Coeliac sufferer Richard achieves ‘mission impossible’ with his 18kg weight loss transformation at 44.

“The magic ingredient to Ultimate Performance is having the personal trainer with you for every step of the journey, whenever you need them.”

Time was running out for Richard if he was to realise his ‘dream’ physique.

He was 44 and had suffered failure after failure trying to get in shape alone.

His coeliac disease diagnosis made matters worse, and he was eating all the ‘wrong’ foods.

With age creeping up on him and the constant guesswork with his diet, he made the decision to start a transformation with Ultimate Performance.

Working with his trainer, it didn’t take long for Richard to learn lifelong lessons on portion sizes, mindful eating, and immaculate form on the gym floor.

Not only were regular body fat measurements and progress photos evidence of Richard’s progress – but also a great source of motivation.

He’s lost 18kg, and for the first time in years, loves what he sees in the mirror.

Richard is now in the process of shopping for a whole new wardrobe after his weight loss.

In fact, he believes he’s achieved ‘mission impossible’ given how happy he is with his new body.

Here, he lifts the lid of the personal training program that made it possible.

Can you give us a bit of background into what your diet, lifestyle, and training experience was like before U.P.?

Before coming to Ultimate Performance, my diet wasn’t awful, I didn’t eat excessively, but I ate the wrong foods. There was clearly some work to do there. In terms of my exercise, that was non-existent. Aside from walking, which I enjoy, there was very little exercise. That was my motivation for joining Ultimate Performance. I decided that ‘now’s the time’. There has been many a time in my life where I’ve questioned whether I can achieve the results I want to achieve. I thought ‘this is the time’. There had been tried and failed attempts in the past, but at this point in my life, I was saying it was ‘now or never’.

As I’m getting older, I wanted to make the change where I felt confident and proud in how I feel. A couple of things in my life, being recently diagnosed with Coeliac disease and having to think about my diet, coupled with getting older, made me think that this is the time for me.

Once you started noticing results, how did that make you feel?

Once I started noticing the results, it was a motivational moment. It took other people noticing those results as well for me to realise that something’s changing. That was a motivational boost. That was the thing that made me stick with it. I couldn’t wait to see the before and after pictures. When my phone pinged, those photos came through, and I could see what I looked like, it was more than motivational. I was excited.

How would you compare yourself from day one to now in terms of fitness, mindset, physique and strength?

I’ve got more energy than I’ve ever had before. I was tired previously and now I’m not, or if I am I’m tired for the right reasons. I’ve burned a load of calories at the gym. My motivation has changed. The thought of going to the gym or doing physical activity didn’t interest me and didn’t motivate me. Now I genuinely feel like I want to go to the gym. I feel guilty if I don’t go. And that’s something I never thought I would experience and feel.

In terms of my mindset, before I would question whether I could do this. I thought ‘is this something I can achieve?’ Whereas now, I know I can, and I’ve got the confidence to do it. I know where I am now and where I could get to, and I see that within my ability.

What was the reaction of your friends, family, and work colleagues to your transformation?

The reaction of friends, family, and work colleagues has been a really interesting experience. I’ve heard everything from, ‘where’s the rest of you?’, ‘what have you done?’, through to ‘how have you done that?’ It’s been nice to hear.

It was slow at the start and then halfway through my transformation people started to ask me what I was training for. Then it became a steady stream of people commenting every day, which gave me the confidence to see it through to the end.

What do you feel were the biggest changes physically and mentally since starting at U.P.?

I’m now going to the gym three times a week, whereas I wasn’t going at all prior to joining U.P. I’m walking around 10,000 steps a day, I’m doing a spin class, I’m doing a 5km park run every week. And that’s just something I wouldn’t have been doing before. My physical activity has gone from zero to four or five times a week.

Before coming to U.P., mirrors were not my friend, so I wouldn’t look in a mirror. Now I’ll stop and look in a mirror and, for the first time in my life, I’m enjoying buying clothes. I’m now on my third pair of trousers since this journey started and I have to go shopping again.

How has training and diet improved your lifestyle outside the gym?

My diet has improved vastly since being at Ultimate Performance. I’m now in a place where I can eat the things I want to eat, but I’m more sensible about doing that. Whether it’s portion sizes, or getting more protein in my diet, but not denying myself treats when I want them. Now I know I can do that in a controlled way.

What did you particularly like about the approach and delivery at U.P.?

What I liked about the approach at Ultimate Performance was the ‘everybody’s in it together’ ethos. Whilst you were in it for your own personal journey, you knew that everybody else that was in the gym with you was on their own journey as well, but the same journey as you. There was a sense of togetherness and camaraderie that you don’t get in a regular gym.

What would you say to people who say the results aren’t possible?

To those of you who say the results aren’t possible – they absolutely are. It wasn’t the easiest thing to do, but it was far from impossible. I look back on what I’ve achieved, and I can’t remember it being impossible. I don’t even remember it being unnecessarily difficult. It is absolutely possible and I’ve seen it and I’ve done it.

What is the magic ingredient to success here?

The magic ingredient to Ultimate Performance is having the personal trainer with you for every step of the journey, whenever you need them. There’s a level of balance between challenge and accountability, but also being realistic about the fact that you’ve got a busy day job and how you make it happen. Knowing that you’ve got the support there alongside you, both from your PT and those that are in the gym alongside you on their own transformational journey.

Don’t let time tick away. If you want to transform your health and achieve real results like Richard, now is the time to start. Enquire about your own transformation program with us today.

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