Carl Newham let his health deteriorate so badly that he contracted glandular fever. Here’s how he used fitness to fight back
Carl Newham Health and Body Transformation
Vital Stats
Before
• Age: 60
• Height: 6ft 2in • Weight: 216lb
After
• Age: 63
• Height: 6ft 2in • Weight: 147lb
Carl – Before
Q. Tell us a little bit about your health?
A. I was 216lb and clearly overweight, but I couldn’t really see it. I genuinely didn’t feel fit and well, though.
Eventually, I was struck down with glandular fever and had a compromised immune system for years as a result. it was like I had a permanent flu.
Tiredness and lethargy, with afternoon energy crashes, was a regular feature of every day. My diet surely didn’t help – I was reliant on bread, processed meats, chocolate or other sugary snack bars.
Q. What challenges did you face initially getting into fitness?
A. When I started I was close to being physically ill during my early HIIT sessions – my muscles would shake, I’d be short of breath and weak when lifting weights.
This soon passed and I started to feel accomplished – I began to relish the physical challenge.
Mentally, I missed chocolate but my taste buds soon changed and adjusted to healthier and leaner foods. I also felt time poor in the early stages as my training and food prep took up a lot of my week – i now look at it as my hobby and even developed a new-found passion for cooking.
Q. Where did your motivation come from?
A. once I’d made that decision to change, I can honestly say motivation was never an issue. I was shaking off my illness and my immune system was getting stronger.
I’m lucky to train at a great local gym, too. The positive staff, along with the members motivate me to the point that I look forward to training.
Carl – After
Q. Were elements of training used to improve your condition?
A. my workouts needed to be effective and have purpose. I like structure in my life so that’s what I put into my training and diet. Everything went up a gear when I met Sam Yassin and started his Back2Fitness program.
I talk to Sam on a regular basis and he supports me constantly. I truly feel he’s why my training and nutrition has moved up a level.
Q. What was the most important thing you learned?
A. I learned that my diet works best as a balanced mix of macronutrients – protein, carbs and good fats.
The variety keeps things interesting and I regularly get to tuck into rump steak, high-protein pasta, and unlimited green vegetables. Vegetables are invaluable for keeping me full throughout my day.
Q. What are your goals for the future?
A. I’m going on a snowboarding holiday soon and want to be in the best possible condition. Sam is creating me a second plan, tweaked to strengthen my legs for my trip.
I had a recent holiday to Ibiza where I felt more confident than ever, but that’s only a small part of my achievement.
I feel 200 percent the person I was before. I have energy every day and that confidence with positivity has spread to every part of my life, which makes me very proud!
Infomania
30-50
Days for glandular fever to develop from initial infection through saliva. This can be through sharing cups, coughing or kissing
1 in 4
Will catch glandular fever in their lives and forever carry the Epstein-Barr virus
70%
The percentage of people that catch glandular fever in their teens
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