‘I LOST 11KG AND HALVED MY BODY FAT’
As middle age crept up on me, I was increasingly tired, both mentally and physically.
I wasn’t as sharp as I had been, and I didn’t feel on top of everything. I’d spent years trying to get fit but feeling too lethargic to commit to it properly. I would go running or mountain biking, but not that often, and always felt exhausted after a long session. I wanted to be fitter but didn’t have the motivation to do it on my own.
Then I saw a friend transform after he got a trainer and that was the inspiration I needed. My weight had crept up to 69kg (10st 12lbs), which for my height (1.6m or 5’3”) was slightly unhealthy. I knew that if I wanted to get super fit, I’d have to join a gym and commit to a proper programme.
Once there, a trainer put me on a strict diet and exercise plan, and straight away I could see why I hadn’t been seeing any benefits from my previous haphazard approach – I needed consistency to see results.
I am from a Mediterranean background, so my diet was already pretty good, with lots of vegetables, fish and healthy oils, but like lots of people I ate too much sugar and bread and other quick release carbohydrates: I’d typically have cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and pick at crisps and biscuits throughout the day. I usually had a healthy homemade dinner, but would eat a huge portion, and still snack afterwards with a dessert or cheese.
My trainer helped me change my diet so that it was higher in protein like fish and chicken, and lower in sugars and bad fats. We focused on small, manageable changes, such as a mid-morning snack of natural Greek yoghurt with berries, for example, which keeps you going much longer than a digestive biscuit.
I started training twice a week with my PT and then once on my own, using a resistance and strength training plan. He taught me to take it slowly: you see so many men, especially, throwing weights around and doing it as fast as possible, but it doesn’t give you as much benefit as concentrating and doing them slowly, which helps you put on more muscle.
After 16 weeks, I had lost 11kg and around 10 per cent body fat, down from 20 per cent body fat. Friends and family have been stunned by the physical transformation, but for me, the huge gains have been in how I feel: I’ve got so much more energy and feel like I’ve become a human dynamo.
I’m just not tired in the day anymore, despite working long hours (I am out of the house between 7am and 7pm) and being in a high-pressure environment. I feel sharp and equipped to deal with the everyday pressures of work and life generally. I also sleep a lot better than I did before.
Of course, my overall fitness has improved to no end. My Strava app reminds me every time I go out for a run or bike ride that I have achieved another personal best, without even consciously trying to go faster or further. It’s given me the confidence to enter some mountain biking competitions. I now want to see how far I can go.
My workout week
I still do resistance and strength workouts twice a week and then cycle a lot at the weekend.
What I eat in a day
I eat around 2,200 daily calories, and aim for a high-protein diet with around 140g of protein a day.
Breakfast: Overnight oats with berries, peanut butter and natural yogurt.
Lunch: Rice with chicken or fish with salad and dressed with olive oil.
Dinner: Chicken or fish or steak with rice or boiled potatoes and lots of green veg.
Snacks: Yogurt with berries or a protein shake.
Lifestyle aids
Carbs: I eat carbs every day, ranging from boiled potatoes to brown rice.
Caffeine: I’m not a big coffee drinker, but have one in the morning and a decaf one in the evening.
Alcohol: I don’t drink much, but if I’m out for dinner I’ll have a gin and slimline tonic or two.
Sleep: I aim for lights out at 11pm and my alarm goes off at 6am.weekdays. I sleep well.
2023-04-28T12:10:59Z dg43tfdfdgfd