Hear David From DVCC Bedford's Weight Loss Story
David has been a client at DVCC Bedford for a little time now and has achieved an amazing transformation. You can see from his photos that he has completely transformed his life, and indeed lifestyle. So much so that he now says he is fitter and healthier as a grandfather than he was as a father!
David's reason for staying fit and healthy? To be able to run around with his gran daughter....Whats your reason?
You can listen to Davids Podcast on our Itunes Channel
Mark: Hi, this is Mark from the DVCC, and I'm here with David Sexton who’s been a client at DVCC Bedford for quite a long while now and has achieved some really good results, actually some great results.
We are bringing you these client stories not as a way of showing off DVCC, but to hopefully allow these ladies and gentlemen to help inspire you to change.
Thank you David for doing this.
David: My pleasure.
Mark: First things first, let’s get some context. How old are you David?
David: I am 51. Just turned 51.
Mark: With that tan, you look a lot younger!
David: Thank you. Everyone says that.
Mark: So how much weight have you actually *lost?
David: Over 3 *stones.
Mark: And over what period of time?
David: That’s over about three years.
Mark: Three years, so three *stones in three years.
David: My weight loss has probably stopped.
Mark: Right.
David: But I'm firming up now and toning up.
Mark: Okay. So you were what, 48 when you started?
David: Yeah. I would have been 48
Mark: And in terms of being 3 *stone overweight, how long have you carried that weight for, was it gradual weight gain?
David: Probably I gradually increased when i got married and had children
Mark: Right. So at 47, was that your peak in terms of weight?
David: Probably, yes. Basically I saw a photo of me on the top of the Empire State building
Mark: And that’s what stimulated you to want to *lose weight?
David: Yes. I had a photo at the top there and when I saw it I thought, “Christ, is that me?”
Mark: Okay. Lets maybe go back a few years to why you put on that weight as I remember you saying that you were healthy as a lad is that’s correct?
David: Yes. Until I got married to be honest
Mark: Right, and what age was that?
David: 34
Mark: Okay. So you were fairly healthy?
David: I was at the beginning but then it crept on
Mark: And then what changed, you got married, family life I guess?
David: Yeah. She's [wife] is always cooking but it's not that good!
Mark: Honest. Brilliant!
David: She will probably kill me
Mark: So from 34 to 47 was when you started to gain weight?
David: Yes, probably a gradual increase in weight…
Mark: And so what was your lifestyle like? You were working a lot?
David: Yeah, working, then coming home
Mark: Okay
David: So eating a lot
David: I didn't do a lot after that, just watched TV
Mark: You had obviously been fairly active up until you were 34 so did you notice the changes in you?
David: Yeah, I did but not enough to make me want to change
Mark: Right, okay. So did you feel more sluggish?
David: Yeah
Mark: But it wasn’t at that important to you?
David: No, I felt I had more important things
Mark: Okay, which I guess was family and…
David: Yeah
Mark: So effectively, you put your health on the back burner…
David: Yeah
Mark: And then had you been thinking up until 47 that you needed to do something to regain your health?
David: Not really
Mark: No?
David: No, not at all
Mark: Okay
David: So it was only that I had more time
Mark: Right, children are older
David: Yeah, children have grown up so I have more time to do more for me really
Mark: Okay. And so at 47, it was that pure stimulus of seeing that photo?
David: Yeah
David: Actually, I honestly I didn’t realize. It's that one photo and I felt I looked huge…
Mark: Right
David: And I felt crushed that I let it get to that
Mark: And was that when you came across DVCC?
David: Yeah
David: When we got back from New York I knew it was time to do somethingMark: Right. And you’ve obviously *lost a lot of weight and increased your muscle tone
David: Yeah, definitely
Mark: Let’s look at your life as it is now with your lifestyle in terms of your habits day-to-day. How is it different post your 3 *stone weight *loss and? You would wake up before get dressed for work, and have no breakfast?
David: Yeah, no, I didn’t used to really have breakfast and I stopped from McDonalds for lunch or something and then came home for a big meal
Mark: And did you know that that was unhealthy for you?
David: Probably but I didn’t take much notice in because I enjoyed it
Mark: Okay. But I guess that photo made you think that you don’t enjoy it, you don’t like looking at that
David: No, that’s it. I didn’t like looking at that
Mark: Right. So now, in terms of your lifestyle, has your mentality completely changed?
David: Oh, my mentality has changed, especially the eating habits more than anything
Mark: Right. So give me examples?
David: I think I eat far more healthy salads, protein, steaks, meat and fish
Mark: Doo you understand where you were going wrong?
David: Yeah
Mark: So you have been more educated in terms of what to do?
David: Yeah. That’s from the DVCC
Mark: Great. And what would you say in terms of how you feel? What are the differences
David: Oh, far more energy! Definitely far more. Especially now I've got a granddaughter, I need the extra energy
Mark: Right. And at 51, you're more energetic than you were at 40?
David: Oh, definitely. Now I have no worries about running after my gran daughter
Mark: And is that one of your drivers now?
David: Oh, definitely, yeah, because I think I'll live longer so that I have more time with her
Mark: Yeah, which is a good one because, because you are going to be able to run around after her as she grows up
David: Yeah, and see her grow up
Mark: That’s a very good driver
David: Thank you
Mark: But, yeah, like we say, it's about being there as she grows up
David: Yeah, definitely, definitely
Mark: And so to my next question, how do you regain motivation after a holiday to exercise? As you go away on holidays relatively frequently
David: I do enjoy a holiday
Mark: Frequently! And it's easy for someone to fall off the wagon as you go away on holiday and you enjoy eating and drinking which is great and I think you need to. How do you re motivate yourself when you get back?
David: I just know that when I come back, I can come here and just *lose everything I have put on on holiday within a couple of weeks
Mark: And that’s because you’ve built muscle tone and also you now have the habits that as soon as you get back you just slip into your healthy lifestyle
David: Yeah
Mark: You go straight back into it
David: Yeah
Mark: So you don’t find that hard? Because sometimes people find it hard to get back into their healthy ways
David: No, I don’t. To be honest, it motivates me to come back
Mark: Well, that’s a good thing. So you look forward to it because you like how you feel when you are being healthy?
David: Yeah I know I will have to go through two weeks of feeling sluggish
Mark: Right, and that’s how you used to feel the whole time?
David: Yeah, probably, yeah
Mark: Right. And then a lot of people say they didn’t actually notice that’s how they felt because have never felt any different
David: That’s right. Now I do know because I know I do feel completely different
Mark: So what would you say is your hardest aspect of being healthy now? Some people struggle with nutrition, some people struggle with exercise and motivation. No one is ever 100% at everything. What would you say is your most difficult part of being healthy?
David: Probably the eating sometimes. Sometimes I can be tempted quite easily to have something that I shouldn’t
Mark: And how do you manage that?
David: I tend not to have it. I am quite strict
Mark: Okay. How do you manage that? Do you think, “I know this doesn’t help me when I want to run around with my granddaughter…”
David: Yeah. The good outweighs the bad
Mark: Right. And that’s an interesting point because that’s kind of the point of you are being healthy?
David: Yeah, that’s the motivation I need
Mark: That’s good. Your gran daughter is just over a year old?
David: Yeah, just 12 months
Mark: So it was seeing THAT photo and then was it the fact that you started seeing results that kept you motivated?
David: Yes I was getting really good results. So I just carried it all.
Mark: What advice would you give to someone who was in your position. He is in his 40s, he's not feeling particularly healthy, what advice would you give to him?
David: That it's never too late to start!
Mark: Did you find it was helpful having someone tell you what to do?
David: Yeah, definitely, that gave me motivation
Mark: Right. So find someone to tell you what to do...Because we have people listening from places like Dubai, and obviously they ant come to the DVCC, so to those people you would say find someone who can motivate you?
David: Definitely
Mark: And have them help push you
David: I don’t think I could do it by myself. I couldn’t have done it if I had enrolled in gym
Mark: Right. Have you ever been to a normal gym?
David: No, I've never been a member of a gym
Mark: So you’ve never been a member of a gym?
David: No. But I know If I was I would just stand in the room talking, I wouldn’t be motivated to do any exercise
Mark: Right
David: Yeah, I do like talking!
Mark: But at least you get told what to do here and then you can do your talking before and after the session
Mark: Okay, great. So one last question then, how do you maintain that motivation ongoing because a lot of people find that when they have this big goal to be healthy it can seem overwhelming. Or is it you see your granddaughter all the time, which keeps you motivated?
David: Yeah, and it's been a lot hard work to get it, so I just don’t want to…
Mark: Ever go back…
David: Yeah, go back to what I was
Mark: Okay. Brilliant. And the jeans you are wearing in the photo are 38-inch waist and what are you now?
David: 32-inches
Mark: Great, and can you ever imagine yourself going back there?
David: No, never. I’ll never go back. I never want to go back to that!
Mark: Brilliant. Thank you David. Very much appreciated
David: You're welcome
Mark: Like I said, you'll be able to see David’s photo alongside this article and also on the website. David, trains at DVCC Bedford, so if you become a client there, you will undoubtedly meet him and undoubtedly know of him because he is larger than life!
