Kolyn Byrne on his six-week weight-loss routine

I committed live on air to a six-week weight-loss routine, so I couldn’t back out, says <B>Kolyn Byrne.</b>

BUSY gyms have become a January tradition as New Year’s resolutions to get fit kick in. There’s a buzz of good intentions as people unaccustomed to exercise launch into it with gusto.

As the month goes on, however, that drive wanes and the resolutions become distant memories.

I’ll admit that it’s something I’ve been guilty of myself, in the past. My attempts at getting fit have been sporadic, short-lived, and doomed to failure as soon as I got bored. I was the ultimate fad-fitness fanatic.

Watching an episode of The Biggest Loser reality TV show gave me a burst of inspiration that lasted for a gym session or two, before the motivation vanished and I was left eating junk food while watching TV, again.

It was a cycle that seemed destined to continue until I reached a point where I knew something had to change.

Because of my fleeting flirtations with fitness, my weight fluctuates.

The displeasure of looking in the mirror only does so much to motivate you. You see yourself every day and thus the changes are less apparent. It was a picture on Facebook that inspired my change of heart.

One look at it and I hardly recognised myself.

I was the heaviest I’d ever been. Drastic action was required. I could, like I’d done many times before, wait until the new year, or I could make the change straight away.

I took the proverbial bull by the horns, realising that, post-Christmas, things could be a lot worse. Why wait?

I knew that motivation was my biggest issue, but I realised I had a tool at my disposure that could help me with that: my job. I work as a breakfast reporter on South East radio station, Beat 102 103, and so I challenged myself publicly, in order to motivate me.

Having thousands of people, across five counties, listening to my weekly updates meant that failure just wasn’t an option.

Understandably, not everyone interested in getting fit has the same option, but there are many ways to get motivated.

Experts suggested a personal trainer.

At first, I was sceptical. I’ve seen The Biggest Loser and have always thought a trainer would be intrusive and counter-productive.

Walking into the Kingfisher Gym, in Waterford, that first day, left me wondering what I was letting myself in for.

I’d been to the gym before, but this was different. Someone would be pushing me to my limit and beyond, but backing-out wasn’t an option. Not when I’d committed to it live on air.

As I did my initial body-composition with my trainer, Andy, I couldn’t help but feel anxious, and the scales confirmed what I had feared, that my weight was at the highest I’d ever been.

My BMI was a lot higher than it should have been and my fat percentage was above ideal.

Andy just smiled, and assured me that we now had a starting point and that taking that first step into the gym and onto the scales was just the beginning of the journey.

He told me stories of so many people who had stood where I was and had made the changes to get fit and improve their quality of life.

I doubted myself straight away, while wondering how I’d ever be able to get fit in the six-week timeframe I’d set myself.

I still wasn’t sure if a personal trainer would work for me.

When previously I’d tried the gym, I’d given it a certain amount and stopped when it became too much, moving on to something lighter; a brisk walk on the treadmill or 20 minutes on the exercise bike, while watching the game show, Pointless.

My first training session changed my mind drastically. I was pushed to limits I didn’t even know I had and on my very first day, too.

I wanted to give up so many times, feeling like I just couldn’t go on, but, each time, Andy refused to let me stop and he was right, because I fought my way through it. I was exhausted, but certainly not defeated.

That initial session gave me a lease of life I hadn’t expected and, immediately, I knew that starting was going to be the hardest part, although I’ll admit that changing diet was difficult.

I’ve always enjoyed fast food and sugary snacks, so changing to healthier options took a few days.

I learned quickly the benefits of turkey as a low-fat, high-protein meat and that foods I already enjoyed, like peppers, were low in calories, but high in nutrition. Once I’d made the initial adjustment, it was a case of finding new, healthy ways to enjoy food I already liked.

I used it as an opportunity to try new cuisines and discovered many healthy options.

There was no fad diet; just good, healthy eating.

The first week passed with a lot of pain from muscles that hadn’t much use until then. I woke up one night in agony, wondering why I was doing it to myself, but, by the time the first weigh-in came around, the pain was subsiding and my hard work showed on the scales with a three-pound weight-loss.

I celebrated that victory and used it as motivation, from then on, any time I felt I couldn’t do it. I’ll admit that happened quite a lot.

The motivation to eat healthily and work-out waned from time to time, but I refused to let it drag me down for too long.

I’d go for a walk or grab some raisins, and remember that I was doing this for me.

As the six weeks rumbled on, life, as it often does, got in the way a number of times. Work was busy, I had to stay and do overtime, the house needed painting, I had to visit family.

Time and time again, things popped up to stop me working out, but that’s life.

I learned to plan better, to put time aside to go the gym and do a few little exercises, wherever I was.

What I achieved in my six-week challenge was far beyond what I’d set out to do. I lost nine pounds, bringing my BMI to a much healthier number.

I looked, and felt, much better and looking in the mirror I saw the old me again. It also gave me a head start going into the new year.

Like so many others, I hit the gym in January, wanting to shed some weight and get fitter, but I did so with an advantage.

I’d been doing it for weeks, I was already nine pounds down and I had the motivation of what I’d already achieved.

Most importantly, I learned there’s no point in waiting when you can make a change right now.