Dropping the Ego, Dropping 5kg: My Fit2026 Reset

Let’s be honest: sometimes life just completely takes over, and your own health or fitness is the first thing that gets thrown out the window.

Between diving into an intense AI apprenticeship at work, grinding through the heavy coursework for my Open University Web Technologies module, and balancing the demanding duties of serving as Master of the Lodge, my schedule hit a breaking point over the last few months. I let the plates spin out of control, and my Fit2026 plan took a massive hit.

By July 20th, the reality of my neglected routine stared back at me from the scale: 122 kg. I had actually gained weight, sitting 2 kg heavier than when I started this whole journey back in January.

But momentum is a choice, and you can always build it back. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel all by myself, I just dropped my ego. My partner Claire has been seeing fantastic results attending Slimming World, so I officially joined the program with her. I set a firm boundary: a strict ban on all alcohol and bakery items to get things moving again for the first two months. I will let you know about the programme next time.

The Turnaround

I am thrilled to say I have successfully dropped over 5kg since resetting my habits in July. I now have my sights firmly set on hitting the 1-stone mark (roughly 7kg) within the next two weeks.

I am back into a really solid walking pattern, massively helped by dog sitting over the last two weeks, which organically pushed my daily step averages right back up. I have also brought resistance training back into the mix with a few of home weightlifting sessions, and I am continuing to battle it out in my weekly squash matches.

The endurance work culminated last weekend on August 30th with a grueling 111 km ride all the way from Bracknell to Brighton. (the main part of the route was Downs Link between Guildford and Shoreham by Sea)

I took the mountain bike for this one, tackling mostly off-road tracks. It was absolutely pouring with rain—which, to be fair, we were actually really glad about after such a dry summer! By the time I reached the coast, I was soaked to the bone and my legs were covered in mud. I was glad I took spare clothes with me.

I had fully intended to cap it off with a celebratory swim in the sea, but the coast was getting battered by 40 to 50 mph winds. The waves were dangerously high. You could count the number of brave (or crazy) people swimming on the fingers of one hand, so for safety reasons, I decided to give the sea a miss this time and just dipped my legs in. 

Sitting in the saddle for 111 km in that kind of weather requires serious stamina. It is a stark reminder that as we push into our late 40s, physical fitness isn’t just a vanity project—it is a need. You just cannot operate at an intellectual level if your physical chassis is breaking down.