Mark Regan 30 Day Challenge

14th, Jan 2016

The strange thing is that it's hugely rewarding to make the food from its base produce instead of a tin or jar. The taste is ironically significantly better.

We interview Kingsbridge Private Hospital CEO Mark Regan half way through the FitFodder 30 Day Challenge. 

Have you lost weight?

The FitFodder challenge was aimed primarily at changing eating habits and exercising more. By default most people will loose some weight via adopting these changes. I promised myself that I wouldn't weigh myself at any point during the 30 days and I've stuck to that. What I do know is my belt has moved inward two notches in two weeks and one of our surgeons who wasn't aware of the challenge told me I'd lost weight last night as I appeared at his front door! If the doctor says so, it must be true. 

Are you feeling better?

It may sound a bit of cliché but I feel like a new person. I've been obsessive about making the effort to change my diet but the effects are way beyond my expectations. 

What's  your daily routine now you're half way through?

I exercise in some form or other 5 days a week, walking, running or at the gym. I measure this on the Garmin Vivofit with the aim of 12,000 steps a day. I don't attend what I'd call an ordinary "commercial" gym of which there are many but at the collective gym in Ravenhill Road. My trainer Mark Bear takes me through exercising muscles I didn't know I had - it's truly unique. At school I did compete at a fairly high level in athletics and cross country and more recently ran 3 marathons, yet I've never felt exhaustion like they manage to induce in that gym without moving too fast. It's just very different.

What do you miss most?

Saturday night, no wine. Instead I have my bottle of vintage 2015 San Pellingrino sparkling water and a bag of almonds. Supported by my wife Cora who opened her Châteauneuf-du-Pape beside me!

Have you needed to avail of any other Kingsbridge Private Hospital services i.e. physio, sports injury clinic, podiatrist?

The folk at the collective gym noticed a significant external rotation of my right foot when doing squats so I saw an orthopaedic specialist just to be sure that this wasn't something new. It turns out that I'm born this way and so we will just live with it. 

I also visited 121 Dietician, Giliian Killner who provided me with a variety of new recipe ideas and  reassured me of what was good food and what was bad.

In short it's been two weeks since I last had refined sugar off any kind, tined food, alcohol, tea, coffee, bread, fizzy drinks or fast food. Not a drop of any of these poisons has passed my lips...

Any tips on new recipes using your FitFodder ingredients that you want to share?

Instead I will make everything from scratch and have turkey meatballs bonded with free range eggs and porridge along with fresh tomatoes and fresh basil & celery. For the spaghetti substitute I have cauliflower rice.

The strange thing is that it's hugely rewarding to make the food from its base produce instead of a tin or jar. The taste is ironically significantly better.

What are your goals for the next two weeks?

My only goal is to repeat what I've done for the last 2 weeks and not fall off the wagon. I know what to expect now so this two weeks will be much easier. The big challenge is what happens Feb-Dec.!!

For more information on FitFodder please click here.

For information on 3fivetwo Personal Health Screens please click here.