The Brett Spargo people see jogging the streets of Seymour today is remarkably different from the man who entered 2021.
Mr Spargo was inching closer to 100kg in February and had settled comfortably into the infamous dad bod.
But less than 12 months later, the 37-year-old has lost 17kg and is preparing to compete in the 2021 Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival.
In his younger days Mr Spargo was able to keep his weight under control without too much thought thanks to his love of sport.
“Throughout my primary school years, I was regularly selected in the Victorian track and field and cross-country teams,” he said.
“I also played a lot of football with my mates but unfortunately my body was not built for the game and after two knee reconstructions and numerous hamstring injuries I gave up physical sport at 28.
“But I didn’t cut back the eating when I stopped playing sport, so the kilos consistently stacked on.
“Takeaway lunches regularly for work, regular soft drinks and no portion control of meals were a problem.”
Mr Spargo said he knew his weight was becoming an issue, but it wasn’t until the birth of his second child that he decided to do something about it.
“I had no motivation. I was regularly letting my son down by saying `sorry mate, dad’s too tired to kick the footy’,” he said.
“It was my son’s continual asking for his dad to play with him that made me do something. I decided I wasn’t letting my kids down anymore, and started looking at my options.
“Around the same time my partner had purchased a bag of The Lady Shake and suggested I try it.
“I was very sceptical as I’d tried meal replacement shakes before and they had failed massively. I was always so hungry I’d give in within a few days and find the closest takeaway shop.
“I finished off the bag of The Lady Shake, only having one shake a day before I decided I was going to give this a red-hot crack for my kids but also for me to feel good about myself again.”
Mr Spargo purchased The Man Shake and set himself a goal of reaching 80kg.
“Meal portion sizes was the hardest for me to learn, but with regular walking and drinking more water than I ever have I was able to lose about 4kg a month for the first three months,” he said.
“I also started having The Man Bar for snacks in between shakes and eating fruit which I hadn’t done in years.
“I combined that with plenty of running, which had the added benefit of giving me an escape from everything that was happening with COVID.
“Putting in my headphones and switching off from the world has been very good for me.
“I’m really excited about the Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival in December and I can’t wait to complete my first marathon.”
The Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival is on December 11 and 12. For more information, visit melbournemarathon.com.au