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Ex-Liverpool and England defender Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock has revealed the diet and exercise strategy that fuelled his seriously impressive weight loss transformation
The former centre back struggled to stay in shape after hanging up his boots, and a health scare uncovered when appearing on TV prompted his decision to regain fitness.
Ruddock was taking part in the ITV documentary Harry’s Heroes: The Full English, when the reality of his post-retirement weight gain hit home.
Ruddock said: “It wasn’t nice to get a load of bad test results – my cholesterol was up, my blood pressure was high – so I knew I had to do something about my health.”
Now 51, Ruddock’s weight reached 25 stone after hanging up his boots in a career that also included spells at Spurs, Southampton, West Ham and Crystal Palace.
Since finishing filming for the latest series of Celebrity MasterChef, Ruddock has dropped two shirt sizes, going from from an XXXXL to XXL. He’s also lost four inches from his waist and seen his jacket size drop from 56L to a much slimmer 52L.
Razor’s old diet
Diet was a major stumbling block for the tough-tackling centre half. He has spoken of how his meals typically ranged from a fry up for breakfast to Chinese takeaways with plenty of side dishes for dinner.
Ruddock said: “After training pretty much every day of my life for three decades, it’s easy to get unfit and be lazy when you stop playing.
“I miss all the lads but not the training, so taking part in Harry’s Heroes was a real eye opener and helped inspire me to change my lifestyle for better.”
Ruddock’s friend and former teammate Justin Edinburgh passed away during the summer while manager of Leyton Orient. This hit Razor hard, and spurred him on to take charge of his health.
He said: “Losing my former Spurs teammate Justin Edinburgh so tragically this summer also made me realise that nobody really knows what’s happening inside their body, so everyone should try to make healthy improvements to their life where they can.”
Although Ruddock is as active now as he was during his playing days, his diet has arguably contributed more to his impressive weight loss results.
Ruddock has lost over 1.5 stone since taking on Musclefood’s ‘Do The Unthinkable’ diet and workout planHe said: “Fortunately, musclefood came along at just the right time for me and I’ve dropped around 10kg since starting their Do The Unthinkable diet and exercise plan.
“My cholesterol is ten times better too, my blood pressure is back to normal now and I’ve also gained muscle by doing upper body exercises and weight training.”
Still staying social
Ruddock was keen to point out that his healthier lifestyle choices have not hampered his social life.
He said: “It doesn’t mean I live like a monk though. I’ve cut my drinking and look after myself during the week, but I can still have a couple of pints while watching the football at the weekend.
“The problem was, I often used to have bacon and eggs or a fry up in the morning and I could never stop at just one main and rice when ordering a takeaway in the evening.”
Razor competed in Masterchef, so enjoyed taking to the kitchenFinding healthier alternatives to his favourite snacks and foods proved to be crucial.
“The problem was, I often used to have bacon and eggs or a fry up in the morning and I could never stop at just one main and rice when ordering a takeaway in the evening.
“I’d have bread with most meals too, but the calories soon add up if you’re having fifteen or more portions a week. I loved snacking on chocolate, ice cream and anything I could get my hands on too.
“But now I enjoy lots of veg with every meal. My favourite musclefood products are their healthy versions of chicken in black bean sauce and pork scratchings.”
Musclefood’s chicken in black bean sauceThe ‘Do The Unthinkable’ plan also comes with a workout guide supplied by Musclefood’s in-house personal trainer.
Ruddock said: “Exercising more has made me healthier and happier, and it’s benefitted my family life. I’ve got more time to play with the kids and I’m even sleeping better – I now get up at 07:30 instead of 10:00.
“I’ve got bad ankles, knees and hips so I can’t spend hours on a treadmill, but the short, high intensity workouts are perfect for anyone with joint problems – the workouts are optional though.”
Ruddock lost over 1.5 stoneRazor’s progress was quickly noticed by his friends within football.
He said: “I saw Harry Redknapp recently, for the first time since starting the musclefood plan, and the first thing he said was, “bloody hell, you look well!'”
