Despite my active status in the sport, particularly cycling,
department I have always been ashamed of my body tales of which I could tell
you go back to being a teenager but truth of the matter is Ive never really
liked my body and in particular the chunky bits. Over the years it’s been self-inflicted
at times, while at times there were mitigating factors but I have been
overweight and hated myself. I detest a photo of me on holiday at the pool. I
suck everything in when a photographer takes pics at cycle events. A bad
looking phot can have me feeling ashamed for days.
That was until now. For the first time in years I am quite
proud of how I am looking. If I rewind a little to 2000. You may or may not see
in the photos a scar on my lower back. At the age of 20 I suffered a prolapsed
disc in the L4,5 region which resulted in chronic sciatica and eventually a
microdiscectomy (basically spinal surgery to remove a piece.)
For the year and a half I waited for my surgery I could do
nothing physical at all and as the metabolism of youth faded the only comfort I
got was eating. And boy did I eat. Even
after the surgery (which was a success) I continued my eating patterns till my
eureka moment.
Walking down the street on a February day with no jacket on
I was soaking in sweat. I looked at myself and thought “You are disgusting!”
I went to my nearest weight watchers that night to find I
was just shy of 20stones.
Weight watchers helped me shift 4 stones or so but there I
hovered for a few years till I found cycling which sharpened things up but I
was still overweight.
I tried intermittent fasting which had limited success but I
overate on the other days. I was fit but still ashamed of myself in lycra. I
wanted my daughter to have a fit dad not a fat dad by the pool and that
stubborn fat that won’t leave needed a fight.
So that old adage of trying the same thing over and over
again and expecting different results took a hit on the head. My eating was
healthy but portion sizes ridiculous. In between meals I ate shit and my brain
would tell me I hadn’t. Id get bored and go to the fridge.
A change was needed.
I signed up to the bodycoach 90 day plan with Joe Wicks and
never looked back.
First of all I was cycling 10000km a year but clearly my
training needed something else and his HIIT workouts hit the spot, if you
pardon the fun. Quick, hard and intense they were easy to fit into my day and
around my cycling. I was meant to do 4-5 a week. Ill admit to only two or three
as I race my bicycle and still needed to fit that training in. I have to say my
work with Physioflexx Physiotherapists on 3 years of pilates was the best base
for this training I could have hoped for to make sure I avoided injury and had
good form and core.
The food was a life changer. Planning amounts for meals clearly
made a difference and for the first time I changed my eating habits to lose
weight and was never hungry yet didn’t over eat. I have totally ditched sweets
and crisps and don’t miss them at all and learned to cook a whole range of meals
I never dreamed possible. I learned what type of meals I should be eating and
when which has really supported my exercise.
So the benefits? Well I have lost 18lbs (8.5kg in new
money). I am 12 and a half stones. Something I haven’t been since I was 13 or
14 years old.
I feel fitter. During the process I actually won a race on
my mountain bike and placed 8th in Cyclocross race. You can cycle
faster when better muscles are driving less weight.
I’ve lost 6 inches from my hips and waist. I’m starting to
actually look good in clothes and bought a pair of jeans for the first time in
years that don’t have to have a big saggy arse.
Other benefits include feeling more energised, better skin,
shhh pooing better and my dry eyes aren’t as dry.
The Bodycoach is the best thing I have done for my health
and body and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
The journey hasn’t finished yet though. There is still
muffin top to lose. I want to look good for those Florida holiday pics next
summer and as 2019 brings my 40th birthday I want to continue to
prove age is a number and get better every year.
