Meet Andrew Vandenberg and as you can probably tell by his Instagram name of @chubs2runninglife, he’s gone through a pretty significant transformation!

His story started very much like many of our commitments to join the gym – a couple of years of not feeling motivated to make the most of that membership fee.

During this time, his weight started to increase and he eventually accepted the conclusion that he would eat himself to death.

But then, his work colleague made the commitment to train with him every day – showing the importance of having someone to train with in inspiring you to carry on.

And now, after putting 100% into it and eating Muscle Food meat, he’s competing in tough mudders and runs all over the place! With that in mind, we had to speak to him about his incredible transformation…

Meal Plan

• Breakfast: Four eggs and 40g oats
• Lunch: 200gs chicken and 160g broccoli
• Dinner: 200gs steak, 160g broccoli and 150g rice
• Before bed: Whey shake and tablespoon peanut butter
• Post workout: Whey shake with water
• Snack: Avocado and 20g almonds

Interview with Andrew Vandenberg

Hi Andrew! Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. What made you decide that “enough was enough” and start making the change?

It was a long process over 10 years. I joined many gyms however couldn't gain the motivation to keep at it.

As the years went on, my weight increased and I accepted that I was going to eat myself to death.

One day my colleague told me that if I wanted to join a gym, he would train everyday with me. So, I joined a gym with the mentality of giving it one final chance to lose the weight.  

How did you keep yourself motivated throughout it all?

See the results certainly was motivating in itself. I always listen to motivational speeches when I train to help push me forward and always am looking for new speeches.

I found that setting small realistic goals was very encouraging. I have the goal of losing 100lbs, however I broke that down in to smaller weights.

I also signed up for different running events and Tough Mudder, so I always had a challenge to train for.

What has been the best advice you received during your transformation?

It's an old saying but slow and steady wins the race. This was a lifestyle change so with time the weight was going to come off. Don't be discouraged about slow progress

Any top tips for people looking to transform just like you did?

Make small goals and celebrate when you achieve them!

And, most importantly, never give up and never give in. Do this and you will achieve every goal you set for yourself

Now let’s talk about Nutrition! If we were to run in and raid your kitchen, what would we see in your fridge?

At least three days worth of meal prep as well as overnight oats!

Any Muscle Food favourites of yours?

What is your favourite meal prep recipe to eat?

A huge slow cooker chilli. It makes the house smell amazing, super easy to make, plus you will get an abundance of meals out of it.

Everyone deserves a cheat meal from time to time… What is your cheeky favourite?

Definitely either a big burger with chips or pizza

What guilty pleasure did you find the most difficult to give up?

Sweets. I love sweeties!

With your building expertise in nutrition – do you have any words of advice for our fans when it comes to food?

Definitely mix things up with different spices. Having the same meal over and over again does get boring. Every three meals I'll change the spices I use.

I'm an avid runner, so it would have to be a long trail run

And what exercises do you loathe the most?

Dips and pull ups. I have to force myself to do them

What’s your favourite body party?

Shoulders

And which one do you feel needs more work?

Chest. I've only just started to focus a lot more on weight training. So it's exciting building up more strength

Favourite music to listen to while working out?

A mixture between Kayne West and motivation speeches. Very different I know

FINAL QUICK FIRE! Favourite film?

Good Will Hunting

Would you rather eat 30 pounds of cheese in one sitting or a bucket of peanut butter (without water)?

30 pounds of cheese

What are your plans for the future?

I just completed a 100km ultra marathon, so my focus now is on weight training. I would like to achieve my total weight loss goal of 100lbs.

Long term goals are to enter World's Toughest Mudder and Ironman

Any words of inspiration you’d like to share with our fans?

No matter how tough things get, you always need to know what your 'why' is.

We do everything for a reason and we are able to push through the hard times because of our 'why'.

So, when you do want to quit, think about your 'why'. And most importantly, never give up and never give in!

Every transformation story featured on Muscle Food outlines that a good diet and a good workout plan are essential to achieving the results you desire. All transformation stories, exercise routines and diet plans are provided by the customer and have not been checked by a nutritionist or doctor. Results may vary for different individuals.