Simon asks Phil on how he has found the journey over the last five months exercising and eating properly which has helped him get fit quickly and healthy.
Q – Why did you get in contact with a personal trainer?
I got in touch with Simon after being diagnosed with high blood pressure after a routine check up with my GP. I had looked at Simon’s website around 12 months before I actually bothered to do something about it. A further 6 months later, after my diagnosis which uncovered a slight left ventricular hypertrophy and possible future risk of diabetes, I contacted Simon. I also have knee problems which arose from football in the past, which contributed to my increased body weight. I also work from home where I am sitting at a PC most of the day, so exercise is limited to an exercise bike a couple of times per week. My starting weight was 108.7kg.
Q – What is your new exercise routine after starting personal training?
I currently do between 4 and 6 sessions a week from home varying from 30 minutes to 1 hour in duration. I have a home workout programme from Simon, which I try to do at least 2/3 times a week. Most of the time I go on my exercise bike at least 4 times a week for 30 minutes using the specific training principles Simon gave me. I have changed this around a couple of times for added freshness and also when needed. I have to make time to do my sessions around work, but usually have a quite spell late afternoon where it’s easier to fit in.
Q – What changes did you make to your nutrition?
Nutrition is the biggest change I made, I have gone from at least 2 takeaways a week – biscuits as snacks and most meals consisting of processed food with chips, to now having chicken, turkey, pork, salmon and fresh fish with vegetables, and the occasional salad with a small portion of brown/black rice or brown pasta. My portion sizes have changed, so now I have a small piece of meat or fish and over half my plate consists of vegetables or salad which is a big change as previously any meal with vegetable was just carrots and peas whereas now it’s mostly vegetables. My snacks now consist of fruit which is something I had never done before. I did worry at first whether I would stick to the nutrition, but actually I enjoy it and don’t really go hungry. I lost 2kg in the week between my initial consultation with Simon and my first training session, just by the changes to my diet and have stuck to it probably about 97% of the time. I do have the odd biscuit here and there and have had a couple of takeaways since I started, but I don’t miss them as much as I thought I would.
Q – How did you motivate yourself to make the physical and nutritional changes?
At first, the need to lose weight helped me focus, but after time it has become natural. There is a novelty at first to do it, which can wear off, but with encouragement from Simon and family I have stayed on track. I now see it as part of my everyday routine, which I hope to keep up when my sessions with Simon are over.
Q – How did you keep track of your weight and were you happy with the results?
I have regular weight checks in my session with Simon and also at home – plus I use MyFitnessPal app to keep track of progress. I am delighted with my results so far, which at time of writing has seen me lose 22.1 kg in approx 5 months. I have found out that I have a partial tear of my right ACL and arthritis in both knees after an MRI scan. Simon advised me to request this with my GP, as the knees weren’t getting any better with continued strength training and weight loss. This has ultimately limited me to some of the training I wanted to do.
Q – Do you consider your new habits a lifestyle change and will you continue keeping up your new routine?
I certainly aim to continue with this routine as my blood pressure is now at a normal level, and I no longer have a consultant trying to get me to take 3 different types of medication. I enjoy the change in nutrition so will have no problems keeping that up.
Q – What are your goals for the future?
I have had 2 blocks of sessions with Simon and am just about to start my 3rd. I expect this to be my final block as I am nearing my target weight goal of around 83kg. This will give me the grand loss of 4 stone, and I will be aiming to maintain that weight in the future.
More information on Healthy eating habits here.