Michael's
Story
“Give it a go! What have you got to lose? Only the extra weight!”
As a self-confessed yo-yo dieter, islander Michael Boschat has transformed his health, his life and his physique on the Move More Referral programme – much to the delight of his wife who now has “the upgraded model!”.
Michael joined the programme in 2021 and has gone from just under 22 stone “with asthma and painful knees” to a svelte 13 stone 1lbs. While the weight loss is one amazing result, Michael now enjoys a higher quality of life: “I don’t fall asleep after work any more. I used to fall asleep after a long day.”
A healthy love of home cooked food was one reason why Michael gained so much weight over the years: “I’ve been overweight for a long time, probably just from eating too much!”
The first step in his weight loss journey was to reduce portion sizes and cut down on refined carbohydrates and alcohol, while still enjoying a wide variety of home cooked meals.
Having never been a sporty person, Michael was understandably apprehensive before his first Move More Referral gym session: “I was frightened and nervous! But after one or two sessions I really started to enjoy it. The group support is so motivational and the instructors are amazing. Circuit training classes are my favourite.”
One important aspect of the Move More Referral programme is the buddy system, which means participants can do exercises together which acts as a source of motivation, support and accountability. Michael teamed up with another participant Lucy, and together they’ve made an extraordinary impact on their own fitness and mental wellbeing. “Taking time out each week to do this has been so good for my mental health. I’m so much less stressed than before and it’s helped me to feel calmer at work too.”
Enjoying a better quality of life is a great positive side effect that comes when you work consistently on your physical fitness and mindset. Michael and his wife now find that their usual dog walks aren’t enough for them, so they take the dogs for a walk first, come home and leave the dogs and then head back out again! In the future, Michael hopes that this new lease of life will enable him and his wife to enjoy lots of active holidays around the world for many years to come.
If you’d love to improve your health, fitness and wellbeing and are considering the Move More Referral programme, Michael has a few words of encouragement to share with you: “Give it a go! What have you got to lose? Only the extra weight!”
Move More Jersey’s 3 Top Tips for Weight Loss
- You may have heard it 100 times before, but the most effective way to lose excess weight and keep it off is through a sustained effort over a long period of time, focusing on healthy eating, sensible portion sizes and regular exercise.
- If you’re not used to moving your body very often, start small. Depending on your level of mobility and fitness, start with a short walk from home, gradually increasing the distance, duration or pace over the following weeks. Ideally you should walk a small amount every day.
- Be more active, more often. There are many ways to increase activity within your home or workplace without ever joining a gym. If you have a sedentary job, ensure you take active screen breaks every hour to walk around the office, up and down the stairs or just to the bathroom and back. (But not via the kitchen if it involves the temptation of snacks!) In the evenings, try moving more during television advert breaks, or swap half an hour of television for some online yoga, stretching or dance.
If you’re inspired by Michael’s story and if you’d really love to get started with your exercise journey, you’ll find some useful links below:
For a list of the physical activity groups in Jersey, take a look at our Move More Jersey Directory and to find out more about the local sports clubs available, visit our Sports Directory.