Like most men in their early 50s I had slowly put on some extra kilos over the years. A busy job, business travel, restaurant meals and alcohol were all catching up with me.
I used the myth of a slowing metabolism as we age as an excuse. I saw that most of my peers at work were also carrying extra weight so I used that as an excuse too. I effectively normalised the fact I had a BMI approaching 30 when there was nothing normal about it.
A routine check up with my GP was a wake up. At 86kg, I was at least 10-12kg overweight and my fasting blood sugar results indicated that I was at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. I did the maths – if I continued putting on a kilo a year I would reach retirement somewhere around 100kg and probably with diabetes. No thanks! I needed to do something – and fast.
So like most men in their early 50s I bought a new pair of high end running shoes and joined a gym. I spent the next 3 months punishing myself for an hour, six days a week but only lost 3 kilos – which I quickly put back on again (plus some more).
Next I did some reading about diets and decided to cut back on the size of my meals. As an engineer, I figured it was a simple energy equation – if you use more calories by exercising than you consume then surely I would start losing weight, right? Wrong. I perservered for months with that approach to no avail – the weight stayed stubbornly in place.
I needed help. So I reached out to Andre. Together we worked on the fundamentals of nutrition, exercise, hydration and sleep. By making better choices of what I ate, rather than how much I ate, the weight started falling off. I was losing about a kilo per week over the 12 weeks of one on one coaching. I was still exercising too, but doing it in a more targeted manner rather than smashing myself, over training and risking injury. And I never felt like I was starving – rather, I had a proper appetite again. Eating and sleeping better lifted my mood, improved my concentration levels at work and boosted my motivation to continue improving my nutrition, lifestyle and exercise habits.
My overall health has improved dramatically – all my blood parameters are back in the normal range and apparently I’ve stopped snoring! I have probably added at least a decade to my life – and it will be quality time. My partner loves the lighter (non snoring) version of me and I’m wearing clothes that haven’t fitted me for years. In fact I’ve had to buy new business suits and jeans!
Reach out to Andre. You’ve got nothing to lose except the kilos.
Martin Griffiths
Executive Director – Melbourne
