Staying forever F.I.T. with Mike Butterworth

F.I.T. Athlete, Mike Butterworth, shares his story of transformation and F.I.T. success.

It’s with great excitement that I am here, writing my first blog, as one of Forever’s F.I.T. Ambassadors. I want to be upfront and tell you that I don’t have any special qualifications in fitness or nutrition; what I do have is the experience of following the programme (to the letter) from day one to sixty-nine and beyond. It’s important for you to know that I have felt the emptiness of days one and two, the temptation to miss out the ‘exercise bit’ and to eat cake instead, the feeling of optimism you get as you start to notice things changing and the sense of achievement that comes from experiencing everything you visualised.

The word beyond is key in my mind. If we view F.I.T. as a programme that lasts sixty-nine days, many of us would slide back when it finishes. It’s important therefore to embrace lifestyle changes and always to plan what’s next, before you even reach what it is you want – it stops you slowing down when you get there! So I wanted to talk about MOTIVATION. What was the trigger that got me started with F.I.T.? What helped me through the tough patches, and, one year on, what has kept me on track?

I am fairly typical of the male species in regards to health. I’m somewhat reactive; generally seeking help after things have gone wrong! Juggling three businesses, a young family and a Forever team was my excuse for losing fitness. My waist line had expanded and I felt sluggish and unattractive. Put simply, I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired!
Moving away from what you don’t want can be a great motivator initially, but focusing on what you don’t want (lack of energy, obesity or whatever it may be for you) will, in the long run, only bring more of the same. It’s the law of attraction! It’s important to focus on what you do want so that you can move towards it with purpose. I set two goals: a target weight and a target body fat percentage. Imagining what I would feel and look like was easy – I’d been like that at age twenty.
I posted my goals around the house so that I was reminded of them every day. Regular (but not daily) measurements were very effective for keeping me on track – weekly worked well as small fluctuations are normal but can be unsettling if they dip in the ‘wrong’ direction – and I rewarded myself for hitting mini targets along the way.
Lastly, it’s important to have a longer term training goal that’s a stretch. A charity angle helps – especially if you are emotionally connected to it; ensure you have that front of mind when you need to dig deep during training or an event. My current plans are to do a three person shuttle where we cycle to London, from Harrogate, and back in under twenty-four hours, all to raise funds for a local Cancer Hospice. Mad, fun and a great way to raise funds whilst staying Forever F.I.T.