Dad decided enough was enough after lockdown weight gain
JASON SOUGHT HELP OF NUTRITIONIST AND SWAPPED FURLOUGH FRY-UPS AND BOTTLES OF BEER FOR HEALTHY MEALS AND EXERCISE
COTGRAVE dad Jason Hardy’s transformed his body after deciding to counter the excesses of lockdown living.
During the early period of the coronavirus pandemic restrictions, the 47-year-old ate fry-ups in the morning, drank up to 10 bottles of beer a day and gin in the evening.
But then Mr Hardy began to notice his size, and clothes were tight on him.
“The first three weeks of the lockdown I was like everyone else - it was a bit of a novelty,” he said. “In about three weeks I started feeling uncomfortable in my clothes. I didn’t feel very well, I felt tired all the time.
“I just looked in the mirror one weekend after I’d had loads of beer again and stuff - I just felt really, really bad.
“I did not feel great, I did not like the look of myself any more.”
Mr Hardy, who was on furlough at the time, added: “And then I weighed myself, the shock was I had gone up to 16 stone 9 lbs - that was enough then. I thought ‘I have got to do something about this.’”
Mr Hardy explained his weight had previously been between 14-and-ahalf to 15 stone and that he sought the knowledge of Carlton nutritionist John Clarke, who helped him to shed the pounds and tone up.
The pair had previously worked together, but Mr Hardy admitted his mindset wasn’t right before.
This time was different and, thanks to exercising in the morning on an empty stomach, and then again in the evening, it didn’t take Mr Hardy long to get down to 13 stone 10lbs.
He soon felt more energetic and explained his diet had been altered.
“A lot of it was protein, instead of too many carbohydrates to bring the weight down,” said Mr Hardy, a dad-oftwo. I stopped the drinking for a bit, no bread, no dairies - no cheese, no milk, all that kind of thing had gone out of my diet. No beer. I felt so much better.”
His programme continued and involved cardiovascular exercise and lifting weights at the gym.
In a recent photo shoot, Mr Hardy weighed in at 13st 5lbs - taking a 32/33inch waist and an medium T-shirt size, down from a 36-inch waist and an XL shirt size. “I am happier with myself, I feel better, I look better,” said Mr Hardy, who installs signage and graphics. I just feel really young again. My mindset is better - I want to exercise, I love it.”
Mr Hardy said his wife, Nicola, a 45-year-old accounts manager, had helped him “no end” to prepare his food as part of the new healthy regime - and he also thanked the rest of his family for putting up with his mood swings during the process.
As for Mr Clarke, Mr Hardy said: “He’s just so good at what he does - he knows so much stuff. I can’t thank him enough.”
Mr Clarke, 41, said: “I think Jason needed to do it this time. Lockdown had got the better of him, as it did a lot of people. He needed to change quickly. Lockdown gave him time to think about it, he came back with a totally different mindset.”
Mr Clarke added: “Everything I asked of him, he did.”
I just feel really young again. My mindset is better - I want to exercise, I love it.
Jason Hardy