How losing 22kg helped James regain his confidence and feel comfortable in his own skin

“I’ve noticed big changes in my confidence and mood. I sleep better and have more energy; I’m lighter on my feet, and just a lot more comfortable with myself.”

31-year-old James feels like he has a ‘blueprint for life’ having lost 22kg (48lbs) weight in less than five months.

He’d felt unhappy and unhealthy for a while and didn’t know how to get out of this rut.

James did his own reading and tried online trainers…but little changed.

What he was missing was accountability and the guiding hand of someone who knew exactly how to get in shape.

This is what he found in Ultimate Performance. With every workout and every meal he could feel the improvements in his mood, his confidence, and his strength.

Now he’s lost 22kg (48lbs), he has a blueprint for how to train and eat, and his mood and confidence have never been better.

In this Q&A with one of our expert trainers, James talks about his transformation phase and staying committed to the process…

What were your main reasons for joining U.P.?

I’ve tried to lose weight and get in shape by myself in the past, using online coaches and reading literature. But I knew I was struggling with accountability. I thought if I had that, then I’d achieve the results I wanted. Looking back, I realised I didn’t really know what I was doing. I knew a couple of people who trained with U.P. and they raved about their results, showed me their photos and explained the process so I knew that if I joined, I would get the accountability I needed to lose weight.

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

The environment at U.P. and the gym is fantastic! The equipment is state of the art and there are machines I’ve never seen before in a commercial gym. The trainers are all super-friendly, even if you’re not training with them, and you feel that there’s a lot of support. I liked seeing people at different phases of their journey as well. There’s a good community which I found encouraging.

That’s great. How instrumental do you think your trainer was in your success?

I couldn’t speak highly enough of Izzy, my trainer. Her dedication and knowledge, and the push she gave me during the sessions were essential to my transformation. Having her support and driving that accountability, I felt I would be letting her down as well as myself if I didn’t fully commit to the process.

And how do you feel now compared with when you first started your journey?

My general fitness wasn’t as good, and neither was my mood. It wasn’t like I was in a pit of despair or anything, but I knew there were things that I could and should have been doing. But without consistency, motivation and encouragement, I wouldn’t have done it. It is a process, and across the last 18 weeks, I’ve noticed small incremental changes in my confidence and mood. I sleep better and have more energy; I’m lighter on my feet, able to move more, and just a lot more comfortable with myself, my clothes, and how I feel.

How would you describe your diet before joining U.P.?

My diet wasn’t great before; it was inconsistent. It was verging on seriously unhealthy. The education on the nutrition side of things, as well as the training, has been great. I’ve enjoyed being in a program where I need to account for what I eat, be it the oil I cook with or the type of chicken I eat. It’s given me that blueprint for the future of how many calories I need and how much I need to train to hit my targets for that week. I just feel a lot better for it.

Would you say your lifestyle outside of the gym has improved too?

Definitely. Thanks to the knowledge and advice I’ve been given on how I should be training, what I should be eating, how much I should be sleeping and how often I should be walking. It’s been a big change for me but I quickly realised that there are no shortcuts, you need to be fully committed. I’ve taken every day step-by-step and watched the number on the scales go down over the last 18 weeks. My body fat percentage has gone from 31% to just under 9%.

That’s amazing! You must be happy with your results. Would you recommend U.P. to others?

I couldn’t be happier with my results! Having done the photo shoot earlier this week, it was a great way to wrap up the first phase of my transformation. Before, I was unhappy and unhealthy but then my weight quickly dropped, and I started to see muscle definition and I’m super happy.

I’d wholeheartedly recommend U.P. to other people looking to change their lifestyle. I think you do need to be committed to the process because at times it’s not easy. You should be and need to be in a mindset where you’re willing to make the change and put the effort in because if you’re doing three sessions a week, it’s three hours in a gym, but the rest of that week is all about what you eat, how much you walk, and what exercises you do; it’s everything combined that really moves the needle.

Having the support of your trainer is instrumental in keeping you motivated and staying on track. One of the cool things is if you’re going out to dinner, you can send your menu to your trainer, and they can recommend the best options for you. If you can commit to the process wholeheartedly then there is nowhere better to go than U.P.

I think in terms of a transformation, learning the skills and having that support – it can’t be recreated elsewhere. With U.P. it’s 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You have the accountability and the relationship with your trainer so I couldn’t recommend it enough.

If you’re in a rut and want support to become a healthier, more confident version of yourself, like James, get in touch with us today.

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