Weight loss success stories: how I lost 35kgs

NAME: Leigh Pilkington

HOME: Avoca, NSW
JOB: Rural Fire Brigade Captain
AGE: 38
HEIGHT: 191cm
BEFORE: 125kg
AFTER: 90kg

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THE WEIGHT GAIN

Not so long ago, an active job and regular triathlons had Pilkington in tip-top shape. Then a new role at work with longer hours led to a change for the worse.

Leigh Pilkington at 125kgs

“I didn’t realise at the time, but more hours at the station meant I was no longer maintaining the active lifestyle I’d previously been living,” he says.

His new timetable, combined with a fondness for soft drinks and chocolates between over-sized meals, had him on the road to disaster. With exercise on the backburner, Pilkington stacked on 35kg within three years.

Related: A glutton's guide to slashing cholesterol

THE DIET CHANGE

After learning he was going to be a father, Pilkington resolved to change.

“I knew I’d become fat, but I was constantly telling myself it wasn’t a huge deal,” he says. “I decided I wasn’t going to set a bad example for my new child.” He began logging his daily food intake, which uncovered where he’d gone astray.

“That was an eye-opener – I’d been consuming nearly 12,000 kilojoules per day,” he says. The flame was lit and by halving his daily kilojoule intake and pounding the pavement for an hour a day, Pilkington started to see glimpses of his old body.

“I didn’t care how far I ran. As long as I got out and exercised for an hour, even if I walked half of it, I knew I was doing more than before.” He cut out the soft drinks and unhealthy snacks that had become regulars in his diet, and started a weights regime 2-3 times a week to build lean mass.

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THE RESULT

Twelve months after his epiphany, Pilkington’s lost 35kgs.

“There is no better feeling in the world as a middle-aged guy in the fire brigade than being able to beat the 20-year-old recruits in the physical challenges,” he says. In the past, when told by his doctor that his ideal weight was 85kgs, Pilkington used to scoff.

Leigh Pilkington at 90kgs

Today, if it weren’t for all the muscle he’s stacked on, he’d be right on it. Pilkington’s also regained his self- confidence. “It really has been a phenomenal change emotionally,” he says.

WEIGHT LOSS ADVICE

Take advantage of all the technology on offer “Whether it’s measuring how far you’ve run or your daily kilojoule intake, there’s an app or gadget designed to help you achieve your fitness goals,” he says.

Competing against your latest results brings the best out in you “You’ve set yourself a benchmark, so do everything possible to beat it,” he says.

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