When the deadly first wave of the pandemic hit, 36-year-old Steve feared Covid-19 could kill him if he caught the virus.
He weighed over 127kg (280lbs), his blood pressure was high and heart problems ran in his family ā all worrying risk factors that put him firmly in the danger zone for Covid-19.
But instead of letting fear and excuses paralyse him, he decided to take back control of his health by starting a transformation with the LiveUP programme.
Itās the best investment he could have made in himself.
Now he has lost over 30kg (66lbs), brought his blood pressure back to safe levels and significantly reduced his mortality risk for Covid-19.

āSo far with LiveUP, I have lost 33kg (73lbs) and counting. I have halved my body fat ā I started at 41% and Iām now at 18.9% with my target of 10% in sight!
āMy clothes sizes have gone from 2XL tops to an M-L,Ā and my trousers have gone from a 42-inch waist to a 34-36 inch.
āI have now finally been able to pull my bodyweight to do bodyweight pull-ups which has always been a goal of mine.”
āFrom a health point of view, my blood pressure is spot on and friends and family now ask what Iāve done, what I eat,Ā andĀ theyĀ have made changes themselves which is amazing.ā
Thinking back to before he startedĀ LiveUP, Steve says his health was in a bad way.
He had always been fit and healthy ā he was sporty, played squash and football, and lifted weights in the gym.
But when he started working behind a desk, his activity levels dropped, his diet went downhill, and his weight just skyrocketed.
āI actually used to work in a gym but became massively disillusioned with the fitness industry and left it to work in an office job at a school. It was then that I started gaining weight.
āBefore LiveUP, I wasnāt tracking or even acknowledging my daily activity, but now I look back it was woefully low.
āWorking shifts of 10-plus hours mostly sat down at a desk with a vending machine sat right outside the office ready for when discipline slips, followed by a negative mindset of āIāve ruined it now soĀ IĀ may as well write the day offā,Ā and more poor choices followed.
āIt was a bad relationship with food that I now recognise and Iām proud to say these things donāt even go through my mind anymore.ā
This negative cycle of no exercise and poor diet choices quickly snowballed.
Steve was only in his mid-thirties, but he was on a dangerous path and he knew it.
āIt isnāt an exaggeration to say U.P. not only changed me, but probably saved me from myself.
āI was only heading one way and itās only now I look back that worryingly I didnāt see myself as being that big or in that bad a shape.”
āTwo years back I had knee surgery and my blood pressure was worryingly high pre-op, but I would use excuses that it was anxiety when really I was just an accident waiting to happen.ā
But when the coronavirus pandemic hit, it brought the importance of his health into sharp focus.
He knew he needed to take immediate action to lose weight and get fit again.
āAt the start of all this there was the fresh threat of Covid and I took a hard look at myself and thoughtĀ āif I getĀ this,Ā Iām not sure Iād survive.ā
āI was massively overweight, my blood pressure was high and I had heart issues in the family. I had an opportunity right here and now to make a change.”
āMy goals were simple ā to come out of lockdown a new person. I wanted to get down to below 10% body fat and have abs to show others it can be done from my starting point of nearly 20 stone and 41% body fat.
āIām not there just yet, but I know itās coming with the help of U.P. holding me accountable.ā
It was now or never for Steve to get back in shape and bolster his health.
He set aside his excuses, signed up forĀ LiveUPĀ and committed himself to the transformation process.
āI had been feeling horrendous for quite some time. Itās very easy when you gain weight to my extent that you are just exhausted all the time and the more down and tired you get, the more you turn to food and the cycle continues.
āBut the good news is it doesnāt take long to snap out of that cycle if you set your mind to it.ā
For too long, Steve had been stuck inĀ thisĀ cycle of eating junk, feeling tired and eating more junk.
But having a programme and meal plan to follow and a community of like-minded people inĀ LiveUPĀ to keep him accountable, things quickly started to change.
āOnce I startedĀ LiveUP, I gave my head a good shake and stuck to the plan asĀ ElliottĀ (Head ofĀ LiveUP)Ā explained.
āIt was simple and no stress at all ā stick to the foods listed, stick to the portions stated and each week I did my progress pictures, weighed in and there was a difference.”
āThat was all the motivation I needed!
āEach day I would religiously hit 10,000 steps minimum. Once I was back at work, my outlook had already changed, I would now find ways to get my steps at work even if I had to walk laps for 10 minutes.ā
Back when Steve was at his heaviest, he would live off processed junk foods that left him feeling tired, lethargic and always craving more.
Breakfast would be a flapjack washed down with a Monster energy drink. Lunch would be sandwiches, crisps and an afternoon trip to the vending machine for a snack. For dinner, it would be huge portions of chicken with rice, pasta and potatoes, followed by chocolate later in the evening.
LiveUPĀ helped him refocus on nutritious and satiating foods that helped support his body transformation goals and energy levels.
āIād swap the flapjack for eggs, nuts, fruit, and the Monster toĀ Amplify. The two sandwiches were reduced to one, and it was chicken salad on brown bread with celery and carrot sticks with peanut butter.
āEvening meals were now portion-controlled with a quarter cup of rice or a fist-sized sweet potato with steak and mixed vegetables, for example.
āAt no point during the 36 weeks have IĀ feltĀ bored of the diet eitherĀ āĀ itās what you make of it and itās become a lifestyle that I donāt even have to think about. Itās been easy and at no point have I tracked calories.ā
Training throughout the lockdown and seeing his progress has been a joy.
āI love the variety of the training phases, and I love having a new training plan to follow every month so you donāt get bored.
āEach session is a challenge and each week is a chance to improve on your last week’s results.
āI have done the lastĀ nineĀ phases all using a home gym and itās worked a treat as all of the exercises can be done with your basic equipment.ā
Steveās commitment to the programme and his consistency with his diet and training has paid dividends for his health and wellbeing.
He can feel the difference every day.
āStrangely, I was pretty strong and relatively fit, considering my weight, from my past of working in the gym.Ā I had always lifted weights, I was still playing football once a week, squash and would try most sports.
āOnce I startedĀ LiveUP,Ā though, my energy was so much better, I am fitter than I have been at any point in my life.
āWhen restrictions lifted last year, and I went back to football, I was mind-blown how much fitter and faster I was.ā
Itās not just the physical changes that have been so gratifying for Steve ā mentally, the benefits have been life-changing.
āI have come out of this mentally stronger, with a better relationship with food where I can still enjoy foods but know how to implement them and not hinder progress.
āMy relationship with food was so bad that a bad day at work, stressed or anxious would see me at the drive-thru turning to food.
āI can honestly say those days are well behind me now. Fitter, healthier and now I shrug negativity off and previous anxiety and panic attacks are a thing of the past.ā
INVEST IN YOUR LIFELONG HEALTH AND FITNESS LIKE STEVE WITH LIVEUP ONLINE COACHING.Ā
- We show you the best, we don't show you the worst.
- We show you people who follow the plans, not those who are all talk.
- We show you those who inspire even us with their commitment to their results.
- You cannot get results exactly like these. You are unique and that means you can only get your own best possible results.
- Your results are a function of time spent following the plan; your genetic response to the right exercise and diet program; how hard you train; how consistently you come to the gym; how disciplined you are with your diet; & your starting point.
- Oftentimes the lower your starting point (poor fitness, terrible body composition) the better your results.
- We cannot do the work for you and the results you see here are a testament to the work ethic of our clients.
- Our reputation is that we are the best trainers in the world for helping you to unlock your potential, & we can lead you to the door, give you the key, even turn the handle and push the door open, but we cannot walk through it for you.
In the end the result is down to you.
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