Scots can get a tune out of fat boy slim
THE most dynamic figure in the Scotland squad may not be an obvious target for ‘body shaming’, but Stuart Hogg said yesterday that photos he saw of himself have played a part in his new streamlined look.
Scotland’s full-back reckons he shed nine kilos during a lengthy spell on the sidelines after getting a shock when team-mate Dunc Weir’s wedding photos were passed round and it forced him to take a serious look at his lifestyle.
The 25-year-old, who has been the Six Nations player of the championship in each of the past two seasons, even revealed with a laugh that Guinness – once recommended to those needing to build themselves up – had been among the things he has cut down on.
“I was sick of seeing photos of how fat I was getting, so I decided to shed a few pounds.
“It’s made a difference in terms of how I look and how I play but also in terms of life in general. It sounds like I’ve been in rehab!” he said with a laugh.
“It was mainly after the summer. I knew I was getting a shoulder op and I had the potential to balloon.
“It was actually at Dunkie Weir’s wedding [in July], where I was an usher and I was struggling to get the jacket shut from the measurements taken six months earlier.
“I wanted to make a difference and I thought that I had been a couple of kilos too heavy over the last few years. It just happened that I managed to lose a lot.
“I feel comfortable at this weight and feel I can do more damage at this weight. Hopefully it will work.
“There are a lot of different things, including looking at photos. We were asked individually at the August camp what we were going to do to make this our best season and I just wanted to see if that would make a difference.
“Touch wood, so far it has. I feel I can go longer and have a bigger influence on the game. The challenge now is to stay at this weight. I know exactly what I have to eat and drink and all the supplements to take. If that benefits my game then that’s good.”
It speaks to Hogg’s talent that he has had such an impact on international rugby in spite of admitting he has been given the right messages from medics and nutritionists down the years, but that “I just wasn’t listening”.
“I think the biggest thing was learning about all the foods to eat,” he added.
“I had a rough idea what was best for me, but it seemed that the takeaways were taking over. “There are a lot of factors, but it’s just being more professional about everyday life as opposed to just when you’re in playing rugby. I feel a lot better for it.
“The main thing is just being prepared. I have two young kids who take up a lot of time, so the wife and I try to get the food prepared once a week so we’re not just getting a takeaway if we can’t be bothered to cook.”
All of which can only be encouraging for Scotland ahead of the forthcoming autumn Tests given Hogg scored tries in both matches he played last month after returning to the game four months after sustaining that shoulder injury on British & Irish Lions duty.
A hungry Hogg need not always be a bad thing.