Fat to Fit at Fifty

If like me, you have reached your late forties but still eat and drink like you are 21 and have the body to prove it, then give this a go.I bought the book in July 2022 and immediately warmed to Chris. We shared a love of pies and pints.Four months into following Chris’ advice I’ve lost 2.5 stone, and am fitter and stronger than I’ve ever been.The best part is that at no time do I feel like I’ve given anything up. I’ve simply swapped pies and pints for nutrition and exercise and the rewards are greater.Well done to Chris for publishing this book.

Helpful hints and tips, informative and good explanations of training routines, diet and really enjoyed the personal side of the story. A good read

Byrant gives excellent information to us lads in our 50s who can't train or eat like young bucks anymore. Highly recommend this book for all men wanting transform their health and fitness in their 50sXavier G

What a transformation ! Very inspiring. some very practical tips and ways to change your mindset that can be easily implemented. Thanks so much for writing this book!

Sometimes reading other people's transformations can feel a bit off-putting , or it can just sound too hard!Chris is very honest about how he got motivated to make changes, and how he learned along the way - in multiple stages - to get to the stage where he enjoyed and loved a fitter diet and lifestyle.Some of the parts made me laugh out-loud, and others had me bookmarking the page to come back to. It was readable and practical - a brilliant, and useful, combination.

Chris Zaremba says in the Introduction to his book:“Did you know that over 50% of the UK adult population is over fifty? And that an estimated 90% of the published written and video material on fitness is targeted at ages below that?”According to the House of Commons Library (11 Jan 2021) The Health Survey for England 2019 estimates that 28.0% of adults in England are obese and a further 36.2% are overweight but not obese. Obesity is usually defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or aboveClearly there is a need for a book such as this – but why should anyone follow what Chris has to say – after all he’s a competition winner, a fitness model champion at the age of 55. Listen to him – yes; read what he has to say – yes. But really he’s not like you or me is he…is he?And that’s the point.He USED to be like me, you and the rest of the 64.2%. As he writes:“ I spent most of the first fifty years of my life overweight or obese, unfit and apparently allergic to anything like exercise, and getting worse with each passing decade. At age fifty, however, I had a couple of very worrying meetings that changed my life. From these I realised that increasing my fitness levels and reducing my fatness levels would be critical to my future – to having a future, that is. It’s the change I’ve made since turning fifty that makes my story worth telling, I believe”Repeatedly throughout the book the message is clear: I was fat and unfit but now I am not. You can do the same – here is the guide.Part 1 (23 chapters and 189 pages of it) is all about Chris and how he gradually ‘evolved’ from being fat and unfit .He writes:“Getting fit worked for me. It helped me to move from being obese at fifty to becoming a fitness model champion at 55, and it continues to change my approach to health, fitness and just about every other aspect of life in my early sixties.”The second half of the book is the ‘how’ – we can take the first half as being the ‘why’ but this is also covered in part two – sarcopenia being one of the strongest ‘whys’.The second half of the book is about you, the reader. Chapters include planning for the future; setting targets; Objectives; daily data spreadsheet, a sample day and the weekly stage 2 review. Nothing if not detailed – but don’t let that put you off. It worked for Chris and it will work for you…if you follow the planning.To further bolster the book there are a number of appendices on workouts, exercises, nutrition and healthy food choices, among others.But there’s also something else. Chris writes (page 302):“Finally, if this book has helped you, please document your own fat-to-fit-at-fifty success story. Email it to me and I’ll include it on my website, blog or monthly newsletter. Perhaps include a photo or two if you are willing to share them, maybe before and after images. You’ve done something really special and I want to help you to share it.”It is this personal approach throughout the book that makes this 4 Fs not three: Friendly-Fat-to-Fit-at-Fifty’!

I've been very happy following Chris’ programme after reading the Fat to Fit at 50 book. I had peaked at 89kg with BF at 31% at the end of June just before starting the programme, 7 weeks later I'm now at 82kg with BF at 24%. I have jumped in feet first with 7 days a week cardio (~5km walk or run on treadmill) and 5 days a week ABCDE resistance/strength training at my home gym. It's been tough at times but my focus is determined. Chris’ biography certainly gave me the encouragement to make the mind shift and the life change, then part 2 provides great insight in how to put it in practise. Thanks, Chris, for a great, inspirational read!

This personal story of motivation and life changes is well worth reading. While Chris is spot on with the things that one needs to focus on and change, he doesn’t “preach” at you or criticize. He has enough flexibility in his advice for nearly anyone. This is more the story of how he transformed his life by trial and error until he found the winning formula.