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Real men, real weight loss stories
We call them Amazing Losers, but you might know them as weight loss before and after stories. They’re motivating, honest, and there’s not a magic pill in sight.
Amazing Loser – Tony Cowards’ Weight Loss Story
- Name – Tony Cowards (feel free to ask him any questions you want here)
- Job: Stand-up comedian and comedy writer (GQ said he was “the best joke writer around”)
- Height: 5’9″ (175.3 cm)
- Age: 41
- Highest weight: 198 lbs (89.8kg)
- Lowest weight: 160 lbs (72.6kg)
Click here to watch our chat with Tony, or see it at the bottom of this article.
Here’s a good one for you – have you heard the one about the fat comedian? Sorry Tony, how did you end up needing to lose weight?
The lifestyle of a stand-up comedian is really not geared up for healthy living, being on the road often leads to late night snacks of Ginsters pasties, crisps and chocolate bars. This combined with getting up late, feeling lethargic during the day and doing very little exercise isn’t really a recipe for staying in shape.
When I was at my heaviest I constantly felt tired and demotivated from doing anything, whenever I was bored I’d go to the kitchen and find things to snack on. My emotions were all over the place too, I often felt really unhappy without any specific reason. I started struggling to fit into lots of my clothes and whenever I saw pictures of myself on stage I was shocked at how big I looked.
Did you find that it was starting to impact on your act? Did you get any fat heckles?
Check out Tony’s video to hear his answer to this one! Don’t forget to subscribe!
What made you decide to change?
It was while on holiday in Bali, we were staying on a resort with amazing facilities, so I swam every day and went to the gym most mornings. When we got back to the UK I wanted to carry on what I’d started and really get into shape. In terms of diet I did one of my own devising – the classic “Eat Less, Move More” diet. I simply ate less food and did more exercise.
So when you say you ate less, what do you eat on a daily basis now?
I generally have porridge for breakfast, or occasionally a fat-free yogurt, then a fairly light lunch (soup or a pitta bread “sandwich”) and pretty much whatever I want for my main meal in the evening, although I do still keep an eye on the calories and try to minimise them if I can e.g. choose a “healthy living” or “low fat” version if I’m having a ready-meal. I do still snack, KitKat Chunkys and packets of mini Cheddars, but I try to make sure that I have those after I’ve burned the equivalent amount of calories. I also make sure I drink one fruit smoothie (250ml) per day and try to have at least one piece of fruit, generally a banana.
How did you make this diet successful compared to others?
I’m not sure. I know that’s not much help but for some reason this time I was able to keep it going long term rather than getting bored after a couple of weeks. I guess it was down to me setting myself some proper goals and a workout schedule. I used, and still use, EA Sport Active 2 on the Wii, which has a nine week fitness programme along with Wii Fit which I use to weigh myself every morning and do additional exercises and yoga.
One of the big things was realising when I was eating out of boredom and making sure that when that happened rather than go to the fridge I’d go out for a walk with the dog or do some exercise, anything to stimulate my mind and body and stop me from grazing.
Any tips that you learned from losing the weight?
It’s been relatively straight-forward once I got into it, I found that by setting myself little goals, for example going out for a walk and thinking “Right, I’m going to do two miles this time.” The competitive instinct in me kicked in and then I’d want to keep pushing myself a bit more each time.
There have definitely been plateaus though and periods when I’ve put weight back on but the important thing was not to throw in the towel and to make sure that I redoubled my efforts whenever I had a minor set back.
How do you feel life has changed now you’ve lost weight?
On the plus side I feel so much better, I have more energy and I feel happier, on the minus side most of my clothes no longer fit me! It really surprised me how much healthier losing weight would make me feel, both physically and mentally.
If I could go back in time I’d tell myself to get on and do it. Thanks to my job I’m “time rich” so there’s no excuse for not devoting some of that time to getting fit and active.
You get to make one new law to help other people lose weight – what is it?
I’m not sure legislation can really help but, I guess, regulating standard portion sizes might help, I often feel that a lot of restaurants favour quantity over quality, they pile your plate full of food giving you the illusion of “value for money” when often it’s just cheap food with little nutritional value and human nature means that we are under pressure to clean our plates even when we’ve eaten enough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQQCdqGbTDg
Go follow Tony on Twitter, ask him any questions you like over on Talk and if you’ve got any questions then ask him on Talk.
Amazing Loser – Ben Fairburn’s Weight Loss Success Story
- Name: Ben Fairburn (ask him questions here)
- Job: business development
- Height: 6′ 1″ (185.9cm)
- Highest weight: 327 lbs (148.3 kg) – January 2011
- Lowest weight: 197 lbs (89.3) – today!
- Take a look at Join In if you want to get in touch with local sporting clubs and help out!
Like a lot of guys who are overweight or obese, you really stayed away from the camera before you were fat, didn’t you?
That’s right. I decided to sort myself out after a family portrait; for years I had tried my best to avoid being photographed and would hide behind people or objects I think in some way to hide the truth about my size and health. However I was convinced/told by my wife in mid-December 2010 that it was time to get a family portrait done. At this point I was 327 lbs and smoked 20 a day. At work I was called “Uncle Buck” or “big guy” in meetings with customers and I never felt like I was being taken seriously.
How did the weight impact on your life?
Looking back, I now understand how my weight affected me negatively both from a conscious and physical perspective but also from an unconscious and emotional perspective. I was in denial and had a much healthier and leaner mental image of myself.
I bought larger and larger clothes in order to never have the dreaded tight clothes feeling; I would only ever buy clothes online, therefore saving me the embarrassment of things not fitting me in a changing room. I hated the prospect of spending time with people I once knew before I got very large, or new people who I assumed would judge me for being big.
I was missing out on so many adventures and memories, like going on holidays with my wife – instead choosing to stay at home.
Had you dieted before?
Of course, but my attempts consisted of reduced calorie diets and never lasted longer than a week or two. This was compounded by my desire to quit smoking, which when I stopped meant I ate to replace the cigarettes; a very vicious circle and one that saw me continue to swell. At around this point we had our first child which two years later was followed by our second. I knew I wanted the boys to grow up active, knowing what a sedentary life leads to, so both my boys have and continue to be very active in football, athletics, swimming as well as other activities. But I was no role model.
Can you pinpoint the moment you changed? What made it different this time?
I can. I remember watching a TV show on Jane Thomlinson and was really moved by her story and felt very motivated to do something; so much so that at 12 o’clock at night I entered the Jane Thomlinson appeal Hull 10K which was to be held in May.
The big difference is that a few days later a number of people sponsored me! At this point I still weighed in excess of 23 stone, smoked 20 a day and did zero exercise. So I went out bought a pair of trainers and went for a run/walk on the 4th January 2011. I remember feeling absolutely shattered but at the same time elated as I had accomplished a small amount of running over two miles. I changed my diet and stopped smoking on the very same day.
How did your eating change?
I would eat three meals a day; these would be vast portions, we had plates with no lips, so it was piled to the very edges. Before kids, breakfast would sometimes have been left over pizza from the night before (my wife has always eaten healthily), lots of pastries for lunch, and takeaways or quick cook oven food. When when we had children I made an effort to eat healthier meals. Despite that I would also eat four or five bags of crisps every day, then a packet of biscuits and a few chocolates! I would say I was spending a good £30 a week on snack food and consuming 3,500 to 4,000 calories a day.
How was the journey?
Going from a sedentary lifestyle to one that was not so sluggish, was so rewarding that I never found it overly difficult. In fact, compared to doing the calorie controlled diets it was positively delightful. The more weight I lost, the more people noticed, the more inspired to lose more I became. My wife Wendy has always stood by me regardless of my size and shape; she let me get on with my running even when it meant she was juggling both our boys at bedtime – she’s my rock!
This started as a weight loss journey and having got below the 20 stone mark was a real landmark for me; however greatest moment of this journey was when I realised it had just become my lifestyle, and one where my boys look to me as a role model. So much so that my eldest son with the company of my wife do the local park run every Saturday because he wants to become an Olympic athlete. When I first started running, I thought that athletics clubs were just for athletes, but the volunteers at the club were really supportive and helped me in a big way. So much so that I’ve become a Join In Local Leader and would hugely recommend anyone looks at getting involved in their local athletics clubs.
What surprised you about losing weight?
I really didn’t anticipate the amount of energy and motivation the weight loss and fitness gave me. I want to experience far more today with my family, than I ever did. From adventurous holidays, to walking on a beach in just shorts – I have come to realise that life is too short to be shackled to a couch stuffing yourself with food.
Soapbox time: you get to make one new law to help other people lose weight – what is it?
I would ban supermarkets, petrol stations and service stations from smothering you in sweets, chocolates and other fatty sweet foods as you make your way to the checkout. I noticed the other day, in a well-known supermarket chain petrol station, that you could buy two tubs of syrup-soaked flapjack for £2.00 – the same store sold a tiny bag of fruit at £2.00! There are so few healthy options in these places!
Our thanks to Ben for sharing his amazing transformation and wish him all the best with his future adventures. If you want to talk to him then go say hi on Talk and don’t forget to like his Facebook page.
Family portrait image supplied by www.innesphotographers.co.uk
Amazing Loser: Chris Hewitt’s Weight Loss Story
Name: Chris Hewitt (say hi to him here)
Age: 40
Job: I work in supply chain for a pipe manufacturer
Height: 6ft (182.88 cm)
Highest weight: 348lb (158 kg)
Lowest weight: 181.8lb (82.5 kg)
Finding motivation to lose weight comes in many forms – what was it that drove you?
When I decided to lose weight there was nothing really that forced me. My health was ok, or at least as good as it can be when you’re nearly 25 stone. I turned 39 and you always hear people saying that it’s all downhill from 40, but I thought if I could take control of my weight then it could be just the opposite and life could begin at 40. It still took six months before I got my head into the zone to go for it and join Weight Watchers.
The biggest factor keeping me on track week in week out came after about six weeks into my journey. I had lost about two stone at this point and was sitting with my oldest son who was 15 at the time just talking about his 16th birthday and me losing some weight. He loves Alton Towers and had always gone with his mum for his birthday, I never went because I couldn’t fit on the rides. So I promised him, I’m going to lose enough weight so I could take him for his 16th birthday and go on the rides with him. It gave me seven months to lose enough weight so I could go with him.
What sort of challenges did you get along the way?
I did have experience of weight loss because I lost about 8 stone before when I was getting married, but then the marriage only lasted six months and I put it all back on again. This time I was doing it for me. I not going to say it was easy because you get moments that are tough, but just knowing I was getting weighed at Weight Watchers each week and the big promise I had made to my son kept me focused.
A big challenge which I overcame was when I was playing cricket for work. I think I had lost about 10 stone at this point. I was batting and somehow I managed to snap my Anterior Cruciate Ligament. This stopped me moving about for two weeks while the swelling came down. I then had ACL surgery about three months later that again put me out of action for a good month. Even though I was out of action I was determined I wasn’t going to put weight on. In fact all the way through my 16 month journey I’ve only put weight on three times.
How did your eating change with Weight Watchers?
Before I dieted for breakfast I was having four sausage and egg sandwiches, lunch would have been four sandwiches and two packets of crisps and dinner would have been fish and chips and four slices of bread. Now breakfast is fruit, lunch is cereal bars and fruit and dinner will be something home-cooked like salad with chips and Warburton Thins.
What other changes did you make to your intake?
Now I don’t have take aways. In fact, last year I set myself a New Year’s resolution to see if I could have five or fewer take aways during the year. I ended up only have four through the year and then it was smaller portions without the bread. I still go into the chip shop now and again to get my boys something but I’m so in control that I won’t get myself anything.
Alcohol would also play a part in the before meals, not a lot but a couple of glasses of wine with the evening meal each night. I’d have a few more at the weekend. After a month of my weight loss journey I stopped drinking for six months to aid my consistent weight loss. My best friend said I became boring but she stuck by me as I was so focused on hitting my goal. I now only have the odd drink at a weekend as a treat.
What tricks have you got for anyone else on Weight Watchers?
If I got hungry then I’d get a couple of low fat biscuits or Jaffa cakes, just a couple and not a packet. If it’s chocolate I crave then I’d have a Highlights hot chocolate which only has 40 calories. The other thing I’d say is that apples are good as they take longer to eat and fill you up more!
How has life changed now you’ve lost the weight?
A big thing that I’ve changed is I no longer spend my spare time playing xbox! I now enjoy walking. Walking has been a big aid through the journey for me. After I had lost about three stone I started to feel good and wanted to do something to help me keep up the consistent 4 lb a week weight loss. So I started walking, just slowly and not too far to start with. I kept upping the distance and I got that little bit faster as I went along.
I came across a great app called Endomundo that tracked my distance and time so I challenged myself along the way. I now go walking every night after work for about four miles and at the weekends I do eight miles each day. I just set the app going, put my podcasts on and away I go. I now do the walking for enjoyment and not because I need to. I never once joined a gym.
Why did you choose walking?
The main thing was because of the added cost at joining the gym, but also I just wouldn’t have felt right going to the gym at the size I was.
Support is a massive part of any weight loss story, who helped you along?
The biggest help would be myself as you need to get in the right mindset. Also I have to say my weight watchers leader Louise (who is on the photo above) she would always be helping and checking to make sure everything was ok. She has now moved on from Weight Watchers but we are still friends and keep each other motivated by checking in from time to time. I was so determined that nothing was going to get in my way.
What did you think of the Weight Watchers’ meetings?
The meetings were good but really it’s knowing that you are getting on the scales at the meeting that keeps you on track. I was the only man who went week in week out, another man did come now and again. I expected it to be that way but wanted to do it and the group made me very welcome. There are still only three men that go now!
If you could go back to the person you were at your heaviest – what would you say to him?
How stupid were you to put the weight back on after losing eight stone the last time? I’m never going back again. A big thing I like now is that I can walk into any shop to buy clothes. When before I could only get clothes from special big men’s outlets. When I started my weight loss I was in 52″ trousers and 4XL tops, I’m now in 32″ trousers and small tops!
If you could pass one law to help the culture of obesity we have what would it be?
The biggest culprit is fast food for most people so I would make it so that everyone could only have one take away per month.
So what happened with the trip to Alton Towers?
By the time his birthday came around I ended up losing nine stone and could fit easily on the rides – check out the picture!
Our thanks to Chris for sharing his story. What’s driving your weight loss? Do you have an ultimate goal?
Amazing Loser: Kristian Norman’s Weight Loss Story
- Name: Kristian Norman (say hi on MAN v FAT Talk)
- Age: 30
- Job: I’m currently writing a book about my experiences, and run the website www.MEandMe.org to help provide relevant information to anyone dealing with similar issues.
- Height: 5′ 10″ (177.8 cm)
- Highest weight: 280 lbs (127 kg)
- Lowest weight: 158 lbs (71.6 kg)
Before we get into the amazing weight loss you’ve achieved, let’s talk pre-diet food – what were you eating on a normal day?
Lots! A typical day would usually include four slices of toast for breakfast, followed by a large bowl of cereal, with four or five teaspoons of sugar and full-fat milk. Mid morning, lunch would be four sandwiches (usually cheese!) accompanied by a packet of crisps and a chocolate bar.
Mid afternoon I’d usually have more chocolate or sweets (quite a lot!), then I’d have a fairly robust dinner followed by dessert and maybe some more toast or a sandwich later in the evening. Looking back now, I can’t quite believe how much I used to eat, especially as I always used to argue that I didn’t eat that much! Denial is a wonderful thing.
You’re still very young but I know that a lot of your life you’ve struggled with ME (Myalgic Encephalopathy) which is a debilitating condition that leaves people feeling a range of symptoms from exhaustion, through to joint pain and trouble concentrating. What impact did that have on your weight?
I had been suffering badly with ME for over seven years, and had been unable to attend school or have much of a life outside my house. Food became something that occupied my time, as well as something I took comfort in when I was feeling particularly unwell or unhappy. A combination of comfort eating and an enforced sedentary lifestyle saw me steadily gain weight throughout my teenage years.
I initially changed my diet to help boost my recovery; I cut refined sugars, caffeine, e-numbers and any artificial additives from my diet, and my energy levels improved instantly. I found myself able to do more, and started walking into town every day; the weight began to come off, and as it did I felt progressively better and better, which encouraged me to keep going.
[blocktext align=”left”] there really is no secret, just self belief and determination.[/blocktext]
So you dieted for health reasons, did you follow a particular programme?
I didn’t follow any specific diet ‘plan’, I just worked out a sensible diet for myself. I’m not a big subscriber to the idea that you have to buy weight loss products or part with cash to lose weight, simply because they present weight loss as something you can’t do alone or without artificial aid – there really is no secret, just self belief and determination.
Was there one factor that made you decide to change?
I don’t remember having a particular “Eureka!” moment, but once I’d recovered from the ME I found myself with the opportunity to live a ‘normal’ life, and I wanted to seize that opportunity with both hands. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life as an obese person. I’d also just become an uncle, and I didn’t want my nephew to get picked on for having a ‘fat uncle’ when the time came for him to go to school; I already knew first hand how cruel kids can be.
What made it different from the times before?
When I’d been ill, food was often the only enjoyment I got out of life; I was too unwell to socialise, and I often comfort-ate to relieve the boredom or cheer myself up. Once I’d recovered from ME, a whole new world opened up to me, and I became far less pre-occupied with food.
What sort of challenges did you come up against when you were losing?
The weight loss itself was fairly straight forward; I paid attention to how the weight came off, and learnt to accommodate changes in my metabolic rate to make sure I continued to lose weight steadily. Afterwards, however, I was left with large amounts of excess skin and tissue, which I’ve had removed through a number of extensive reconstructive surgeries over the last ten years. I’ve had excess skin removed from my chest, stomach, back, buttocks, groin and legs; it’s been a long journey, but well worth the effort!
How has life changed now you’ve lost the weight?
I am a completely different person now; before I was so unfit that I couldn’t walk 100 yards without getting out of breath, whereas I now swim 20km+ a week in my local leisure centre. Before I would have shied away from doing things that others took for granted, such as getting on a plane or going to a theme park, for fear of not fitting in the seats, but these days I don’t even give that a second thought.
Mostly it’s given me confidence in myself, not just because of how different I look physically (although that helps!), but also through knowing that I’d achieved a goal that felt so impossible at the beginning of the journey. It’s a process that’s taught me that all obstacles are overcome one step at a time, no matter how big or small they are.
Who helped you along the way?
I’ve had fantastic support throughout my journey; I owe a debt of gratitude to so many people, from my family and friends who always encouraged me to keep going, to my incredibly supportive reconstructive surgeon and the various medical teams who’ve looked after me (and, on occasion, saved my life) throughout the process of surgical reconstruction. Nobody ‘got in my way’; weight loss is a personal journey, and ultimately the only ones accountable for our successes or failures are ourselves.
[blocktext align=”right”]It’s given me confidence through knowing that I’d achieved a goal that felt so impossible at the beginning of the journey[/blocktext]
What advice do you have for others who are looking to lose weight?
Don’t be fooled by the food packaging. Most items that claim to be ‘low-fat’ are actually packed full of the white stuff. I was horrified at quite how deceptive food companies can be in their marketing campaigns – don’t get taken in!
I would also say don’t be afraid to fail, just make sure you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and persevere if you do. Make sure you’re doing it for yourself and not for anybody else; losing weight is a hugely personal journey that takes real commitment – you have to want it, you have to earn it, and most importantly you have to know that you deserve it. Don’t lose sight of your goal; stay strong and stay determined, and you absolutely will get there. Never give up! Never!
Amazing Loser: Stephen Wood’s Weight Loss Story
- Name: Steve Wood
- Job: NHS IT Professional
- Height: 5’11.5″ (182 cm)
- Highest weight – 327lb (148.3 kg)
- Current weight – 213lb (96.6 kg)
- Please support Steve on his charity fundraising for Wigan and Leigh Hospice
You’ve made such a massive change Steve, it’s hard to imagine what you were like before. What would a normal day have involved?
Pies, pasties, fry-ups, cheese, chocolate, crisps! Then after I changed, a typical breakfast was shredded wheat with Greek yoghurt and honey, I switched white bread for smaller seeded bread, opted for less processed food, more fruit and veg. I still enjoy a mini fry-up and the occasional crisps, chocolate and a beer once a week, but I have to earn those. If I want my “mini full English” on Sunday, I cycle to the supermarket, an eight miles round trip on a Saturday, to get the ingredients. Pay first, enjoy the fry-up guilt free later.
What was it that made you want to change?
I had a mindset that this was just me. This is how it was and I couldn’t change. I’d tried loads of the wrong things to lose weight and I’d just decided that this was the way I was programmed. It was madness. Because of my weight I started on blood pressure pills, and then my daughter took a side-on photo whilst I was on holiday and it all led to this eye-opening realisation that I was not an invincible young lad any more.
As you say, you’d tried lots of different things before – what was it that made it different?
A combination of things but I’d have to say that the gadgets I started using, including the digital scales and the Strava cycling app really helped. It was amazing to see that what I was doing was indeed making a difference. I could measurably see myself getting lighter, faster and stronger. What I was doing in my small changes to my eating and moving was actually working! I just needed then to continue to do more of the same. It just worked! For me, gadgets are the key to actually see that you are improving. Without these, how do you know, and very quickly you go back to your old ways. Get the gadgets, they work for you!
[blocktext align=”left”]For me, gadgets are the key to actually see that you are improving.[/blocktext]
So take us through the changes you made. I know you built your exercise up slowly, tell us about that.
I started off by still driving to work but parking outside work and walking in for eight minutes. Then back to the car after work. 15 minutes total exercise per workday I was not otherwise getting. And saving £30 a month on car parking! Then I took my bike into work, left it there and went out for a half mile / mile cycle at lunchtime in the local woods. Then I started to leave the car at home, walked for 10 minutes from home to the bus stop, caught the bus, then walked from bus stop to work. That saved £120 a month on petrol. Better than that though I got 30 minutes a day exercise and gradually built on the routine my body was used to.
Then in September 2013, I built up the courage to cycle in to work (a grand trip of five miles) for National Cycle to Work Day. It took me 90 minutes. I was absolutely knackered at the end of it. I made myself a promise that if I could do it and survive, I would do it at least once a week until I was fit, come rain or shine. I have not failed on that promise yet, it is now December 2014.
That’s such a good model for anyone else out there reading to use – the notion of just gradually building up. What else helped?
The Strava app really helped as it was telling me I was getting faster day by day, to where now I can complete the same 90 minute five mile original journey in just over 20 minutes, and not be out of breath at the end of it. I also joined Trim Down Shape Up in December 2013. It’s a great men-only fitness group where it’s all blokes together exercising and losing weight in a bloke’s kind of way with fun team games, bloke-ish banter, great camaraderie, super (and vital!) nutritional information and just the best fitness instructors. And its free for the men of Wigan and Leigh. FREE EXTRA LIFE! Who does not want that? Highly recommended.
You’ve continued to love cycling, culminating in an impressive resolution last year.
I made myself a New Year’s Resolution in December 2013 to cycle 1,000 miles in 2014, with my Strava app keeping count. As I write this it is Boxing Day 2014. I have done my 1,000 miles. In fact, I have surpassed it, past 2,000 miles and as I type, I am on 2,972 miles and tomorrow I will be going over my 3,000 mile revised target by cycling from Blackpool Tower to Wigan Pier for Wigan and Leigh Hospice Charity, going further than I have ever gone before on a bicycle ride.
Did you suffer at all from the dreaded plateaus. How did you deal with them?
Because I was using gadgets to measure my progress and the number kept going down I knew I had to just keep doing what I was doing. There were times when my weight just stopped going down for a few days. I had no factual evidence for the reason why, other than what I think was my body’s way of saying “Hang on a minute fella, just give me a minute to shuffle a few thing around in here…”
This is an important message to people losing weight. There will be times when your body will not drop weight for a few days no matter what you do, and I believe it’s just your body’s way of adjusting. When this happens, just rest for a few days, let it “have a minute” and shuffle a few things around and rest and recuperate, but then after a few days, get back on its case and continue, and the weight will start to go again.
How has life changed now you’ve lost the weight?
I can run faster, cycle longer, climb Glastonbury Tor with bike and not be out of breath at the top! I feel more confident in myself, and the best feeling is passing on what I have learned to others and watching them lose weight too. That gives me a really warm glow. I have a lot of people to thank including my family, friends, colleagues, FaceBook friends, and by no means least, Trim Down Shape Up.
What surprised you about losing weight?
Knowing that I could actually do it. Knowing that there was a way to achieve it. The overwhelming support I received by everyone, and the fact that from a 48″ waist I thought I would never again be able to fit into a pair of 36″ waist jeans.
What advice do you have for others in your position?
My advice would be to get a “bloke MOT” from your doctor. Then declare on Facebook that you are going to change – you will receive an overwhelming response of support. Get armed with gadgets such as digital scales, smartphone with Strava app, to monitor your progress. Start off with small changes to your eating and moving habits. Build those changes into routines. Build up on those routines. Start cycling, stay strong and through the initial sore bum of not cycling in 20 years! Cycle one mile every other day, then after a week, go to 1.5 miles every other day, after a month, three miles etc.
Sign up for your local “Trim Down Shape Up” or equivalent group. Keep doing the above but more of it, building and increasing your routines, getting fitter, lighter, faster, until you have golden flashing lights around the numbers that your gadgets are reporting back to you. Make that New Year’s Resolution. Make it achievable. Make it realistic. And when done, you can always double it up or triple it up. I would never have believed it if someone were to say to me in Jan 2013: “Woody, in Dec 2014, you will have cycled 3,000 miles and lost over eight stone in weight!”
BELIEVE! Just start by making small changes, monitor your progress and build up… and if you fancy a fry-up or a chocolate bar or a beer, remember, earn it up front, then enjoy it!
Amazing Loser – Angus Logan – My Weight Loss Story
Name: Angus Logan
Job: I’m a personal trainer now!
Age: 34
Height: 173cm (5’10”)
Highest weight: (243 LB) 110 KG
Lowest weight: (179LB) 81 KG
You’ve lost over 60lbs now Angus and your fitness levels have gone through the roof. I know that you’re a big believer in weight loss starting with personal responsibility, how did you get to that point yourself?
I tried to think of the secret of fat loss, and realised that it was simple: don’t give up. Perhaps I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I had bombarded myself with lots of information about the food industry, that made me sick physically and mentally. How could they sell food the way they did? Why didn’t the government stop them? Then came the realisation: I already had the information. I couldn’t blame the government or the food industry – they were just trying to make a quick buck. The real villain was me. At the end of the day all the information on what to eat and what exercise to do was there. Ronald McDonald wasn’t force-feeding me mutant hamburgers. It was me…
What other excuses had you used in the past?
I realised that it wasn’t my parents’ fault; I didn’t have a fat gene, or any of the five million excuses I told myself in the past. It was me… I was mindless, I wasn’t in control. Was I brainwashed or just lazy by mindlessly shoving empty calories into my face? It wasn’t just about the empty calories. I was consuming through my other senses as well: meaningless stimulus, fake useless TV programmes filled with commercials that made me fatter and sicker. Information in the mainstream media was criminal.
My thoughts, words and actions were not in sync, and I did not practice what I preached: I would tell everyone about the dangers of fast food, but I would consume it myself. But at some point the flip switched in my head and I started to align myself with what I thought. I really wanted the world to get fitter and healthier, and would have liked like to see a ban on unhealthy ‘foods’. But there was another way: all I had to do was to remove unhealthy foods from my reality. If everyone could do the same, these companies would not exist.
So when you mentally found yourself ready to change what did you do practically?
I started to vote with my pounds. I had a choice – a choice to control my reality, maybe not as much as Neo in the Matrix, but I could actively control what food and information I ingested! I had a choice to be healthy and happy as opposed to being sick and unhappy. And sticking to that choice had gradually led to achieving my goals. In short, I needed to be the change, rather than just waiting for one.
I started to align myself with the things that would let me achieve my goals, rather than get off track:
– I stopped watching TV; instead I would watch YouTube tutorials on exercise and nutrition. I really like YouTube coach Matt Wichlinski and kettlebell coach Steve Cotter;
– I started listening to motivational podcasts;
– Waking up at 11-12noon on Sunday was replaced by an 8am run,
– I went from a non-reader to reading countless books on psychology, diet, nutrition, exercise and self-help. I particularly recommend Geoff Thompson.
I had changed from a creature of comfort to a warrior of discomfort. As hard as it was, it had to be done and endured. I had spent all of my life looking for the easiest path. I was lazy, weak and soft, and if I left it any longer the hard road would be to long. There was no better time to start the journey! There is never better time to start anything, than right now. There were of course hurdles and set backs (and still are), but these were just challenges and they could be overcome.
I know you’ve done a lot of research into diets and weight loss – how do you describe your weight loss strategy now?
Over the years I’ve done them all, some I still use, others I’ve left behind.
1) Food combining, where I would not mix starchy carbs with protein and eat fruit on their own. The idea is that the body makes different chemicals to digest carbs and protein in a more efficient way, while fruit digests quickly. So I would normally have meat with vegetables or carbs (rice, pasta etc.) and leave two hours between meals. That gave me good understanding of what protein and a high sugar carb were.
2) Calorie counting, where I would split my macros into 40% of protein 40% of carbs and 20% of fat. I would weigh my food and make lots in bulk and would eat six meals per day. This opened my eyes on how much food I could eat in a day and still lose weight, and the difference in calories in good food vs bad food.
3) Intermittent fasting was a game changer for me. I really didn’t think it would work, and that I would give up on it, but it was easy and effective. I would fast till 1-2pm then eat till 7pm (normally two big meals and a few smaller meals or snacks), then fast till the next day. I was a really bad secret eater, so the great thing with this was no food meant no food, so every time I felt peckish, I could only have water,
What’s your routine like now then?
I self experimented with different diets, and the main takeaways were:
– Eat real food,
– Cut sugar as much as possible,
– Keep educating yourself,
– Get your mind right and the body will follow
Exercise wise I do weight training, high intensity workouts, and some cardio (i.e. CrossFit, running, etc). Higher muscle mass allows me to strip fat easier.
What would you eat over the course of a normal dieting day now?
In the morning I would fast or have a coffee with butter and coconut oil or cream, or bacon and eggs and black pudding and some veg like spinach. I normally workout in the morning lifting weights, sometimes do some high intensity training as well. I occasionally go for a 2-3 mile run.
Lunch is normally some kind of meat, with lots of veg, I normally work from 4-5pm till 9pm, so I’ll have rice cakes with nut butter, or meat, or goats cheese as a snack. Then I’ll have a late meal after work (around 9pm): meat and veg again. If I’m not working then I’ll eat earlier.
I also may fit in a cheeky late workout. I’ll have a protein shake after a workout if I need it for recovery or not going to eat for a while. I also take vitamin d 4000iu per day. I’ll drink lots of herbal teas during winter months and mostly water during summer months
What sort of challenges did you face on the way to dropping the weight?
I was eating well, lifting weights, but I knew I needed to do some cardio. As I hated running, that’s what I decided to do! I read a story about Lance Armstrong’s hill training, which made him unstoppable on the Tour de France. So I thought if I could run up hills it would make the flats easier. Not far from my house there was a stretch of road – 1 and half miles long all up hill – that’s where it started. I would run – stop – run – walk. I was 100% committed to change, even the thought of people seeing a fat guy out running didn’t stop me. I wanted people to see me. I wanted people to know. That was the first hurdle.
The second was the running itself, but the more I did it the better I got. My first mile of nonstop running was all down hill, and I thought: that was it, now I had to do that every time. It didn’t take long before I could run one and half mile up hill and then back down. Then I pushed further and further.
Then there was hurdle number 3. Every time I was running I would need the toilet, so I started running with toilet paper! As much as I started to enjoyed running, I dreaded going because of the embarrassment of jumping into a bush! It seemed unfair, that after putting in so much effort I had to overcome more and more hurdles! Why was it so hard? I really didn’t need any extra problems!
Then the answer popped into my head. All this time I was looking for a weight loss and that was it: all the sh*t that had been accumulating in my body over the years was literally coming out of me. I realised my body was changing and this was its way of cleansing itself.
[blocktext align=”right”]Man up princess![/blocktext]
The next hurdle was planter fasciitis. This halted my running and my progress, so I had to stop running for a while and started doing more kettlebell training.
How has life changed now you’ve lost the weight?
To start with, I don’t have any near misses when I go running now! I have become a lot more adventurous and more confident. I’ve done Tough Mudder, became a personal trainer and done my CrossFit level one training. Being able to go swimming with my kids is huge, as this is something I have been avoiding for 20 years.
I have a job I love and feel great in my own skin. People are always looking for wealth and health, but if I had to choose one I would choose health. Wealth is not much use if you can’t enjoy it being trapped in a fat body. A fit strong body can’t be bought; it has to be worked for, so I feel like a health millionaire and I’m working on billionaire fitness status.
If you could go back to the person you were at your heaviest – what would you say to him?
Man up princess! All the things you want are just at the edge of your comfort zone.
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