Move to Two meals a day on most days. This is known as 16:8 fasting with two meals within an 8 hours window and 16 hours in a fast, for me this was breakfast and lunch but experts recommend lunch and dinner.
• March 2026: Start doing 11k steps each morning before breakfast and take a new route with inclines and declines. Commence minimum of 20,000 steps every day.
• April 2026: Start adding weight vest (6-8 kgs) to the 11.5k step morning walks every second day. Move to One meal a day known as OMAD with the meal being a big breakfast, at least once a week with other days Two meals a day. This is known as intermittent fasting.
• May 2026: Increase morning vest weight to 10 kgs and wear the vest for every day of the month.
• June 2026: Add in two extended 36 hour fasts.

So as at today I have completed 111 days of at least 20,000 steps in a row since 22 February 2026. Originally I was only aiming for one month straight of 20k but I got into a good pattern and just kept going.

I also managed to do 42 days straight of 11k steps with a weight vest (stopped two days ago).

I did all these achievements with no medications but I did take daily magnesium supplments. My GP warned me if I didn’t make major changes I’d end up on medication and would never get off it.

Was this plan extreme?
It would have been extreme if my daily activities as of today was how I started, but building on each months new base it mostly felt easy and natural with only the occasion day needing an extra push.

The health benefits have been enormous.

I’m so looking forward to Stage 3 which is the real challenge, to maintain weight, transform remaining belly to muscle, and lock this in for the long term as I look to retire in January 2029.

I start Stage 3 tomorrow Sunday 14 June and this is Stage 3 I’d the plan until my trips commencing 11 November 2026. While travelling I’ll drop back somewhat but hopefully not to far, and start again in January 2027 when I return to Australia.