Today marks one year since I made the difficult but essential decision to do something about my health. I started with solid ideas that I evolved as I progressed. The first goal was weight-focused: to go from a BMI of 45.1 (127.1 kg), classed as obese, to a BMI of 29.9 (95.1 kg), classed as overweight.
Today I stand right on the edge of a BMI of 25 (76.4), classed as ideal. I first achieved this on 13 June 2026, well ahead of schedule, and I’ve managed to drift in and out of the ideal weight range ever since.
Maintaining what I originally thought of as a long-shot BMI target of 25 for 4.5 months feels like an achievement in itself, and suggests I might have a shot at long-term better health and this new “normal” might be sustainable.
Key Statistics
Over the past 365 days, I’ve averaged 21,707 daily steps, with a peak high of 35,268 steps.
I managed to do 20,000 daily steps for a total of 296 days, which, given that when I started I was only aiming for 14k-16k daily steps, is a significant number, mostly achieved since late January 2026.
My Fitbit indicates I walked a total distance of 5,684 km over the last year, averaging 15.5 km per day.
My average resting heart rate for October 2025 was 67 BPM, and for October 2026 it was 58 BPM. This is a significant reduction of 9 BPM. I also find that my first daily walk of 10k steps I usually average 79-82 BPM but when I started in November this was more like 98-102 BPM.
On my best day, I managed to get my resting heart rate down to 52 BPM in June.
The stats indicate I peaked around May and June, which was when I was regularly getting up at 6 am for a 10k step walk with a weight vest.
More recent changes
I have now pivoted to more social activities and returned to playing tennis after a 3.5-year absence. Initially, I found returning to tennis very difficult physically, with a lot of sore muscles. Still, I’ve really enjoyed playing in a team, and while most weeks I’ve been losing my matches, I know I’ve been playing better. I wish the club had put me in an easier grade. Coming back after a 3.5-year absence and playing a much higher grade, and moving from mixed to men’s tennis, was a big stretch, but I guess the challenge makes me work harder.
I also had long overdue significant dental work done with removal of some wisdom teeth, remving a worn down tooth and getting some fillings. Costly, but the hope is that I’ll avoid, or at least delay, issues later in life.
I’ve also returned to regularly donating blood every 12 weeks; I had been excluded for the last 8 years due to very high blood pressure, which, while much better, I haven’t achieved my blood pressure aim of 120/80 regularly.
2027 Health Aims
While my BP is significantly better than when I started, I’m nowhere near my target, so this will be a big focus in 2027.
I’m thinking muscle development and fine-tuning my diet further will help me get into the ideal range for my sex and age.
I’d also like to tighten up the loose skin I created with the rapid weight loss over the last 12 months. I’m told it can take up to 2 years of sustained actions so I’ll see what I can do but muscle gain should help.
My upcoming 52-day world trip will almost certainly see my backside a bit. The trick will be to return to my health stats as they are today (01 November 2026) as soon as possible upon returning in January 2027, and then adjust to the next phase.
- Health Progress – Stage 1 Completed (14 April 2026)
- Health Progress – Stage 2 Completed (13 June 2026)
- Health Progress – Stage 3 Commences (14 June 2026)
- Health Update – Nine Months Completed (04 August 2026)
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