Just how heavy are your Heavyweights?

Look Familiar?

If you are a business leader, it's a question you should be asking yourself as you look around your workplace this morning. I’m sure you realise that your people are your biggest asset, yet they don’t have to be your largest asset. So, what are you doing to look after their health and well-being, as well as their long-term future?

Over the past five years, it's a question that Coleman Coaching has been developing an answer to by providing a solution with our 'Average2Awesome' Programme. We’ve worked closely with business leaders and their teams and, in addition to satisfying 'Corporate and Social Responsibilities', we’ve transformed staff physically, mentally and professionally. It has, however, highlighted some major areas of concern.

You see, 85% of the business people we coach are 'overweight' when we first meet. It's a bleak statistic isn't it? Okay, it could be said that we attract more 'overweight' people with our ‘promise of well-being’ but even so, it’s a very high percentage.

I’m not being judgemental, this is fact based on the initial weigh-ins of participants, classing anyone with a Body Mass Index (BMI) in excess of 25.0 as ‘overweight’. Even though the BMI calculation is seen by some as archaic and flawed, it still highlights the increased levels of obesity in the professional people that we encounter on a daily basis (the current average BMI of participants is, in fact, 30.7). I’m sure it wouldn’t have been that high 20 years ago – today life is unbelievably complicated and being ‘connected’ has only speeded up the process of immobility in the workplace and exacerbated poor diets. Everyone we encounter wants to be fitter and live longer, it seems they just don’t have the time, energy or knowhow to go about it.

Things are changing and Sugar is the new 'Hot-Topic'. It's a media story that as a nation we are slowly becoming more aware of. In the seventies it was Cigarettes and later on in that decade Salt was highlighted as being detrimental to everyday health. In that era we were, however, much slimmer as a nation. Back then we cooked more from fresh, ate real food and were far more active.

When, in this day and age, is there any time for activity in a very busy business person's life?

The Public Health England recommendation for health and well-being is to walk 10,000 steps-a-day. That's about 5 miles or 75 minutes of walking - it has amazing health and well-being benefits but is sadly seen as being time-inefficient and boring.

‘It's proven that taking at least 1 brisk 10 minute walk a day has been shown to reduce the risk of early death by 15%. A 10 minute walk can contribute to meeting the CMO’s physical activity guidance of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise each week. This can lead to health benefits including a lowered risk of type 2 diabetes (by 40%), cardiovascular disease (by 35%), dementia (by 30%) and some cancers (by 20%). The severity of the current physical inactivity epidemic amongst adults contributes to 1 in 6 deaths in the UK and is costing the NHS over £0.9 billion per year.’ [Source: Public Health England]

Boring – it’s downright frightening…

In the seventies, we didn’t have the Microwaves and Convenience Food that we all find SO convenient nowadays. Picking up a cheap bottle of wine and some chocolate to brighten up the residual mood of a tough day driving a desk is becoming second nature to many. Every major railway station has a major supermarket store cashing in on frazzled commuters looking for some evening respite by using calorie consumption to combat the stress of being… BUSY.

What’s it like in your workplace? Does the above sound familiar and what are you doing to prevent obesity from weighing down and burning out your Heavyweights?

During the past five years we’ve helped to create countless success stories as we’ve facilitated change in people’s attitudes towards a simple ‘Work-Life Balance’. The results from people using our ‘Ultradiet’ as an extreme weight-loss programme are proving that mind-set and accountability work wonders in losing life-changing amounts of excess bodyweight. The ‘Ultradiet’ also injects a fresh dimension and momentum into people’s desire to achieve. What you are doing to protect your Heavyweights from themselves? 

Rory Coleman - rory@colemancoaching.co.uk - 24 Years' Alcohol Free

1,007 Marathons - 245 Ultras - 14 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records

Shakin' the Tree - Peter Gabriel

Everyone knows a Swiss Toni...

For those of you new to ‘Coleman Coaching’ and the way I see I the world around me, I found over the years that my blog’s a good way of communicating my thoughts to a much wider audience. Sometimes you’ll think they were written especially for you (and they might well have been) and at other times you’ll wonder what hallucinogen I was on at the time of writing – looking back over the last 14 years of blogging, I often think that myself.

Anyway, for the record, today - We are shakin' the tree...

Yep, we’ll be using the lyrics of my all-time hero, Sir Peter of Gabriel as a theme. There’s a great live clip of this song here, so take a listen and you’ll see where I’m coming from perhaps - especially if you’ve never heard the song before. FYI, the show featured was filmed in 1992 - one of the toughest years of my life and the one which saved me as you’ll know if you’ve read my book – ‘A Rebel and a Runner’.

Waiting your time, dreaming of a better life…

Yikes, I must have blogged a thousand times on the ‘Life’ subject but for most of this week, I’ve been more struck with the ‘Belief Principle’. Well that’s what I’ve christened it and my question today is all about what we ‘Believe’. Personally, I ‘Believe’ in a lot of things. I ‘Believe’ if I drink again, the old RC will return and I wouldn’t want that and I ‘Believe’ that if I take vitamin B12 and drink Aloe Vera my GBS won’t return either. We all have such ‘Belief Principles’. However, I don’t necessarily ‘Believe’ what I’m being told from time-to-time. In Sales (And I’ve quoted it many times over) it’s said that ‘If People buy the Person, they’ll buy the Product’ – 

It's true. So, here’s a question for you would You, buy from You? Or in fact do you buy you? I didn’t buy me all those years ago… I didn’t ‘Believe’ in me.

Do you ‘Believe’ in yourself? When you say you are going to do something, or be somewhere or take on a challenge – do you deliver? Every time?

Turning the tide, you are on the incoming wave 

Turning the tide, you know you are nobody's slave…

Self-analysation over, it’s amazing just how many people are slaves to self-imposed behavioural processes that limit them from being the person they want to be. That’s why - We are shakin' the tree… right now.

Find your Sisters and Brothers, who can hear all the truth in what you say 

They can support you when you're on your way…

Well those Sisters and Brothers are there in our FB Groups and where some other FB groups breed only more negativity, yours is an arena to help each other reach out and achieve. The real winner here is YOU – if you ‘Believe’ you can be the person you want to be. Our ‘Life-Laundry’ philosophy based on my own journey only breeds future success and happiness. Sure, it’s not all roses but starting over with a blank sheet of paper, pruning back the old you and shaping the new one can be totally liberating. We see it time and time again.

Make the decision that you can be who you can be, you can be tasting the fruit come to the Liberty Tree

Changing your ways, changing those surrounding you, changing your ways, more than any man can do…

I changed everything during my own transformation but I’m an all-or-nothing kinda guy. I’m not suggesting that you are as extreme as I was but it’s a great opportunity to shake things up in your own world. Time for a ‘Time-Out to Reconsider’ perhaps and if you are starting your journey with us, let the games begin. If you are thinking that you want to change please contact me.

Take a listen to the song and Shake it all around…

Rory Coleman - rory@colemancoaching.co.uk - 24 Years' Alcohol Free

1,007 Marathons - 245 Ultras - 14 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records

8,779 Post Life-Laundry

Close to the Edge - Yes

The Solid Time of Change….

A seasoned witch could call you from the depths of your disgrace

And rearrange your liver to the solid mental grace…

I’ve had a busy week working on our Average2Awesome Programmes and helping ULTRAdiet clients’ work hard on their weight-loss challenges. For most it’s a chance to improve and start over, yet for some, it’s very much a ‘last-chance-hotel’ and emotions have been running high to say the least.

I listened to the ‘Yes’ Prog-rock classic on one of my long car journeys home. Returning from an A2A seminar the lyrics grabbed me as most of the people I meet, find ‘life’ high pressure. Everyday hard-working decent, intelligent people are living ‘Close to the Edge’ just to keep their heads above water - and that got me thinking…

I wonder just how many people in the whole of the UK are living ‘Close to the Edge’ right now? I bet it’s more than you and I think. For instance, the stats say 2.5 million children are living with 500,000 alcoholic parents and 300,000 people living on our rough on our streets tonight. I hardly need to mention the 1:12 people using illicit drugs or the 1:4 with mental health issues that swell the numbers.

The frightening thing is that the people I meet and train are part of those stats in one way or another. For that matter, I am and have been part of them too.

So why is ‘Life’ and for that matter ‘Living’ so bloody tough?

It really hit home driving back over the Old Severn Bridge into Cymru. There were police cars galore as well as an ambulance lying in wait as a man held on for dear life from the bridge threatening to jump… Let’s hope his cry for help was heard and he’s now found a way out of his perilous life-threatening situation. Cynically, I wonder how many people felt inconvenienced? I felt sad for him…

And take away the plain in which we move

And choose the course you're running…

It’s hitting home everywhere I look and go right now. As far as I can see, the world is in a kind of ‘out-of-control-free-fall’ with some people holding on for dear life, whilst others are burning the path of no return as they walk headlong down the plank before jumping into personal disaster.

Down at the edge, round by the corner

Close to the edge, down by a river…

To be honest, I’m not sure where I’m heading with this blog as I don’t have the answers. Only observations and experience of ‘being’ Close to the Edge’ myself and saving a lot of other people from - well – themselves over the years. Being in a life-threatening tight spot doesn’t have to be as dramatic and luckily as rare as hanging precariously from a bridge. Just look around, turn up the sensitivity on your radar and you’ll find you’re surrounded by a nation of people at breaking point.

Getting over all the Time I had to Worry

Leaving all the changes far from far behind…

Ah the ‘T’ and ‘W’ words. They’re the bane of modern day life IMO as Time is far too scarce and ‘Worrying’ isn’t far off being an Olympic Sport.

Being ‘Close to the Edge’ back in 1972, when this song was written, lacked the intensity that we are ALL feeling in the 21^st Century. Let’s face it, the ‘Pace of Life’ has moved on so fast that most of us aren’t keeping up with it and our inability to constantly upgrade our personal operating systems is only breeding doubt and hatred into our minds.

The eyes of honesty can achieve

How many millions do we deceive each day?

And so, we bumble on through ‘life’. Conning ourselves and each other that everything’s alright and that we are super-strong and super-tough living in a perfect online world, sharing our lives with anyone that will tune in and listen.

The truth is written all along the page

How old will I be before I come of age for you?

Hey, it’s not written on this page, it’s written all over your face and in how you look as that’s the pictorial evidence of how you’ve lived your life so far.

Over the years, I’ve become tuned into folk that are ‘Close to the Edge’.

It’s amazing how people burst into tears as soon as they start to tell me their story.

Close to the Edge

Now that you find, now that you're whole...

Finding the ‘Edge’, however brings relief and a path out of the depths of despair. I know - I’ve been right on the very finest ‘Edge’ there is but I’ve chosen my course and I’m running. It ain’t perfect and I’m not perfect but it’s working.

I get up, I get down…

Probably 90% Up/10% Down if I’m being honest – how ‘Close to the Edge’ are you?

Rory Coleman - rory@colemancoaching.co.uk - 24 Years' Alcohol Free

1,007 Marathons - 245 Ultras - 14 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records

8,775 Days from the Edge

Release, Release - Yes

When this rather ancient ‘Yes’ track popped up whilst I was out running, the lyrics immediately grabbed me. You see they underline exactly how I feel right now as we are already heading well into the second week of the New Year.

For the record or LP in this case, I actually bought the rather disappointing ‘Tormato’ album on which ‘Release Release’ features in 1978, and for the ‘Yes’ aficionados amongst you, you’ll already know it’s their last studio album featuring singer Jon Anderson and keyboards genius Rick Wakeman.

Anyway, back to the 21^st Century and now that your Christmas Tree is firmly packed away in the loft and those New Year’s Resolutions of yours are broken or long forgotten – isn’t it time to plan out the year ahead and make things happen rather than settle back into the rut of 2017.

Have you heard before, hit it out, don't look back

Rock is the medium of our generation…

If only it was that easy but sadly, there’s no magic formula to make things happen yet the ingredients for a successful 2018 are all there to reach out for believe it or not. The recipe is really simple. All you do is take one big bag of determination, add a good measure of sweat and tears and bake for at least 66 days – (the time it takes for an action to become a habit I’m told). It’s the perfect dish.

Well that’s the theory but it’s far too easy to get distracted, isn’t it?

We've heard before, but we just don't seem to move

The pressure's on is there lack of concentration…

And Yes, it iss down to a lack of concentration but also down to having far too much emotional baggage IMO. The kind of baggage we need the ‘Release’ from that the lyrics of the above song hit me with when I was out there running.

Nearly everyone I meet is carrying a burden,  a guilt or a neurosis that’s killing their world and opportunity of being the person they are wanting to be.

Power defy our needs, lift us up, show us now

Show us how amid the rack of confusion…

Maybe direction is the missing ingredient? A simple map or plan showing the way out of the self-imposed maze of confusion that corrupts our path to success. I’ve been in that position myself a hundred times over and if I’m honest I’m working hard not to blame Guillian-Barre Syndrome for some or all of my short-comings right now. But I’m trying – really trying hard not to.

Drive in thoughts of high, satisfy, in a plan

Set it out for all to understand it…

When you do finally understand, then make a plan you can stick to and you’ll finally start making some headway towards your goal. It all sounds so simple - yet it is if you ‘Release Release’… it’s my new Anthem.

Lost and wondering, maybe, how it is

Seems to me, it's as simple as this…

What’s stopping you realising your dreams? And what is it you need 'Releasing' from in 2018?

Rory Coleman - rory@colemancoaching.co.uk - 24 Years' Alcohol Free

1,007 Marathons - 245 Ultras - 14 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records

Grey's Anatomy - Shonda Rhimes

‘Make a plan. Set a goal. Work toward it, but every now and then, look around; Drink it in 'cause this is it. It might all be gone tomorrow.’ – Meredith Grey

Today is my 24^th Birthday – Well, my 24^th ‘Alcohol-Free’ Birthday if I’m being honest and I’m glad to say that it’s 8,766 days on from 5^th January 1994 – the day that changed my life. ‘Big Deal’ you might say, but cutting out the booze really did save my life, plus cutting out the 40 cigarettes that accompanied my daily drinking.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to drone on about quitting smoking and drinking. Instead, I’m writing about the ‘Process of Change’ that took place and how I went about it to clean up my act. You see I made a ‘Resolution’ – more of a personal ‘Revolution’ perhaps but a simple one made to myself and no-one else. ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ are now seen as ‘dated’ and having negative connotations but in 1994 they still had a place in our culture – even if they were always broken or forgotten by the end of the first week of January. They were really seen as a bit of fun.

My ‘Resolution’ the hard-core, cold-turkey, un-cool, pre-social-media ‘Personal Revolution’ wasn’t. It was carved deep into granite and has survived everything life could possibly throw at it. Lots of opportunities to fail with the usual celebrations and hard times associated with… Marriage, Childbirth, Divorce, Life-Threatening Illness, not to mention 24 x Christmas, New Year’s Eves and Running Successes – yet it’s stood up to the test.

But it hasn’t felt like a test, and that’s where folk go wrong in my opinion and fail. The Meredith Grey quote above, from the Season 5 finale of the brilliant hospital drama ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ sums it up perfectly. You see, I made a plan, set goal (just one day of sobriety at first) and never looked back – only around, and still do every day thinking just how lucky I’ve been over the years not drinking or being distracted from my dreams.

The ever growing 8,766-piece jigsaw is still work in progress and I’m going to keep on adding a piece daily for as long as I live. If my calculations are correct, I’ll get to 10,000 days on May 23^rd, 2021. It’s a Sunday so I’ll be running a marathon somewhere ‘drinking in’ that particular life-goal.

So, my question to you is how’s your New Year’s Resolution(s) holding up? Need pointing in the right direction? Let me know if you'd like me to help you.

You never know, it might just become a life-proof rule and one day and be like mine, enjoying a ‘Silver Jubilee’ Celebration this time next year…

Rory Coleman - rory@colemancoaching.co.uk - 24 Years' Alcohol Free

1,007 Marathons - 245 Ultras - 14 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records