By Bayo Olotu
I love cycling.
Not watching the sport (that’s just boring), talking about it (nah), but actually, like, doing it. There is so much to appreciate about a sport that I did not get to enjoy for so many years, and I love it today with a wish that I would have enjoyed it for more than the last few years.
The experience of being one with the bike, the release of energy as I ride up a slope, the heady rush of wind when accelerating downhill, the solitude of paths and the noise of the road. The simple ability to pick my helmet, bike and headphones, and take off at zero notice, the freedom to travel at a whim, turn on a dime, spin around, break another personal record, see another view – all these excited my natural sense of (safe) adventure, that wanderlust that has always been a little part of me.
The ability to cycle around has been one of my little joys in the COVID season of 2020. Because there are many paths where I live, I could enjoy this pastime without endangering anyone. So I did it. At the same time I decided to do something about my weight, which had been stable for 5 years without really reducing, but was now at risk of increasing due to the sedentary nature of working from home, with the kitchen literally inches away from this weak-willed food lover and late night sleeper.
You see, I’m a ‘binger’. I go all-in on stuff that I like. A T-shirt, a fruit, a cookie. I got introduced to pistachios as a healthy snack and weeks later I was consuming it by the bagful, surely a great way to fatten up on healthy foods. My approach to weight loss is to get off carbs for a month, see results, then reward myself. This ‘home working’ thing was clearly not going to work for me. Naturally, I turned to my resident food expert for some advice – and she was surprised.
The reason for that is simple – I am someone that can be called a healthy eating wife’s best nutrition challenge. She loves healthy foods and I love them too, in bucketfuls. At home, I’m absolutely DIY with no regard to traditional roles – I cook, clean, shop, vacuum and garden. I never mention that I’m hungry, I just go and eat. If something else is cooking, I’ll take my snack and add that when it’s done. So I’m essentially uncontrollable in the kitchen, and my request for guidance created surprise, pleasure and concerns at the same time for the love of my life. But she is nothing if not enthusiastic and committed, and so I got a quick lecture, and knowing me, she kept it simple.
I was to maintain a calorie deficit, avoid processed carbs and keep moving. This was disappointing. I wanted a list of foods to avoid, foods to eat and a diet plan that would make the military proud. Tope gently told me that consistency was key, and we focused on finding what I liked to do. On cold days, we walked at home. That looked silly, walking to and fro in our living room, but we did it. I got a pair of light dumbbells to give it some pep. As winter gave way to spring, we walked outside, and when I could, I hopped on my bike. On a weekly basis I checked the weight scale with trepidation, and we kept cranking along into the summer and fall months.
“Tope gently told me that consistency was key, and we focused on finding what I liked to do”
One nice day in September, I was cycling along at a short distance from my home when I came to a turn in the path that I had never taken. On a whim, I turned and followed it. Minutes later, I was amazed to find myself at a nice walkway under a bridge that I had driven over hundreds of times without imagining that there was anything under it. The views of the river valley were stunning, the surrounding landscape was awesome and I had a great time riding underneath the bridge and exploring the area. I could not have imagined that such an adventure existed just ten minutes by bike from my home.
As I thought about this, it occurred to me that there were striking similarities between my adventure and my wife’s calm advice on weight management. Both involved simple adjustments to my present reality. This, then, was it – take a small turn and experience a better reality. Don’t stop eating, just take smaller portions and move those limbs a little bit. If you can, find a sport that you like. If not, we all have to walk, so do it a little more. Guess one of the best ways to walk? Five steps forward and back in your living room while watching a movie or game. Yeah, don’t leave all the fireworks to the intrepid hero on your screen. Get in on the action.
Whatever it is, be consistent. Make it a lifestyle, not a binge. Radical turns are not always sustainable. A slight turn that is consistent will in time result in significant progress towards your life goals. This might not make sense to a mathematician, but in real life it could make a difference. That is my lesson from 2020, and considering that I am a work in progress, I don’t consider myself qualified to say more than that.
And my weight? I lost 7kg, not that you would have noticed it. Then I slipped for a month and gained 2 of those back.
I’m back in the saddle, getting ready to toss out that 2 and lose another 7. Wish me luck!
“Whatever it is, be consistent. Make it a lifestyle, not a binge”
“Whatever it is, be consistent. Make it a lifestyle, not a binge”
Thank you for this piece.
The message is crystal clear.
Consistent baby steps is better and yields better results than some once-off crash course strategy at any task.
Thanks a lot, Faith. So so true – Consistent baby steps yield better results than some once-off crash course strategy at any task, I love how you summarized it.
I love the article! So well written, real and relatable. Keep going on the consistent journey Bayo; and to my namesake, you rock!
Thanks a lot, my namesake. We’ll keep at it!