At 52 years old, living in Mt Martha on the Mornington Peninsula, Frank was your poster boy for what not to do when it comes dieting. He’d tried them all (apart from the cabbage soup diet, that was a step too far). Frank eventually got tired of being overweight and wanted to ensure he lived a long, healthy life alongside his two daughters, and could eventually walk them down the aisle one day. This is his story.
I did a lot of travelling with my job and I was just lazy. So, when it came to the weekend, I just wanted to relax, meaning exercising and watching what I was eating was not really a priority. I really didn’t watch what I was eating and definitely did not have a balanced diet like I have today, I was not keeping an eye on my carbohydrate and alcohol intake, which looking back now was high. I would have a drink most nights while I was away from home.
On the exercise front did very little, I would go for the odd walk but nothing consistent like I do today.
I was away for a weekend with my wife and friends, and I’d been to this location before, I’d gone for a walk and remember it being a lot easier the first time. I realised I was so unfit and it was time to make some changes for good. Also, it sounds a little corny, but I have two teenage daughters and I’d like to be able to walk them up the aisle, my sedimentary lifestyle just wasn’t cutting it.
I started to follow The Fast 800 program, a 12 week program where you have no alcohol and you only eat 800 cal per day, following a Mediterranean style diet.
I’d been a fan of Dr Michael Mosley and had heard about The Fast 800 program via the landmark documentary series, Australia’s Health Revolution, made in South Australia. So, I signed up and was pleasantly surprised with the diversity of the food options available, with very little waste.
My favourite hacks:
1. Make an omelette with capsicum, baby spinach, and parmesan cheese when you need to pull something together quickly.
2. Go for a decent walk for over 45 mins every day and introduce a little jog, your body needs to feel the walk. A gentle stroll won’t cut it. I also joined a gym and love the spin classes.
Over the 12-week period I lost 22kgs.
Now, I exercise every day and have also taken up Pilates, which has really, really helped with my energy levels. So between Spin and Pilates classes, I walk my dogs a minimum of 30 minutes every day. I have also taken on the Melbourne stair climb which is walking up 28 flights of stairs with breathing apparatus and fall firefighting gear which means you’re carrying 25kgs on your back. There is no way before I would have even attempted doing this.
My top tip for others looking to achieve similar results would be to keep away from the booze for the 12 weeks. This is coming from a man who loves red wine and pale ales. Spoil yourself when it comes coffee and teas, black is best so don’t buy cheap! Clean out your freezer and do loads of meal prep, so there’s no temptation mid-week when you can’t be bothered to cook. If you can have you last meal by 7pm and breakfast after 8am, great and drink water!
