I started putting weight on when I left college and started at university, the freedom of being in control of my life and my food saw me start to get heavier, going from 63.5kg (139.87 lbs) up and up over a few years to

2.55 kg (181.8 lbs) where I stayed for years. After getting into teaching as a career and then having my first daughter in 2009 I was up to around 101.6 kg (223.8 lbs) and then over the last few years that have been particularly stressful due to unpredictability and upheaval I finally reached my heaviest at 126.999 kg (279.7 lbs)... and realised I did not want to ever have 127 kg at the start of my weight!

I knew this was happening throughout my life, the constant, slow increase, and I had a number of successful weight loss moments, but I do mean “moments”! Moments that lasted weeks at a time though and nothing long term and I even tried all of the traditional clubs such as Weight Watchers and Slimming World. I even spent some weeks with a personal trainer, and had borrowed a friend’s DDP Yoga DVDs too and made massive inroads, but again short lived.

What happened whenever I finished these, the weight went straight back on, and then some. I always thought as well, that whenever I was having a time of weight loss, that the source of success was the thing I was doing at the time, but I realised over time that it wasn’t, it was just my internal drive, that happened to also make me attend a “Weight Watchers” - it was always me being the driving force behind it and it took too long to realise this. As my wife has said many times over the years as I got heavier, unless I want to do it, it won’t happen. It doesn’t matter what she or family members say unless I’ve made a conscious choice there’ll be no success.

So we get to the end of 2016, and my weight loss is at its peak, and my financial situation is at its worst too, something had to change. As I was out of work at the time, I was listening to a number of podcasts, and was reminded about DDPY from a Talk is Jericho podcast and I was also looking into other things and had seen the Tony Robbins I’m Not Your Guru video on Netflix… suddenly everything started coming together. I was in control and I needed to make decisions that would change me for the better long term, not just quickly, and few things have contributed to me being where I am today, a mere three months or so from enacting this.

Firstly, I accepted my weight was caused by my poor diet, a diet of 2L of Coca-Cola a day, multiple Domino’s Pizzas a week, junk food, and takeaway breakfasts and lunches. There were no bad genes, no slow metabolism. Secondly, I accepted my poor financial situation and discussed it fully with my wife. This was another weight lifted. Thirdly, I accepted I am in control of all of this and I needed to enact change. I also needed to realize there’s no rush and that I don’t need to impose some arbitrary time limit… I have always thought in the past “I’ll get this done in 4 weeks” or “By the end of the holiday…” etc

So my first goal through the middle of February 2017 was to start focussing specifically on food, nothing more. So often I would try and do everything at once and would then fail hard! After a couple of weeks, and knowing I’m a rubbish runner, and with no gym membership, I wanted to start doing something and again, I remembered DDPY and started doing this again, but again, not overdoing it, not making it a chore or a burden. I set myself a goal of doing it 3 times a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, within my lunch hour. I am not ashamed to say that I am happy repeating Energy and now Energy 2.0 over and over again. The difference this time is consistency.

So now, since the end of February, I have been consistent with two things, food, and DDPY. What has the consistency provided me, a huge change in the quality of my life! I am now able to walk up and down stairs without feeling out of breath. I am now more happy within myself and am being a better father to my two girls, Emily, 7, and Sophie, 4. I have seen a noticeable improvement in flexibility (aided by the much smaller stomach I now carry!) and strength… just being able to easily see the improvement week on week in a specific move is fantastic. Every time I get to the end of Energy I see how much further I can fold forward, or how much higher I can lift my leg, or how I can now lift my leg whilst balancing with no hands on the floor now! It has also aided and eradicated a continuing pain in my ankle caused by sinus tarsi syndrome. It’s also given me a consistent exercise routine where I know I’m not going to injure myself, something that happened with running due to a predisposition to shin splints, that then demoralizes you and you return to eating and bad habits!

It has also aided and eradicated a continuing pain in my ankle caused by sinus tarsi syndrome. It’s also given me a consistent exercise routine where I know I’m not going to injure myself, something that happened with running due to a predisposition to shin splints, that then demoralizes you and you return to eating and bad habits!

I have come such a long way, physically and mentally. There have been some hard days where I’ve wanted to just go back to my old ways, but because I have made my new habits into a lifestyle now, I am strong enough to stick to my guns and see the successes that I do not want to lose…

3 months, 3 stone 2 pounds lost! 44 lbs!!! That's no small feat. No juicing fads. No starving myself or fasting diets. Just healthy meals, healthy mind, and DDPY!