How I’m approaching this differently.

*Enjoying the views skiing in Banff, Alberta Easter 2025.*

Why I’m doing this

Lately I’ve been trying to get clear on my goals and create a plan I can actually stick to. I keep coming back to my why…that I want to be fitter and healthier so I can live a more active life outdoors and feel stronger on adventures.

As I get closer to my 40s, I turn 38 in March, I’m thinking more about my health and the choices I’m making now and how they’ll affect me later on. I’m a big believer in focusing on what’s within our control. In that sense I know I’m very lucky as I have the ability to move my body and I have the luxury of choosing what I eat. I don’t ever want to take that for granted because not everyone has that.

I don’t want to look back in my 70s and 80s, wishing I’d done more in my 30s and 40s. At the same time though, it’s never too late for anyone to start! Anything you do now to move your body more will help you feel better each day no matter your age. For me, this feels like the right time to be more intentional about my health and fitness.

The hard part isn’t knowing what to do, it’s sticking to it. Without something anchoring me and holding me accountable, I tend to drift and make excuses. I don’t want a health scare to be the thing that forces me to change, so I’m trying to do this deliberately now.

The long term goal

Being fitter and healthier is a bit of a vague goal, so I’ve given myself something more concrete to work towards. I want to lose 70lbs by the time I’m 40 and I’ve got just over two years to do that.

I know weight isn’t everything, but I also know that I’m overweight and losing some weight will help in many ways. My knees and ankles will feel better carrying less weight around. Cycling will feel easier, especially uphill! All the things I love doing outdoors will feel more enjoyable, both from a fitness and a body confidence perspective. I’m not obsessed with the number, but I do need a clear direction and something to work towards.

Broken down, it’s less than a pound a week. Progress won’t be linear, but it feels realistic enough to keep me focused.

*I want to feel stronger portaging a canoe over my head!*

What I’m focusing on right now

Tracking

I learned first hand while training for my Half Ironman in 2024 that you can’t out train a bad diet. I was exercising more than ever and thought I was eating well, but I wasn’t tracking anything and so my portions were all over the place. Despite all the training, my weight and size stayed exactly the same, albeit I did get stronger and fitter.

It’s easy to underestimate how much you’re actually eating. A few salty snacks with a glass of wine on a Friday after a long week. A splash of oil here and there when cooking. The dollop of peanut butter that you estimate as a teaspoon but in reality is more like a couple of tablespoons. It all adds up quickly.

I’ve followed structured diet plans before and they’ve worked while I was fully on them. But as soon as life got in the way, I fell off because I didn’t really understand nutrition. This time I want to learn it properly.

So I’m tracking everything I eat and drink. Right now I’m aiming for 1800 calories a day and focusing on consistency across the whole week, not just weekdays. I’m also spending time learning more about nutrition so I can make better choices long term.

Goal setting

Alongside the long term goal, I’m setting shorter term goals around the adventures we’ve got planned this year. It makes it more realistic and helps gives me something to work towards.

The trips I’m using as markers are a ski trip to Banff over Easter, a hiking trip in the Italian Dolomites in June, and a hiking trip in the French Pyrenees in September. Right now though, I’m only thinking about Banff.

My focus for Banff

Over the next couple of months my goal is to feel stronger on the slopes. On recent ski trips I’ve had to stop skiing earlier in the day than I wanted to because of pain or tiredness. I’ve got weak ankles with limited mobility (I’ve sprained them a lot over the years), and quads that aren’t strong enough, all of which leads to sore shins and poor technique.

I’ve done physio before for my ankles which helped, but I haven’t kept it up. So for the next two months I’m committing to doing my physio exercises at least three times a week and four workouts a week.

My workouts will focus on strength and HIIT. I’ve been telling myself I don’t have time, having recently started a new job and working long hours, but I know I can find twenty minutes to lift some weights or do a HIIT session if I’m honest with myself.

The goal is simple. I want to ski for longer each day on our trip, enjoy it more, and stop because I’m tired from a great day, not because I was underprepared.

Right now I’m focusing on

Tracking everything I eat and drink
Physio exercises three times a week
Four workouts a week, strength and HIIT

For now, this is the plan, and I’m committing to it for me and my future self.

Setting Goals and Tracking