I’ve been doing all sorts of diets for years. And, they’ve pretty much been a failure every time. But this summer I lost 10 kgs. Here are the 3 things I did to get there:
- Goals & Public Accountability
Back on 18th June I weighed in at 85.2 kgs. And, I set myself a ten-week challenge to lose 6.2 kgs and hit my target weight of 79kgs by 31st August. Unable to rely on my personal motivation alone, I decided to publicly track my progress on social media to keep myself accountable. You might like to keep things private, but I found the public accountability kept me on the straight and narrow somehow.
- Scheduling Training
During the summer I experimented with training in the afternoons to dedicate my mornings to writing my book. It was a disaster! I found that the chances of training as the day drifted by were less and less as the work piled in. But when I schedule my training in for the early mornings and add it to my calendar along with the rest of my commitments, I treat my training with the same respect I would a call or meeting.
- Diet and Intermittent Fasting
Throughout my days of running, cross-country skiing, cycling and kayaking thousands of miles across deserts, up mountains and to the Poles I struggled with my weight. And, it’s been no different since I became paralysed. But this summer I discovered intermittent fasting. Alongside my Banting (high-fat, low-carb) diet I began eating during a 6 hour eating window and fasting for 18 hours. Although it means missing out on bread, pasta and pastries, the joy of a fatty steak with buttery broccoli and spinach while still burning fat more than makes up for it!
Need some motivation to keep fit this winter? Then why not join us for Run in the Dark! Every November, as darkness sweeps the globe, thousands of people in 50 cities will pull on their running shoes and red flashing armbands and hit the streets to Run in the Dark. As runners flow through the streets and light up the night, they join the global movement helping to cure paralysis in our lifetime. Join us for a 5k or 10k run in one of our official locations – Dublin, Cork, Belfast, London. Or, join a pop-up event, run by volunteers, in cities worldwide from Madrid to Melbourne.
