Michael’s life was busy to say the least. He worked and played hard, giving his body a few knocks in the process. He learned to be tough, ignoring injuries, pains and aches along the way. There came a time however when the body could no longer stand the pace, and in his mid-forties Michael realised all was not well.
He had developed serious back pain, knee problems, acid reflux and other digestive problems. What followed was a series of explorative scans and tests to find out the cause, the conclusion that a knee operation was inevitable. Michael was dealing with a lot of stress at the time, and was running on a poor diet and too much alcohol.
He knew that his weight of 17 stones was a big problem and had tried unsuccessfully to diet 3 times. But when his consultant thought he was displaying signs of lung disease, Michael got the fright he needed to take responsibility especially as he had a wife and five children to consider. He decided to sign up to a structured weight loss programme and in October 2013 took his first step with a visit to Motivation.
By examining not just the overall weight, but also his body composition, Michael and Aimee his Adviser decided on a target weight based on losing fat and maintaining muscle. Michael found the nutritional guidance vital in that he learnt quickly how to manage his blood sugars, so as not to get too hungry. The whole family started to eat more healthily which led to less waste and smaller shopping bills. He also learned to manage stress better by fuelling his body with the right foods and using the cognitive behavioural techniques demonstrated in the books and cd’s. Stress was helped by reducing alcohol which he was using as a reward and to sleep better, as he realised in fact it was having the opposite effect as a depressant and dehydrator. Michael started to feel alive again, he was able to cope much better and felt his life was getting better with every pound he lost.
His main learning curve was that diets alone don’t work, they are centred on the scale and lead to yo yo-ing but no real progress. It is “THE SHIFT IN THINKING” that makes the difference, which is what Michael loved about Motivation. “Life enhancement” is how he describes it, not deprivation or a hard slog but inspirational, enlightening and the way to learn about yourself. “Accepting the things that need to change and repeating new healthy habits and behaviours leads to a new healthy norm.” Michael reiterates that “it is not 5 days a week but 7 if you really want the rewards long term, don’t fool yourself with taking weekends off. Exercise is consistent and enjoyable, great for mental health and keeping aches and pains at bay.” Michael has no acid reflux, there is no need for knee surgery and his back pain is reduced by 80%. At age 52 he sees this as his new lifestyle, an ongoing process to stay at his current weight of 12.12. He is continuing with the MAINTENANCE part of the programme which he knows is crucial to keep his attitude and weight healthy. “The programme was brilliant” he says “now I want to enjoy keeping off the weight, as I’ve never done that before.”
For more about how Motivation can help you reach your weight loss goals contact your local clinic.
