Hi there, I’m now thinking this would be a good time to introduce myself and to tell you a little bit about my journey to where I am today, now wanting to help people like you to become a better version of yourself.
So I was always the fat kid, not obese, but chubby. My mother told me a story only as I was much older that she always wanted us to have plenty of really nice food available to us as she never had food as a priority in her life growing up…. I took full advantage of that 😊
In my primary school years, growing up in the 80’sand 90’s we were always outside and being active. I was good at sport and gave everything a go so I was never given grief for being chubby. Although we had the Sega Megadrives and the Playstations, the worst punishment for me was being grounded and not allowed outside to play with the neighbourhood kids. Depending on the season, rugby and soccer in winter, or cricket in summer, I would cry at the window watching all the other kids playing in the street.
So I was active but I always ate big portions at meal times as I loved food. I remember always having milo, nesquick, assorted cream biscuits and bread in the cupboard – which were all abused at times in large quantities. In that era it was all about fat being bad so in our house we had low-fat everything… yoghurt, cream, milk… but we now know that when the fat is taken away it has to be replaced with something else to make it taste good, which is sugar, so everyone including my younger self had s**t loads of low-fat dairy.
As I moved into high school, and the early years 8, 9 and 10, I continued to play soccer and was fairly active. By years 11 and 12 I was still eating the same way however I no longer played sport as I lost interest and my parents never came to watch me play. And of course, the uniforms, boots, mouthguards, etc cost a s**t load so the sport went by the wayside. I was still relatively active with the local neighbourhood kids but even this was slowing down as most of my friends were focusing more on doing well with their school work (looking back I wish I did as well). So the sporting events and activities became non-existent.
I copped a little s**t in my senior years, not heaps but the odd sly remark, like when having arguments with close mates they would bring out the old “it’s just ‘cause you’re fat” or “come on fatty, let’s go”. I am tall and thought I held my weight well. I knew I was bigger and didn’t need reminding of that which really ate at me. So, just out of high school, I signed up at a local gym and started running with a mate from up the road. I started to see good results after 3 months and then I started my career as a chef (when you don’t do well at school you usually end up in a trade…).
I started working crazy hours, 9am to 3pm, a short break and then 5pm to 11pm, and working between 5 and 7 days a week straight! With that, the gym stopped and didn’t start up again for 18 years. After 3 years I finished my apprenticeship and started to land work in some nice restaurants with very nice food, soft cheeses, lots of fresh bread, cured meats, desserts, beers after work…. and more. With this trade and industry also came smoking, taking drugs and drinking, all which made my weight and health deteriorate.
I also found the love of my life through this messy part of my life, we got married and after a couple of years became pregnant with our first bub. Through the pregnancy I ate alongside my wife with any craving she had, sitting in bed watching movies and eating a whole bag of potato chips and a whole block of dairy milk chocolate, letting extra food creep in throughout our day, especially on my days off. Don’t get me wrong, I was brought up to have plenty of veggies on my plate. And having my cooking trade, we have always eaten well and known how to cook well.
My big “I have to do something about my weight long term” moment came after the birth of my first little girl. But the weight loss journey for me started a few years before this. Never taking my shirt off at the beach, or the few times I did I was extremely self-conscious, thinking everyone was looking and commenting, and I was making sure to suck that s**t in so at least I felt skinnier. I would grab handfuls of fat, either my gut or the skin under my neck, jiggling it, slapping it, in front of the mirror. I would talk down to myself saying “f**k you’re fat” or “you really need to do something about this big boy”. I was always adjusting my already extra-large shirt, it always felt tight around the “moobs” and I thought pulling it away would make it look less tight against… and for the people who would be the last to give a s**t, that good looking guy running on the beach with his shirt off, and I’m thinking “put a shirt on ya grub, showing off, no one cares, put it away…” only because I never in my wildest dreams ever thought it would be possible to look like that.
This is my wife Laura and I on a breakfast out with my Mum and Dad, as the “last supper” before our due date one week later (turns out though our baby girl was in our arms the following day). I was 109.8kg. Enough was enough!
So I started my journey. I finally got to my goal weight of under 80kg and it took true grit and trying everything, from long hours of cardio, running thousands of kilometres, burpees, lunges, crunches, star jumps, throwing around weights like I knew what I was doing… 3 and a half years of sort of just trying everything and anything. And the diet train came too… keto, paleo, high fat low carb, low fat high carb, high protein low fat low carb, juice diets, fasting, blah, blah, blah… all of this while still working in kitchens, doing crazy hours, but hardening up and getting my training done every day.
I really enjoyed my health and fitness journey so decided to study Certificate 3 and 4 in Fitness
Now I’m a trainer with a private studio gym (garage transformation).
Teaching people like you who have also struggled with weight your whole life.
And to reassure you that it is in fact possible to be happier, fitter and healthier with the body you currently have.
I used to think (when I was fat) “yeah whatever” about sayings like “ your body is a temple” and “you are what you eat”… but I’m telling you, these are in fact very true.
I will:
- teach you how to lose the excess weight properly
- teach you how to train properly
- encourage you to eat better
- help you monitor your food diary
- bring back your passion for life
- take your health to the next level
- bring the energy and vitality to your work and to your weekends.
What are you waiting for? Book your first free consultation with me today!
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