The best way to describe myself prior to joining LiveUp was a yo-yo dieter. I would go through phases of being relatively lean and phases of being unhappy with where I was at and would be an emotional eater.
I’ve never led a particularly unhealthy lifestyle, but since moving away from a city in 2014 it became a struggle to find a gym in close proximity. This prompted me to invest in a home gym, and the garage quickly became the home for the gym equipment.
The move in 2014 coincided with the arrival of our first baby, so time also became an issue. In 2018, when our second baby arrived, this became an even greater challenge as sleepless nights took their toll. When you’re tired and struggling for time it’s all too easy to make unhealthy food choices and snack all day.
I’d been an avid follower of Nick Mitchell and Ultimate Performance for a number of years, and more recently, Elliott Upton. I always dreamed about achieving my own transformation on the same scale as what they have become famous for.
I finally decided to sign up to LiveUp the week of my 39th birthday. My initial goal was to be in a much better place physically and feel healthier before I turned 40. I was feeling my age and not particularly healthy. I had constant aches all over my body, and I couldn’t carry my baby upstairs without getting out of breath. I have a one and five year old and didn’t want to be a dad who didn’t have the energy to run around in the garden after his children. My boys are my inspiration and motivation to be fit and healthy.
The meal plan revolves around making your own food choices from a wide list of foods for each group of carbs, fats, and proteins. My general rule when shopping was to stick to the perimeter of the supermarket where all of the fresh fruit, vegetables, and fresh meat would be. Avoiding the aisles means there is no temptation to buy junk food.
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I thought I knew my way around a workout routine and could put a decent plan together. However, these days there is so much conflicting information on training frequency and workout splits that I was becoming confused and found myself hopping from one program to the next without making progress.
When I first saw the workout plan I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was made up of full body workouts three times per week with some cardio-based interval sessions twice a week.
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A vital part of the plan was hitting a daily step target. Initially, I didn’t appreciate the impact this would have on my results, but Elliott kept hammering this home during our weekly check ins. Once I hit compliance on the step goal the fat began to melt off me at a much more rapid rate. Taking time to go for a walk each day enabled me some valuable timeout to clear my head.
Within a matter of weeks I started seeing changes in my body shape, and by the end of the first month, the belly fat was disappearing and a layer of abs were beginning to show. I went from around 18 percent body fat to approximately 9 percent in 12 weeks.
I now feel much healthier, confident, and happier. It’s a huge responsibility raising children so I love the positive influence that this has had on my son, and it makes me feel proud that he wants to follow in my footsteps and join me in the gym every weekend.
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