Sponsored by Musclefood.com
A star of hit TV show Gogglebox has revealed how he shredded almost three stone from his waistline in just three months
Jonathan Tapper went from weighing over 21 stone to a much lighter 18 stone, vastly improving his health in the process.
He took the tough decision to swap service stations snacks for healthier meals, courtesy of Musclefood.com and their ‘Do The Unthinkable‘ diet and exercise plan.
Reflecting on his journey, Tapper feels rejuvenated and full-of-life, claiming his weight loss has done more than improve his physique from the outside.
“I have gone from slobbing around in front of the telly, eating whatever junk food and snacks come my way – to eating lean meats and green vegetables and exercising four times a week.
“I would honestly describe my journey as being life-changing beyond what I ever imagined.”
Life before Gogglebox
Dad-of-two Jonathan, 51, gained widespread fame as a much-loved TV critic on Channel 4’s Gogglebox. But it was his day job as a chauffeur that contributed more to a vicious cycle of poor nutrition and inactivity.
Instead of prepping meals bespoke to the calories he needed, Tapper would often tuck into many a fried breakfast on the road, topping it up later in the day with high calorie service station sandwiches and multiple packets of crisps.
He would put away well over 3,000 calories a day – perfect if you’re an athlete, not so much if you’re confined to a driver’s seat for most of the day.
Lifestyle habits took a nosedive as a chauffeur, Tapper says.
“I’d sit in my car whilst working as a chauffeur. All I had to occupy myself was eating rubbish and listening to the radio. I’d just binge eat and hate myself for it.
“I knew that I had to stop but couldn’t find the mental strength to do it at that time.”
Time for a change
The Gogglebox star realised he needed to drop a couple of clothes sizes when his health took a turn for the worse.
“I’d known for a long time that a change was needed. Just simple things like dragging myself out of bed in the mornings or getting up out of a comfy seat were an effort.
“But I think my lowest ebb came when I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. The stark reality of what I’d been doing to my own body became suddenly apparent and I had a real moment of clarity. After that was when I decided to knuckle down at changing my ways, and I never looked back.”
If you’re not much of a cook but still looking to lose weight, Tapper thinks the ‘Do The Unthinkable’ plan will work wonders as it did for him.
“The DTU plan was vital to my success. Not only was it the great ease of having the products delivered fresh to my door, but also the fact that the portion sizes were clearly laid out too.
“The food has been great – very tasty and varied. I loved the protein pizza, the recipe kits were great when I had a little more time at home to cook and the prepped pots were perfect when I was on the go.”
You can get £10 off your first Do The Unthinkable order at Musclefood when you enter the code JOEDTU at the checkout. Get involved in the challenge and you could be in with a chance of winning a summer holiday plus some other big prizes.
The Gogglebox star credits has family for keeping him motivated along the way.
“I was very lucky that my close friends and family were really spurring me on. They never tried to offer me things I couldn’t eat to tempt me, like sugary treats – or teased me when I went to exercise.”
Jonathan’s daily diet
- Breakfast: Oomf apple pie flavoured protein porridge pot
- Morning snack: Healthspan HiLo chocolate mint protein bar
- Lunch: Chicken chow mein noodle pot
- Afternoon snack: Hippeas chickpea puffs
- Dinner: Thai chicken stir fry mix
- Evening snack: Protein popcorn sweet vanilla
If you – or someone you know – has made an impressive transformation with a story to tell, you could be featured on JOE’s Transformation Tuesday!
Just send your nominations to [email protected]
