February Member of the Month - Peter Streatfield

Posted 14 January 2009

Peter Streatfield is enjoying his Fitbug and watching his waistline decrease as he keeps his steps up and his calories down.

Peter Before

Fitbug: How did you find out about Fitbug?

Peter: A big development of flats went up recently opposite our offices in Vauxhall and a Movers & Shapers opened there. A few colleagues joined, loved it, and I went along and was soon hooked. Fitbug was a real bonus, it enables me to see how much activity I’m doing - or not...

Fitbug: How does Fitbug help you?

Peter: It provides me with motivation. It's good having targets set for me. For example, if I haven’t met the target one day, I’ll maybe go for a walk with my daughter to the shops.

Fitbug: What’s your goal?

Peter: To generally get fitter and lose weight - and I'm getting there. I’ve lost about 7 kilos so far. I started at 109 kilos, I’m down to about 102, and I aim to get down to about 90, so I've still got some way to go.

Fitbug: What was most helpful for you?

Peter: Because Fitbug begins by taking information about you and your lifestyle, it sets realistic targets and regularly updates them. Also by using the website and seeing the food details and calorific content, I really understand what I’m eating. After all, I’m a bloke and I don’t really do calories! I found it amazing when I put in some of the food I was eating and saw how many calories they contain. Bread was a huge surprise - it's changed the way I eat. So instead of sandwiches everyday, I’ll try something else.

But when I would put in my food and when saw how many calories are in bread, it changed the way I eat. So instead of sandwiches, I’ll have something else.

Fitbug: What do you enjoy most?

Peter: The feeling of having a personal trainer with constant feedback and the cheeky text messages telling you to do more - it’s a constant encouragement. .

Fitbug: How has your life changed?

Peter: Well, I definitely feel better about myself health-wise - I have more energy and I like the fact that I'm doing more exercise generally. It's making me feel better - improving my overall well-being. Before I started going to Movers & Shapers and using Fitbug, I would go to work, sit at my desk all day, go home and play with kids for a while before watching telly and going to bed. Now I’m generally doing more exercise - not running marathons or cycling for miles - just more walking and using the stairs instead of the lifts etc. - it's lots of little things, but my exercise levels are up. It’s a good feeling to look at my Bug at the end of the day and know that I’ve done well.

Fitbug: What are you most proud of?

Peter: The fact that I have more energy and can get into clothes that have sat in my wardrobe for 18 months or more! There were so many things I couldn’t wear because they didn’t fit. Now I’m gradually getting into more and more of them and if I go out to buy a pair of trousers, it's nice to see the waist size decreasing instead of increasing. My wife commented the other day and said I'd lost "that pregnant look", and I've dropped a couple of man boob cup sizes!

Fitbug: What’s your advice to other Fitbug members?

Peter: Be persistent and consistent. Don't expect results overnight, but if you persist at it and try to remain consistent, you will ultimately realise your goal. This isn’t some daft exercise scheme or fad diet regime - it's a manageable, enjoyable way of helping you do a little more of this, cut down a little on that and get you feeling healthier in a steady, fun way.

Peter "In Progress"

As this month's star member Peter receives a gorgeous Molton Brown gift set. If you'd like to feature as our member of the month - or if you know someone that deserves to -

send us your story!