In the Royal Australian Navy, retirement is mandatory at age 60. So at the beginning of last year David Harnett had to quit his posting in Papua New Guinea and return home to his native Victoria.
Unfortunately David wasn’t ready to stop working, so the former Lieutenant Commander began doing odd jobs and manual labour in his local area and spent hours walking with his beloved labrador retrievers. After a lifetime of full-time work, the drastic changes took some adjusting to.
Home, hobbies and health
“The evolution into semi-retirement after leaving the Navy was a bit depressing for me. Gone was the strict, formal structure to my days. I would have long breakfasts and I was able to start to indulge my love of cooking (meals were always cooked for me before). I would experiment and then sit around eating what I had produced. I rapidly put on weight and even the dogs gained kilos too,” David recalls.
A couple of old knee injuries flared up once more and the keen bush walker and scuba diver knew that he had to do something about his weight and his health if he had any chance of continuing with these activities.
Just how his weight was affecting him hit home at a health check when David’s GP diagnosed that he had both high blood pressure and raised blood cholesterol, which both increase the risk of heart disease and serious long-term illnesses. David says, “When I looked at myself, I felt gross and there was no avoiding that my weight was harming my health.”
The time was right to live a healthier life and being a fan of Loser, David decided to give The Club a go.
Click to enlarge photos
David before
Before losing 11kg
An ideal weight
After losing 11kg
A healthy 89kg
Positive and happy
Easy answers
Flicking through the site, David was happy to find easy-to-follow advice, support and answers to his questions, and tasty recipes to try. The exercise component also suited his individual needs.
David tried the Meal Replacement products and began most days with a Biggest Loser Club Shake. “The extra fibre in them filled me up and I used to look forward to an ice-cold Shake in the morning,” he says. David cut down on the sugary carbohydrates that had become a big part of his life and banished alcohol initially too. The portion sizes, which had crept upwards since his return home, were reigned in and David chose low-fat foods wherever possible. Overall, his focus became getting the quality and quantity of his diet right.
Exercise-wise, David continued to walk his dogs for an hour or two each day, but he increased the pace of the walks and soon his fitness and stamina improved.
Six weeks to goal
David weighed 100kg at the beginning of his journey and it took him just six weeks to shed 11kg and get within his ideal weight range. He has kept the weight off and the scales have remained steady at 89kg for more than six months now. A follow-up health check has shown that David’s blood pressure is now normal and his doctor is very happy to say that his blood cholesterol has returned to the acceptable range too.
“I know it didn’t take me long to lose the weight, but it really is all about one step at a time. Take it one day, one meal and one workout at a time and don’t be afraid to share what you’re feeling with others; sharing your successes is particularly important. Let yourself be content and happy with every small achievement,” advises David.
David has masses more energy and is happy to report that he can enjoy his hobbies and walking activities ache-free. He also feels good about himself again, “Knowing I look better means I am happier and so I am a better person to be around.”
Friends have noticed the changes in David, even people whom he hasn’t seen for some time. At a recent Navy reunion he enjoyed meeting up with some ex-colleagues. “A friend, someone that I have known for a very long time, congratulated me on how I look. He commented that I look better now than I did over 35 years ago at the age of 25,” says David.
Walking the coasts with Coral
If you’re struggling about whether you should commit to losing weight and getting fitter, David urges you not to wait. “Your new life starts today and it is not just your life that you will be improving – your loved ones will benefit too. I am so glad that I did it. I am so much more positive and happy. I also have a new lady – her name is Coral.”
David and Coral have just bought a caravan and plan to travel and go walking along the Australian coast together. David ends by saying, “Life has so much to offer now and I am looking forward to living and enjoying a long and healthy one with Coral.”