A RUGBY player has lost nearly four stone in six months after turning his life around during lockdown.
The first lockdown saw Luke Winchester from Harbury tip the scales at 25st and feeling the unhappiest and unhealthiest he had ever been in his life.
The 21-year-old began pre-season training with Harbury RFC in July and worked with fellow player and nutritionist Paul Evans to change his lifestyle.
And after just six months he now weighs in at 17st but insists ‘he has not even started yet’.
Luke, who works for his family business The Door Store in Leamington, while studying a Business Management degree at Gloucester University, said: “Eating healthily is much easier than I thought. I previously didn’t even know how to make beans on toast, but now I’m cooking fresh food, keeping myself hydrated, am more active than I’ve ever been and have buckets of energy.
“I had always failed with dieting in the past, giving up after a couple of weeks and putting more weight on in the end – nothing seemed to work. Working with Paul showed me that just by eating real food and prioritising my health doesn’t have to be hard.”
Luke has found a new love for running and is looking forward to the new rugby season where he can put his fitness to the test.
He added: “Harbury Rugby Club is a community that has been an important part of my whole family for generations and having the support of the lads as I’ve lost all this weight has been invaluable for motivating me I cannot wait to start playing again when it’s safe to do so.
“Life has been hard for everyone during this pandemic, but after changing my mindset and having goals to aspire to, I have changed my life for the better, and this journey has only just begun for me.
“Although I’m not where I want to be yet, I’m healthier, happier and my overall fitness has improved 100 times over.”
Visit www.pitchero.com/clubs/harburyrfc for more information on Harbury RFC.
