A builder has revealed how becoming a father again in his forties inspired him to have a ‘health MOT’ – and sculpt the body of his dreams.
Darren Bird, 47, from Bournemouth, cried ‘tears of sorrow, not joy’ after being told that his wife was expecting a little girl.
He feared he would not have the same energy to keep up with his new child as he did after becoming a first-time dad in his twenties.
But the shock of his big news inspired Darren to take drastic action, and after seeking professional help he completely transformed his physique in just 12 weeks – going from 30 per cent to 12 per cent body fat and losing 5in from his waistline.
Transformation: Darren has completely transformed his physique in just 12 weeks – going from 30 per cent to 12 per cent body fat and losing 5in from his waistline
After attending a health screening, Darren discovered he was suffering an elevated cholesterol – with his body fat percentage making him clinically obese.
When Darren learned discovered that he was going to be a new dad aged 46, it was on the same day that he dropped his eldest daughter at university for the first time.
The thought of raising a child, without the zest and energy that he had in his thirties filled him with fear.
His wife Sunny told MailOnline: ‘When I told Darren I was pregnant he cried, and they weren’t tears of happiness. He was worried about being an older Dad and it really hit home that he needed to start looking after himself.
‘I wanted him to be around for the children for as long as possible and for him to start taking care of himself’.
Darren pictured with wife Sunny and daughter Sophia, who was born in May 2017. He transformed his physique in just 12 weeks to get in shape for his new arrival
As a builder, Darren often ate on the go and his diet consisted of sausage rolls and bacon baps washed down with fizzy drinks, and he routinely scoffed his way through a whole packet of biscuits.
In the past,the dad-of-three could eat whatever he wanted and get away with it but Darren was now so unfit he got out of breath just running up the stairs.
His wife Sunny was concerned that his poor diet and his lack of exercise would hold him back from being an active dad.
After attending a health screening, Darren (pictured here before) discovered he was suffering an elevated cholesterol – with his body fat percentage making him clinically obese
With a family history of high blood pressure to consider, Sunny pushed him to undergo an MOT health screening by healthcare experts Ramsay Health Care UK.
The tests revealed that he had elevated cholesterol and was carrying too much weight, while his body fat percentage put him in the obese category.
The Ramsay Health Care UK consultant advised that Darren should make simple lifestyle changes to improve his health.
Darren enlisted the help of personal trainer Jack Eyers and underwent a healthy diet and an online exercise regime to improve his fitness and lose weight.
Before bulking up, tests revealed that Darren had elevated cholesterol and was carrying too much weight, while his body fat percentage put him in the obese category
Fighting fit: Darren enlisted the help of personal trainer Jack Eyers and underwent a healthy diet and an online exercise regime to improve his fitness and lose weight
With expert advice from Ramsay Health Care UK and PT Jack Eyers, Darren swapped bacon baps for lean protein and fresh vegetables and embarked on an exercise regime that included online training session support and at-home work outs.
In just 12 weeks Darren managed to reduce his overall body fat from an obese level of 30 per cent to a lean 12 per cent.
Darren dropped 5 inches from his waist and what’s more, he now has a heart-healthy cholesterol level. His daughter Sophia was born in May 2017.
Adopting a healthy diet and exercising regularly not only reduced his weight but it reduced his chances of developing high blood pressure –a condition his father suffers from.