Lockdown life took its toll on Charles’ body and his health. Too many takeaways, too many fizzy drinks and very little exercise over the winter months were the problem.
Charles didn’t notice his waistline slowly expanding during lockdown wearing tracksuit pants every day.
It was only when he moved out to the Middle East that he realised none of his clothes fit anymore.
That’s when he decided to do something about it and teamed up with the experts at Ultimate Performance to radically overhaul his health.
It’s helped Charles break some unhealthy habits, transform his diet, and feel fitter, stronger and more focused in his everyday life.
“It has been a massive transformation; I look completely different. My face has changed, my body has changed a lot – it’s unreal.
“I achieved 25kg of fat loss in 20 weeks – an average of about 1.5kg a week!”
Here Charles explains his motivations for starting, what changed with his diet, training and lifestyle, and what lifelong lessons he has learned to maintain his new body.
What brought you to start looking for a personal training program?
It was lockdown in the U.K., and I was wearing tracksuits for months, so I didn’t really know how much weight I was putting on. When I came to Dubai, I tried to put my jeans on, and I thought that I’d shrunk them. I was struggling to close the last notch of my belt, and that’s when I knew I had put lots of weight on. I got onto Google, trying to find the best thing possible to try and get rid of the weight; that’s when I came across Ultimate Performance.
What did you see that made you think ‘this is the place’?
The results on the website – scrolling through all the clients that had ‘before and after’ pictures was the proof that it [the U.P. methodology] works.
Throughout the whole experience, what was your motivation?
At first, it was just to fit back into the clothes that I’ve grown out of, but then I saw the results every week and decided to keep going and see how good I could get it.
What was your diet and lifestyle like before U.P.?
Horrendous. I was drinking a lot, and that was mainly because of the winter lockdown in the U.K. But also, I was eating a lot of heavy pasta dishes all the time, with no idea about tracking calories. I was eating snacks like crisps and Coca Cola and ordering takeaways off Deliveroo all the time. I just didn’t know anything about what you should and shouldn’t eat.
Beyond your body composition, how did your previous lifestyle habits make you feel inside?
I have more energy now. I feel like I can think better as well – I have a clearer head and more motivation. Before, I’d say I was more tired, more lethargic and a much bigger guy.
How did being slightly overweight affect your life, your confidence, and your personality?
I don’t think it really affected my confidence or personality because the weight slowly crept up on me. It wasn’t until I realised that I didn’t fit in my clothes anymore. Because the weight crept up on me, I wouldn’t really say that I was not confident because I felt just the same as before.
What was it that motivated you to take that first step to U.P.?
The pictures on the website. Just seeing those, it looked like it could work.
How quickly did you start to see results, and how did it feel?
When we changed my diet, I saw results within a few days. I started training and started actually tracking my weight. I never tracked my weight before – maybe once every three or four months I’d go on the scales, but I’d have no idea where I was. [On my transformation], when I was doing the weigh-ins every morning, I could very quickly see the line coming down, and that was only after a few days.
What changed when you came to U.P.?
I was just motivated to get into shape. When my personal trainer figured out what I needed to be doing in terms of diet, steps, and training, I had that level of accountability. You can’t really go off that plan; otherwise, the results aren’t going to be as good. I had something clear in my head to aim towards and the right process to follow.
What training have you done in the past, and how does it compare to U.P.?
It was very sporadic.
My weight has yo-yoed before. In the past, I’ve lost weight but then put that weight back on. I would just go online and google ‘How to get a gym routine’, and I would just go to the gym. But then, not knowing that I needed to do steps as well, and not really knowing what I should be eating. So, of course, I saw no progress. Coming to U.P., where everything is just very scientific, and you’re given a process to follow that works. It just works 100 times better than anything else.
How do you feel physically and mentally now compared to when you started?
I feel completely different. I’m a completely different bloke.
Do you feel this transformation has impacted you in any way in your day-to-day life?
Eating a better diet, getting better sleep, and just looking better; it’s all great, and it is healthier, but for me, I think it’s mentally as well. It’s been such a big journey, from being a fat guy to now being a guy who’s in shape. It requires a lot of mental focus, and I think that helps in everyday life as well. Now when I want to get something done with work, I have more focus and can just get it done.
What did you think when you saw the ‘before and after’ pictures on the results wall? Did you think it was possible to achieve a similar result?
I thought it was possible, but, at the time, I don’t think I quite understood what the process involved. When you actually do the process and go through the work, you can actually see how it works for anyone who wants to try it.
What is the most powerful lesson you’ve learned about training and nutrition across the program?
Calories and steps; I didn’t even know what steps were before. I had no idea that the more steps you do, the more calories you burn during the day. Also, how to be in a calorie deficit and what food to eat. Learning about calories and steps and food consumption has been really interesting to learn.
What has been the most challenging part of the program?
The hardest part of the program has been consistency. You can follow the plan, but when you have a craving to go and have a KFC, it’s simple just don’t have the KFC.
The key is just being consistent all the time. Once you get into the swing of it, it’s not that hard.
Has this weight loss impacted the way people perceive you in terms of your family or colleagues?
Yeah, people do comment saying I’m in good shape. I haven’t been back yet to see the family, but they’ve all seen pictures, and they’re in disbelief about the change. The one thing that many people have said is they can’t believe how fat I let myself get!
- 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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