By Errol Lim, Physiotherapist
It all started some 6 months ago when I said to myself: “You need to lose some weight. You will continue falling ill if you don’t do something about your lifestyle.”
The whispers from the angel on my shoulder were finally getting through. It was not like I led a life of excess, I was just like anyone else with the responsibilities of work and family. However, sleep deprivation, poor diet and an inability to exercise without falling ill were “my excuses” for the state of health I was in.
The change needed was a change in mindset and then setting a goal. Voicing my goal to my friends and family then made me accountable.
The next step was to get a team around me whom I could trust and I knew was going to help me achieve my mission of losing weight, reducing my blood pressure and stop catching viruses.
Eating well has been the biggest challenge. The team involved here was of course led by my dietitian, Monica Kubizniak but it also included my wife, my mother and friends whom had to understand the reasons for my new and unusual eating habits. Their support was vital through this journey. The unfamiliarity of certain foods recommended was the initial block but now what I eat has become habitual and I actually like it - amazing!
The fitness training though tough 6 months ago, has been what I look forward to each week. Stepping it up to two training sessions a week has been easy with the outcomes being tremendous. I have really enjoyed being pushed and have learnt alot about how hard my body can perform safely. For this, I am very grateful to Jai, my personal trainer.
Apart from everything I have mentioned, I attribute having the mindset as the most important. In order to achieve this, I needed to feel somewhat healthy. The defining point was the decision to sleep early each night when my kids went to sleep allowing me to get a solid 7 to 8 hours each night. This meant waking up fresh with a clear mind to start my day. Prior to the past 6 months, I was struggling with numerous viruses over the past 2.5 years since my son was born mainly due to a lack of sleep. When I made a commitment to sleep more, I felt confident to be able to handle the changes I needed to make.
Sleep - who would have thought this was so important.
We all know what we need to do, we just don't listen to our bodies often enough.
I am now happy to say that I have achieved my target of 74kg, lowered my blood pressure and been able to stay away from the dreaded cold. However, the mission will never be fully accomplished as the real test will be to keep my new found state of health for a long time to come.
What’s the next target you ask?
Well, I am off to The World University Games in Shenzen in August as the physiotherapist. My goal is to look a lot leaner, fitter and stronger just like the Australian athletes I will be treating. I’ll keep you all posted.
Errol Lim is a physiotherapist and a director of BJC Health.
BJC Health provides a connected care multidisciplinary team philosophy to deliver positive lifestyle outcomes through a holistic approach to those with degenerative & inflammatory arthritis, tendon injury and lifestyle diseases. Our clinics are located in Parramatta, Chatswood and Brookvale. Contact us.
This blog focuses on arthritis-related diseases, healthcare in general, and our Connected Care philosophy.
Stop Press: Stopping recurrent fractures after suffering a fracture from weak bones (osteoporosis) is a priority. We have launched our Refracture Prevention Program at our Parramatta clinic to stop bones breaking.
