“I lost 2st in 10 weeks with New Body Plan!”
Harry Gray, 40 from Kirkcaldy in Scotland, used New Body Plan to lose 13kg – and shrink his belt by four notches – in just 10 weeks to overcome obesity. Here he tells NBP co-creator Joe Warner how he did it
Two big revelations, and his 40th birthday fast approaching, were the catalysts for Harry Gray to finally take control of his health and fitness after years of neglect saw his weight spiral to a scale-shattering 18st 7lb (117kg).
“Back at the start of the first lockdown in March 2020 I had a big shock,” he says. “I was working from home and a friend messaged me to tell me how many steps he’d done the previous day. He’s not someone I’d thought of as being particular fit, yet he’d done more than 25,000 steps. I looked at my step count and it was under 400!”
Smart start
Gray immediately bought a smart watch to track his daily activity levels and a set of bathroom scales. “That first weigh-in was the second big shock,” he says. “I’d have guessed I was about 16st (101kg) but was actually more than two-and-a-half stones heavier. I’ve always been conscious of my weight – you can’t help notice that you keep needing bigger trousers and bigger shirts – but until I stood on those scales I’d never had the drive or desire to do anything about it.”
Gray knew now had to be the time to act. “I was about to turn 40 and had let my fitness slide for years,” he says. “I used to play football and rugby but then we had three small kids and I didn’t have any time or energy to exercise. But it suddenly hit me that I had to take action because my weight put me in the Obese category and there’s a lot of health risks that come with being that heavy.”
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Step in the right direction
He started out by clocking 10,000 steps each day, then 15,000 and even 20,000, thanks to three 5km walks, one before breakfast, the second during lunch, and the third once his kids were in bed.
“The steps helped me lose weight but I wasn’t seeing the big changes I wanted,” he says. That’s when I discovered NewBodyPlan.com and read how Jon Lipsey lost 10kg of fat in eight weeks – and I wanted to achieve that too.
I immediately ordered a pair of dumbbells and started doing four sessions each week. I also started taking progress photos every Sunday. Pretty soon I could see a real physical difference and that’s very motivating in itself, as is the number on the scales coming down. Other simple things, such as needing one less hole on your belt buckle or clothes fitting better, were really motivating too. It gave me the focus and determination to keep going.”
Rapid results
After ten weeks Gray lost 2st (13kg) and was still having at least one takeaway a week. “Before the plan I’d have three or four takeaways a week, so I’ve cut down but not given them up entirely,” he says. “What I’ve done instead is make some changes to my breakfast and lunches – I now have a healthy breakfast instead of a fry-up, and a chicken salad or lunch instead of crisps and sandwiches. It’s made a huge difference and I don’t feel like I ever miss out on eating the foods I love.”
He adds: “I’m over the moon with how much weight I’ve lost and I am determined to keep going and continue to lose even more. The physical changes have been great, but it’s also given me a lot more confidence.”
To find your perfect plan, take the New Body quiz!
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