‘LCHF HELPED ME LAND MY DREAM JOB’
KIRK McALLISTER WAS NEVER REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT HIS SIZE UNTIL A CAREER OPPORTUNITY FORCED HIM TO TAKE A GOOD HARD LOOK AT THE NUMBERS ON THE SCALE. WITHIN DAYS OF MAKING THE SHIFT TO LCHF, HE STARTED DROPPING THE KILOS.
Kirk McAllister changed his lifestyle, lost 24kg and is preparing to set sail on the Queen Mary II
‘My friends and family knew me as the guy who was “built big”,’ says 34-year-old Kirk McAllister. ‘I’ve been big from quite a young age.’
After resigning as a chef with MSC Cruises in March this year, Kirk was offered a better job – aboard the Queen Mary II, based in the UK. But to secure the position, Kirk needed to pass a medical examination.
‘When I went for my medical, the nurse asked me to step on the scale,’ he recalls. ‘Once she calculated my BMI, she called the doctor, who explained that I needed to lose 15–20kg or he couldn’t pass me at my then-weight of 142kg. I left the medical centre disappointed. I’d cut ties with my previous employer and was now in what seemed like a hopeless situation: losing 15–20kg seemed impossible.’
When Kirk got home, he gave his parents the bad news. ‘My dad asked what I was going to do about it. I went through the weekend with that question weighing on my mind.’ The following Monday, Kirk woke up with renewed purpose. He was ready to make a commitment and lose the weight. ‘I knew in my mind I had to lose weight, pass the medical and go and work on this cruise liner as it would benefit my career.’ He decided to try a low-carb, healthy fat approach, but had no idea where to start.