Michael lost 32kg (71lbs) to find incredible fitness at 55.
“I wanted to get rid of the body I wound up with and change how I was feeling. This transformation has changed me in a lot of ways. I’ve lost around 32kg (71lbs) I’m moving around a lot better and my health is in a much better place.”
Michael’s weight was robbing him of precious time playing with his nieces and nephews.
He was living off pizza, cake and ice cream, and his health was really suffering.
At 115kg (254lbs), he’d never been so heavy. Just tying his shoelaces and climbing flights of stairs left him out of breath.
Soon after learning his cholesterol and blood pressure were worryingly high, getting healthy for his family quickly became the number one priority.
Michael’s stunning 32kg (71lbs) weight loss at U.P. has eased his health concerns and ensured he can join in with activities such as hiking with his family.
Read Michael’s inspirational story for yourself here.
What motivated you to start your own personal training program with U.P.?
I wanted to get rid of the body I wound up with and change how I was feeling.
I was on the pizza, cake and ice cream diet, and one day I got on the scale and weighed 115kg (254lbs), which was the heaviest I'd ever been. It was a shock to the system.
I wasn't moving around very well while I was playing with my nieces and nephews and got tired quickly. So, I just wanted to be healthy for my family.
I also had high cholesterol, and quite a few other medical indicators were not good.
How was your weight affecting you?
It was hard to move around.
Honestly, it was even hard to tie my shoes and get out of chairs. I would feel winded just walking up small staircases, and I wasn’t able to do what I wanted to which was discouraging.
I had a lot of mental fog, and had to nap halfway through the day, which began to affect me mentally. You tell yourself you’ll get in shape someday, but it never happened until now.
How did things start to turn around when you began working with your U.P. personal trainer?
I was immediately pointed in the right direction when I started training at Ultimate Performance.
I was in the gym three days a week, weight training, and eating food which hit my macros throughout the day. I started paying attention to everything I was doing.
What benefits have you seen, and do you believe they have improved your life?
This transformation has changed me in a lot of ways. I’ve lost around 32kg (71lbs) I'm moving around a lot better and my health is in a much better place. My blood pressure and cholesterol have normalised.
My doctor said, "I don't know what you're doing, but just keep doing it." He was mightily impressed.
I feel like I’m more available to my family and I can do fun things like hiking and physical stuff that I couldn’t do in the past. Me and my trainer joked about how I moved like an 80-year-old when I first came to U.P. – and I did!
The mental fog is gone now, and I have a more positive outlook on life. People tell me I look like a different person altogether.
How did you find the training, and did it fit around your busy lifestyle?
I found a perfect time slot that worked for me. I was in the gym on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and realised it wasn’t rocket science.
My attitude was to do whatever my trainer said, that was it. I didn’t have to think about whether my plan would work or not. She’s helped me understand how to train on my own so that I can make progress in the future.
With my nutrition, my trainer laid everything out and I had my own meal plan. You’ve got to put the work in, but U.P. has it dialled in. U.P. have a pencil and draw out the plan – and if you connect the dots – you will see results.
You can’t be lazy and you can’t cheat. But it’s totally manageable and easily fits into my lifestyle.
Finally, how important was your trainer throughout your transformation?
I had some physical issues when I came to U.P. I’ve had ligament repair in my knee and lower back issues in the past. But my plan was tailored to me, and my trainer kept me accountable to follow it.
It was that simple. She kept reminding me that she was with me the whole way. I felt like she wanted me to get great results as much as I wanted to get great results.
That made a huge difference. She wasn't just here to get a paycheck – my progress mattered to her.
