Andy has the last laugh by losing 2 ½ stone
“Who ate all the pies, who ate all the pies…” You can imagine Andy’s horror when he overheard his work colleagues chanting this, and realised they were talking about him. So after Christmas last year, Andy embarked upon a new healthy eating regime. He lost 8 lbs by himself but by May, he was making no further progress, and decided he needed help. Andy found our website and realised we offered everything he needed, so he registered for our programme. Now he’s 2 ½ stone lighter, and back to the weight he was 20 years ago!
Andy joined us with a starting weight of 13 st 7 lbs, and with a height of 5’ 9”, this gave him a BMI of 28 – in the overweight category. He now weighs in at 11 st 1 lbs and his BMI has fallen to 23, right in the middle of the ‘healthy weight for height’ category.
He admits to feeling healthier than ever. “Getting to the last notch on my belt was the last straw. I’d gone beyond being able to suck my stomach in, and being on holiday around the pool was a nightmare. My kids love swimming but I hated being the blob dad around the pool”.
Andy had previously tried another well known diet plan but felt that he didn’t receive any education about his eating habits. “The focus was more about abstaining from eating, and for that to work, you need serious willpower. I didn’t receive any advice on changing my existing eating habits, so when I stopped following the diet, so the relief of being let loose was the trigger to gaining pounds.”
Our programme proved to be much more beneficial, and easier for Andy to follow. “The meal plans have been great. It’s all there for you and you don’t have to count calories or anything else. You don’t need to know if you’re over or under your daily quota – you just stick to the plan and you know you’re on track. The flexibility of the plan is great too. It’s not ‘prescriptive’, it’s ‘adaptive’. If you don’t like what’s in there, you change it.”
“There’s so much to choose from that it’s easy to make every day of the week different (even after 8 months!). You never get stuck in a rut, and there’s more than enough variety. That said, favourite meals can be saved and are always there to slot into the plan to give familiarity when it’s needed.”
Andy’s family have also benefited from the healthy options on his Gi plan. “My wife doesn’t need to lose weight, but she does like to eat healthily. Our two daughters usually eat the same things we do and we have all enjoyed trying new recipes. One thing that has helped is that I was so keen to make this work, and enthusiastic to try new things, that I’ve ended up preparing many of the meals myself!”
“I can guarantee I get my 5 portions of fruit and veg per day now where as before, I couldn’t have guaranteed 5 a week. I’ve been introduced to ways of making everyday meals healthier – there’s no need for lashings of butter in a sandwich when reduced fat mayo is nicer. Portion sizes can be larger than you think if you do things the right way. Vegetables, salad and fruit can fill you up with a meal so there are no excuses for being hungry. Diets don’t have to mean one bowl of cereal for a meal! Regular filling meals can make all the difference.”
As well as healthy eating, Andy also incorporated exercise as part of his weight loss programme. “I started running to get myself into better shape. Fifteen years ago, I used to cycle a lot and was a reasonable club racer. But after my first run, I felt like I was going to collapse from exhaustion after only a mile and a half! I’m now running 20+ miles per week and as the weight fell off, I’ve improved leaps and bounds. I’m now entering races from 10 km to half marathons and I can outrun all of the guys in my office. Who’s having the last laugh now?!”
“As well as running, many aspects of life are now easier. My youngest daughter was learning to ride her bike, and I was more than able to run alongside her and support her, rather than flaking out after two minutes and shouting hints after her! It’s the difference between taking part and making it happen, and sitting on the sidelines and only watching.”
Andy is clearly delighted with his success, and he’s not the only one. “Everybody I know who knew the old, larger me is somewhat surprised by my success, but delighted for me. Compliments are a great and powerful thing. After being ‘oversized’ for so long, I suppose people are surprised that I’ve done something like this and stuck to it. When I mention that I run over 20 miles per week, people think I’m joking - until I offer to race around the block to prove it! In the mirror I look like the guy who looks after himself, and the best bit is that it’s really me!”
Finally, Andy is determined to maintain his healthy new look. “Maintaining my current weight should be easy, now that I know how to do it. With a host of recipes that I love, and a better idea of what healthy eating really is, there’s no way that I’m going back to where I was a year, or even six months ago. It’s just not worth it, and I’d be letting myself down more than anyone else.”
