3 Peaks Challenge
15 September 2022
“Green Faces”
2 January 2025
Two weeks from now, I turn 49. And while that milestone should feel like a celebration, I find myself facing a hard truth: I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been. Overweight, obese even, at 93kg (205 lbs) and 33.9% body fat. For the past three years, I’ve started each new year with the best of intentions – working on my fitness, making progress—only to find myself slipping back and ending up worse than where I started.
But this year is different. This year, 2025, I’ve done the maths, set clear goals, and made a promise to myself: I WILL be fit at 50.
To achieve that, I need to lose around 23kg (50 lbs) and bring my body fat percentage down to 15%, maintaining my current muscle mass. Ambitious? Absolutely. But not impossible. Here’s how I’m making it happen.
The Plan: High Performance and Accountability
I’ve signed up for the High Performance Founder program, led by Dan Go, and I’m already feeling the momentum. This program isn’t just about workouts or diets – it’s a complete mental reset. It’s about changing how I view food, fitness, and accountability.
I’ve also started working with a performance coach, George Anderson. George’s approach is Inspire, Inform, Impact. I first met George through a mutual friend and we hit it off instantly. He’s been a coach and personal trainer for 20+ years and our coaching sessions are designed to balance the busy schedule of my full-time day job with my new routine, to ensure it’s sustainable and I keep myself accountable.
Finally, I have to give a big shout out to Mike Murray. We’ve been friends for near-on 15 years and Mike was part of Team Wayne, when I took on my initial 3 Peaks Challenge attempt in 2011. You can read more about that here. I work with Mike in my local gym & he focuses on my technique (which is really important). I’ll blog more on technique as I progress through my journey.
So… Here’s what my journey lifestyle is going to look like going forwards:
Workouts: Strength Meets Sweat
- 3 Gym Workouts Per Week: Focusing on strength and building lean muscle.
- 1 HIIT Session Weekly: Getting my heart rate up and burning calories.
- A consistent plan that’s sustainable and fits into my busy life.
Nutrition: Not a Diet, a Reset
I’ve kicked the plan off with a 2-week detox using the Green Faces Diet:
- If it’s a green vegetable or came from the ground, I can eat it.
- If it had a face or could’ve grown into something with a face, I can eat it.
- If it’s not green or doesn’t have a face, it’s off the menu.
After these two weeks, I’m shifting to sustainable, healthy meals & I will initially be focused on tracking my macros:
- Calories: around 1700 per day
- Macros: Protein 40%, Carbs 30%, Fat 30%
- Meals:
- 2 meals per day with carbs from fruits and veggies
- 1 meal with a single serving of starch (like rice, potatoes, or sourdough bread)
I’m also committing to drinking 3L of water daily and cutting out high-fat, fried, and processed foods.
Progress Tracking: Data Drives Accountability
Accountability is my mantra. Here’s how I’m going to keep myself on track:
- Daily Weigh-ins: To keep me honest about my progress.
- Weekly Waist Measurements: Using my belly as the baseline.
- Monthly Photos: Because the scale doesn’t always tell the whole story.
- Tracking Everything in MyFitnessPal: Every calorie, every macro, every meal. Data means I can track and measure progress!
Why I’m Sharing This
First off, I know this journey won’t be easy. I’ll face challenges, setbacks, and moments of doubt. I’ve done weight loss programmes in the past. I’ve succeeded (short-term), but here I am again. So, this time, I’m not doing this alone. By sharing my story, I’m holding myself accountable – to myself and to anyone reading this. Besides, I don’t get a lot of traffic to my personal website (despite having a very strong community network on LinkedIn), so the chances are that only a few people are going to actually read this! It’s more of a personal journal for me to track my progress.
Also, this isn’t just about my weight. It’s about showing up for myself in a way I haven’t before. It’s about becoming the healthiest version of me as I step into my 50s in just over a year’s time!
Let’s Go: Day One 🚀
I started this journey on Monday December 30th, 2024 – Deliberately kicking things off two days before New Year. Why? Because why wait? The time to take control is NOW! Every day, every meal, every workout is a step closer to the version of me I know I can be. I need to stop thinking and behaving like “Big Damo” and start to act like the person I want to be for the rest of my life.
To anyone reading this who’s on their own health journey, let’s do this together. Progress over perfection, one day at a time. I’ll be sharing updates, wins, and lessons along the way – because if I can do this, so can you.
Here’s to a healthier, stronger, fitter future. Here’s to me being Fit at 50.
Let’s go. 💪🔥
