The 77-Everest Reset

Introduction

As I head north up my street, I’m greeting with one of the iconic structures in the skyline of my adopted home, Brno – the 2^nd largest city in the Czech Republic.  Something that, as an Australian by birth, instantly reminds me that I’m in Europe and not the New World.  And that is the magnificent 13^th century castle by the name of Špilberk.

This hilltop castle dominates this quarter of the city.  Gregor Mendel lived and performed his experiments in the monastery located at the base of this hilltop.  His trials on pea flowers and fruit flies gave rise to the laws of inheritance and the founding of modern-day genetics.

This castle served as the seat of the margraves, military commanders that served in the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire.  It later became one of the harshest prisons in the Austrio-Hungarian Empire and after that a barracks.

For me, as a permanent resident of the Czech Republic, this hilltop symbolizes a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city life that surrounds it from all sides.  As you scale its slopes, you quickly move out of earshot of the traffic below and into the enveloping canopies of trees planted throughout its generous 17 hectares. The calming effect is beyond words. It’s well-maintained paths are dotted with bench seats to suit both the serious bookworm and the dog-walker alike.

As I start writing this book, this beloved hilltop has become something more, a reference point around which to build my own personal re-set program for health and happiness.  You see, despite dominating the local skyline, the castle is a very modest 78 metres higher in elevation than my street.  Yet walking up to its peak is no mean feat.  From my side, a morbidly obese 48 year old, with ingrained cheese and chocolate addictions along with a passion for fine wine, this hill leaves me soaked in sweat and quite a bit out of breath.  And yet somehow, it is still very manageable.  I always walk away with a feeling of satisfaction and an even greater need for a shower.

And all of that in just 78 metres of vertical distance.  But for a re-set, we need something more impressive surely?  What about Mount Everest?  What if I can turn my local hilltop into a lofty, aspirational goal, while at the same time, creating a program which can help me to lose weight, gain health and happiness and build habits that can help me to reduce my need for comfort and convenience, while helping me to step out of my comfort zone and into a space for genuine growth. 

Here is the nub of my idea.  I will climb Mt Everest’s vertical distance of 8850 metres in 77 days, using my beloved Špilberk castle as my reference.  It means 113.5 ascents to the top and back home.

To address the elephant in the room, my obesity, I will go on a whole foods, plant-based diet, which tends to be vegan at the extreme.  I will allow for some exceptions, like parmesan cheese for my plant-based pastas and pizzas and honey.  Despite loving wine and working as a winemaking consultant, I will not drink alcohol for the 77 days, unless it is called for by my work or as part of the monthly tastings that I conduct.  I expect no more than 3 nights where alcohol will be a factor.  That’s the ‘what’.  The ‘when’ will be a program of intermittent fasting with 16 hours fasting, and eating between the hours of 10am and 6pm.

Finally, to achieve a good night’s sleep and to wake up early enough so that I’ll always be able to exercise at the start of every day, the idea is to go to bed at 9pm and rise at 5pm.  I know that at least one of my many problems is that I spend far too much time in front of the screen.  This no doubt seriously interrupts my sleep but also makes it much easier to overeat and drink too much. 

With those 3 pillars in place, S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) goals for my exercise, diet and sleep, I hope to see significant progress in my weight loss, but also an overall improvement in my energy levels and my general sense of optimism. 

Clearly this is a very personalized re-set and it may or may not work.  But even if should shed kilos off my weight and cut inches off my waist, I still could not in good conscience recommend it to anyone else as I have zero medical training.  So why am I writing this book?  Quite simply, I believe that the last stage in learning is to pass the information on to others. 

No doubt, my successes can be imitated and my failures avoided too.  There is value in that.  I guess what I hope for is that my readers will be inspired to find their own Everest and conquer it, with careful planning, expert advice and determined application of proven principles, to turn their lives around.