A GLASS OF WATER BEATS HUNGER PANGS
DOMINIC HAVERCROFT, 37, is branch manager of a truck dealership and lives with his wife, Becki. He says:
MY WEIGHT had been out of control for years, but I’d become complacent so going for a health check before the Shape up challenge was a real wakeup call.
The results of the glucose tests were higher than I expected and I realised that if my weight gain continued, I’d be at risk of type 2 diabetes and my blood pressure was high, which I was told was also linked to my weight.
I’ve also suffered lower back pain for years, and regularly see a chiropractor. I knew if I continued down this route, I’d end up in trouble.
I simply ate too much of the wrong thing. I was always grabbing fattening takeaways for lunch at work. I was eating about 3,000 calories a day.
An 800 calorie-a-day diet was daunting. But drinking more water really helped. In fact, it’s been the key to my weight loss. I’ve made sure I drink two litres a day and if I get a hunger pang I have a glass of water sometimes with a little no-sugar juice. It’s made such a difference.
I start mornings with Greek yoghurt and blueberries and I now love cottage cheese with apple. At work, I’ll have a Fast800 shake for lunch then come home to Becki for a 400calorie dinner, such as vegetable stirfry, soup or chicken and vegetables.
It’s really helped following the plan together as we made sure there were no nibbles in the house. I’ve only fallen off the wagon a couple of times — at birthday parties.
But I’m feeling fitter than I was before lockdown and best of all my backache has disappeared.
BECKI HAVERCROFT, 31, is a holistic therapist and lives with husband Dominic and their 12year-old son Alfie. She says:
THE hardest thing for me was cutting out chocolate. I have a very sweet tooth but I’m training myself to grab a few strawberries or blueberries as a treat instead.
I’ve always been a yo-yo dieter — the heaviest I’ve been is 15st — and I was worried that if I lost weight quickly, I would gain it again just as fast. But that hasn’t happened.
Instead, the weight has come off gradually, about 2lb a week, and I’m determined to keep going until I get to my goal weight of 9½ st.
When I heard full-fat food was allowed on the Fast800 I panicked. We’re so used to turning to low-fat foods on diets that I couldn’t understand how it would work. Also, because I no longer have a gallbladder, I have to be careful how much fat I take in because my body doesn’t process it as well. I expected to feel a bit ‘urgh’ after eating foods such as full-fat cheese, but I just go easy on the portion size and I’m fine. A typical day for me would be yoghurt with passion fruit or a poached egg for breakfast, a plain cheese salad for lunch and dinner can be a stir-fry or soup.
I’ve noticed the high protein content in the meals helps keep me full, and if I have the occasional hunger pang I’ll drink water which usually helps until the next meal.
I do a lot of walking, but I’ve also started doing HIIT exercises on the Fast800 online programme, which has helped me tone up. But more than that, I feel emotionally and mentally in a better place. It just goes to show that what you eat really does affect your mood.
It’s a huge change for me. Before, I could eat a whole packet of digestives without thinking. Now, I’m much more mindful about what I’m eating.
It helps that Dom does most of the cooking, and we’ve been supporting each other.
The weight has come off gradually, about 2lb a week