Raphael lost an incredible 12kg in just 12 weeks at Ultimate Performance and for the first time in his life, he has abs.
He says he had been ‘chubby’ all his life but after a tough time at work he put on 5kg which he said made him feel ‘fat’.
But Raphael was determined to change his body and took on a transformation challenge at UP.
I also got to love to cook again and rather than ordering food, I cook it myself.
“From being a weight lifting hater, I became a weight lifting lover. I want to progress more and to push myself ever further and to get that well-defined six-pack for the first time in my life.”
His dedication and hard work paid off and in 12 short weeks he completely transformed his body and his health.
Despite having never lifted weights before, he is now fitter, stronger and leaner than ever and he has revolutionised his nutrition.
His bespoke UP nutrition plan helped kill off his sugar cravings in just three days and now he has control of his diet.
Raphael’s commitment, passion and sheer determination to succeed is inspiring to us all at Ultimate Performance.
Here he explains how he was able to make such an impressive transformation…
What were your expectations going into the 12 weeks and what were your motivations?
“I have been chubby since I was a baby and I was fine with it until last June, where I gained 5kg in a month due to an extreme work situation.”
“Then I went travelling in Europe for 2 months. At my return, I couldn’t even fit in my working pants anymore. That was too much, I needed to do something.”
I started to work out even more by myself – unfortunately, without much result.
“That’s when I saw the UP ads that came at the perfect time. I knew that I needed to make a change in my life and a body transformation program sounded like the right move.”
“To be completely honest, I didn’t have many expectations at the beginning. I had a weight loss goal of 10kg in mind, which seemed like a fairly achievable goal, back in the day and that was pretty much it.”
“However, I knew that by committing to a 12-week program (which seemed long) and having someone guiding and pushing me, it would most certainly help me to achieve my goal.”
Can you tell me how you were feeling both physically and mentally before starting the 12 weeks?
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“Let’s be honest, I felt FAT. Mentally, I was okay, however, my weight was bothering me.”
What was your diet and lifestyle like before you started the 12 weeks?
“I’m a foodie. I love food and my diet was excellent from that point of view.”
“Since that crazy work time in June 2016 where I was consistently coming home very late, I started a habit of ordering food and it usually was burgers, pasta, pizza and many more high-carbs and fatty foods. Salad was never ordered.”
“I’m also a sweet tooth, so I used to finish all my meals with a sweet snack: Swiss Chocolate (I’m from Switzerland), Tim Tam, cookies…”
How did your diet and lifestyle change when you started the 12 weeks?
“It took a U-turn. From cooking rarely to cooking every day. From eating whatever I wanted to watch everything I ate. From eating junk food to eating healthy food.”
“However, I must say that it wasn’t easy at the start. There were ingredients that I had never cooked before like cabbage and I did eat it raw for some time, which was disgusting!”
Nevertheless, the nutrition macros tables provided by my trainer, helped me to switch to ingredients that I was more familiar with or that I preferred. It was very helpful.
“I was amazed to see that my cravings for sweets after each meal disappeared in only 2-3 days.”
What effect did this have on your health, performance, lifestyle and energy inside and outside the gym?
“I felt better in general, eating enough but not too much. I became more aware of what my body required and learned how to control what I ate and drank during social events.”
“For someone who used to drink a lot, I was very impressed with my self-control where I would drink only water at parties, even when everyone else around me was drinking alcohol.”
“I have even started a healthy trend in my own team at work where everyone started to eat healthier and be more conscious of what they are eating.”
How did you find the training and did it fit around your busy lifestyle?
“After the first session, I remember teasing my trainer Leonard because I wasn’t sore.”
“He was just testing me and soon I was exhausted after each session, coming back at work red and needing a day to recover.”
With that said, I had never done any weight lifting before I started the program, I actually hated it. My mindset has completely changed since then thanks to the professionalism and coaching of my trainer.
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“I made the training my first priority. I set a fixed time every week to train (over lunch time) and committed to it.”
“Also, by telling everyone at work and blocking my calendar upfront for the 12 weeks, I was impressed how everyone acknowledged it and moved meetings around to fit my schedule.”
“The support and encouragement I got from everyone in my life was above my expectation, especially from my partner.”
“I encourage everyone to speak up and spread the word, it will only have beneficial effects on you and your commitment to the program.”
What were your results like after the 12 weeks?
“Amazing:
- I have lost 12kg, more than my initial goal, some abs even started to show. I now feel much better and more confident with my body.
- I feel much stronger: I remember struggling to lift up 10kg dumbbells at the beginning. Now, I can lift up 22.5kg.
- I discovered a whole new passion: eating healthy!
What were the most important things you learned during your 12 weeks and what really worked for you in helping you make your transformation?
Commitment, self-discipline and especially the importance of good nutrition.
“Having my trainer Leonard pushing (actually, I also pushed him… on the sled 🙂 ), motivating and helping me when I had some “downtime” allowed me to stay on the right track.”
“I really appreciated his positive attitude. Sometimes, it even feels like he wanted me to succeed more than I did. Thank you, Leonard!”
How has doing this transformation changed you and do you think it will benefit you going forward?
“It changed my relationship with food. I am a foodie and still enjoy eating a juicy burger, creamy carbonara pasta or enjoying a chocolate brownie. However, I now plan ahead rather than eating something heavy for each meal.”
Would you recommend UP and why?
Definitely, I always feel happy going there.
“The atmosphere in the gym is great, trainers are welcoming, friendly and are happy to give advice. Even if they are not your trainer, they are approachable and encouraging.”
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- 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.
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