I feel that I am living proof that, with a little help, whatever you want to do can be done!

I was never very sporty in my youth but I kept myself fit with cross country running in the winter. Working in the wine trade since the age of 24, the problem was that I would put on weight every summer. Wine trade lunches and dinners took their toll. When my weight reached over 90kg one summer I realised that I really needed to do something about it.

I originally got involved with FITISM to keep myself fit during the summer months but their exercise and nutrition regime quickly became part of my everyday life. Over three months in 2008 (despite the stress of having my new baby daughter in the house), I managed to lose almost 2 stone. I can’t say it was easy at the time but enjoyed the challenge and quickly felt the benefits, especially the reduction in body fat to 11%. Without being vain, I relished the comments from friends and colleagues about how much fitter I looked.

My incentive is to keep my weight around the 80kg (the same as when I was at university thirty years ago) at the same time as improving my body shape and maintaining low body fat. FITISM make this relatively easy for me guiding me through day-to-day nutrition and exercise. I still taste and drink wine as part of my job and eat the food I like but I am much more conscious of the consequences. I continue to attend those wine trade lunches and dinners but I feel so much better knowing the food that is good for me. I enjoy working out at the gym on a regular basis and I continue to run during the winter months (although with three young children I don’t have the time that I used to).

Losing weight and gaining body shape helps you to gain confidence in yourself (to the extent that I even stripped off on a nudist beach!). Cutting processed sugars from your diet helps to lower stress – very important at a time when our lives are ever more stressful. In short you feel so much better, both mentally and physically. I wholeheartedly recommend FITISM’s constructive, holistic approach to nutrition and fitness.“