Josh: Hey guys, this is Josh from the DVCC and I’m sat here with a client of DVCC Bedford, Sue Williams.
We’re just having a little conversation so you can listen in, be a fly on the wall and hear part of Sue’s journey at the DVCC, see if you can learn some of the things that have helped her.
So Sue, first of all, would you like to introduce yourself and let us know what you’ve achieved in your time at the DVCC?
Sue: I’m Sue; I’ve been at the centre now since March and I’ve lost a fantastic 25lbs of fat, which is fantastic.
Josh: Amazing from you Sue! So let’s go back before you were a client at the DVCC, a long time ago now, but how long have you been concerned about your weight?
Sue: Probably about the last four years; I tried lots of different things, started like most people do in January, thinking I’m going to get the weight off. Actually though, probably up to March, I would be fairly good and then work and other pressures of life took me back to those fatty foods, the crisps and all the things that you shouldn’t have. So yes, about three to four years I’ve struggled.
Josh: And during that three to four years, what kind of things have you tried to lose the weight?
Sue: Normal sorts of things; going to Weight Watchers, Slimming World, cutting back on my carbs, even doing exercises, going to the gym. But it didn’t really work. You might get a stone off or a couple of pounds, but the focus was more on losing weight as opposed to the fat in your body.
Josh: You touched on the fact, pressures from work. I think a lot of people listening will be able to resonate with the fact that if they have a busy schedule it can be really hard. Talk to me if you would, a little bit about what you do and the nutritional things that came along with that and what stopped you from losing weight in the past.
Sue: I think it was very much early mornings, early starts; getting up at anything between four and five o’clock in the morning, not actually coming in the front door until eight or nine o’clock at night.
A lot of driving and so therefore the normal, and I’m sure people listening to this will know, stopping off at a garage or the services, picking up coffee, I’ll fancy a cake or something like that. So all those sorts of things: not having breakfast, skipping meals, eating too late or eating a lot of takeaway or processed foods, and I think those were the sort of key factors.
Josh: Sure; and along with all of those things, the concern about your weight and making all of those choices, how did you feel back then?
Sue: I had really no energy, would put everything into Monday to Friday and by Saturday and Sunday I would spend most of the weekend exhausted and trying to build my energy back up. But it was very exhausting, I had no energy and it was affecting me, both from a professional position and also a personal position.
Josh: And was there a tipping point where you came across the DVCC and you really thought right, this is the time to do this?
Sue: It happened around Christmas; I was Christmas shopping and I looked in a window of a shop and I actually didn’t recognize myself; I thought I was looking at somebody else. That was the first trigger for me, how much weight I had put on and I didn’t recognize that individual.
I think up until then I was in denial. And then my daughter joined and she said come along, it’s great, it may work for you, other things haven’t worked. So I said well, if you’re successful in the first month, I’ll come along. And she was very successful and really enjoyed it. I think it was the motivation and the drive that I saw and the determination from her, I came along and that’s when my story started really.
Josh: So, having done a lot of other things in the past, did you have any reservations before you joined the DVCC?
Sue: I had reservations whether I would be able to keep up with the training, because obviously carrying a lot of weight and not being fit whatsoever, I was a bit concerned about the type of training and whether I would be able to keep up with it and cope with it.
Also, the food changes; when I started on the MDS for the first time, I thought will I be able to cope. But it was amazing how quickly I actually got into it and adapted my lifestyle really, really quickly. Just seemed to click.
Josh: You did, you did, and hey you know we’re all nice here!
Sue: Oh and of course the people, sorry! The people of course have made a difference.
Josh: There you go, there’s our little plug there!
So now that you’ve been a client at the DVCC for a little bit, what’s been your favourite part?
Sue: I think I actually enjoy everything; I think I enjoy the environment, I will plug the team again without being prompted by Josh! I think the team are great, I think that the people that come, and I think the most important thing is I don’t actually feel out of place and everyone seems to have the same goals. I think if you go to a commercial gym, people sometimes come in… you just feel a bit out of place.
Here, I think it’s a bit like a family; you come along, you train hard and work hard, but you can also have some fun and people will actually support, whether it’s the trainers or whether it’s the individual colleagues that are here; we support each other and I think that’s what kept me going, I really enjoyed it.
Josh: That’s super nice to hear and I fear that Kevin Shurrock sitting outside will be giving you a slap on the wrist if you didn’t mention his name here.
Sue: And the high fives help!
Josh: Yes, that’s true! Ok, now that you are sitting here 25lbs lighter, 25lbs of fat off – how is your life different?
Sue: Tremendously different. I think the most important thing is the compliments I’m getting; I feel much healthier, but the key thing for me, it’s all around preparation for me; it’s that being in that zone and thinking right, that’s my week I’ve got ahead, how am I going to plan that? And I think that’s the key thing; it’s about planning for me now.
But it’s a natural plan, it’s not I have to do this; naturally I’ll go shopping and I’ll pick up the right foods for me and I’ll think about what I’m eating but I plan. So if I’ve got a heavy week at work, I’ll plan what I’m going to have in the morning; I’ll take my nuts or my snacks with me that are the right snacks for me.
Lots and lots of energy and also it’s great because I can buy different types of clothes and I feel really good about myself.
Josh: Good, and actually you touched on something that I think will help a lot of people out there; so if you were to give maybe like a top tip for people out there who perhaps were in your position in March and they wanted to have their transformation; what kind of advice would you give them?
Sue: I would actually say the key thing is really plan, really think about it. So when you go shopping once a week, really think about what’s the week ahead. So if you’ve got a very busy job where you’re leaving early in the morning until late at night, be prepared, make sure you’ve got those snacks. And make sure you’ve got nuts in the car, so if you are travelling home late from somewhere, have some nuts as opposed to having that cake or that biscuit or something like that.
Plan your food and it will make a difference. If you’ve got the right food in the house and you’re carrying the right food in the car, whether it’s avocado in the morning as your mid snacks, whether it’s chicken in the afternoon, you can make it work for you, even if you’ve got client meetings; take a cool bag in the car and make sure when you come out of the meeting you’ve got some protein or something to have. So I think they were the key things that have made a difference to me.
Josh: I think personally it’s really nice to see the Sue that I’m talking to today has so much more knowledge of how to help herself and I think that’s allowed you to really capitalise on the things we’ve taught you and to have the amazing results you have.
So, Sue, looking forward to the future; what are your future goals, what are you looking forward to?
Sue: I think I don’t have any main goal in the sense of how much weight I want to lose. I think I want to continue the training motivates me, coming here motivates me; I’m going to continue with what I’m doing. I will also, if I have a reset meal or I go off slightly if I’m out and about, then just get back on it really, really quickly.
And I think just carry on feeling as healthy and positive as I am today and that is really down to the centre: you Josh and every body here; Sam puts me through my paces on a weekly basis! So yes, I just would like to say really, thank you very much; you’ve made a difference to my life.
Josh: Sue, it has and will always be an absolute pleasure and I look forward to our journey in the future.
So guys, thank you very much for listening; hopefully you’ve learned a thing or two about how you can achieve your transformation. Until next time, have a great weekend, speak to you soon – bye!
