Nathan: Hi, I’m Nathan from the DVCC and I’m here with Lee today. I’m just going to be talking to Lee and asking him a few questions, just to see if he’s had any difficulties in the past, because I am sure there are literally thousands of people who will find this interview very beneficial.
So Lee, if you could please introduce yourself, and how long you have been at the DVCC?
Lee: Hi, my name is Lee; I’ve been here getting on for two years when we get to September.
Nathan: Awesome. And what results you have achieved in that time, Lee?
Lee: When I first came here, my first ever weigh-in I think I had about 26.5% body fat. So in that time I managed to reduce that down to 15.6%. It could have been better with my habits outside of the gym, but I don’t think I’ve done too badly considering my lifestyle; I work really hard when I’m here, so I balance it out well I think.
Nathan: Good from you; you’ve *lost 16.4lbs of fat and gained 12lbs of muscle in total, which is awesome, very well done.
What were your struggles with weight *loss before the DVCC, if you had any?
Lee: It was that the gym I was at never kept me going; I was never very motivated to keep doing it, there was no-one pushing me. I went with a mate for a little while, and then we stopped going at the same time; you just *lose the will – and you don’t push yourself as hard when you’re on your own either. So I ended up stopping there, and then this just turned up.
Nathan: Ok – have you ever *lost weight using nutrition and exercise, or has it always been one or the other?
Lee: To be honest I’ve never really done anything to encourage weight *loss until I joined here. It was only when I started realising that my social life was starting to take its toll. I wasn’t doing anything outside of it; I thought I had better sort it out.
Nathan: Ok, so you’ve never done any diets before?
Lee: No.
Nathan: What does your lifestyle look like now, compared to before you started at the DVCC?
Lee: I used to just go out in the week and I wouldn’t be too bothered about having a few beers, but now I’ll make sure I won’t have more than one or two in the week. I drink a lot of water now, which I never used to do, which has become a habit – you just have to force that in there really. I eat a lot better as well, that’s the main change, the amount I have changed my eating habits has been the biggest one.
Nathan: So is that what the DVCC has helped you with most, would you say?
Lee: Yes, mainly because you just hear it so much you just start to follow it without even knowing.
Nathan: Good. Do you have any specific tips, with nutrition or exercise, that you could share with anyone who might be listening and is currently trying to *lose weight?
Lee: I would say the biggest thing that’s helped me is the increase in water and the increase in green veg; it’s been massive, made massive differences for me. Compared to what I used to eat and drink, the weight, to start with, just fell off me, because that increase just seemed to do it by itself. Obviously the high intake of protein is good for the muscle building, but I would say water and greens all the way to be honest; it’s just the one that’s helped me the most.
Nathan: Yes, greens are very good for burning fat, so that’s good.
What was the main obstacle that would have prevented you starting training with the DVCC, or training at all?
Lee: It was expensive – that would be the main thing; but then I thought, well, I can afford it at the moment, and it wasn’t a contract that I was tied into. So I thought I would give it a go for a few months and see how I get on – and I’ve just stayed here ever since really.
Nathan: Awesome. What have you found as a result of starting the Real You transformation process, what have you found from training at the DVCC?
Lee: I feel better generally; I don’t seem to get ill as much. When I do, it doesn’t last as long. I recover from hangovers quicker! It’s just nice, you feel - you’ve just got more energy, and it’s less of a chore than it used to be; it’s more of a routine, which is what I needed, because now I feel guilty about not going rather than having to force myself to actually go.
Nathan: How many times a week do you train, Lee?
Lee: Four, minimum.
Nathan: And when you were training by yourself, how many times a week would you train?
Lee: I wouldn’t even be every week; it would be once in a while – maybe a couple of times a fortnight or something.
Nathan: So you’ve become a lot more frequent in training, which is awesome. And you enjoy it, you enjoy the training, clearly.
Lee: Yes.
Nathan: Good. Would you recommend the DVCC? If so, why?
Lee: I would recommend it because it has put me in the best shape I’ve been in since I can remember. But I would say that people who come here thinking they can do it all here, they would be naïve, because you have to put so much in outside of it. But I still think that that becomes easier with the guidance: meetings and encouragement.
Nathan: Progress trackers and stuff.
Is there anything you’d like to add?
Lee: No, I’m happy with the way things are going, and as long as I keep getting decent results, I’ve got no reason to stop what I’m doing.
Nathan: Awesome job. Lee, thank you very much for taking the time to speak to me today. If you’ve been listening to this interview, I hope you found it helpful. My name is Nathan from the DVCC in Bedford. Lee, thank you again for your time – and have a great day.
