Matt, a 47-year-old IT professional in banking, once lived a fit and active life – but the fallout from COVID sent him into a downward spiral.
He lost control of his health, gained over 20kg (44lbs), and became socially withdrawn, hiding from friends and avoiding his reflection in the mirror.
With encouragement from close friends and inspired by their own transformations, Matt joined Ultimate Performance in August 2024 – determined to reset his life.
Just 14 weeks into the process, he’s already lost 21.8kg (48lbs) and 21cm off his waist, and says he finally feels like “his old self” again. With a new mindset, redefined habits, and the support of his trainer, Matt has transformed his life as he approaches 50.
In this Q&A, he shares the wake-up call that brought him to U.P., the breakthrough moments that kept him going, and how it feels to fall back in love with life again.
What made you realise you needed to make a change?
“I’ve been in shape previously in my life, so I’ve done it before. However, when COVID hit, I was in a bad place. I really lost the good habits that I had. I put on a lot of weight. I put on 20-plus kilograms and I was feeling really down about myself. “
What inspired you to join Ultimate Performance?
“What brought me to Ultimate Performance was friends of mine who have also come here. They’ve shown me the results that they have received and that was really encouraging that let me know it’s possible. Knowing someone in your life that has gone through it, it’s an example of something you can follow. Not only that, but close friends of mine have really encouraged me as well, because they’ve seen how I was before and they wanted me to make a positive change from my lifestyle. “
What were your first impressions of U.P.?
“I came into the gym, took a look at the facilities, and was really impressed. The onboarding experience was really positive. Everybody was very encouraging and very supportive. And so that was a really positive thing for me to take a take a step, take a leap and decide to sign up for a package.”
How did you feel about your body before the transformation?
“When I first joined, I had a belly, I was overweight and I really did not like the way I looked. It bothered me. Every time I’d go have a shower, I’d look in the mirror. This was something that really bugged me.”
How do you feel now, part-way through your transformation?
“I‘ve lost over 20kg about 20cm from around my waist, and I really love the way I look in the mirror again. It’s brought back a lot of confidence. I’m a changed person. I was withdrawn socially before, not seeing friends, not hanging out, being shy and reluctant to see people. Now I’m outgoing. I’m back to my old self and the most important thing is I’m happy. “
How has your relationship with food changed?
“In prior years, I go home and back to Canada. And I would just eat non-stop, put on a lot of weight. And now I’m looking forward to this trip. Sure. I’ll probably have some food that I don’t typically have, but I won’t be bingeing. I won’t be taking on massive amounts of food because my relationship with food and my lifestyle has dramatically changed since I’ve started Ultimate Performance. And through the encouragement and support of my trainer, I’ve been able to see results. “
Would you recommend U.P. to others?
Absolutely. Because of the dramatic weight loss that I’ve seen in such a short amount of time, I’ve had no shortage of coworkers, strangers, friends, people that are acquaintances of mine that I haven’t seen in a while where they noticed such a difference. They say maybe they’re struggling as well. And they ask ‘What can I do to change?’ And I just tell them it’s quite simple. Go with what works. So come into Ultimate Performance.
What part of the process really stuck with you?
Something that I’ll never forget, and I think has been life-changing was during the onboarding process, my trainer, Ash, sent me an email that said he needs two things from me – discipline and focus. Without discipline, I’m wasting my time and my money. And for some reason, that made a switch go off in my head and I’ve been focussed and disciplined, so I’ve been able to see the results that have been able to come through that.
- 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.
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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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