Chorley man Nick Else battled pre-diabetes with a combination of CrossFit, HIIT and swimming to build a healthier body
When the in-house designer hit a weight of 21.5 stone, he knew he needed a change. The situation was further complicated when Else was pre-diagnosed with diabetes and a potential heart problem.
“When I had my initial assessment for the gym, I didn’t actually realise how unhealthy I was.
“I was pre-diabetic, at high risk of heart disease, weighing in at 21 stone and sporting a 56 inch waist. Having just hit 30 and knowing all this really hammered home that I had to make changes after many years of never being truly happy with my weight.”
Else’s diet gave rise to the weight gain he experienced.
“I was the kind of guy that would destroy six bags of crisps and look at it as merely a palette cleanser.
“I was really bad – no regular meals, living off takeaways and my body could be 80% chocolate on a bad day.”
Healthy decisions prove vital
How Else initially got on the right path owes a lot to the NHS.
“I was always the poster boy for the yo-yo dieter, but this time around I had a long-standing shoulder injury.
“There was a huge waiting list for rehab on the NHS, but as an alternative they had a scheme for people who are overweight, whereby they would give you three months free access to a gym.”
Else took up this offer, and his decision paid off.
“When my first monthly weigh-in came around, I had dropped nearly 10 lbs without changing my diet too much and doing a small amount of exercise.
“That’s when I decided to really give this a go and see where it would take me.”
The whole process provided the guitar player with a new outlook on life that he now shares with others.
“I always tell people that if you have a desire to really want change then you’re already ahead of where I was. You can absolutely do this too!”
Now, the 31-year-old is 100 pounds leaner and in training to become a Level 2 Fitness Instructor at his local ActiveNation.
What helped Else realise such impressive results was a no-BS lifestyle change.
“I basically took my entire lifestyle back to basics: no fad diets, no crazy juices and no medical miracles, just an entire lifestyle re-evaluation.
“I started to eat a better and more varied diet and began training three times a week with swimming and walking. From there, I just saw a general change with my all-round wellbeing.”
A blend of workout principles helped Else achieve his goals, but you only get out what you put in.
“I’ve been a huge advocate of CrossFit and attribute it to the bulk of my weight loss. I visit CrossFit Leyland and they’ve been awesome in taking what I’ve achieved already and pushing it to another level.
“The first time I tried to do a workout like an athlete, I had my head in a toilet bowl afterwards! HIIT, Tabata and CrossFit-style training methodologies will really help you lose serious weight along with a good diet.”
Else looked up to many elite athletes as a source of fitness inspiration.
“I have a poster of Conor McGregor saying ‘I stay ready so I don’t have to get ready’ which inspired me not to lose focus and fall back in to bad habits.”
He also credits top CrossFit competitors.
“I follow Mat Fraser on social media; he’s how I discovered CrossFit and his high-intensity training videos have inspired me so much.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BloVsZnAdAK/?hl=en&taken-by=thatnickelse
Else shares an example fat loss workout
This 12 minute workout follows a HIIT principle of 30 seconds work followed by 30 seconds rest:
- Burpees
- Squats
- Mountain Climbers
- Star Jumps
- Bear Crawls
- Battle Ropes
This belly-blitzing circuit needs to be fed by the right food and correct calorie count. Else has nailed the formula he needs to fuel performance.
“My diet is much better these days. I weigh around 152-155 pounds right now, so I am on a maintenance diet.
“I will eat up to 2500 calories on a non-training day and 3500 on a training day depending on the amount of volume I go through. With me doing CrossFit twice a week, I need a lot of calories on those days.”
A normal day’s diet for the designer looks like the following:
- Breakfast – 2 scoop protein shake with a Banana (280 Cals)
- Lunch – Granola Cereal and 2 Clementines (370 Cals)
- Dinner – Chicken Breast, Gammon or Steak with Jacket Potato (650 Cals)
- Snacks – Apples, Grapes, Banana, Peanut Butters, Granola, Jerky
If you – or someone you know – has made an impressive transformation with a story to tell, you could be featured on JOE’s Transformation Tuesday!
Just send your nominations to Alex.Roberts@JOE.co.uk
