SIX months ago I undertook on an exercise to get fit and lose weight.

I was introduced to Brian Milligan at the Fit Pit gym in Troon by my friend, Pastor Richard Woods, who had lost a couple of stone from being in his classes.

At first I was introduced gently to some exercises featuring the rower, medicine ball and weights and in time those would be stepped up.

Then I was gradually drawn into doing some gruelling circuits, alongside the likes of friends Mark Sugden, a former colleague and Irvine Vics boss Brian McLuckie.

And as the weeks and months went on the exercises became more challenging.

And Brian certainly is working me. Admittedly for now my exercises look slightly less demanding than some of the others.

However, I still have quite a rigorus routine which involves chest presses, rower, bike, squats, slamming down the ball, weights, step ups all in a loop of say 10 exercises for each one. 

I can now do 10 sets of that circuit, as opposed to the five or six I would have undertaken two or three months ago.

My main goal was to lose weight and feel better about myself and by Christmas time my total weight loss was 27lbs, just 1lb short of two stones.

Christmas added some 3lbs to my total, like so many other people.

However when I see pictures of the old me compared with new me I feel there is no going back.

At Christmas time I was at three gym sessions to keep my hand ticking over.

Already in 2020 I have had two sessions with another planned as I write.

So follow my lead. You can lose weight if you really want to and belief in yourself.

Cut out the rubbish and eat much less calorific food.

It can be done.