30 Old 30 Young
30 Old 30 Young explores the fascinating contrasts of life in your thirties through the eyes of two cousins living vastly different paths. Join us as we navigate the uncertainties of adult life, from career choices to lifestyle decisions, through both a globetrotting adventurer's and a family-focused perspective.
Our main episodes dive deep into real-life challenges facing thirty-somethings today, while our mini-episodes break down the three best and worst aspects of pivotal adult life scenarios.
Whether you're questioning your life choices, seeking perspective, or just wanting to hear honest conversations about adulting, this podcast offers authentic insights into the beautiful chaos of your third decade. New episodes released weekly, featuring raw discussions about career transitions, relationships, mental health, and the endless quest for work-life balance. Your thirties don't come with a manual - but this podcast comes pretty close.
30 Old 30 Young
Man v Fat Special: The Power Of Taking That First Step.
What if facing your greatest fears could unlock the most fulfilling chapter of your life?
Alan Fagan’s journey through agoraphobia, depression, and a life-threatening health crisis is a testament to resilience, the power of a strong support system, and the joy of being present for loved ones.
This episode dives into overcoming mental barriers, the surprising impact of small steps, and the importance of supportive environments like Man V Fat.
From reversing health issues to emotional growth, stories like Dan Stark’s reveal how camaraderie, accountability, and shared experiences spark life-changing transformations.
It’s a celebration of resilience, personal growth, and the milestones that inspire us to keep going.
Thanks for Listening, find more content at our Instagram @30old30young
two cousins taking different life paths discuss the highs and lows of being in your 30s, and nothing is off limits. This is life in your 30s.
Speaker 2:This is 30 old, 30 young hello and welcome to another episode of 30 Old, 30 Young.
Speaker 3:Hi everyone.
Speaker 2:This is the man Vs Fat special. We are sponsored by man Vs Fat for January and February and we kind of just wanted to do a deep dive into the club, both on a local level and a national level, and kind of give you a recap of what's happened with me and then a few other testimonials from guys all across the UK.
Speaker 3:We've got some special ones coming tonight.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Something that you wouldn't even think of. Like, why would you even join something like this? You think it's just for weight loss, don't you?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But there's so much more to it which blew my mind.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I've been pretty open with saying is that I've done it for relatively shallow purposes. I haven't really thought about the bigger picture. I've literally just gone like if I could have abs by florida I'd be happy. You know one of them yeah, but it's not shallow.
Speaker 3:Is it to want to feel good? To me that's not shallow. That's good because you feel happy, you know yeah, kind of I've just.
Speaker 2:Well, when I hear these other testimonials I'm like, oh, I'm yeah.
Speaker 2:I get that. Yeah, mine's a lot smaller than that, you know so, but you will. You will hear from those guys in a little bit. But yeah, so Lost Fallstone with Derby. So far as you know, people have listened to previous episodes, know, and I'm still going, still, still there every Thursday night and obviously we're really getting stuck in. Well, you're getting really stuck into the mavis. I mean, look at you into miami. Sure, this is a football podcast now everybody wouldn't go that far.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no um, but yeah, to be honest, I know everyone's probably sick of hearing from me, so we may as well kind of jump just straight into the testimonials. What do you reckon? Yeah, absolutely let's, let's listen the first one we've got here is Alan Fagan, and well, I'll just let him talk.
Speaker 4:How do you put into words what man V Fat has given me when you've given them my life back? I'm Ali Fagan, I play in the Sombrae league for OB City and in 13 months I've lost 37.1 kilograms. Life before man V Fat was not great. I just prior to it, I had been seven years locked in with agoraphobia. I had depression anyway, but I worked and worked and worked to the point where I didn't have any time off and I was working 16 hour days for two years and culminated with me falling into a coma. The coma was due to the fact I have a condition called hypercapnia, where I generate too much co2 and mix that with the fact that I didn't go out the door for seven years. It's a very sedentary lifestyle. It's very unhealthy and you don't do anything and you get bigger and bigger.
Speaker 4:When I got out of this, I will never forget the look on my fiance's face and my son, and they basically told me that I needed to make changes and if I didn't make changes, I wasn't going to be around. Being told if you don't make changes you're dead is quite a sombering thing, but moving around and doing stuff was a big issue I had uh, outside my window there was a bench. It's a park outside where I live and I have been watching that park bench and I'd planned to go to that park bench and then do the next park bench and keep on doing that and it never happened. My fiance basically reminded me about man V Fat quite a few times and I finally went. Okay. The same day as the head coach, siobhan, started there, I joined man V Fass and wanted to run away, screaming. My son dragged me down there and made me wait and not run away.
Speaker 4:I'm not the best at football. I think that even to say I'm not the best at football would be an exaggeration. Man V Fat lets me contribute off the pitch and lets me contribute from weight loss and challenges. I went from being in a hospital where they took me home with air. I had tubes and everything. I couldn't breathe. Without it, I couldn't walk from the sofa to the door.
Speaker 4:I can go out and see my friends now, which I didn't see them for seven years, and I can be a dad and I can be a fiancé and I can be a dad and I can be a fiance and I can be Alan, and I'm not just the guy who has depression and is sitting at home and is sick and I'm doing stuff. These really, really amazing guys made me a bicycle the industrial strength tank of a thing, the industrial strength tank of a thing. I've literally been doing 20 miles every day, five days a week, even though 13 months after joining, I still haven't scored a goal on the pitch. I've scored quite a few off and I have gotten back so much.
Speaker 4:All the things that people take for granted is what I'm going to do and I'm going to enjoy them, and I'm going to watch my son. I'm going to watch my son be amazing. I'm going to watch my fiancé just be the greatest thing in the world. I'm going to see friends that I've had and who have supported me and been there for me ever since I was 15. And I get all them back. I think if somebody found themselves in my situation, um, the first thing they got to do is find support, and you don't just get that from the people you have in your house or your friends. You get that from. I got that through man v fat. Man v fat has given me every aspect of my life back.
Speaker 2:You all right.
Speaker 3:I can't believe that.
Speaker 2:I got you Fucking hell.
Speaker 3:I know, but it's just like it's so good, isn't it? How you know, his whole life has changed now.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, he going from what was it? Seven years locked in. I remember at my heaviest I would like constantly like, not, I wouldn't even. I'd start by cancelling plans and then I wouldn't even make plans in the end because I'd be like, well, no, I'm on, I'm trying to lose weight, so if I go out I'm gonna eat something. It's gonna throw off my diet or something like that. Then I just stay home and just sadly eat stuff anyway and you know, I'd be cancelling plans, cancelling stuff all the time, not knowing how good that probably would have been for me to be back out there. And, as he said, he's got his old friends back now from like 7 years locked inside. It's not even something I can wrap my head around. To be honest, you good, yes, I'm good. Yeah, are you sure?
Speaker 2:yeah, that is what I was going to say the bench for me is the key part to that, because it's such like a small thing.
Speaker 3:It's such a small thing which you found so hard.
Speaker 2:Because that's what you've always said, though haven't you about the first step?
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, it's like. You know, there's been many times where you're kind of like you're worrying about doing something you don't want to do it. It's like once I remember I went out with a colleague. She was struggling a bit and I went out to go and give her some support, and I'll never forget it the day that she was meant to come out with me. She was going through some bits and I rang her and I was like look, are you still okay to meet for like half 11? And I did it. So I went over to Manchester.
Speaker 3:Jesus so I said to her are you still? Are you still? Are you still okay to meet at half 11? And she was crying on the phone to me and basically saying that she wasn't up for it. She didn't feel right. She literally couldn't do it. She felt so anxious that she was.
Speaker 3:It was really hard and I was just like right gosh, what should I do? And I knew that the best thing to do was to do it, because, one, it will get her out in front of people. Two, she'll feel amazing after for doing it, because she feels like she's achieved something. And three, if she just stayed at home, it's not going to do her any good. And I was thinking to myself, like you know, what do I do now? Do I say her let's meet up tomorrow instead, yeah.
Speaker 3:But I didn't. I just stuck to my bullets. I was like, look, I know you don't want to do it, I know it's the worst thing you can think about doing right now. I said we'll get in the car and come out and meet me. And she did. And we had a great day. We knocked on some doors and we had a great time, had some coffee, had a chat, and she literally messaged me at the end of the day saying I'm so glad that we did that. I feel so much better. And she just thanked me.
Speaker 3:And it's just always that step, isn't it? You just like just gotta just take that me. And it's just always that step, isn't it? You've just like just gotta just take that step. And it's like another friend. I remember once when the phone outside a business and she said I don't want to go into this meeting and I'm like open that car door, get that foot out. Because I says, once you've got your foot out, you've got to carry on. You can't just put it back in because you feel like you're halfway there already. Yeah, and she did, she did it. And every time now, if I don't want to do something, I think, right, get your foot out that door and then you're like halfway to do it.
Speaker 2:It's hard, but yeah, it's the first step, because I think the whole premise of it is like but with him, especially with him, with the bench, like that tiny thing, seems so daunting to him. I think is because he'd got himself to a place where he, I think he just thought there was no way back from it. So the idea of getting across that bench seemed which seemed like a huge goal to him and the first step towards doing it seemed like seemed futile because he had such a mountain to climb and it is swinging that, swinging that leg. I do it in the morning if I'm, if I'm like, if I can't be bothered to get up, I'm like, oh God, I'm absolutely done in as soon as I swing my legs over, get those feet on the floor.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's it. You feel a bit different already, don't you?
Speaker 2:I'm like right, okay, I'm above sea level now I'm not just Because that bed's, so the comfiest time of your bed is the morning. Oh yeah, marshmallow is just like and it's so easy just to like roll over and thank god I've got someone like brie who's just like come on exactly.
Speaker 3:Sometimes it's so easy to just think put it off oh god hide away and think you know what I'll do another day, I'll do it tomorrow, I'll do it next week, but like you'd feel so much better for just doing it, and that's what you've got to think about, like zoom out and think about the bigger picture and think about how you're going to feel afterwards and just open that car door and get the leg out and that's what he did and he and he had, like you gave your um, your colleague, a little push, like well, quite a big push.
Speaker 2:Actually felt like come on, let's go.
Speaker 2:His son, his son, his wife or, I think he said, fiance at the time they basically held an intervention for him saying like you got to get this sorted, otherwise, well, basically, you're not going to be around or you're not going to be someone we kind of want to be around, which is like that's that.
Speaker 2:But at the same time, it's this kind of like because it wouldn't have been like suddenly they just came on with this tough love. They would have been like talking to him for years, like trying, and he could have oh yeah, he would have been in his own head about something. Obviously I'm speculating on this, so sorry, alan, if I'm talking out of turn, but he yeah, there would have just been times and he just gets deeper and deeper and deeper into it and and his son not only being like part of the intervention, but his son to be going down to club with him being like come on, let's go, let's get in, let's get the foot out of the car, let's go see, I can't believe you said that you know, because that is literally something I think about all the time.
Speaker 3:You know, if I don't want to do something, I just think of that thing. It's like putting your gym kit on that's it we're having this conversation literally when was that? A couple of weeks ago you're like once you get your gym kit on, you know you feel bad for taking off if you don't go.
Speaker 2:So you kind of just, you just have to go and you feel so much better getting undressed with absolute shame when you put that gym kit.
Speaker 3:Oh, I'll try again tomorrow, you know it does work, though, when you've got it on, when you've got that gym kit on.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, because you feel like I mean it's kind of like it activates a new mode. It's like right, that's, that's what we're doing.
Speaker 3:It's like getting your car, like getting your legs out of bed, like getting you. It is. It's weird, isn't it? Your brain is so bizarre.
Speaker 2:It moves it. And then when you get back and you know I'm wet through and I've like really worked out and I get to take off and I'm like kind of proud of what I've done. It's disgusting, but that's it they're not there yet still waiting for that delivery.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I can understand, I'm with him on like you shut yourself in, you think you're never going to come back from it and and he has, and the community around him as well. I've kind of I haven't got to that part yet but the community around the bike massive, massive bike, because a tank of a thing he called it how lovely is that, though?
Speaker 3:see, I love that. You know the support that you get that community.
Speaker 2:Like, how wonderful is that for guys to care about each other so much that they get him a bike and he's doing 20 miles a day on it now like yeah how lovely is that okay, because you've got a lot of like similar situation, like-minded guys that, like I said, all going through the same stuff or variations of it that are, are there, willing to open up to you about different things, like you'll never put anything out into the group chat and be like oh guys, I was thinking about blah, blah and they're like oh sure, mate, whatever, like there's always someone in the chat who will have an idea about something this thing that they're eating, this thing that they're doing like and just have just and it's.
Speaker 2:It is a safe space, just to put it out there. Obviously you will get roasted about your football opinions. That's fair game, it's open season, so that's fine. And, like you said and like I agree, I'm the same boat as him, he's also shy at football, but they still let you play every week and they still like, even when you do one thing slightly good, they'll blow smoke up your arse and make you feel good about the whole situation yeah, I love that.
Speaker 3:It's so incredibly important, isn't it, to surround yourself with the right people absolutely this is just a prime example of it, isn't it really?
Speaker 2:and the facilitators really that, like they get the chats together and they get it all moving, are the like health and well-being coaches and club wow, we've actually got one of their health and wellbeing coaches from.
Speaker 3:East Sussex.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:So she's actually. I was chatting to her the other day and I asked her could she put something together for us? So I read out and I found that quite nice as well to read and see what they're all about at the club and the additional support. I just thought you turn up, get some football boots, put a top on, start playing football, that's it. But it's not. There's more actual support there for you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's not just a bloke with some scales going like bad luck mate. You put on, get out.
Speaker 3:But that's what you think.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, you just think oh, but it's.
Speaker 2:Slimming world for blokes. It does come off that way, but no, no, it's really clued in. He gives you pointers on what to do and he doesn't. If you have put on, he doesn't go like, oh, you know you've messed up, like he's. He kind of like asks, he gives you the option, like to say that you already know that you've put on that week and what to change this week going forward. Yeah, and he gives you pointers to you, gives you pointers to you know, take on the week and take on the week running as well, because I love people like that.
Speaker 2:Well, this is it well, we weigh in on a thursday. So theoretically you're weighing on a thursday, you can kind of think friday, saturday, I can have an absolute. Yeah, I know, but like he's like. But if you, if you, if you stay on it through, from that thursday friday sat into the following thursday, you're absolutely flying. Yeah, because there are, you know, there's people that will weigh in and they have a massive friday, saturday, sunday and you pay for it the next thursday. You're there because it's quite hard to cancel out a massive weekend on monday, tuesday, wednesday alone.
Speaker 3:It's hard to do but you know what, though? It's quite funny because I've been on like a bit of healthy eating since I've been back and I had a like a large portion don't judge me, because obviously you know I'm greedy, but I had a large portion of chips. It's quite probably about oops, about this big the box it all, but afterwards I felt like so much I felt crap, you know, after eating healthy and then eat it actually your body's like what the fuck is this?
Speaker 2:I?
Speaker 3:didn't even like it.
Speaker 2:I was like oh, this makes me feel disgusting and and that's the thing the more you wean away from stuff.
Speaker 3:The more you enjoy not being on it.
Speaker 2:I used to be an absolute sweet fiend. I used to be gummy sweets and strawberry pencils, all of that. I used to eat like a Victorian boy getting my bonbons and stuff like that. And now if I have them, them it just hits it. I'll have a pack of strawberry, I'll need a nap, like it will just. I'll have a sugar spike and I'll crash. So I just don't touch them. I'm just like it's not, it's not worth it, like I'll even sometimes like in a week, week moment, I'll look on the back of it, like at the, the calories and what's in it. I'm like what am I even doing? Even doing? Obviously it's sugar.
Speaker 2:You idiot, it's not going to you're not going to, I'm not going to look at it and be like it's basically a salad I might as well have it.
Speaker 2:You might as well have a bloody salad or something you know. So it's those, it's those choices. And also when you go to, when you step to you to register what food you had that week. And the weeks where you're honest the week should do the best or the weeks where you're clearly lying and like steve will know he's like you've had, you've had salads every day but you put on three kilos. What's happened here? Something's not adding up. So he know, he'll, he'll know basically, but he doesn't, he doesn't brave for it. But, um, yeah, there are the weeks where you're honest and you track everything and you like make sure everything that goes into your mouth is on that list. Yeah, you're on a flyer. It's that consistency of the thing really is habit building. Yeah, so for sure you know you're taking more into account, like, like with the food and stuff. You're registering what you're eating, you're thinking about it more, you're not just mindlessly like hammering stuff into your face, and that's what I used to do basically every day.
Speaker 3:The thing is as well. You can start something like this Instead of going right no takeaways, no sweets, no cakes. You can probably just ease your way into it, can't?
Speaker 2:you.
Speaker 3:Just join the club, even just go down and watch. What does man V Fat mean to you?
Speaker 6:Mood, weight and enjoying a game of football, mental health, camaraderie, friends, football, fat loss Reverse my diabetes. Big, sweaty, fun, life-changing football, better and healthier lifestyle. Good, competitive sport, teamwork, banter and weight loss. Create a winning mentality to lose fat.
Speaker 4:Hard work regime and football.
Speaker 5:It means sustainable weight loss.
Speaker 2:Don't let the boys down and don't let yourself down.
Speaker 6:Man V Fat Weigh Play Lose Win.
Speaker 3:Yeah, just going back to, obviously, the health and well-being coaches that you get at man Vs Fat. So Carly Holt sent something in.
Speaker 2:And where's she from? Sorry?
Speaker 3:She's from East Sussex. East Sussex all right, so quite away from Derby but an interesting woman and she basically put she started with man Vs Fat eight months ago and it's been incredible watching the lads grow in confidence, focus and commitment to healthy lifestyles. Joining can feel daunting but our eastbourne team works hard to make everyone feel welcome and I feel like I'm getting this vibe from all the clubs, really that sense of like come on in lads, you know oh yeah, you get put.
Speaker 2:You get put in the group chat before you go to the club and everyone welcomes you and lovely, so it's not literally turn up. You don't know anyone oh yeah, no, you're not just a massive barrier straight away, isn't it because you feel like shy?
Speaker 2:and it's quite. It's quite handy because you'll obviously turn up in the color top that you're going to wear. So all the everyone else from that team will be there and they'll just welcome you because they'll know basically straight away that that you're you're new to the, you're new to that team and they'll, you know, welcome you over she's put everyone's there for the same reason, which helps ease nerves.
Speaker 3:Last season we celebrated milestones like 30 to 35% weight loss. For some players 30 to 35, that's massive.
Speaker 2:That's what I'm aiming for.
Speaker 3:What are you on now?
Speaker 2:20%, so I've got a little way to go.
Speaker 3:You have nothing left.
Speaker 2:I've got plenty in store.
Speaker 3:Two reaching healthy BMIs and even one making the local paper. So it must be something to shout out.
Speaker 2:I mean TV appearances too, you know, or whatever.
Speaker 3:But it's not all about numbers. Just showing up is a huge step for many. I promise inclusivity and openness, offering a safe space for conversations, especially around mental health, where I can connect players to support pathways, which is so important. I love that bit about it. Man v fat reminds men that health matters and taking action is a sign of strength. Football combines physical activity with teamwork and social connection, improving improving mental wellbeing. My tip explore local options, ask about free trials or watch a session to ease into it without commitment. Removing barriers makes starting easier.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I think that the money aspect of it for sure, yeah, it can be a big thing Because you think Christ is that, but then I, I, think you're going to get back from it though.
Speaker 3:Just like investing it. Cut out on the takeaways, the crap food, because you think Christ is that, but then I I think you're going to get back from it, though. Just like invest in it. Cut out on the takeaways, the crap food, put some money aside for it, because this is your life at the end of the day, isn't it?
Speaker 2:I mean it's 30 quid a month and I used to spend that easily. A week on Mac is absolutely and that's just. Mac is not any of the other ones.
Speaker 3:Mac is alone yeah, can you imagine. I get it. Oh god the damage we've got the discount code as well which is down to a pound for the registration fee, where usually it would be 15 pounds.
Speaker 2:So that's again and what's the code?
Speaker 3:oh, I always forget this. It's 30 old, 30 young and you can use that nationally. And if you go online, put manby fat in, all the clubs will come up and you can see which one is your local one and yeah.
Speaker 2:And, yeah, it's great to be a part of it. Obviously, I've been a part for a while, but now it's great that they want to join them with the podcast. So, happy days, shall we get on to the next one? Yes, I'm trying to make you cry.
Speaker 5:I mean, I was close to tears. On next one. I'll tell you what. I'll just let it play again. My name is damon stevens. I'm 35 years old. I joined the strewed league at manby fat in 2018 and I am now club coach at mainstone.
Speaker 5:I joined manby fat to lose some weight. My dad had been suffering with kidney failure for a number of years, and he was. His kidney function was really low. He got admitted to hospital with pneumonia and then they discovered that the kidney failure was worse than it had ever been. I'm one of nine, so it was down to one of us to put ourselves forward to donate a kidney, and that fell upon me.
Speaker 5:When I got tested, it found out I was a match, but I wasn't in the best condition. I was quite overweight. I was smoking, so I knew that the change needed to happen. I was already a part of Mountain Dew Fat, but it made it more real. So I think it was the very next day. I stopped smoking straight away. I made better food choices, I moved more. I used man V Fat for what it was my teammates, the whole club just to keep going. It wasn't making sacrifices, it was choices. So if the football was on. I wouldn't have a pizza. If you know, I wouldn't drink at the weekends. It was just making the right choices to be able to get to the point when I looked better, I felt better and, more importantly, the doctors said it was a Rolls Royce of a kidney that my dad would be receiving.
Speaker 5:We had a date of the 29th of January 2020. So I think we had Christmas, which we thought could have been our last Christmas together, going into January. It was really positive. Being wheeled into the operating room and celebration by calling the gang was being played and someone made a joke that this song should be being played after the op. Um, I remember when I came around, first thing I said is I'm not doing that. It was most pain I've ever been in.
Speaker 5:He's on medication for life, but he's here. He's been given at least an extra 10 years, with nearly four years, four years anniversary, and I'm just so proud that I managed to save my dad's life. This is essentially what I did and I didn't have any second thoughts about it. Life now is better than I could ever have imagined. I'm really, really close with my dad. We're like friends rather than parents. He's so funny. He's got so much more energy. It's hard to keep tabs on him sometimes because he's always rushing about everywhere. Man V Fat is the biggest thing that's happened in my life and I've donated a kidney. I love man V Fat every single day. I'm thankful that I joined man V Fat. I coach at Club Maidstone. I love everyone there. I'm in contact with the guys daily. They're buzzing that I'm here today. Yeah, I can't picture a day that I don't have man V Fat in my life. Big up, club Maestro.
Speaker 3:Gosh, that's mad, isn't it?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:He actually saved his dad's life.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and his own. Basically he's in better shape. He said he was smoking, drinking or living that kind of life, but you know, and luckily, he had the sense of it anyway, because he'd already joined man Vs Fat and then his dad's situation came up, so he kind of had a run and started it, which is a good position to be in, yeah, so he was in a good headspace for it and you know, know what a motivator jesus and to be, to be what was it?
Speaker 3:he was, uh, one and nine, and the only one that could match, so it was like it's on him gosh that is nine imagine never being put in that position as well that's it I mean to be fair if anyone needed my heart, like there, there you go your heart well, I'm just saying it was just the first body part that came to me.
Speaker 2:It was a kidney. A kidney's a different to a heart.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but a kidney is a big thing yeah it was not a heart, though. I mean yeah, but I'm just saying if someone came to me for a body part I'd give them, yeah, but any body part you're like have my heart.
Speaker 2:Like what a kick up the ass.
Speaker 3:Um to to like the motivator to get it done because he was the only one that could do it. Yeah, mental, and it's, you know, the people who created man be fat as well it's like the things that this one person just imagined creating this business and it changes all these men's lives. It's changing that they've saved a man's life well, I think.
Speaker 2:I think what they've, what they've seen, is men, men have a problem with talking about things, but men don't and this I know this is a sweeping generalization but men don't seem to have a problem talking about sport and talking about things like that. So if you, if you give that as a massive icebreaker for a load of lads, that we've got a common ground. We can all talk about how each other's football teams are shit and everything like that, and eventually it opens into other things and you get in the old compliment from the lads and stuff like that and it's mad. I've got my wife telling me that I look great, but when the lads say it, it's different. I'll tell you You've got a bunch of people like there's nothing on you is there, mate? I'm like don't stop it, you know. So it does hit different and it's. It really does open, open up loads of conversation. Like I said, it's just a safe space it really is.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm gonna laugh as well, that's it, that's it because when we get to you know 30s, 40s, I feel like some people stop having that fun like you know you're going into your routine, your nine to fives, and you're battling the kids, putting them down and you kind of like you lose that.
Speaker 2:It's the humdrum, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, and when you think back on school and like the nostalgia aspect of it, it's like, when you think back on the best parts of school, it usually was, I think, for me, anyway, playing games, for me, anyway, playing sport, yeah, and so we're bringing, bringing that back and then you've got the social aspect, which was always the best aspect of the sport part. Yeah, absolutely, you know. So it's it's all this thing as well as losing weight. So and I know, I know we're just like singing their praises, but it's because I'm yeah, but how can you not?
Speaker 2:that's it. I'm living embodiment of it. You know it's absolutely mad, and I do have one more. Okay, to really send it home, because this one hit me like a fucking steam train, to be honest.
Speaker 3:So and who's this from?
Speaker 6:this is from dan stark it just made me feel not a man, because obviously I couldn't give her a baby, and it was just horrible. It was the worst feeling I could ever imagine. So my name's Dan Stark. I play for the Lincoln branch of man Vs Fat. When I first started man Vs Fat I weighed 152.1 kilos. I used to walk anywhere, get sweaty, used to get embarrassed by it. Literally just walking less than 500 yards I'd be sweaty. It was horrible. I just think about looking at myself now thinking how did I ever let myself get like that and to where I'm at now? It's just crazy.
Speaker 6:Going back to the start of mine and my wife's journey to try and conceive a baby, we'd had multiple attempts to try and naturally conceive. Nothing seemed to work for us, just heartbreaking After so many attempts. We decided then to go for further advice. Me and Laura both went to the hospital again the fear is it something myself or is it her? And to find out that obviously it was like due to low mobility myself but also Laura had a hostile wound. So it was a combination of the both for them to the doctor to say obviously you need to lose weight. That was just the biggest wake-up call for me. Got home, laura's on the phone to her mum telling her about results. I could hear her talking about, obviously, the low fertility and my heart just sank, started crying. I had to run upstairs and slot myself in the bathroom for five ten minutes and just cried and then I found man Vs Bat, literally popped up on my Facebook feed, obviously through looking on the internet at ways to lose weight.
Speaker 6:And I remember pulling up into Yarborough Car Park, which is a leisure centre where our league plays. I sat in my car for like five ten minutes and I was like I can't do this, what are you doing? And I just thought back to myself no, you need to do this. And I remember thinking after my first game to myself no, you need to do this. And I remember thinking after my first game god, I can't do this. And then, obviously, going home, getting your first email telling you stay away. I just kept looking at it and just thinking 152 kilos, what, what do I need to get to to obviously get to a healthy weight? I remember stepping onto the scales and I'd lost. I thought I'm only going to lose probably like half a kilo or something like that, and it wasn't. It was kilos and at that point I thought, bloody hell if I've lost kilos within a week and I have tried, but I haven't been doing even more exercise. What could I do if I was pushing myself even harder After losing so much weight? I remember we obviously had another appointment, some more blood tests and some more fertility tests, and took some more samples in. They all came across fine. They looked to increase mobility. So it's like, right, so your next step now is to have a break from the IVF and just try and conceive naturally. If not, then obviously we'll look down the next step of treatment.
Speaker 6:When Laura found out she was pregnant, she was late. We were like, oh well, she would do a test. We'd had so many false tests. We thought, oh, do we leave it another week. But she seemed quite excited. She said she felt a little bit different than normal. So I remember she went into the toilet and obviously did a test and we were sat what seemed like forever waiting for the results to come through and I remember just the look on her face and I knew straight away that it said pregnant, and just the face literally. She was ecstatic. I think we both cried. She was ecstatic. I think we both cried. On March the 3rd this year, 2023, my wife gave birth to our beautiful daughter, daisy-ann. I've gone from worrying about are we pregnant, how are we going to lose weight, to worrying about what time is Daisy going to wake up for a feed. My life has just gone from one extreme to the other, but for the best and it's all down to my best.
Speaker 2:As far, that's all I can say I mean, he's got a beautiful daughter I know she's so cute christ, if, if my kids were like, if the doctor was like you need to drop this weight, if you, if, basically, if you want to see your kids or for them to materialize, like I just wouldn't eat, to be honest, it is what a motivator.
Speaker 2:And to like sit alongside your, your partner and knowing that you helped her as well well, yeah, but beforehand, like he said, it made him feel like less of a man and like, like and carly said, men really struggle to to reach out and see asking for help as a weakness again, whereas and so that's what he did here at first he felt like he was less of a man for not being able to give his partner what she wanted and give his partner, you know, a child, um. But then, through man versus fat and through probably opening up and through, like changing, changing his ways, he was able to do that and through reaching out and potentially showing your weaknesses, he's able to get stronger and stronger and now look him.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he admitted to himself he needs to change, he needs to do something, didn't? He action, don't step. And now he's got a beautiful daughter yeah, and that that is.
Speaker 2:And these are just three of the stories from, uh, from man versus fat. They've got, they've loads of them. These are the ones I picked out to try and make you cry, and I think I got you on one or two of them.
Speaker 3:I was close on all of them, it's pretty special, isn't it really? Dan knocked me on my arse.
Speaker 2:That's why I had to save him until last, because I was like, if that's the first one on the podcast.
Speaker 3:I think people are going to just turn. No, no, thank you. Yeah, so it's a wonderful thing as well.
Speaker 2:Oh, massive, massive thing, for it didn't do it, the children, child wouldn't be here. Now, that's it. That's it. And and throughout my run at man versus fat, I we were, we were trying for kids and then obviously I lost a bit of weight and then kid materialized. It happened again. So maybe it could have been that, I don't know well, that's it, isn't it?
Speaker 3:because sometimes when you're looking to have a baby sometimes one you think it's going to be easy. I feel like sometimes you always think it's probably the woman who's going to have the problems, but you've got to think that men could have the problem too, and they need to look when you, when you're trying for baby, it takes two, doesn't it really?
Speaker 3:absolutely yeah, so you both kind of need to look at. You know, are you eating the good? Are you working out? I saw my friend. She couldn't have children and then she started going to the gym eating healthy. She's got two kids now. What's it to do with that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's got well. It can't be a negative impact, can it? You know, if you're putting better things in your body and you're using your body more and stuff like that, I guess more things come about. So that's just three of the stories of man Vs Fat. Use our code 30OLD30YOUNG to sign up, like we said for just a pound, and see which clubs are local to you, because I'm an advocate, as you know. I've said that time and time again. Charlotte's a new advocate. Here she is.
Speaker 3:To be honest, I am, though, because I'm all about improving life, so if anything is going to help people, I'm on it straight away, and when we're speaking about man versus family, we've got to work with these guys. Spread the name out there, yep. Show people what they do Even. Show people that it's available. Show them some good stories, you know, because I think it's a game changer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because, like all those guys, guys said they were just on facebook one day scrolling through it. You know, doom, doom scrolling, and it just popped up and that's how it was for me. I was just obviously it's a targeted ad. They were like this guy's, you know, 27 and overweight obviously I'm 31 now but they were like this is, this is for him, and I saw it, clicked on it and was that was playing and it was in like three weeks.
Speaker 3:So it's massive. You've got as well. Yeah, feel loads better yourself. Yeah, now you're spending more time with the kids. You've got more energy from them that's it. You feel good when you take them to the swimming pool because, like before we said in previous episodes, you said you felt ashamed and you probably wouldn't jump in the pool with them because, you want to take your top off when now you can and there's so many things that you can do and it's just, it's amazing and yeah, you don't.
Speaker 2:You don't realise how many doors you've shut for yourself. Yeah, and it's not even that people are shutting those doors on you. You just close them and you just go. I'm not even going to try doing that because I've not got it in me. Yeah, because if you don't have the self-confidence for something, who else is going to believe in you? You know, butchered a RuPaul. If you can't love yourself, how are you going to Wait? What is it? If you can't love yourself, how the hell are you going to Love anybody else? That kind of thing. Yeah, no, that's the wrong phrase. Now, never mind. Thank you again To everyone who listens, thanks to man Vs Fat For sponsoring this episode and if you know someone who needs it, like we said, code is 30old30young.
Speaker 3:And also if you have got any questions just drop us a DM on our Instagram. At 30 old, 30 young Yep had to think what our Instagram name was then. So, yeah, drop us a DM and we're there to help, or Jake can offer you some support on what to do.
Speaker 2:Point you in the right direction.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and good luck everyone.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 3:And good luck, people, and good luck guys, and good luck everyone.
Speaker 2:I'll see you on the other side. What Cut that out? No. I quite like it. I quite like the sign-off and good luck.
Speaker 3:Well, I was like good luck everyone. I'm like girls won't be doing that, but yeah.
Speaker 2:No, but just in general. Good luck everyone With your week whatever problems Ciao. Ciao, ciao.
Speaker 1:Thanks for listening. We know time is precious and we thank you for yours. Please like and subscribe and we'll see you next week.
