No seriously I’m not pregnant
This is a tough one for me to write but hopefully it will help.
In July 2004 I was 164 pounds and had a 32 inch waist, trained in a gym 6 days a week at 6am and didn’t smoke.
Today I really don’t know what I weigh (I am actually afraid to weigh myself), smoke like a trooper,am tired a lot and am sick and tired of not being able to buy the clothes I love.
This is the life of a tech start-up founder I think, I see lots of people out of shape in this industry and its doesn’t bode well for my future as I am now hitting an age (45) where its harder to hit the gym.
So for Christmas from friends and family this year I gave a list for the first time ever, I am going to quit smoking and get fit using the latest in technology which hopefully will turn up under my tree.
I know the diet so that part is easy and I know the gym routines having trained for many years so on the 1st of January I am going to sort this out for once and for all.
So what’s out there?
A gym five minutes from my Dublin apartment
Nike Plus from my boys as a Christmas present.
Withings will be here before Christmas (a present from one of my friends) so when I start Withings will auto post to Twitter, I know, too much information but if I really believe in Twitter/blogging this crowdsourcing should really help, I need all the help I can get in this.
Smoking will be patches, they worked before so hopefully they will do the trick again.
Last piece in the jigsaw is Philips DirectLife, this is unavailable in Europe but I have reached out to Lukas Kreutzer of Philip’s PR to get my hands on a demo model, David Pogue writes pretty positively on it so if David says it well it must be true.
So that’s it
A new year and a new beginning, I got sober through AA and hopefully I will get fit though technology, crowdsourcing and willingness to change.
I am willing to try, hope you guys are willing to help/support?.
By the way if I was a start up I would be closely watching the get fit using technology space there are some incredible companies out there
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=63c9a699-bd84-4ec9-ae0a-c310d740502d)
52 comments...What do you think?
Trackbacks...
- omis.me » Power to the Pat
- Fluffy Links – Tuesday December 22nd 2009 « Damien Mulley
- Personal Blog — John Keyes – Planning to lose weight? Put your money where your mouth is.
- Withings, helping this slob turn over a new leaf in 2010
- The Rules of Fat Club
- A Month of Run Days – Days 1 and 2. « AntGalvin’s Blog
Same story here with weight/fitness Pat. Has been really getting me down recently.
In my case, it’s time to get back on the bike at 7am and make use of a treadmill which sits in my office taunting me.
It’s very doable. I’ve managed to lose up to 2st before with just a bit of effort.
Race ya!
Hey Pat,
Working 80-100 hour weeks of fulltime+consulting or consulting+consulting+consulting, I put on some 45-55 pounds since 2005 or so. In the past year or 14 months, I dropped 50 back off. I was surprised at how easy it was — more water, more sleep, somewhat better eating, somewhat less alcohol, a little bit more dog walking. That’s really all it took! (Now imagine if I had the discipline to get back in the gym, where I haven’t been since a broken ankle, two surgeries and rehab back in 01/02.)
Good luck man! It’s hard to get started but once you build momentum, easy to keep rolling!
Very happy to help/support/nag/praise Pat. Will be doing a small bit of this in the near future, however being diabetic means that I keep a close eye on weight anyways.
But defo have a small amount to loose – have routine consultant appointment on Wed coming so will get my target then.
Crowdsourced support starts here
keith
I understand where you’re coming from, Pat. At our age it’s hard to find the time for exercise, with the pressures of work and family that can easily use up all available time. For myself, I’m back running (I share my workouts using Nokia SportsTracker), in a good week doing 30km; bad weeks 0. I’m determined to find more time in 2010 and try to get my weight back to 75kg, which I probably haven’t seen since the last century. Good luck, and seasons greetings!
If I can beat cancer and jog every day, you can do this. You have taken the first step and support will be plentiful.
Best of luck and heres to the new fit Pat.
Laura
Fair play PP. Giving up the smokes is hard but avoiding ‘reward’ type situations where your brain associates things with smoking (e.g. coffee) is a good start.
Amazing the benifits going to the gym can have, sometimes hard to motivate yourself to go but you will *always* feel the better for it after.
I’ll be keeping tabs on this as have committed to doing the same thing myself. Four years now working on my own, the first three 2-3 thanks to incredibly long weeks, late nights, crappy hot-food-counter lunches and the likes I’d popped (like yourself) upwards at a steady pace from a comfortable 180 up to 220 or so.
This year, a transition year professionally, has yo-yo’d a bit but I’m determined to turn the whole thing around.
I blogged my way through it, under another identity and in the first four months of 2008 managed to shift close on 40lbs before lobbing it all back on in starting up and looking after other interests this year. Given I’m still 26 it’s not the best shape to be in, no matter how good, bad or indifferent business is going.
Here’s to a fitter and healthier tech and startup scene in Ireland from January!
I lost two stones in six month by eating morning cereals, normal lunch and only vegetable (salads) in the evenings. No excercise at all, just drinking water instead of eating when I felt hungry during the day.
If you stick to your routine and make it part of your every day, you’ll be laughing soon.
Good luck and don’t give up. You would not like to give up on life!
I need to use this blog post as a mirror. So I am printing out this post and its comments so I can carry it around in my Moleskine where it will look at me every day next year.
I’m nearly three strone heavier now than the day I drove off the Rosslare ferry. That’s just not healthy.
Pat,
well done mate. agrree with ken – I will also be keeping a close eye on this one……
not too sure about bernie’s moleskin jacket
beir bua
peter
Bring it on Pat!
Pat,
AS I suggested via Twitter; why don’t we get one of the fitness experts on Twitter to write a 20-minute per day fitness work-out schedule for entrepreneurs. No gadgets, just your own body weight and office furniture.
Bang it into a web app get a bunch of entrepreneurs to join and turn it into a “competition”?!
Two main points that imho stop entrepreneurs from getting or staying fit are:
1) Time: I have no time to go to a gym, period. I do however have time to do a daily 15-20 minute workout that requires no other implements that my won body’s weight & resistance or furniture in my direct environment.
2) Lack of a work-out buddy. I know from my days as a fitness fanatic (daily 2 hour workouts) that nothing stimulates you more than a buddy. It will push you to do that extra pull-up, crunch, repetitions whatever. Creating an online “buddy system” would be a good replacement and put a bit of competitiveness into it.
I’m all for it.
E.
Yes, that’s my wonky index finger wreaking havoc on my spelling again. Getting it fixed soon I hope…
fair play Pat.
I just started my workout routine last week, down 1kg already, with lots more to go
If there’s an online/twitter group for this count me in, hopefully we can all motivate each other.
We could also have an “Irish entrepreneur Ironman” competition sometime during the summer…
Ooh the mind boggles….
E.
I used to be 15 stone for about 3 years when I was 25ish but have happily been a steady 11.5 stone for the last ten years.
In truth the only change I made to my lifestyle was to stay back from the table. Self discipline. I’m not saying that’s the solution for everyone but it definitely was for me.
I was actually much fitter when I was that age than I am now so exercise wasn’t a factor. It wasn’t easy in the beginning and I really hated that constant hungry feeling at first but it didn’t last long. I do recall a few friends being really worried at the time that I was seriously ill due to the speed at which I lost the extra pounds (they only told me afterward).
Best of luck with the new regime Pat – there’s no doubting you have the self-discipline to do it.
Hey Pat,,
I am an entrepreneur myself i spend countless of hours coding and working and I find exercising and being fit an actual competitive advantage big time.
I am really fit, I run 7 kms everyday, 6 days a week and exercising is LIKE TAKING DRUGS. It gives you a HUGE high, and I feel WAY smarter when working after exercising.
My brain gets this HUGE amount of endorphins and it’s proven if you exercise your brain get’s a diverse amount of neurotransmitters and more Oxigen >> SO a way smarter and more perceptive brain
))))))
Pat,
Have you ever done any of the tests for sleep apnea? (e.g. the epworth test http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/epworth.html )
The tiredness you mention and sickness sound a bit like me before I got treated… (which does make me sound like some sort of cow, but I digress)
T.
It’s like you wrote my story, except you’re a man and about twice my age (did that make you feel worse!?)
Since I joined the council in 2007, I have done an ounce of exercise, except one month of rugby in Aug this year and had to give it up again because I “didnt have time”
Gained about three stone!
You could be onto an idea here thou! An online support group!
Best of luck Pat – you’ve got me thinking as well!
@adrian But you’re a complete hyper madman!
I put more effort into putting a gym in my home than I do going into to it. Like you I had a routine and focus to get fit, stay fit. Those 80-100 hour work weeks and development teams in 3 geo-locations really should not give me excuses but somehow 15 minutes just seems like I can’t spare right now..
Will try harder. We might be a smart economy, but we also seem to be a fit-less society
Good luck Pat! Here for you. I also have to get healthy. Here’s to 2010 of kicking each others’ arses.
hey Pat,
brave post.
just to offer support…
I feel your pain.
I put on about 20kg on over 3 years with my first startup.
The extra hours, lots of airplane travel, eating in odd places, never being home to keep any kind of routine. It all adds up.
I hate the gym. absolutely loath the bordom.
I found I have to do something I enjoyed instead…
So it was indoor football, then circuit training with friends to help get that extra 20% in for the hour training.
The one worry I have with your plan is the smokes. When I quit the smokes I put on about a stone yet i wasn’t turing to a crutch. hard to explain. think it is just metabolism.
Best of luck with the plan.
/nc
Hey, if you’re looking for someone to hold you accountable, look no further.
Seriously, using Twitter and one’s blog for accountability really does help. I’ve used both to keep me off sugar and flour since Lent. Recently I felt I’d hit a bit of a plateau in terms of fitness, and now have a single person to whom I text my daily food intake and exercise every night. It’s someone whom I’d not want to let down, which helps me turn down chips or foods I’ve banned if tempted.
Can only speak for myself, but one other new thing I’m doing have really helped: automating my eating. This takes a bit of planning, usually on Sunday, but I prepare food I can take to work for my lunch and not have to think about it. Sunday night, I throw a bag of pre-cut sweet potato in a roasting tin, grill some chicken with great spices, and I’m set through mid-week. (I keep a bag of apples and raw almonds in my office for a mid-morning or afternoon snack if I feel I really need one.)
Oh, and EAT breakfast! I automate this, too, cooking a week’s worth of steel-cut oats on Sunday night, then reheating a single portion every morning (I add almond butter and almond milk, maybe a banana). I also have two eggs with this – the fat keeps you full and eggs are a fantastic staple when dieting. I eat a big breakfast, mid-sized lunch, and modest dinner, with a cut-off time of 9pm sharp. No more eating after that. It really helps me to automate this. Not to mention that it’s easier to sleep well as a result.
Oh, and my doctor says people who are sleep-deprived always put on weight. It may be even more important than diet OR exercise.
Again, this isn’t advice, just what has worked for me after almost seven years of continuous weight loss. I’m still learning, but the basic thing is this: I have to take care of myself. It’s nobody else’s job. (Applying 12 Step principles and suggestions here has also helped immeasurably. One day at a time, my friend.)
great nove Pat – I will be rooting for you, I took up running this time last year and it made a bif impact
Wishing you the best of luck. I had a january 1st start 5 yrs ago when i was planning my first child. Since then Ive put on over 4 stone. Had post natal (which was awful) and 4 miscarriages. Now for me, for my family and for the hope of another child as gorgeous as molly I will begin again. With determination and a lot of trauma (!) and the knowledge you too are travelling the road to better health.
Pat,
Like Bernie – this is like a mirror to me. I found myself in coronary care 18 months and it wasn’t a false alarm. The wonders of technology meant that the blockages were cleared withy minimal invasion. Managed to lose the guts of 20lbs after but in the past year it has seeped back on and some.
The very best in your efforts. Even if there is a certain ampount that everyone that sets out on a challenege like this has to do alone, hopefully the virtual buddying may egg us on.
Does Withings or MiLife or similar online help fora allow for peer to peer connection / collaboration.
Agree with you too on the last pointr re the keep fit / healthy space opportunities. See Wii-fit going with something interactive in pre Christmas advertising and assume augmented reality could really bring that on
Great post and a brave one too
I think it’s the curse of start-ups that we all loose focus on ourselves and put everything into the company. A few years ago hubby and I were both in tech start-ups and piled on the pounds. No time to cook with commuting and long hours.
But you know what it can be done. However important your company is, it’s only as successful as you make it and when you’re fit and healthy, you can work much harder, smarter and with a clearer mind.
You’re obviously a very focused, intelligent man so tackling this will just require a strong will and determination. Think of this challenge as the client you just know you can win over.
Good luck, I’ll be watching with interest and will join you on your journey (still have a stone to go myself).
Oh and on the smokes, try Alan Carrs guide – great read, makes loads of sense and works. (and you won’t put on weight when you go off the smokes – a lot of what he says about smoking can be applied to eating too so win win for you!)
You’ll certainly have lots of support Pat judging by all the great comments. If you’re interested we’d be happy to feature an article in Life and Fitness magazine which could document your progress over the year. It could help in the motivation and accountability. Either way I wish you the very best of luck and hope it all works out.
Hey Pat
I may have mentioned ‘Champix’ to you before – I used to smoke 25+ cigs a day and loved to smoke –
Not anymore – almost 18 without a cig now – they worked for me and I have told many people about them – they also gave up smoking with them
There is talk of side effects – side effects of smoking is cancer etc etc
http://www.champixinfo.co.uk/
Best of Luck
Stephen
18 mths without a cig
With all this support how could you fail! The first step taken now, the next is to do it now. Drug addiction is a challenge sent to develop you now and the next step is your next breath, now…
Hello, Pat.
I’m 46 and was 210 pounds at the end of may. At the end of august I was 185, just following Dr. L. Aronne’s advices in his book “The skinny”. I need to go and run 20-30 minutes at the local urban park 1 or 2 times a week. Maybe it’s not so impressive, but I was 165 before marriage (16 years ago) and I was never able to loose an ounce in all these years.
Pat,
Re. Tom B’s comment:
>>Have you ever done any of the tests for sleep apnea?
Would definitely check that out. I was recently diagnosed as having sleep apnea and am still in process of getting it ‘sorted out’. I definitely think the fact that I’m a couple of stone heavier than I was when I was younger is a big factor.
Best of luck,
John
Hey Pat,
all the best! I started trying to do something about my weight and fitness (I moved to the US 3 years ago and different diet and work pattern was taking it’s toll).
I’ve been using a pedometer (walked about 1.8 million steps so far this year) and a heart rate monitor. Looking at some other devices to try and help track more as a motivator and share the data to help others motivate.
would love your thoughts and comments on this though – http://bit.ly/8s5lk2 – too many data islands to make dealing with all the data easy…
Maybe now MaxRoam is going great guns the new fitness kick will get you motivated to create a new Gym Buddy
Good luck in 2010 – start slowly and keep to a routine as much as you can. Don’t expect miracles straight away and have the patience to work through the plateaus that you will encounter along the way…
I’ll support you all the way in this Pat but … you DO know that all resolutions are made to be broken ?
Happy New Year !
There is a drug called Champix, that is used to get people off smoking. Supposed to be very successful. The downside: Side effects in some users may include psychotic reactions!!!
You can do it Pat.
I lost 65lbs this year. I totally changed my lifestyle and eating habits.
The first few months was a struggle, but now I don’t even want half the things I use to love.
Let me know if you want any tips!
Good luck Pat. I gave up the cigs on New Years Day 2007. It works for some, doesn’t for others, but the Allen Carr book is pretty good. I don’t know if it was the key to my success at quitting, but the time I quit after reading it, I quit for good.
We need you healthy, look forward to seeing a thinner Pat in 2010.
Good luck with this!
Jamie
I have to agree with Siobhan on using Alan Carrs book the easyway to quit smoking. It’s amazing (though I found it to be a terrible read). You can smoke away while reading it so if you start now you can be at the chapter where you have the final cig on Dec 31st at midnight.
I’ve used it and so have loads of people I know and really, it is amazing. (I’ve also tried patches, ashtray flavoured gum, sticking the plastic tampon in my mouth etc).
best of Luck pat. Great idea I may do the exact same.!!
Good luck Pat! I have no doubt you will conquer
Pat ive beaten cancer in my 20′s & started my 30′s as healthy as id ever been! Its v easy to lose track of your own wellbeing when trying to manage professional demands! But youve my support all the way! (If there is an entrepreneur ironman id just like to say that Im happy to volunteer as a judge) ! Well done on your recognition and intention
I lost two stone, gained a whole heap of confidence and got fit all at the same time doing a martial art called Krav Maga.
I don’t work there but I am an addicted student of http://www.self-defence.ie
I encourage everyone I meet to try it.
Best of luck with it Pat- It’s never too late to get back into fitness.
Check out imapmyrun- a great app for the iphone for keeping track of how you’re doing.