You need only take a cursory scroll through Instagram to see the plethora of fitness trainers out there, all of them boasting ripped bods, washboard abs, and the kind of bulging biceps that belong on a Marvel superhero. It might make for aspirational viewing, but when you’re looking down at the kilos that have taken up residence on your stomach, it can be less than inspiring. After all, these are people whose job it is to work out and be fit.
In an effort to remove this disconnect between potential clients and his own personal training, one vegan fitness instructor sought to pack on a staggering 25kg of ‘pure fat’ to then boast the weight loss potential of following a whole-food, plant-based diet plan. In going from fit to fat, Andrew Roberts not only is inspiring others to embark on his fitness journey alongside him, but has also developed greater empathy with those clients feeling like fitness lies too far out of their purview. If you’ve ever gained weight and found yourself so out of shape the idea of returning to a state of health seems like an impossible uphill battle, Roberts is here to show that you can get back to the place you once were – and even exceed your expectations to become even fitter.
Roberts increased his body fat by 17 per cent in just six months to reach a state where he is now declared medically obese. To do this, he ate purely vegan ‘junk’ food every day, but told Plant Based News that the journey was ‘extremely hard.’ The fitness trainer had too top working out to gain the weight and went from a body fat percentage of 10 per cent to now 27 per cent.
“As well as struggling mentally, I have also had a scare physically. It ended in me having to go to hospital after having pains in my chest, left arm and leg,” Roberts explained to Plant Based News. He revealed that his sleep significantly deteriorated and the motivation he once had to work out and be healthy became nonexistent as his mindset turned to one of constant negativity. During the process, Roberts observed just how big an impact diet and lack of exercise has on one’s mental health.
Having endured the turmoil of weight gain, Roberts is now embarking on losing the weight following a healthy plant-based diet, showing others the benefits that come with going plant-based. “I want to inspire those who are struggling with overeating, and mental health difficulties as a result of the pandemic.”
“I am now going to lose all the weight I have put on in the next six months,” said Roberts. “And share my journey to show how powerful and effective a whole food plant-based diet can be for healthy weight loss. My hope is that people will see this journey and be inspired to try a vegan diet to help lose weight.”
Over the next six months, Roberts will be documenting his journey and the diet plan he’s using to get there over on his Instagram account. At a time where we tend to only see the “after”, it’s refreshing to see someone celebrate the process and inspire others to do the same.
