Following a period of working from home due to the pandemic, in the Summer of 2021, Simon noticed his clothes were feeling tighter and he was struggling to squeeze into some. Simon increased his physical activity through step goals and was reaching 10,000 steps a day a couple of times a week, however, wasn’t losing weight and was feeling completely unfit. He felt he needed to make some life changes.
Simon said, “My ongoing attempts to lose weight were somehow resulting in my weight still increasing, but why?”
Simon changed his work role which allowed him to reduce his hours so was no longer working into the night which also reduced the pressures and stress that came with his previous role.
Simon said, “At the same time an email from Blackpool FC Community Trust dropped in my inbox about the FIT Blackpool programme, this was something I had seen and considered previously in 2019 but I never signed up. This time I applied as I had nothing to lose! All diets I had tried up to this point had never made any inroads to achieving any losses”.
In 2020, working from home was now the norm for Simon following the Covid lockdowns which had given easy access to daytime snacking. Work and home life had merged and Simon said,
“The step count on my Fitbit had at times forgotten what the 4th and 5th digit meant and I was looking forward to FIT Blackpool starting.”
Here is what Simon had to say on the FIT Blackpool programme and how it changed his life for the better…
“My aim for the 12-week programme was mainly to improve my fitness levels and the weight loss would be an added bonus. My achievements were massively beyond my expectations. My fitness levels did increase through step challenges and the circuits at the weekly sessions, and I lost 2 stone by concentrating on portion size and increasing my fruit & veg intake. My biggest lesson learnt was that I don’t have to give up treats and meals out, it is just about balance for the rest of the time. I finished the programme a couple of weeks prior to Christmas 2021 and was surprised at how easy I found it to maintain my changes throughout the festive period as my eating habits are no longer restrictive, I now don’t binge and crave anything.
The great delivery of the programme by Kim and Seb as well as meeting new people and creating new friendships provided me with help and support that guided me through the 12 weeks. I still meet with a couple of the people I met on a weekly basis, and we walk along the prom to maintain physical activity but also the social impact is hugely important for me. We have built up the distance we walk for over the past few months and are now reaching distances I didn’t think possible before the programme. I have also continued to attend the follow-on maintenance sessions on a Wednesday evening at the stadium which is great that I can continue the circuits we started on the programme.
If you are considering applying for FIT Blackpool, I would say you have nothing to lose by applying – you may be surprised by what happens to you!”
For more information about Fit Blackpool please email: Fitfans@bfcct.co.uk
