Nathan's Insights

So week 7 of my 26 week health and wellbeing challenge was the hardest yet. Starting with foot blisters, moving onto a highly disruptive work pattern, then a cold and finally some detox symptoms.

It’s now been 42 days without any fast food except 1 chicken classic subway in week 1. Over that time I’ve gradually been replacing other foods with health alternatives, usually fruit based. My meat intake has been reduced to almost nothing now. Thanks to a work colleague I now have homemade vegetable (morning) and fruit (afternoon) smoothies.

I think this triggered a detox that had my temperature all over the place, 1 minute needing air conditioning 30 minutes later needing a heater. I think this also triggered my cold. Apparently I can look forward to various detox symptoms over the next 30 months as I burn the ‘bad’ items in my stored fat and it gets replaced with healthier substances. Now this I didn’t realise, but the impact will vary so hopefully this was the worst week.

Despite these problems and a general lack of energy for the most part I pushed though. Granted I only went to the gym twice this week but I still managed to average 20,000 steps each day and I didn’t go back to comfort food. I still managed to push myself out the door for a walk even though I really didn’t want to. I still went to work each day including a terrible long day trip to Canberra on Tuesday. I got over the feet pain earlier in the week.

Hopefully my subconscious is on board and the willpower is here for the long term. I feel optimistic as week 8 starts and I head off for Saturday afternoon tennis and a settled work pattern.

On Saturday 13 Sept 2014 I woke up changed and determined. Something in my mind told me it’s time to adjust my attitude and priorities and to stop making excuses. I realised I needed to make serious changes to improve my health and wellbeing.

For the first time in years I found myself at the apartment gym working out on the stepper. A plan was starting to form and I realised you need time and commitment to really make improvements. I decided I’d start with a 26 week personal challenge. Later I’d work that this finishes on 21 March 2015 about 4 weeks before my Japan and India trip which is ideal.

Today is the start of week 6, over the first 5 weeks I’d managed to lose the first 10 kilos of the 40 I’m aiming for. While that is more or less on track I know it will get harder. I’m hoping after 5 weeks I’m locked into a positive pattern.

The improvements I determined I need are in:
1) Work-life balance
2) Health
3) Fitness
4) Weight

Work-life balance
Work has been a big priority over the last 12 months. One in eight employees have been made redundant during that time. My position was at risk and my workload increased substantially. I was working very long hours and weekends. I took almost no leave.

That had to change. First up I’ve only taken my work laptop home one weekend. I also didn’t take it for recent Sydney trip. Working at 11 pm isn’t healthy, whatever the issue either I or my staff can deal with it the next day. I also took 4 days off in the middle of September which gave me a chance to go bowling with my sister Kara, brother-in-law Jason and Niece Erin. That’s a better balance and helps mental health.

Health
It’s time to reduce and stop the fast food, no more KFC, McDonalds or Red Rooster. Time to reduce the cheese and chocolates and moderate others as well. It was time to increase other food groups including wheat/bread and fruits. Recently a good friend started making me healthy smoothies with vegetables and fruit, which I started this week. Hopefully this better food balance will lead to better energy levels. So far it’s looking good even if I’m struggling with the ‘grass’ taste of the vegetable smoothy it is getting easier.

Fitness
The first change and the biggest. I now workout at my apartment gym, or hotel if travelling, for at least 10 minutes, normally 25 minutes but sometimes 45 minutes, every morning. I’m not a morning person but I was always exhausted at night to go down to the gym. I know people who do this in the morning and swear it sets them up for the rest of the day so for 33 days out of 35 days short gym sessions are in. Normally it’s the stepper, sometimes the bike.

Outside the gym I aim for a minimum of 20,000 steps per day. On workdays when located in Moonee Ponds I walk home taking 1 hour 40 minutes and 10,000 steps. The rest of the steps are made up with lunch walks, walks to train stations, movements during the day. My best day so far is 37,000 steps. It’s getting easier. The mental side is the key, every day I can achieve something, every day is an opportunity.

Weight
All of the above, better diet, better life balance / less stress, and better fitness lead to weight lose. The aim is 40 kilos to get down to ideal weight (at top of the range). So far I’m 1/4 of the way there. Hopefully the above plans pit in place will lead to long term improvements.

I’m told it takes 3 years to retrain your taste buds and you mind so we will see how I go.

One way or another I think I’ll enjoy my next world trip better if I meet my goals.

I was thinking the other day about happiness and what drives us.

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them at least don’t hurt them.
Dalai Lama

It seems we are conditioned to think happiness comes from enriching ourselves, by enriching I mean with items, goods, stuff and the money that buys such things.

There is no doubt ‘things’ or ‘stuff’ can feel good especially in the moment. But does it make you really happy, does the HD TV make you happy in 6 months time?

We are programmed to ensure we survive so obviously having shelter and food trigger positive emotions but do we confusion this positive emotion for items we actually need to survive with things that aren’t necessary. And if we confuse the needs with the wants, do we place too must value on the wants because of this confusion?

I mentor 2 young people who are overcoming disadvantages in their life. Why does it feel so much better when they achieve their goals then when I achieve something? Pure evolution says I should only really be happy long term for myself and my immediate family.

We see people all the time doing significant selfless acts on behalf of others that they seek no outward reward for. I notice some people helping others that the person receiving the help doesn’t even know about. What drives people to do this? And why do the seem happy without the big bank account? Could it be there is another truth out there? Are we all connected to something else, were does that feeling and desire to help come from? Why I am happier for someone else’s success?

Perhaps there is a connection we all share that sometimes overrides pure self or asserts itself at different times in our lives. Survival obviously drives us but I don’t think it is the only thing out there, otherwise why to we have for the most part working communities? Yes there is tension but the vast majority don’t kill or try to injury others to their own advantage.

But perhaps the biggest question is how do we forget the real happiness of helping others and go back to the material self when we experience more form the former? I guess it’s the immediate survive vs common good / spiritual connections. The ‘want’ system is designed in Western society to overwhelm us in every interaction, maybe I should be amazed it’s ever overcome at all.

For now I’m just so happy for Donna’s and Malvina’s successes as they strive to become empowered young women. In a week were I’m struggling with internal politics caused by job losses it feels like a good week anyway because of them.