SIX WEEK WORKOUT

Weight-loss expert James Lamper gives us a workout plan for summer. Photography by Cameron McNee

J ames Lamper used to loathe beach holidays. “I was always the fat kid,” says the TV exercise and nutritional expert, celebrity trainer and founder of WeightMatters. “I would always cover myself up on holiday.”

Aged 17, Lamper weighed over 120kg (19 stone) and had a 112cm (44 inch) waist, thanks to a number of emotional problems that drove him to binge on fatty foods.

His first step towards a healthier life began with him reading self-help writer Tony Robbins’ Unlimited Power. From then on, he took to exercising regularly, ate well, and has developed the skills he learnt trimming his own figure into a high-profile weight-loss service, offering clinical and lifestyle programmes.

For Lamper, successful weight management goes beyond the gym and the salad bowl.

“I understood at an early age how important psychology is to changing one’s weight,” he says. “I don’t use the word ‘diet,’ I say ‘healthy eating plan.’ What we’re working towards is behavioural changes that can be maintained.”

Although our programme is aimed at getting beach-fit in six weeks, Lamper believes that the difference between yo-yo dieting and longlasting fitness is down to a person’s attitude.

“The most important thing is to understand your motivation,” he says. “Set yourself a clear goal – say, a certain weight or a waist size by a certain date, perhaps the beginning of a holiday. Then ask yourself how this will change your life. Once you’ve understood your motivation, and learnt to live with your new lifestyle, you’re less likely to fall back into old habits.”

Having shaken off his flab and his seaside shame, Lamper no longer fears baring all on the shores of continental Europe.

“Suddenly you make these changes and you become a good-looking young man,” he says with a smile. “It all transforms.”