HOW CYCLING CHANGED MY LIFE...
John-Paul Bojanczyk, 36, cycled off 10st over a year to get fit for work and fatherhood
Heaviest: 22st (140kg) Now: 12.2st (77kg) WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE BEFORE YOU GOT ON YOUR BIKE?
“I have always struggled with my weight, and had to fight over the years to lose weight for my work as an engineer. There is a weight limit due to the special safety equipment we use, so I needed to get into shape.”
WHAT WAS THE SPUR TO LOSE WEIGHT?
“I needed to get below 110kg to pass a work medical allowing me to work on offshore wind turbines, this coincided with my two young children becoming more active. I wanted to teach them to ride a bike, so I got on my old bike and started to turn and burn. At first I couldn’t do eight miles without a break. To help with motivation I signed up to a 60-mile sportive in May. During the months leading up to it I got down to 18st and decided that I needed a new hybrid bike.”
HOW DID YOUR DIET CHANGE?
“The way I’ve lost weight probably isn’t advised but it was all or nothing for me. As an engineer it’s all about the numbers – burn more fuel than you take on board. I set a goal of a maximum 1500 calories a day. I tracked my eating and burning - as long as I burnt a minimum of 500 calories more than I ate in a day I was happy.”
HOW HAS YOUR CYCLING ROUTINE CHANGED?
“I started doing fourmile point-to-point rides along the coast, where I live in Clacton-on-Sea. As my fitness improved I built up to 20 miles.
“The sportive came and I smashed it! I signed up for a 75-miler when I was introduced to clothing brand Fat Lad At The Back and decided to do the last sportive of the season FLAB ride down south. I’d dropped to 15st but found the climbs a challenge.
“On Black Friday 2016 I bought my first carbon road bike – a 2016 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc. In the last year I’ve ridden over 1800 miles, I’m 12.2st and dropped from a 46in waist to a 34. I’m the fittest I’ve ever been.”