127 kg to 82 kg over about 4 years
I lost 45 kg. What mattered most was learning how to keep going.
I’m Oz. I went from 127 kg to 82 kg, mostly by changing how I eat and fitting more movement into an ordinary, busy life. This site is where I share what helped, what didn’t, and what I’m still working on, so you can think about what might work in your own life.
127 kg
Where I started
82 kg
Where I am now
45 kg
Lost over about 4 years
400+
BODYCOMBAT classes taught
Why I started
Nobody was coming to fix this for me
For years I didn’t think I had a problem. I ate whatever was convenient, joined gyms on a Monday and gave up within 4 to 6 weeks, and told myself it would all start tomorrow.
That changed after my divorce. The time that followed was tough. I was at my heaviest, 127 kg, and because we weren’t parenting well together, I saw my 2 young children far less than I wanted to. That wasn’t my choice. Mentally I was holding on, but physically I was not in a good place. My health was the one thing I could take control of.
I share this because people ask me how I did it. I’m not an expert with a perfect plan. I’m a dad, I work for myself, and everything here has had to fit around real life.
The journey
5 chapters, told honestly
2
1 thing at a time
Walking the 4.5 km to work instead of taking public transport.
3
Changing how I ate
A nutritionist, my own lunches, more water, a caffeine cut off and, later, going vegetarian.
4
The hard parts
Finding time around work and my children, and a gym where I felt I didn’t belong.
5
Where I am now
82 kg, teaching BODYCOMBAT 4 to 5 times a week, and studying with MNU.
What you might take from it
Lessons from my experience, not a plan to copy
Change 1 thing at a time
Every time I tried to fix food, exercise and everything else in the same week, it lasted a month at best. Walking came first, and I only added something new once it felt normal.
Food did most of the work
Exercise made me feel stronger and clearer headed, but the weight came off because I changed what and how much I ate.
Plan for a bad week
Work runs late and other things come first. The habits that lasted were the ones I could still manage when things went wrong.
Get help where you need it
A nutritionist for my eating and a month with a personal trainer to build a routine saved me from another false start.
Your starting point, your body and your week will be different to mine. If you have a health condition, or you’re not sure where to begin, please speak to your GP or a registered professional before making big changes.
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1 short email, every Monday
What I’ve written that week, 1 idea you can use, and my free Kickstart checklist when you join. Unsubscribe any time.
About me today
Instructor, student, still learning
I qualified as a Les Mills BODYCOMBAT instructor in August 2024, after about 2 years as a participant at the back of the studio. I’ve now taught over 400 classes and teach 4 to 5 a week.
I’m also studying with MNU to become a nutritionist. I’m not a personal trainer and I’m not yet a qualified nutritionist, so what you’ll find here is lived experience and what I’m learning along the way, not individual advice.
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