I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the first results of my efforts to get Super Fit at 50 (i.e. my journey to become a faster, fitter endurance runner and bag more energy for what’s important in life along the way). I’d lost a bit of weight.
That’s now bottomed out. I’m 5kg below where I started, but progress has slowed right down. Whether I’ve let my hair down (mainly on crisps) or tried to be good, I know I’ve still been maintaining a calorie deficit based on the amount of training I’ve been doing.
So, what happens now?
Feeling good
Progress on the scales might have slowed but I feel good at the moment. Relaxed, calm, not fazed by stuff. I’ve moved jobs to a bigger role in another country, with a fair lot of travel thrown in, and all seems well. My new colleagues are fantastic, and I’m probably less abrupt with people in general because I’m feeling pretty inwardly content. I’d like to think this is having a positive impact on my colleagues, creating a positive, supportive working environment!
Since I wrote earlier on in the challenge, I’ve established two big changes to my routine: a daily dumbbells session (when I’m at home) and a couple of 20 to 24-hour fasts (alongside two or three 16/8 Intermittent Fasts I normally do) each week. Time will tell whether these changes manage to crack the plateau and make a real difference in terms of pounds off the scales.
Change isn’t linear
This got me thinking about change and how we learn and grow in general. Be it a new language or a new skill, we all tend to have magic breakthrough moments then plateau for what seems like an age, before the next step in improvement comes along. I think us ultra-runners have an edge here, thanks to our ability to endure and stay on task, even when change and achievement aren’t obvious.
So, I’m looking for my next breakthrough, and I have no doubt that providing I keep on doing the right things right at the right moments, then it’ll come. I Just need to be patient and focused, and always looking for the next incremental gain.
Taking inspiration
What has had a profound effect on me is my Mum’s way of dealing with her dementia. She has many brilliant lucid moments. Sometimes when we talk about dementia and the fact that it will only get worse over time, not better, she talks of being determined to remain as upbeat as she can, saying ‘there are a lot worse-off people than me in this world!’
I find this totally inspiring. Change might be frustrating or daunting, but it’s often drawing inspiration from those around us that keeps us going. And I can’t think of a better example of someone dealing with change positively and openly.
Who’s your inspiration this week? Perhaps you’re also trying to make a big change and progress has stagnated, like me. I’d love to hear about it. Leave me a comment or drop me an email on andy@lifeisasinecurve.com
Life is a Sine Curve 