Question: Can you give us a brief history of your diet/lifestyle before starting with this program?

Michael: I was a very fit teenager, into a lot of sport, windsurfing, basketball, boxercise and later on, triathlon training. Then university came along and my focus on fitness went out the window as I was introduced to beer, quick eats and late nights. I was fortunate that during this period, despite the bad lifestyle, I still looked reasonably fit - at least, that's what I thought!

I hit thirty and started to see a little gut coming... A friend roped me into attending a couple of Aston Academy training classes and it was then that I realised, despite my delusion of being a relatively fit young guy, in fact I was an old man with regards to my fitness.

I was living on what I suppose could be called a typical, single male diet... It was all about quick meals that could be whipped up without fuss after working late and before going out. My general daily diet consisted of cereal at breakfast, a big salad roll for lunch and then a quick pasta or rice meal for dinner. On the weekend I'd eat out most of the time - lots of counter meals at the pub, washed down with plenty of beer. Unsurprisingly, I developed high blood pressure, high cholesterol and was advised by my doctor that I was at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. This was not a situation that thrilled not-even-thirty-yet me, who was used to thinking of himself as a reasonably fit guy!

Question: Can you describe your lifestyle/diet now?

Michael: My initial consultation was a real eye opener to diet, fitness and life style choices. I remember thinking "I am not going to survive without bread, potatoes, pasta and rice" since as a single man with a big appetite to fill and without a regular routine of home cooking, these were the kinds of foods I could keep in the fridge or cupboard and make a meal at any time. I didn't know how to do it any other way.

On that day, and ever since I have been learning about the affects to the body of high consumption of refined carbohydrates, portion size and about processed foods (Who knew that processed foods have a lot of added sugars, even if they say "low fat" or "diet"? Not me!).

My lifestyle and education about diet has been enriched through my training at Aston Fitness and I now realise I can have a balanced diet, with a busy work/play lifestyle. Eating healthily is not that hard, and I now I have replaced the old diet with a balance of salads, vegetables and reasonable portions of meat which give more energy for my day.

Question: Can you give us a brief history of your physical activity before following donna aston's principles?

Michael: In my last year of my twenties I would struggle to run the 3.8 km needed to get around the Botanical Gardens in Melbourne and to participate in a Mixed Netball Game on a Thursday night. I'd often walk off the court half-dead with exhaustion.

There was no thought of doing any planned exercise each week and I felt that I didn't have time for fitness with my lifestyle. I was too tired in the morning to get up and go out prior to work and would be home too late in the evening.

Question: Can you describe your physical activity/dietary changes now?

Michael: My lifestyle now has totally changed. I have a healthy balanced diet, with regular fitness infused into my way of life. I enjoy fitness of some form every day; a mixture of walking, running, training sessions, and team sports.

With the help of my trainer, Kris, I have learnt how to train with mostly my own body weight to get a full workout. I have learnt the correct technique for each exercise and how using that can get better results on muscle development.

Through the principles of Aston Fitness, I have been able to bring my body back to full health and plenty of energy to burn. I am now able to get up earlier each morning and enjoy fitness before work. I feel that I am mentally sharper and able to deal with more as a result of having a balanced lifestyle.

Question: Do you have any comments you'd like to make that may inspire others?

Michael: As a result of my time at Aston Fitness, I now preach to all of my family and friends the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. I have learnt so much about food, how to enjoy it healthily; fitness, how to do it properly and how to partner both food and fitness to give the best results for my body.

All of these lessons have resulted in the realisation that a healthy lifestyle can be so easy to maintain within day to day living for anyone at any age.