Putting his best foot forward, William Greenwood is your typical Englishman who fell in love with Jamaica. Although he lives in “paradise”, problem areas of his life began to hit near his home, and one day he decided that a complete demolition and rebuilding was needed. The aim was to achieve this by tackling the problems from within. What he discovered at the end of a dark path was a light so bright it dispelled any shadow of doubt. The fact that it worked wonders for weight loss is just an added bonus.
The rationale for radical change was a matter of life and death. “I’m a recovering drug addict,” he said. Health and fitnessadding: “I had problems with substances. But the alcohol was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I would drink the dry bar. I was sick, I was knocking on the door of death and I didn’t want to die. I never died. I realized that there was more to life than drinking. I wanted to change my life and live a better quality of life.
This revival saw Greenwood take his last drink on January 8, 2017.
While he was not a fan of health and fitness per se; growing up, he was a fit, lean, and naturally muscular boy. It helped that he was into sports like basketball, football and cricket. “I never did sports to be in shape; I just played because I liked it. It wasn’t until his early twenties that he started gaining weight.
The holistic journey he took in his thirties played on the spiritual element. The working-class man began building a relationship with God at the age of 33, and he was both inspired and fueled by that call. A man of extremes and intensity, he shows no moderation. So it’s no surprise that when he decided to make changes in his life, he applied the same drastic approach. This time, however, it paid off.
“I started by completely changing my diet. I stopped drinking sodas and anything with processed sugar and anything with chemicals in it. I even went on a full keto diet at some point during about four or five years old. So I continued to eat a diet high in fat, protein and vegetables. But I had no carbohydrates at the time; I cut out rice, bread and pasta The only sugar I got was from fruit, he has since reintroduced healthy carbs to his diet, like ground groceries like dasheen.
It is important to note that he does not indulge in meal preparation, he simply listens to his body and prepares fresh meals. “I just listen to my body. Most of the time, when you overeat, you don’t feel hungry; you’re just bored. You need to give your body 20 minutes for your body to calm down after a meal and let your body digest the food.
Also, he finds that people call him a picky eater when he really is a conscious eater, who pays more attention to what he puts in his body. This process, he says, can become difficult when it comes to race selection and cost.
Dissatisfied with how he looked and felt, he wanted to lose weight as quickly as possible. And these dietary rules helped a lot to achieve his goal.
To exercise, he signed up for the gym, targeting different upper and lower body muscle groups. For cardio, he took up rowing, cycling and swimming. He even included the sauna and steam room when he returned to England for years.
Now that he’s back in Jamaica, he’s an active walker (his only method of exercise right now), logging at least five miles a day as early as 5 a.m., which rounds out to about 10,000 steps. “I have a very strict routine. But I’m still not a fitness fanatic. I understand the importance of maintaining a regular training regimen,” he added.
His daily routine involves waking up at 4 a.m. every day and having a cup of black coffee, sometimes with a little honey. Then he fried a black plantain in coconut oil, went to his veranda and gave thanks, prayed, enjoyed the fresh air and got ready for the day. “On weekends, I pick up my fruit and vegetables downtown. Everything has to come from the ground or from the tree,” he said.
Starting at 300 pounds, Greenwood now weighs 185. Although he isn’t focusing on a number, he was genuinely surprised by it. “That was the ideal number I had in mind about two years ago. If I can get down to 185 I’d be really happy. I’m not a fan of the scale though. If I look and feel better, then I win the battle.
Since losing over 100 pounds, he is happier, more confident, and more aligned spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally. He advises others on their health and fitness journey to eat as naturally as possible and not obsess over numbers. “Just pree the way you feel and look. Don’t be too hard on yourself and listen to people. Take baby steps and do what’s necessary for you and your health.
krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com
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