“I don’t control a lot in my life. This was one of the reasons why I loved U.P. I got to make choices about my life and everything was in my control.”
Company boss Jelte’s 12kg transformation gave him back control of his health before he hit 50.
The 46-year-old described life as ‘chaotic’ running an offshore tech engineering firm, renovating 16th-century properties, and being a dad to two teenagers.
Constantly on the go grabbing food wherever he had time and working on projects until 3am, his health was gradually worsening.
Here Jelte talks about juggling a hectic schedule on his transformation, the changes he made to his diet, and how he’s learned to make smarter choices for his health.
What was your life like for you before you started training with Ultimate Performance?
I am an engineer and an entrepreneur, I have` two children, and I’m a very involved father. I got divorced about five years ago and have seen quite a steep difference in lifestyle to my married life. I was quite homebound and the past four or five years have been quite chaotic. A lot of distraction in fun ways, sometimes a bit too much. I think there’s always been a little bit of risk of indulging in too many nightlife activities. Combining that with two businesses, a big construction project, two kids, a lot of friends and a big family made my life chaotic. Many people would say, “I don’t get how you’re still alive!” But I enjoy it.
What was your motivation for joining and how did you get started?
A friend challenged me. We’ve been friends since kindergarten. He’s always been more of the skinny type. I was always a little bit fuller. His lifestyle was pretty healthy, mine wasn’t so good. So, he challenged me. He said, “Well, I’m doing this U.P. challenge, but it won’t be for you because you need to be dedicated, and with your lifestyle, you won’t be able to do it.” So, I said, “Oh well. Game on!” He said that if you fulfil the first month, consider it a present from me, and if you don’t fulfil the first month with some results, then you have to pay me back. It wasn’t a lot of money, but it was a nice challenge. So that got me started in the first place.
What kind of shape were you in before you started?
I was training, so I knew I had some strength. But I was somewhat overweight. My physique wasn’t completely to my liking, but I mean nobody thought I was too big or anything. I was in the gym once or twice a week already. With a trainer or without. But not so focused on the diet. It was basically just a gym. The most challenging bit for me was cutting down on drinks and getting used to a more regular lifestyle because I’m always out drinking with colleagues. There were the regular nights out, but I would go on runs or go to the gym, so, I was balancing my bad habits with good habits.
Did you have a particular goal?
Yeah, but we passed it! The lightest I’ve been in the past 15-20 years was 88kg. And I started with 88kg in mind. A little bit later, we said, “Well, maybe we can reach 86kg”, and my trainer said “, Now let’s do like 82kg or 80kg.” And I said “Craziness!” We ended up surpassing the goal by a big margin. It was a ‘silent’ goal of mine to be in good shape before I turned 50. So, I’ve already achieved that. I have the intention to cling to this new shape and keep on training once or twice a week. That would make me a happy man who’s in control of his life.
What was your diet in terms of food and calories like before compared to now?
There used to be a lot more driving home from Rotterdam and stopping for a chicken burger because you’re hungry! Now, I try to have a cucumber in the fridge at work, so I take half a cucumber before I get into the car, because then you have sort of something inside. I have my frozen meals from a company here in the Netherlands. They give you 400 or 500-calorie healthy and relatively tasty frozen meals. Open the microwave, and you’re set. Before that, I ate a lot of sandwiches and bread. I was not aware of how that affected my weight.
How important was it to have a personal trainer who was guiding you inside and outside of the gym?
I want to show my appreciation for my trainer. I think he did a great job. I wouldn’t have been able to do the physical part, but also the psychological part. Not pressing too hard, but pressing hard enough and being open to discussing things. I have a great appreciation for that.
How has your perception of health changed from doing this transformation?
Definitely. I can now see that there’s a direct connection between what I put in my body and what results I get. I realised that I was in control. One of the reasons I stuck with this program after the first months was because I felt like I had control. I’m the owner of a company and people might think I’m in control, but sh*t happens. As always, you have stuff on your plate, and there are plenty of things that are out of your control. I have teenage kids. I have an ex-wife who’s sometimes angry and sometimes friendly. I don’t control a lot in my life, but this process was something that I could control. That was one of the reasons why I loved U.P. I got to make choices about my life and everything was in my control.
What habits have you built up here that will stay with you for life?
I went to South Africa a couple of weeks ago and got up in the morning to go hiking. Not just a hike into town, but a proper five-hour hike to burn around 2,000 calories before two o’clock in the afternoon. That gave me a lot of satisfaction. Combining that kind of activity with nature and heading into the mountains is something I would have never been able to do previously. My trips used to be about seeing beautiful sights or renting a motorbike, then in the evening I would be drinking and exploring the nightlife.
If you want to wrestle back control of your health like Jelte did, start your own life-changing transformation with U.P. today.
- 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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