Newtownabbey PT adds takeaways and alcohol to diet as part of unique challenge

Usually, the dawn of a new year prompts many people to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Maybe it’s losing weight or taking on ‘Dry January’.

It could be walking more or signing up for the gym membership you’ve been putting off for months.

But a fitness trainer from Co Antrim decided to trade his clean lifestyle for 30 days of processed foods, refined sugar, caffeine, takeaways and alcohol.

Newtownabbey man Gareth Edgar began his challenge on January 1 and so far says the results have been “revealing”.

He added: “My energy levels go up and down constantly, and now I sleep during the day, something I would never do.

“I eat more sugar and caffeine, so I constantly need a pick-me-up. Instead of consistency with my energy, I have inconsistency. I’m buzzing, then down, buzzing, then down.”

“That’s what happens when you don’t have structure and consistency and a good food base.

“But it’s giving me insight into how many people feel when they start working with me. Now I know why they lack energy, feel stressed or anxious, and why some feel depressed.”

“Now I understand why people go through this cycle, and if I can help one person break that cycle and get out of it, that’s 30 days well spent.

“I just want to learn as much as I can.”

Former Irish League footballer Gareth, who turns 34 on Friday, was forced into early retirement due to injury and immersed himself in education to become a noted health and lifestyle coach.

Some of his clients have included Ulster Rugby, the Belfast Giants, boxer Steven Ward, and motorcycle racers Glenn Irwin and Alastair Seeley.

His life has always been structured, especially when it comes to nutrition and training.
So why accept this challenge?

“I’ve been in this industry for over 14 years. I have a history of playing Irish League football but had a serious injury. So I went back to education and always loved coaching,” he explained.

‘I’ve never been out of shape and have always watched my nutrition since I was a kid. I would have preferred fruits and vegetables to sweet things, and had diluted juice instead of Coke. I just went for what you call food’ healthy’.

“I get a lot of clients who come to me face-to-face and also online who are low on energy, depressed, anxious, have mental health issues, constantly struggle with their weight, and struggle to stay motivated.

“These are all things I’ve never really struggled with. I’ve always been very disciplined and structured. I wouldn’t call it regimented. I love a takeout and would enjoy a beer with my friends. But I would always have structure.

“So when it comes to nutrition and training, I know psychologically and physiologically what’s going on. But I’ve never felt like this. I’ve never felt out of shape or lethargic because of how poor my diet is or how low my levels are. of activity”. has been.

“I wanted to experience it firsthand, basically to create a deeper understanding of it. To get to the emotional side and to know what people are going through.”

Gareth added: “My wife was very skeptical that I would do it, but I wanted to dive into the deep end. I’ll be doing it for 30 days, which is just a small glimpse, but it will give me greater clarity and understanding.”

“I am always thinking about how I can help the people I work with. What information can I give you? And what information can I give them so they don’t feel the way they do.

“How can I give them better training protocols and nutrition tips, and things that can be realistic? Now you can go to Google and type ‘how can I lose weight?’ And you’ll get tips to help you lose weight.

“But I want people to do it along with their own lifestyle, not the way I live. That’s not going to happen.”

“And I certainly don’t want to live like someone else lives.

“So I need to modify their lifestyles so they have more energy and feel better about themselves. Have more motivation to take better care of themselves.”

“When you help people change, they start to feel better about themselves. People want to lose weight, and when you break it down, they want to feel better.”

“They want to look good, and that could be naked in front of their partner. It all comes down to ‘feel’.

“So I want to feel how horrible it is to eat a bad diet and not train as much. I knew how this challenge would make me feel and how it would change my body. But for me it’s more about the emotional.” side, and how I ‘feel’.

“I want to understand how the people I work with feel. A little deeper understanding.”

Gareth follows the mantra, ‘be your own scientist’, a phrase he regularly shares with clients.

It’s about getting them to assess what works best for them and what doesn’t.

“I call this a challenge, but I am my own scientist and I want to learn,” he added.

“This is more subjective. Obviously I weigh myself and I know I’m going to gain weight. But for me it’s more about the psychological side of things.

“I want to know in my head what will happen to me. So I’m living my members’ lives for 30 days and there seems to be a lot of interest in it.”

Gareth’s normal routine would involve an early start and a consistent sleep pattern, and a daily calorie intake of approximately 3,300 calories made up of ‘real’ food.

He would have six meals a day, sandwiched between working with clients and his own training regimen which can sometimes include two sessions a day.

For the 30-day challenge, he took data from his clients to come up with a new nutrition and training plan, taking into account what they would normally have consumed on a daily basis.

He also introduced alcohol and caffeine into his weekly routine, as well as regular takeout meals.

“I started on January 1, and halfway through I’ve noticed a big difference,” he said.

“When I take someone on board, I have them map out their lifestyle. They give me a seven-day plan of what they’re eating. I have them log how much sleep they’re getting, look at their mood, and correlate that with their nutrition.

“So basically I get a snapshot of how they live, and I’ve used an average of that data to work through this 30-day challenge.

“On average, they trained twice a week before coming to see me. They drank between 5 and 7 pints of beer a week and their average sleep was six hours.

“Many of them felt bad about themselves, they had a lack of motivation and a lot of anxiety, which is quite common.

“So I took all of their data and I’m even eating the food that they ate. It’s been a huge eye-opener.

“Nutrition would be a lot of processed foods, high sugar, simple carbs, low protein options. Their pick-me-ups are coffee and sugar. That gets them through the day.”

“And if they make it through the week, their ‘pat on the back’ is to get drunk, and some of them drink through the week.

“I don’t really drink, and hadn’t drunk for a year before this. Alcohol is a nightmare for me in this challenge.”

Gareth also admitted that restricted exercise proved to be the biggest hurdle in his challenge.
“The hardest thing has been the lack of training,” he said.

“My training helps me blow off some steam. I usually train six to eight times a week, but now I have twice a week. And those are the two online classes I give for my clients.

“One is mobility and the other is an intensity class. I did the intensity class the other day, and after the first set my quads started to cramp.

“I’ve done marathons and endurance events, and I’ve never felt like this before. I felt pathetic in the video.”

While Gareth admits the lifestyle change has been a “revelation,” he believes the 30 days afterward will be more of a challenge as he ditches processed foods, sugar, and caffeine.

“I think the 30 days will be interesting, but the 30 days after that will be even more interesting. When I get back to eating clean and training more,” he said.

“It will be difficult to go through that detox process, but I think this is a worthwhile challenge and one that will give me a better understanding of what my clients are going through.

“And if I can help them, then it will be worth it.”

Anyone looking to follow Gareth Edgar’s 30 Day Challenge should check out his instagram page.