Meet our member of the month: Ensley Ingram

Profile: Ensley Ingram - Height: 6ft Old weight: 17.3 stones New weight: 13.3 stones Weight lost: 4 stones

How Ensley did it…

Before Ensley started his weight loss journey, he ate a tonne of junk food and sugary foods. He never stopped to think about what he ate. Late snacks were a nightly occurrence, with drinking during the week another unhealthy habit. Then Ensley decided enough was enough. With his first lad’s holiday lined up for the summer of 2015, Ensley set his sights on dropping the pounds and getting fit, with a little help from Brio Leisure, of course. First on the fitness menu was a good hard look at his calorie intake. On top of cutting down the number of calories he ate, Ensley filled his plate with far more fruit and veg. He gave up the takeaways and alcohol and began jogging regularly. Next came strength training. Not only a great way to burn fat, but essential for building lean muscle. Ensley chose to shed the pounds and get in shape at his local Brio Leisure centre, Northgate Arena. As Ensley says, “It’s good value for money, the gym has good equipment and my friends use it too.”

So what are some of Ensley’s top weight loss tips?

• Cut out alcohol

You end up drinking lots of empty calories, which only leaves you feeling hungry afterwards.

• No food after 7pm

Most nights, especially before bedtime, people don’t tend to expend much energy. It’s better to eat earlier and avoid snacking altogether after your main meal.

• Drink protein after every workout

Solid food takes time to digest and break down. A good quality protein shake, however, only takes around 30 minutes to reach the muscles, which need protein to grow and repair themselves after a session at the gym.

• Don’t eat healthily all the time

It might sound counter-intuitive, but healthy day in, day out, can lead to many people wanting to binge eat. A planned ‘cheat’ meal can help satisfy any craving for your favourite foods without harming your weight loss. In fact, it can even help to boost your metabolism. Of course, your cheat meal shouldn’t consist of alcohol!

Sample foods

Breakfast: Cereal & kiwi fruit Lunch: Chicken sandwich on brown bread or salad, pot of prawns or yoghurt Dinner: Lasagne, chilli con carne, chicken and rice Hope you enjoyed Ensley’s story. Keep an eye out for more inspirational tales, coming soon!