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Meet Barney Thomas
Barney can pin-point the moment that changed his life: “I got talked into going to the Tane Ora programme in Blenheim,” he says. “I had a check up and the nurse said to me – ‘you’re so close to death it’s not funny – if you don’t lose weight, you’re going to become another statistic’.”
That was early in 2009 when Barney weighed 145kg. A year later and 35 kg lighter, Barney knows that was the wake-up call he needed to hear.
“I came home and I thought I’ve got to do something about it,” he says. “I had fallen into a lifestyle where it was just convenient to eat junk food, so I changed my diet. No more bread and butter, no more pies, no more coke.”
Barney used to have high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Now it’s all normal, and he used to hate going to the doctor, but not now: “My doctor just couldn’t believe that I’d lost all that weight – she’s really happy.”
Barney has gone from a XXXXXL to buying clothes off the rack. He has more energy, less stress and just feels great. And with his new lust for life, Barney is calling for others to make the decision to change their own lives.
“I see others come into the gym for the first time, and I know exactly how they feel,” he says “I know they struggle. When I first started, it felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel – the important thing is to take it slow and enjoy yourself.”
Barney suggests setting realistic goals to get a sense of achievement as you make progress: “My goal initially was to get down to 120kg. I got there, then thought why stop now so I kept going.”
Barney says anyone who wants to lose weight can do it. They just have the make the commitment to change.
“Take it slow, set yourself some goals, and watch what you eat, that’s it,” he says. “It really just about restoring the balance between, diet, exercise and work and family life.”
As part of his effort to spread the simple truth, Barney joined the Whakatu Marae’s Maori Community Leader’s Programme where he and a small group of high-profile locals made the commitment to change their lifestyles. Programme coordinator Huriana Lawrence said while most were achieving remarkable results, it was about more than just losing weight.
“This is about creating a catalyst for all locals, especially Maori, to live healthier lifestyles,” she said. “Our inspirational community leaders have made a commitment to change their whole lifestyles.
“We’re not talking about dieting. You can still have treats – we just want you to do it with your eyes open and to think about what you’re putting into your body. These guys have achieved remarkable results and the community is starting to notice and we hope that everyone out there recognises that they can change their lives too.”