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East Lothian man loses incredible five stone in 12 months after making one major change
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An East Lothian dad has revealed how he shed five stone in weight after struggling to run up the stairs without losing his breath.
Munya Vengesa, from Musselburgh, used to run marathons but he admitted he let his fitness and health slip away as the years ticked on.
Living with his wife and daughter, Chloe, 16, the 46-year-old shared how the scales hitting 107 kilos, led to him having a 'come to Jesus' moment, and he knew he had to change something drastically.
The auditor fell into a rut as he became frustrated with not being able to shift weight but after a friend mentioned 'bpositive fitness solutions' run by Bob Baillie, Munya reached out to the personal trainer and coach, and was invited down to one of his classes.
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'I knew something wasn't right when getting upstairs was tough,' Munya said. 'I used to be able to run marathons and now stairs were leaving me out of breath.
'Personally I wasn't happy. It impacted my mental health and it is funny how the mental and physical go hand in hand impacting one another.
'I got in touch with Bob through a recommendation from a friend and headed along to one of his classes. I wanted to be healthier and have more energy whether it was at work or home and the first step was getting on top of my diet.
'Bob was great for that, alongside regular classes and his 8-week fitness programmes, the diet was a big revelation. He sent me recipe books that changed my perspective on food entirely.
'I had this misconception I'd have to eat bland food to lose weight but ironically I ended up eating a wider, more exciting, variety of meals. Things like Mongolian beef or Moroccan chicken were on the menu at home.
'My understanding around portion sizes, nutrition and healthier tasty substitutes changed completely. I swapped cokes for healthier fizzy drinks like Rubicons which shows you don't have to just drink water all the time.'
Munya kept plugging away, attending Bob's classes and boot camps, to try to tackle his weight. He revelled in the environment, describing Bob's classes as more of a community club than your traditional group PT session.
He described a place where everyone pushes each other and knows exactly when to put the arm over the shoulder if they saw a comrade struggling. He also added small changes such as going for a walk on his lunch breaks rather than sitting on his phone, which helped in making a positive change.
'I've lost 32 kilos (five stone) in just over a year,' Munya said. 'You can see from the before and after photos that my physical appearance is chalk and cheese.
'Everyone is so happy for me when they see the change. I find we can make 100 excuses for not starting our fitness journey but a quote has always stuck with me: one day or day one.
'The choice is yours. It is easy to keep saying I'll do it but when does day one start? That is not to say it is easy, you will have ups and downs when the scales don't move in the direction you want them to, but always try to revel in reaching your milestones and taking it one step at a time.
'Bob was massive for me. I would not be where I am today if it was not for him and what he has built. It has been a slog but I've had immense support.
'They often say it takes a village to raise a child and it has taken a village to get me here today. The people I've gone on this journey with have been amazing.
'I had to get a completely new wardrobe after losing the weight and I often joke you can look forward to the retail therapy after all that hard work. My advice to anyone looking to start out is just stay the course.'
Bob, 47, was proud as punch when he recalled how Munya dedicated immense effort into turning his health around. The personal trainer, who has a gym unit in Prestonpans, started off his business in 2013.
The former professional footballer has dedicated his life to helping others reach their fitness goals and he prides himself on the community his classes have built.
'Day one was a funny story with Munya,' Bob said. 'He text me and I told him to come along to the class but he showed up at 6am rather than 6pm.
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'Bless his soul but he came back that night. He was shy at first but just kept coming back, asking questions, and learning. He's become a revelation in the fitness class and a ray of sunshine for everyone else.
'At this stage of his life he had to do something. He listened and hasn't looked back. My advice to anyone is you can do it, regardless of your age, size or where you are in life.
'There is no judgement, I help you find your feet and we go from there. If you commit to something, believe in yourself, then you can achieve anything.
'I love my job and people like Munya are why I do it.'
You can learn more about 'bpositive fitness solutions' here.
