The Background
One year ago, 47-year-old Jonathan Cox felt sluggish and achy, couldn’t keep up with his kids, and was overweight. Now at 48, thanks to a diet and exercise regimen featuring VORA Good Shape Protein, Jonathan says he’s healthier, happier and fitter than he was in his 20s. And chasing his children around the playground is not the struggle it used to be.
‘Doing this for the last year has changed my life. It has completely changed my confidence levels, my emotional stability, my mental capacity, my drive, everything. I feel better, look better, I'm a better Dad, I'm a better husband. I'm just a better person overall. It's been incredible,’ Jonathan said about his journey.
Jonathan Cox: Before and After
Jonathan took a three-pronged approach to weight loss, which included intermittent fasting, exercise and protein supplementation. But he believes the diet is what made all the difference.
“I didn’t focus on food at first. For my first six months, I just focused on getting a habit of going to the gym every day. Being there, being present, getting more flexible, feeling stronger, going there every morning. I went from not working out at all for two years to working out every day for six months. And in those first six months, I lost like two kilos. That's it.’
He acknowledges he put on muscle during that time, which partially explains why he didn’t lose as much weight as expected. However, the weight really started to melt off when he later decided to overhaul his diet.
At the end of 8 months, he shed over 15 kilos, and that’s after you account for the 4.8 extra kilos of muscle he added. His abdomen circumference, a key early indicator of men’s health, dropped from 122 cm to 104 cm. When you include all of the mental and emotional changes Jonathan experienced, it's no surprise he feels like a new person.
About the diet
Jonathan altered his diet in two ways: through intermittent fasting and increased protein intake.
Intermittent fasting is a diet plan that involves eating your normal amount of calories per day, but only during a limited window of time. It's based on the principle that you will lose weight because when you're not eating, your body goes into what's called ‘ketosis’ and starts burning fat for energy.
Supplementing with protein can be another excellent way to kickstart weight loss, especially when combined with exercise. It helps you feel fuller for longer, plus when you build muscle you naturally burn more calories when you use those stronger muscles. If you want to learn more about how protein can help with weight loss, we cover it in detail here.
For his diet, Jonathan only ate lunch and dinner, all between the hours of 12pm-6pm. Lunch consisted of VORA Good Shape Protein blended together with some frozen blueberries and oat milk. Then he ate a normal dinner.
About the exercise
For exercise, Jonathan kept it simple and left it to the experts. He joined a gym called Body Fit Training in Geelong West, that specialises in group fitness classes with a variety of programs incorporating strength, cardio, high-intensity interval training and other modalities.
Jonathan religiously attended the 5:15 am session, which he said made all the difference.
‘I have little kids. So I want to be back when they're getting up and help them with their morning routine. So I do the 5:15 class and I'm back by about 6:10 just as they're waking up, so I kind of don't miss anything in their day. And I don't mess up the house!’
‘It’s also good from a consistency point of view. Nobody bothers you at 5:15. Nobody. You don't get any calls, you don't get any assignments, your boss won’t be breathing down your neck’, he said.
The logs from one of Jonathan’s workouts, showing duration, heart rate, calories burned and a proprietary ‘score’ developed by the gym.
Bottom line
It’s clear to see that with the right plan, the right tools and a little bit of dedication, it’s possible to get into shape and lose weight quickly even if you're a parent.
Hopefully, Jonathan's story inspires you to embark on your journey today!
About Jonathan
- Age: 48
- Gender: Male
- Location: Geelong West, VIC, Australia
- Father of 3 kids (2,5 and 7)
- Both parents working full time
The diet
Intermittent fasting with a 6-hour feeding window from 12pm-6pm daily
Lunch
- 60g of VORA Humble Vanilla Protein Powder
- Handful of frozen blueberries
- 400g of oat milk
- Blended
Normal Dinner
Daily calorie intake: Around 1,900 calories
The training
Group fitness training 3-5x per week, 50min each session at Bodyfit Training Geelong West (mix of strength, cardio and functional fitness)
The Results 
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