From slob to Mr Bod (From Bournemouth Echo)

From slob to Mr Bod

8:00am Wednesday 17th March 2010 in

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PROFESSIONAL personal trainer and sports therapist Gavin Morey is used to taking care of his body. But when he decided to write a series of books showing people how to become fitter and healthier in just 12 weeks, all that had to change.

“A lot of my clients said: ‘It’s easy for you because you’re naturally that way. I thought: ‘OK, I’ll show you how to do it’, he explained.

Gavin, of Poole, embarked on a five-month period of deliberately unhealthy living, eating foods packed with carbohydrates, fat and sugar, and not taking any exercise. “Initially it was quite easy, but after a while my face went so spotty and I got really fat. I didn’t like it any more,” he said.

He put on a total of two stone and found his posture and state of mind suffered. An old scuba diving injury returned, causing him lower back pain. He felt lethargic and self-conscious about his body, and his blood cholesterol and glucose levels soared.

After checking with his GP, Gavin then embarked on the 12-week programme of healthy eating and exercise, documenting his and his female assistant’s progress through measurements and photographs as their flab disappeared and muscles re-emerged.

The results are to be seen in the first two books of Gavin’s Train to Become series. One is a general health guide and the other a 12-week nutrition programme including weekly shopping lists, daily menus and recipes. Two more books are planned, detailing the fitness programmes for women and men.

The whole tone is down-to-earth – even the books’ covers promise “real results, no gimmicks, no air brushing”. The emphasis is not on quick weight loss or hitting a target, but on gaining health and fitness in a sensible way. As Gavin stresses in his introduction, you don’t need to be skinny to be healthy.

At the end of the 12 weeks, the results for the woman – who was preparing for her wedding – were the most striking. With the help of special massage techniques, she not only shed pounds, but also the cellulite on her thighs.

“One of the things people like best are the before and after shots. The pictures were taken on my own camera and they look real. You can see the body changing,” said Gavin.

“Everything is exactly what we ate and how we trained. We didn’t use a gym. I wanted to show that you can do everything at home. Anyone can walk.

“Anyone can run and anyone can buy a cheap set of weights. On average I did two weight training sessions, two cardiovascular sessions and one circuit training a week.

“As soon as I finished, I had a bit of respite, then I had to go for a photo shoot at GQ magazine, so I had to get even buffer,” he joked.

The self-employed 26-year-old works as a consultant to Lush Cosmetics and helped to set up treatments at its new spas. He has also worked with visiting VIPs at the Chewton Glen Hotel, including John Cleese and Diana Ross.

• The books are published at £14.99 each by Myo Clinic Publishing. For more details, see myoclinic.co.uk.