“It is health that is real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver.”
Quote from Mahatma Gandhi
Lawyer, Politician, Social Activist and Writer
At my last corporate job, I sat across from this guy that really annoyed me.
He sprung into the office promptly at 8am every morning. I only know this because, every once in a while, a soulless corporate shell would schedule an 8am meeting. This would force me to set my alarm clock to a ridiculous hour, and roll in just in time to get a cup of coffee and see Mr. Early Bird already at his desk. He would have a wide smile on his face, saying, “Good Morning” in a cheery tone, while I grumbled a groggy, “Good Morning” back to him. My only solace, a good parking spot and shorter walk to my car at the end of the day.
Mr. Early Bird always seemed happy and cheerful. And it was annoying.
After sharing a cubical wall for a few weeks, I learned that he showed up at the office promptly at 6:30(!) every morning to take advantage of the company gym. He’d work out, shower, change, and be at his desk with protein shake in hand before most of us were in our cars for the daily commute.
Most days, he’d go outside for at least a 30-minute walk during his lunch break. He ate a few times a day, pulling out veg or fruit and nut butter as snacks. Lunchtime was almost always some chicken and steamed veg he would nuke in the microwave. He almost never indulged in donuts or birthday cakes, and almost never joined us for group lunches out.
When I asked him how his weekend was, he always had some story about waking up before the sun for a 4-hour bike ride or hike at some local park. Never going out to a concert, no crazy nights out with friends. From what I could tell, his tribe lived off of granola and protein shakes and went to bed by 9pm.
At the time, I was early in my career, late twenties, a little overweight but not too far gone. And I thought he was a little sad and pathetic.
Fast forward about ten years, and guess who the sad and pathetic one really was?
Mr. Early Bird was getting daily exercise, eating a healthy plant based diet, getting fresh air on the weekends and socializing with friends that shared his good habits. He chose to optimize health in his life.
I was sitting for 98% of my life, either at a computer desk, on a couch or at a bar stool. Eating fast food or restaurant fare, staying up late for drinks, smoking, never getting enough sleep and usually nursing a hangover on Sundays. And 10 years later, this pattern took a toll on my body.
At the end of my corporate life, around mid-thirties, I did make some positive changes. I quit smoking, which is absolutely huge! Started mild exercise routines off and on again. Stopped eating out so much. Learned to cook. And eliminated soda and sugary drinks from my life. Nothing groundbreaking (except the not smoking), but little steps that had me in a slightly better spot than I was a decade ago. However those changes were not enough to prevent a 50-pound weight gain over that time.
When I said goodbye to my corporate job to focus on a real estate investing and the personal and financial freedom that afforded me, I realized a couple of things.
I really wanted to improve my physical health. Even started utilizing my gym membership and taking Zumba and yoga classes in the mornings. Started walking with my mom daily. I also realized how unhealthy my coping mechanisms were. And how few healthy hobbies I had.
With no corporate nine-to-five to distract me, I had a lot more free time. This can be both a blessing and a curse. After the initial “forever vacation” vibe faded, I wanted a daily schedule, or some daily touchstones to help me feel grounded. Exercise became one of my touchstones, and a way to optimize health.
But it wasn’t easy. Hell, it still isn’t easy.
As of this writing, I’ve only lost 20 of those 50 pounds gained since pre-corporate years. I’ve started and stopped a few different exercise routines. Tried various experiments with my diet, some much more frustrating than others. Articles about “losing 20 pounds in 30 days” drive me crazy, and can kill my motivation for days as I fight for every pound of fat lost and every pound of muscle gained.
So understand, I do not write this as an expert. I am no Mr. Early Bird. That dude had his shit together.
No, I write this as a person still struggling on the path to optimize health.
And sometimes, I question why I’m on this path. Whenever my dedication towards optimal health wavers, I think back to my dad and grandfather.
These two men had very different lives. My dad was a project manager for a telecommunications company. He spent most of his time sitting down, either at a desk or in the car, as he often managed several sites in one area, and drove between locations on a daily basis. He was on the road for over three weeks every month, and during that time lived mostly on fast food. As far as I can remember, he was at least obese, and struggled with his weight even when his weight creeped into the morbidly obese area.
To relax, he watched movies on the couch and enjoyed cookies and potato chips. Killing a box of Oreos in one Saturday at home watching several movies in a row was not uncommon. As he got older and in his fifties, he struggled to move. In pain most of the time. He would attempt projects at home, but his body would fail him and many took much, much longer to complete than he anticipated. I could tell he was disappointed in his body and how it failed him. As a high school athlete, he would reminisce and, I felt, not understand how his body turned into what it was. Around the age of sixty he was diagnosed with cancer, and struggled with that disease for over nine years until it took his life at the age of 69.
Compare this to my grandfather. While he was a businessman and accountant, he led an active life. From what I’ve been told, he smoked and had a stressful life in his thirties. But in his late thirties when he got ill and almost dies, he turned his life around. Quit smoking. Cut out red meat all but one day a week, and ate a balanced diet. He walked religiously two miles every day. Weekends were spent doing yard work, tending to his garden, or fixing up the house. Whether he realized it or not, he chose to optimize health.
Over the years, he did have to get a hip replacement (late seventies, I believe), and eventually showed signs of Alzhiemers. Alzhiemers eventually took his life at the ripe age of 88, and luckily only affected him in the last few years. Up until then, he was still working, still walking, still taking care of the yard and house… just a bit slower than in his sixties.
When I start feeling down on myself and frustrated that I’m not making progress quicker than I’d like, I think about both of them. Life is short. And I want to feel good and healthy for as much of it as possible. Granted, there is no magic pill, and there are no guarantees. But that’s with anything in life… and should not stop us from pursuing a life that’s just one percent better than it was yesterday.
Over the past year that I’ve been in recovery from the corporate rat race, I’ve given my health top priority. I most certainly have not been perfect, and I’ve tried a lot of things that have not worked for me. But that journey is essential for everyone. Each human is unique, and the foods and exercise that I enjoy and give me the most health, energy and life may not be the same as yours.
I will, however, share some things that have helped me out so far.
I found groups to work out with. The first group I stumbled onto was thanks to a friend and fellow real estate investor. She noticed pictures I posted on social media of the local parks I frequented and invited me to join a Saturday morning hiking group. Admittedly intimidated and concerned I would not be able to keep up, I quickly fell in love with the group and this weekly activity. Granted, we’d wake up crazy early every Saturday, especially in the summer to beat the heat. But I made friends and enjoyed the early morning connection with nature. Socializing made the hike go by faster, and I felt accomplished every Saturday morning.
As I got to know the group, I discovered a range of their athletic tendencies. Some did competitions in racing, biking, etc. It was fun to hear their excitement about competitions. And enlightening to hear them discuss their training schedules in detail. Some in the group are in their seventies, and could outpace me. I was inspired! And had no shame asking about diet and exercise tips, as the group often liked to trade recipes, or share trails they discovered during the week.
And this group led me down a most unlikely path. I decided to try a triathlon.
It felt crazy. But I wanted to try. So I booked one a little less than a year out. I hadn’t run a mile or ridden a bike since middle school, and had not done any swimming for sport since high school. Definitely had some work to do to prepare and optimize health.
And this led to another huge mindset shift that’s really helped me out. I no longer exercise to try to lose weight. Instead, I’m training.
Weight loss is no longer my only goal. Sure, it’s still there, but other fitness goals are more important. I mean, I’m training for a damn triathlon now. So instead of weight loss, I have an exercise schedule that I’ve followed and will continue to follow as I approach the big triathlon date.
Starting with small goals was key. I did the couch-to-5k app most of the way through. And admittedly, had to repeat most weeks several times before moving up to more running. Even though I used to swim on a team in high school and was pretty good, I took some swimming lessons at my gym to build up my confidence. Then began swimming a couple of times a week for distance. I joined a local bike group after my mom and boyfriend chipped in to get me a road bike and trainer from Craigslist for Christmas. So once the swim lessons ran out, I took a few lessons from them and did a group ride.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 hit right around this time. One of the first triathlons (a mini tri) was cancelled. The bike group stopped doing group rides. My gym closed, swimming pool included. It was a bummer, but I adapted. Running outdoors continued, and dodging others to stay socially distant became a sport in and of itself. My trainer has gotten a lot of use over the past few months. And I’ve been increasing my time and distance on bike and foot.
Because I’m training. I have a goal. And that has made a huge impact on how I look at exercise. How I look at food. And how I optimize health.
And I’ll be damned, I’m enjoying it! I remember when running for 30 seconds was a struggle. Now I’m almost at two miles. Riding my bike for 30 minutes used to kill me. Now I typically clock 60 minutes. I love running outside on trails, and soon will take my bike outside to enjoy nature and exercise too. This combination of exercise and nature has been crucial for my enjoyment, and I’m so glad I found it.
With that, my outlook on food has changed. Because I’m training. Eating poorly and crazy overeating will affect my workout the next day. I still enjoy some cheat meals, but my focus is more on fueling my body and workouts. Drinking plenty of water. Getting plenty of protein, fiber, fruits and veg. Lots of sleep. All have become more of a priority in my life.
This has given me balance in other areas. If I’m feeling tense because of an investment or property management situation on one of my properties, I can turn to exercise to relax and deal with it. Or take my mind off of it.
I also turn to dessert and alcohol to take my mind off of it. No perfection here. But better balance.
Having a healthy set of habits and coping mechanisms has helped me mentally as well. I’m a more balanced human. Training has become one of my hobbies. This prevents me from obsessing over work, which admittedly used to be a huge problem for me. Real estate investment is not a fast-moving job. Goals are typically annual rather than weekly, with the only potential daily issues being maintenance or resident issues. And both of these can be dealt with positively with the right training, team, and mindset.
Somehow, training and focusing on my physical health has had a huge impact on my mental health. My life seems less one-sided. I no longer need a vacation from my life. I rather enjoy my life, and have the opportunity and energy to cultivate it as I see fit. Furthermore, I feel confident that my health is improving, meaning my future years will be high quality. What is the point of becoming financially independent and cultivating enjoyable hobbies if you can’t enjoy them!
I look forward to my weekend hikes, and hope the weekend bike rides will pick up soon. Who knows, maybe I’ll see Mr. Early Bird out on the trails one of these days.
I can tell him what a bad ass he is.