It was the New Year’s resolution that stuck. At the start of January this year, John Kelly was fed up with the way he was feeling and decided that things had to change. He had been suffering with back pain, which made him inactive, causing him to put on weight, and compounding his back – and other health – troubles. The circle went on and on, but it was the thing that spurred him into action. “I was getting lazy. I’d work long hours and then get home, eat and get into bed. It wasn’t what I wanted for myself, and I just realised that I didn’t want to be that ‘fat fella’ anymore.”
John’s sister had started Unislim and so he decided to give it a try. “When I first went, I was the only man in a room full of women; now there are eight or nine guys in the class.” The Unislim plan was an instant success. “Before Unislim, my daily diet wasn’t good. I’d have a breakfast roll to start the day, then a big main dinner that my wife Louise would prepare in the middle of the day. Then dinner, and chocolate or whatever until bedtime. Now I eat a whole lot more, but it’s healthy food, and so much better for me. I’ll start the day with Weetabix, have soup and a wholegrain wrap for lunch, then dinner will be something home cooked, like the Chicken Curry in a Hurry from the Unislim plan, or my local butcher prepares special turkey burgers for me. And I’ve become really keen on steamed vegetables. I keep bags in the freezer and microwave them quickly.” The new way of eating in the household has had wide ranging positive effects. “Louise, my wife, has lost weight too,” John says.
John has made a few significant dietary changes, like swapping sugar for sweetener, and he uses Hellmann’s Lighter than Light mayo as a spread in sandwiches. The biggest change in John’s new life, though, has been the introduction of exercise. “I started with walking, then after a few weeks, added a bit of running. Now, I’m up to 37k each week. It’s my time that I set aside – three sessions weekly – to dedicate to my programme, and I really enjoy it. And while I’ve been chairman of the local soccer club for a while, I’ve started to coach 10 and 11-year-olds recently too.”
After 22 weeks of solid, consistent work, John reached his Unislim target weight of 12 stone. Having then maintained successfully for a month, he’s now a Free Slimmer, which means he can attend and weigh-in at his class free of charge. “I find the Unislim chat room on Facebook very inspiring,” he says of long-term motivation.“The advice and support is brilliant. It’s nice to get compliments, and I like to go online and encourage people too. It gives you a boost between classes.”And while running features high on John’s list of priorities, his next big event to look forward to is a trip to New York with his wife in November. “Since getting rid of four refuse bags of clothes, I’ve nothing to wear at the moment, so this is the big treat,” he says.
John is now using his incredible success to inspire other men to take the first step to improving their health, with his own Unislim Men Only Classes in Bunratty! Get the details here.
