Christmas Day 2021 was tough for me. I was throughly depressed with my body. I was fat (again). I didn’t want to see anyone, I forced myself to visit my family and put on a happy face but I was deeply unhappy with myself. I was at the end of my tether with the yo yo dieting and the hopelessness that accompanies another failed attempt at losing weight via the “fat clubs”

I’d been following Team Tank for a couple of years and was amazed at the results but it was Stacey’s transformation pictures and story that really motivated me, so a couple of weeks before Christmas 2021 I finally reached out to Martin for help.

A wee bit of my back story…I’ve never had a healthy relationship with food. Whenever I was unhappy or stressed out I’d eat, most to the time it was unconscious eating, before I knew it the packet of biscuits were eaten and then the guilt would kick in. The guilt became too much so I buried that feeling deep because it was unbearable and the eating continued. I had no accountability for my eating. I’m quite tall and could get away with carrying a bit of extra weight but no one tells you straight to your face when you’re overweight and miserable, but they have plenty to say when you get fit and lean…

I’m 52 and I’ve also entered the menopause and this has gifted me a lovely “menopot” belly along with sore joints, hot flushes, mental fog and other “delights”. Being overweight and hitting the menopause was going to be a recipe for disaster if I didn’t take control of my nutrition, exercise and lifestyle habits.

Martin arranged a zoom call with me, he was pretty thorough with his questioning during the consultation, Martin said he wasn’t talking on clients over the festive period but he took me on after our consultation as I guess he could feel I was at my wits end.

From then on my life has CHANGED.

Martin asked me what I wanted from coaching with him. I wrote down my why’s and goals. Some of them were: to be lean, to build muscle, to lose fat, to lose my fat belly, to be accountable, lots of tears writing down the list of why I wanted to change.

So on Boxing Day I started ticking the boxes that Martin set me, getting in my daily steps, eating my calories (waaaaay more calories than I expected, so much so that I was skeptical I could lose fat eating that much) , getting the correct amount of protein, getting good sleep and drinking plenty of water, taking my supplements. I also started a weight training programme that was tough at the start but now I can’t ever imagine not lifting weights.

The weight started coming off rapidly in the first 2 weeks and then I was in a regular downwards trajectory losing fat, NOT WEIGHT but fat. I was a slave to the number on the scales before my education with Martin.

The scales can @%*$ you up big time and Martin explained the different variables that can affect weight and why it’s not such and accurate measurement of fat loss.

One of the best things I’ve learned with Martin is not to rely on the scales and it took time to stop replying on the scale numbers as it was a really bad habit that I’d learned over the years but once I trusted Martin’s advice I felt liberated from the numbers on the scales.

Martin has been there whenever I have needed him.

I’ve only ever hit a couple of lows though out the journey.

The first low I had was at around the 5 month mark, I felt pretty crap and I couldn’t muster up the energy to walk or do very much. I reached out to Matin and he said to up my calories over the next few days and to not worry as it wouldn’t derail my fat loss. I felt so much better the next day and was back on my feet. Sometimes we just hit a wee slump and having Martin there with nutritional advice is invaluable.

During one of our coaching calls I mentioned to Martin that I hadn’t felt depressed since joining TeamTank, and we spoke about the benefits of good nutrition, sleep, exercise and drinking water.

All of these things have completely changed my life.

I’m getting married this weekend and I bought my dress in 2019 for our 2020 wedding. After teaching online for 2 years due to covid and eating like the world was about to end, I couldn’t fit into the dress, so I’m pleased to say the dress fits me perfectly now.

Martin aimed for me hitting my “goal” weight for the start of July, which I accomplished and I’m now sitting under my goal weight, something I never thought I’d ever do.

My start weight on 26/12/21 was 81.80kg and my weight today is 63.15kg.

I’ve bought a whole new wardrobe of clothes.

I attend TeamTank Boxing twice a week which I absolutely can’t do without, such great fun and a real stress buster! I’ve made great friends within the TeamTank support group, A great gang of good people who are always there to help and support you.

I have no idea of how I appeared to people before I started this journey but I’m told that I’m like a completely different person now and I can say I definitely feel more confident within myself.

Knowing that you’re not stuck and that you can change our body (and mindset), you just need some help and TeamTank has all those resources.

I do have to say that it’s been a thoroughly enjoyable journey for me, I’ve only found it hard or frustrating might be a better description because I thought I wasn’t “achieving” fast enough, however it does take 100% commitment, you do have to work your buns off, it will be hard, you can bitch and whine but you better put the work in, results don’t happen overnight so don’t bitch about the speed of progression, sometimes you feel you’re never getting to where you want to be BUT then one day it’s happens, you have arrive at your goal.

Martin will NEVER lie to you, he will never give you some bullshit story, you’ will get “telt” if you’re not doing the work, and that’s because he cares about his clients and what every single one of us to reach our goals.

My wedding dress goal has been ticked. I now have new goals for the coming year which I’m excited to start and with Martin coaching me I know I’ll be 100% smashing them.