Transformed: From avoiding exercise to super-fit personal trainer

The 27-year-old personal trainer from the New Forest is a picture of fitness, who can’t remember when getting up at 5am for a run wasn’t completely normal.

But, in fact, for many years, Shane tried his best not to do any exercise whatsoever, lived on a diet of junk food and was unhealthily overweight, weighing in at 15 and a half stone at five foot eight.

“It’s crazy because I actively avoided exercise,” he says.

“When I was at school I used to write my own sick note to get out of PE and my teacher always had a chair ready for me to sit out on, because he knew it would happen.”

Shane used to typically live on two takeaways a day, snacking in between on crisps, chocolate and other snack food.

But, as previously reported in the Echo, everything changed for Shane in 2011, when his girlfriend ended their six year relationship.

He told the Echo at the time: “I put all my anger and upset into getting fit.”

He began to go to the gym for two hours every day. He also transformed his diet.

“The first time I went shopping on my own I walked around with my brain switched off,” he said.

“I came out of the shop without even knowing what I’d bought. I had things in my bag that I would never normally buy like turkey and salad. I think your body knows what it wants but you over-programme it with junk food.”

Within just a few weeks he had lost two stone and he went on to lose six stone in total.

However, in retrospect, he says that he lost too much weight.

“At first I just wanted to look ‘normal’,” he says.

“Then I wanted a six-pack, which meant building muscle mass and putting weight back on.

“At first, that was really scary, so I’d stop. Then I realised you can’t pay attention to the scales.”

Fitness became such a big part of Shane’s life that he left his dream job at a metal music magazine, which was giving him the chance to mix with the bands he loves, to train in personal fitness.

He helps run a gym in London and in October, launched his own personal training business, ForestFit.

Shane believes his experiences enhance his abilities as a personal trainer, as he has experienced many of the same things as his clients.

“I have been very overweight and underweight, whereas lots of personal trainers have always been fit,” he says.

“Some of my clients might have a real craving, such as for a takeaway. I know how to get over that, so we have shared experience.”

As well as developing his personal training business, Shane is working towards the goal of competing in a body building competition.

“I feel that would symbolise the end of the journey I’ve been on,” he says.

“Not to win, but to feel worthy to stand on a stage. It’s so strange to look back on myself as I used to be. It’s like that person’s gone.”

But Shane doesn’t have any regrets about his former lifestyle.

“I have a theory that you should be fat as a kid and read The Hobbit and get a personality before you get fit!” he laughs.

l For more information, visit: ForestFit.net / facebook.com/forestfituk / Instagram: @ShaneForestFit.

WIN PERSONAL TRAINING

Shane Thomas is giving one lucky reader two months of free personal training and a personalised diet plan to kick start their fitness new year’s resolution.

The winner will receive a session per week. We will follow their progress in the Daily Echo and help celebrate their transformation.

• To be in with a chance of winning send a photo of yourself with why you want to win and the times you are available to train each week, with your name, address, telephone number and email address, to sally.churchward@dailyecho.co.uk or Sally Churchward, Features, Southern Daily Echo, Newspaper House, Test Lane, Redbridge, SO16 9JX by midnight on January 19. Usual terms and conditions apply. For more information, visit dailyecho.co.uk.