This Guy Went from Being Out of Shape to Competing in Bodybuilding Competitions

It took a visit to the ophthalmologist to convince Yves Tighe that he needed a change. The 55-year-old IT consultant from Braintree in the UK was a regular gym-goer, but had never really paid much attention to his diet. My family was in the restaurant business so food is important to me, he says. I would eat anything I wanted. There was no restriction. He cooked from scratch, but he was eating a lot of pastaplenty of carbs but not enough protein . His job encouraged Friday drinks with colleagues.

Put it all together, and Tighe had steadily gained weighthe topped out at about 240 pounds. His ophthalmologist thought he saw something in Tighes eye and advised a cholesterol test. The results were borderline high , and he decided it was time to get fit.

He started with boxing , then moved to CrossFit before settling in with in London. Part of what drew him to that program was a focus on eating right. Diet for me was always an issue, he says. I thought I ate healthily, but was eating the wrong foods and always drank alcohol.

Working with a personal trainer, he started with an eight to ten-week fat-loss program , cutting down on his carbs, focusing on protein and green vegetables. I had been knocking back loads of raw eggs whites to get my protein in thinking I was Rocky, he sayswhich his trainer kiboshed. He also taught Tighe to use macros rather than calories to guide his diet.

The result was a very skinny me and whilst achieved the initial goals that wasnt a look I particularly liked, he says. He wanted to bulk up , so he started carb cycling, bracketing his training with white rice and protein. Within a few months, his trainer asked if Tighe wanted to try bodybuilding competitions. To go on stage and be an actual bodybuilder was something I dreamt of, he says, but never imagined possible in reality.

Hes won two competitions since then, and scored an invitation to the British finals. I didnt even go into it as a competition, he says. I just went in for it to be up on the stage and feel I belong. Hes also been getting noticed for his newly sculpted physiqueincluding from strangers. If he wears a vest while cycling through the city, he says, the famously reticent Londoners arent shy about offering him compliments.

Aesthetics aside, hes also improved his well-being. My health is absolutely fine now, he says. Especially compared to many my age. Theyre at the doctors every week with a bad back or an illness. He credits his gym work with keeping him feeling young. I certainly dont feel 55, he says. Somewhere in my twenties with a lot of experience.

Age, Tighe says, is no excuse not to be healthy. And he gives plenty of credit to the trainer who helped him turn things around. Anyone who wants to follow his lead should find a trainer who understands their goals and is fully engaged. When you find a good one, he says, do as youre toldand leave your phone in the locker.