How did Neil go from overweight and exhausted to overflowing with energy and training for an ultramarathon?
Neil has transformed his health, body, and lifestyle. Tune in for his story, tips, and some great juice recipes!
“Whatever you do, always give 100% – unless you’re donating blood.”
Weight gain background and contributing factors
When his father died suddenly at the relatively young age of 50, Neil struggled to motivate himself to exercise when he felt life was too short to bother with it. The additional stress of a divorce and a hectic travel schedule for work led to a substantial weight gain.
How being overweight impacted Neil’s life
Neil experienced issues with asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, and the sting of comments from people around him.
The turning point for Neil
Neil knew his health needed attention when playing with his son for only a few minutes at a birthday party completely exhausted him and forced him to sit down.
The final straw was the embarrassment of having to buy the largest piece of clothing he ever owned while on a business trip.
Starting the weight loss journey
Neil’s first step was seeking out a nutrition professional who helped him identify vitamin & mineral deficiencies in his diet. He kept a food journal and began introducing healthy foods like quinoa into his diet, while also researching a fascinating new topic: juicing.
When Neil experienced a whole new level of energy from juicing regularly, he became “The Juice Junkie.”
Neil’s propensity to make commitments loudly and proudly is actually what (somewhat accidentally) kicked off the NaturalJuiceJunkie.com website!*
Neil’s discoveries
Neil has learned that his body is capable of greater work capacity than he ever imagined before.
- In 2012, Neil completed a charity challenge of going the entire year without alcohol.
- In 2013: Neil completed 2013 self-powered miles! (This meant walking, running, swimming, cycling, etc.)
- In 2014: Neil has secured a spot in the London Marathon, and also intends to train for an ultramarathon that will have him running 103 miles in 4 days!
Neil’s advice for your weight-loss journey
- Allow yourself to make a few mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up about them.
- *If you take pride in honoring your commitments, don’t be afraid to commit to things publicly to help make yourself follow through.
“If you’re not committed, you’re wasting your time!” -Neil - Don’t lose weight for others, “do it because you want to do it. In order to really show love to other people, you have to learn to love yourself first.”
Here are three great juice recipes Neil recommends:
Resources discussed in this podcast
- Slim For Life: Freedom From The Diet Trap by Jason Vale [ Amazon / iTunes ]
- 7 Pounds In 7 Days by Jason Vale [ Amazon ]
- Crazy Sexy Cancer, a documentary [ Amazon / iTunes / Netflix ]
- Food Matters, the movie [ Amazon / iTunes / Netflix ]
- JuicingRadio.com -> see our interview with JuicingRadio’s Shane Whaley!
- No Meat Athlete – vegetarian running and fitness
- Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead, the movie [ Amazon / iTunes / Netflix / MovieSite ]
- Super Juice Me, the movie – coming soon from Jason Vale
- Powered by Green Smoothies, a documentary coming in 2014
On Neil’s workout playlist
- London Calling by The Clash [ Amazon / iTunes ]
- Low End Theory by Tribe Called Quest [ Amazon / iTunes ]
- Scenario by Tribe Called Quest [ Amazon / iTunes ]
- MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know by KRS-One [ Amazon / iTunes ]
- Kik Off by Blak Twang [ Amazon ]
- U.K. All Stars by Congo Natty: Neil’s “Track of the Year” [ Amazon / iTunes ]
Neil blogs at NaturalJuiceJunkie.com where you can find great juicing resources, news, and success stories! You can also say Hello on Facebook and Twitter!
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