New way of eating is great for weight loss says transformation experts.
Twin brothers Mark and Stephen Gray are at the forefront of a new dietary regime.
The former professional rugby players turned personal trainers are championing the Paleo system – short for Palaeolithic – or as it is also known, the ‘Caveman diet’.
When I started the four-week programme at the Double Vision Conditioning Centre in Crownhill in Milton Keynes, the boys were quick to let me know that it’s not a trend but a new way of thinking.
Stephen said: “Our genetics have changed 0.02 per cent since the Palaeolithic period.
”So we go back to the principles of the way we were genetically made to eat.”
And identical twin, Mark, added: “Pop Tarts were not around when we were cavemen therefore its common sense you shouldn’t necessarily be eating them.”
It’s a lifestyle they have been subscribing to for the last seven years and one look at the boys physic shows it clearly works for them.
But will it work for a normal human being, ie... me?
After avoiding the question out of fear of ditching the processed foods in my life such as bread, pasta and cheese, I eventually decide to tackle my middle age spread.
I say middle-aged. I am 31.
So how does it work?
First things first: Get smart. The programme is not about hunter-gathering but cooking from fresh. So that means plenty of leafy green veg, nuts and berries, mixed with any kind of meat you can think of so long as its not the pre-cooked packet stuff.
Which meant that those tasty service station cocktail sausages as a lunchtime snack favourite were the first thing that had to go.
A slightly harder challenge was to try to cut out dairy products. Goodbye to the seemingly harmless tea with milk and Frosties for breakfast. Hello to black tea and eggs with ham.
But its not just the diet you have to watch says Stephen: “We ask our clients to attend a minimum of three gym sessions a week.”
And like the eating, a Paleo-based workout isn’t pulling wildebeest across the plains I was relieved to find out.
“The workouts are based on resistance and high interval training to burn as much fat as possible and increase muscle tone which increases metabolism and that is better for your long term weight loss goal,” said Stephen.
So did it work for a normal human being with less-than-desirable eating habits?
The answer is an emphatic yes. In just four weeks with the Gray twins I lost a stone in weight.
I also feel great and have more energy at the end of the day. It’s difficult at first, but well worth sticking to it. Those skinny fit jeans are rather baggy now, which means it’s time to go shopping.
But its not just the weight loss. I am enjoying eating healthy foods and will continue to do so. Transformation is definitely the correct word for it.
And it’s not just me, according to Mark: “The most enjoyment I get is meeting a lady at 40 or 50 who has never actually exercised.
“This happens a lot, ladies who have never done so since school because they were forced to do so and just didn’t enjoy it.
“But they plucked up the courage to meet us and we transformed their lives. It’s something that they can really enjoy and achieve outside of their home or work life.”
The four-week transformation is called the Cyrus Programme and the Gray twins give free tips on this style of eating and motivation with podcasts and daily videos on their website, www.iloveweightloss.co.uk.