How lifting weights and ‘fixing his diet’ helped Lee build abs at 43.

“I’m astounded about the results that I have achieved because I didn’t think that it would be possible to look like this.”

Lee’s relationship with food was toxic.

He’d had issues since childhood and even underwent extensive therapy to address his struggles.

But the 43-year-old’s ‘self-soothing’ eating habits to deal with stressful situations were still plaguing him, and he was gaining weight.

He’d worked with personal trainers before, but he needed more than just a trainer.

He needed a professional to teach him the fundamentals of nutrition, provide support, and keep him accountable to when he was away from the gym.

Ultimate Performance gave him that, and more. Under the tutelage of his trainer, Lee lost 9kg over 16 weeks and finally got his eating habits on an even footing.

Now he’s feeling energised, more confident in his own skin, and his passion for training is back. Most importantly, he’s gained a blueprint for eating for results that he can take forward for life.

Read Lee’s full story below to find out how he found a happier and healthier frame of mind.

What were your motivations for joining U.P.?

My motivations for joining up were around having better fitness, better body confidence, losing some body fat and building muscle. In terms of my body composition, I knew that I was overweight, and I was carrying more fat than I wanted to carry and had carried in the past. And I didn’t realise that my body fat percentage was as high as it was, compared to how it had been previously.

I had noticed my strength had decreased when I was training independently. I completely lost my confidence and direction when I was at the gym training by myself and I was in a slump, not knowing what I was doing. I wasn’t getting anywhere so I needed direction, motivation, and quality coaching to get me back on track.

What do you enjoy most about training at U.P.?

What I enjoy most about training at U.P. is the approach. It’s hard work, but it’s fun. It’s very rewarding because there’s a good structure. I know every week and from session to session what I’m going to be doing. I like the tracking, I like the numbers, so it’s helpful to have the app. It’s helpful to have somebody else tracking the numbers.

It’s also great having a coach who is invested in you, more so than personal trainers that I’ve had in the past. When somebody is recording the numbers for you it feels like they’re on the same journey. It feels like they’re invested in getting you somewhere and I’ve never had that before. That’s the best thing about training here.

How is it different to other personal training offerings?

U.P. is different to other personal training offerings. I’ve had other PTs before, which was good and I learned a lot, and I think I came here with a reasonable amount of skill. But U.P. has taken me to the next level in terms of the intensity and consistency of training and the recording of numbers.

They concentrate on diet; it’s as much about what’s going in as it is about the calories that are coming out at the gym. There’s a focus on nutrition, tweaks to your diet, fluids you’re taking in, your daily step count and sleep patterns, which makes it feel like a whole health package. I train hard, I train consistently, but I don’t leave feeling completely exhausted, or like I don’t want to attend the next session.

You mentioned you had a ‘self-soothing’ relationship with food. Tell us a little bit more about that.

I had a self-soothing relationship with food that would help me in stressful times. It’s been a long-standing relationship from when I was a kid. Through therapy I’ve learned what it’s about, the triggers, and what to do in those moments. I wasn’t training because I was low on energy due to the things I was eating, so I was trying to lift myself as well as trying to lift weight.

This process with U.P. helped me get back on track. Having a coach made me reflect on a daily basis. My three-month journey didn’t feel like a burden, it went quickly. The balance and the way in which the training is delivered made it very achievable. I have a very different outlook about training and nutrition and I’ll take that forward.

How do you feel now in relation to how you felt before joining U.P.?

I feel completely different now to how I felt when I first joined. I was apprehensive about joining, about what it was going to be like and how hard it was going to be. What were the expectations? However, they were set quite clearly when I joined up.

Now I feel like I have more energy, I feel better about myself in terms of my body confidence and my confidence in general. I feel lighter, I’m more active, I’m wanting to get up in the morning, I want to work out and eating healthily doesn’t feel like a chore. When I look back over the last 16 weeks, I feel 100% different to how I did when I started.

How do you feel about the results you have achieved?

I’m astounded about the results that I have achieved because I didn’t think that it would be possible. I’d had personal trainers previously, but I thought I had reached a limit and didn’t achieve what I wanted to achieve. U.P. has definitely helped to push me beyond my limits, it has moved the goalposts and helped me achieve more. It’s fully exceeded my expectations of what I thought was possible. It’s weird having visible abs. I still don’t feel like I have them, but other peoples’ observations are validating. They’re confirmatory.

Aside from the physical change, how has your training at UP benefited other aspects of your life?

My training has helped on so many levels, in terms of getting a structure back into training and my life. I’m training three times a week at a convenient time, when I feel like I have a decent amount of energy, and I’m committing to it.

I had definitely fallen out of the loop of committing to myself to training. I’m more conscious about what I eat, the steps that I take every day, sleep, how I go to bed, how much water I’m drinking throughout the day, why I’m eating the foods that I’m eating. I’m thinking about what I’m buying at the supermarket, I’m planning my meals every day, and that’s become routine. I can’t remember what life was like before that.

Would you say that this process has had a positive effect on your mental health?

Yes. When I came to U.P. my mental health was okay, but I was struggling. I was coming out of a struggle and I needed to do something to move forward in a positive way. I’d invested in therapy over a long period of time so I wanted to invest in some physical therapy that would help change my body.

Coming here has helped with the mental health side of things as much as the physical health and not just in terms of lifting mood or feeling better and having more energy, but also feeling more confident and having more self-esteem.

What are you most proud of in relation to the transformation?

I’m proud of getting to the end of 16 weeks, not missing a session, coming three times a week, and sticking with it. I’ve committed to lifting weights, sticking to the nutrition, getting into a structure. I’m proud of getting back on track with a healthy lifestyle. And I’m proud of what I’ve achieved. Having a personal trainer made it feel like they were co-invested in the journey, so when somebody else feels proud of what you’ve achieved, it helps you feel proud.

I’ve loved working with my trainer. It’s been hard work, but he got to know me and my personality, and that’s really important for any kind of coaching relationship. They need to understand the client; not just what they want to achieve, but who they are as a person. My trainer nailed that with me, he tuned into who I was, and then tailored his approach to push me and help me go beyond my goals. He’s been completely invested and it feels authentic.

Want to take control of your diet and eating habits for good like Lee? Start your transformation journey today and we’ll show you how.

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