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Background

Hi, I’m Tim. Below you can read my story, which gives you a little bit of background into what drives me, why I do what I do, and why I want other people to get active, and why I think, in most cases, there are no excuses not to.

Let’s make it obvious where I’ve come from. Photo 1? FAT. 88kg. Miserable.

Photo 2? About 5 years later. 62kg. STOKED.

Nigh-on 6 years ago now, I was very overweight (around 80kg/176lbs on a 5′7″ frame). I was in a job I disliked, I was in a horrible relationship, and I’d gone from a happy go lucky surfer/snowboarder/mountainbiker to a trapped, overweight, unhappy human. I stopped doing stuff (mountainbiking, surfing, snowboarding) with my mates and it was horrible. I was disrespecting myself, and my life. I was not doing justice to the great gift of my life.

Around this time, I started riding to work as my housemate also rode to work, and waxed lyrical about the delights of smashing rides out to work.

Around the same time, I also had 3 serious car accidents (2 my fault) in 12 months. I was angry on the road, impatient, angry and plain dangerous. I hated traffic. I loathed the other people on the road. I realised something had to change, so I tentatively started riding to work, which was some 25km each way.

However, the whole exercise philosophy didn’t really take hold at this point.

I moved a bit closer to work (about 9km away), and moved in with my brother, my girlfriend at the time and some other housemates. I continued riding to work sometimes. My relationship and how I saw myself continued to be horrible. They defined me. My mum saw it. She tried to tell me. I knew it but didn’t want to face up to it.

In 2004 I went to Spain for 3 weeks with my mum, 2 brothers, and my girlfriend. I put 8kg on in 3 weeks. I was now 88kg/193 pounds.

I then came home to pants that no longer fitted.

Around this time, my girlfriend’s brother moved in with his weights bench. My girlfriend and her friend joined the gym. Something inside me told me I had to join too. So I did.

I went and got assessed. Started working out. And felt great. I was running on a treadmill, doing a lot of different weights, sit down cycling. In other words, I was having a go. My weight came down to around 78kg but then plateaued.

Then my girlfriend’s brother (let’s call him John, a slightly crazy, but thoroughly decent guy) had a look at my workout routine and everything changed.

The Transformation from Fat to Fit

John told me to ditch my Jane Fonda workout.

He made me cut out ALL carbs except porridge for breakfast, wild rice, and the occasional serve of rye bread. Protein powder was introduced. Lean meat, eggs, vegies and protein. Protein, protein, protein. And fat. Don’t let ANYONE ever tell you fat is evil. It’s not. It’s necessary.

He re-wrote my program to include core muscles based on supersets (how Arnie got ripped) only. Pecs, back, arms, stomach. And running. Lots of running. I bulked a bit; lats, chest, triceratops, biceptacons.

And then, it started happening. The weight started slipping off. My metabolism went into overdrive. I had loads of chili and ginger in my diet. I even started eating carbs again. But my body was now in a state of constant kilojoule/calorie deficit. The fat melted away.

And then my girlfriend moved out, for “space”. There’s a whole bunch of stuff around that relationship I don’t need to go into, but needless to say, it was not an easy time. I moved out by myself to a 2 bedroom unit on on Beach Rd in Bayside Melbourne. Heaven.

I was gaining self confidence. I was eating well and assiduously. I was riding to my old work (50km a day) then to a new job in South Melbourne, which meant I was getting around 40km of riding in a day. I started running 4 times a week, 5km a time. Sometimes 7km. Sometimes 9km. I was swimming 3 times a week. Dropped the girlfriend. Shed all of the remaining emotional baggage. I was reborn.

All of a sudden, I was a new Tim. A complete transformation.

I’d gotten down to around 65kg. But I wasn’t finished yet.

I went to Thailand in December of 2006 and came back at 61kg. And ecstatic with my place in the world. 27kg (60 pounds) gone.

Read that again. From miserable, overweight 88kg (193 pounds) automaton, to 61kg (134 pounds), lean, running, cycling, triathlonning (since stopped) human being.

Since then, I’ve stayed at no more than 65kg, am leaner than ever (body fat around 8-10%, it was over 30%) and am turning into a handy C/B grade cyclist.

The photos in this post clearly show you how much of a Muffin Man I was. Shocking, really. Looking back, I can poke fun at myself. I want you to be able to do the same.

Check out the below. Get can do.

I am not going to Lie to You, This is Not Going to Be Easy

You think losing weight will happen with a Magic Cure. A Secret Powder? A Silver Bullet? A Cheap Abiciser from an infomercial? No. This is HARD WORK. It will take time. It will take guts. It will take determination, motivation, WILL to SUCCEED.

You need to be super can-do. See all the people (lots of girls, I notice) these days out running, doing boot camps, and so on, at 6AM, rain, hail or shine. Yep, that’s what it takes. Not walking a few times a week. Not cutting a couple of things out of your diet. Pure, hard work, and determination. Choice is yours.

But I promise you that you can do this if you want to.

There is nothing stopping you, but only YOU can take responsibility for yourself and Make Shit Happen. Get Can Do. Eliminate ALL excuses for your unhappiness or poor health and physique and take control. Join a gym. Employ a personal trainer to get started. You think that’s expensive? WRONG. Cut the crap out. Don’t buy DVDs. Stop accumulating crap. Concentrate on taking care of your body because it has to last you 80+ years and you only get one.

Unless you have a medical reason, there is no excuse for being unfit and unhappy. You are your only excuse.

“But Tim, I have kids! You don’t understand.”

Kids are no excuse. Why? Involve them. Cycling. Running. Walking. Surfing. Whatever. If you can’t or don’t want to involve them, talk to your partner about giving you some time to exercise, making sure to explain the benefits to everyone involved.

Losing Weight is Really Very Simple
Read more on my advice here. And stay tuned, I’ll have a 10 week beginner’s program up soon.

Remember, I’m NOT a personal trainer, I’m NOT a dietician. All I can offer you is what worked for me.

Case Studies
If you want to submit yourself as a case study, drop me a line on the contact page.

Our first case study is Michael.  Everybody, meet Mike.  I met Mike whilst running Heresy Snowboarding.

Mike came to me for a custom snowboard, and we didn’t talk much beyond that for a while. Eventually we went snowboarding at Mt Buller one day. We did some hiking and transitioning across flats which involves “skating” – one foot in your binding and the other foot propelling you forward, similar to skateboarding.

Mike was left for dead. He was around 95kg (~200lbs) on a 6ft frame.
The photos below don’t lie.

That day was the catalyst for Michael to rip his trusty old steel framed Repco out and start riding. And swimming. Then he started ocean racing (swimming). And doing really well. Then we did some triathlons.

But the real advances were made when we started cycling. I’ve watched Michael melt himself down from a lardy overweight early-30s potential future heart attack victim, to a lean, sub 74kg (165lb) cycling machine.

The photos don’t lie. This CAN be you. What are you waiting for? The best time to start the new you is today.

No More Playing the Victim, or Being Lazy

You are in charge of this. Once you start treating yourself like crap, it gives everyone else a license to, too, and then it’s a downward spiral from there.

Most people are overweight because they’re unhappy with something in their life, have poor self esteem, whatever. It’s really easy to be a victim and wrap yourself up in that misery, stay indoors, withdraw etc. Natural response.

However, the better option is to eschew all that, and get outside. Exercise releases endorphins which eventually get you addicted to exercise. Like crack, but healthy.

I know girls do the whole weight/misery thing especially, but most girls would be MUCH better off (and deserve to) say to themselves: “you know what – I am hot and fabulous, and I deserve to look that way and be healthy”, because If you treat yourself really well, the rest will follow.

So, what will you do now? I stopped being a victim, stopped being lazy, got can-do, and now I have fun. Checkit below. 2009 Scott 24 Hour Race at Canberra – ’twas a blast. I’d NEVER have allowed myself to do this 5 years ago. Now, I crave it.

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