How I Completely Transformed My Body

Let me just preface this with the fact that I didn’t set out to transform my body with some kind of fantastical ideal of perfection. I had long felt the call to strengthen my body, to incorporate weights into my life, to make exercise a foundational part of my every day and, to emancipate myself out of this “skinny fat” girl mentality that had plagued me for most of my adult life. Toning my body, staying lean but strong and moving away from the somewhat arrogant mentality that perpetually informed me that I didn’t need to work out, was the order of the day.

I had also moved to London 18 months prior – and while the move in its totality was a simple adjustment,  I had developed a penchant for Walkers original salty crisps and anything sweet (my Achilles’ Heel) which was serving me on one, self sabotaging level, but was completely counter productive to everything else in my life. On many levels I needed an overhaul, because when you reach your late 30s, and you haven’t realised that a dedication to exercise – and specifically muscle toning – through light weights, repetition and body resistance – is as important as breathing, when you hit your early 40s you’re in for a rude shock.

So it was on one relatively uneventful evening of doom scrolling on unsocial media that I came across personal trainer Peter Cobby’s account – Founder of Le Couture and renowned for getting models’ bodies ready for the runway. Someone I respected had tagged him, who trained with him (and was not a model) and I was intrigued, reached out and the response was immediate – the session was booked for the following week.

In the first session, Peter explained his overall approach and it was so outrageously simple and old school, that it became instantly clear why he is so sought out by those in the industry that know. His philosophy borders somewhere between toning without bulk, short high intensity bursts of cardio and nurturing the body with correct foods as opposed to the low caloric starvation diets favoured by so many. Ask him a question, about anything physiology related and he answers from a point of balance and perspective, and serious experience built up over decades – which runs completely counter to the usual fitspo dogma that plagues our TikTok and instagram feeds. And he gets the results. Why? Because he understands that it isn’t just about the workout. His objective? Build a lean and resilient body that can withstand the forces of every day life. I was totally, utterly, in.

The following weeks saw me apply myself with a level of focus that was somewhat obsessive and borderline psychotic . Everything was examined – from my BMI, to my daily “habits”, to my goals, which were reframed so it wasn’t about an end point or a destination, but rather a greater purpose for why I was making a commitment to getting stronger. And my sessions with Peter became so much more than exercise – they became symbolic of weeding out everything in my life that did not align to the mindset and movement of strength. If anything in my life didn’t match that movement – it was there to be examined and discarded.

And in the three months that I have been training,  my body has completely transformed, and so much so that I am now a complete exercise – and Peter Cobby – evangelist. Of all the trainers and exercise and wellness “gurus” I’ve met or interviewed over the years – he is the absolute real deal and his programs, quite simply, work. And while it may sound somewhat ridiculous to say, or even realise, but it is in the smaller moments of the day – like walking up stairs or doing something totally mundane like bending down to pick something up – to feel my body move in the way it’s designed to, and to support me in the way its designed to, is magic and incorporating this form of exercise into my life – consistently – is now a complete non-negotiable.

So in the interest of sharing the process and the simple things I’ve learnt along the way, I’ve shared a quick outline below. It’s not crazy – it simply involves a level of commitment and focus, as well as a willingness to get underneath the WHY we do what we do, that is the ultimate key.

From the outset it was really important for Peter that he understood the Why. It was a pivotal moment in my life in more ways than one, and the advice Peter offered was so important in supporting me to get to the next. And through this process,  what I realised is that when we can connect to a greater purpose in everything we do, it’s a really important part of evolving out of old habits that no longer serve us. Often goals that directly relate to weight loss or a physical attributes are futile because it doesn’t shift the mindset that created the issue you may be experiencing in the first place. As in – I can work out for “mental health” or “feeling fit” or “looking great” but it’s ultimately not going to stop me reaching for sugar when I’m feeling anxious. We have to get to the heart of why, to ultimately release it and move on from what holds us in old and tired patterns of behaviour. For me, it was examining why I didn’t feel strong – to really ask myself what was holding me back, what I was enabling in my life that didn’t serve me, and what behaviours were sabotaging me from being in my full power.  From there, it was clear, and anything that interfered with that, was discarded, swiftly.

Without proper nutrition, we’re all, quite frankly, screwed. My diet for the most part was OK – I’m dairy, gluten, alcohol free and eat a balanced mix of nutritious foods – but Peter explained that without the refinement and the brutal honesty – behaviours can easily be accommodated or hidden. And without looking at what it takes for adequate nutrition, the body can store more than it looses. After assessing my diet, I actually needed to eat more than before, but with the removal of any saturated fats / sugars (Walkers crisps, anything gluten free that was basically an excuse to eat refined carboydrates). This also included incorporating more fish into my diet, more complex carbohydrates like quinoa and more green leafy vegetables overall. Not rocket science just actual science.

We focused on high repetition work for muscle density. Peter explained that this method is used to get the benefits of strength, without increasing the size of the muscle. As the main goal was to get stronger – we focussed on a few key movements to make that happen and it was done sporadically so the bulk or size [of the muscle] didn’t come in. Every program is a tailored mix of exercises you can find on Peter’s website the Couture Lab – and it’s all about very simple movements that work. And sticking to a varied routine that supports you.

Peter recommends working out 3-4 times a week and the make-up of that will be different for every person. For me, he recommended 2 x strength training, 1 x cardio and 1 x yoga, as my flexibility required a bit of focus. It’s definitely not a one-size fits all approach, but a session with Peter – either physically or online – is worth it, pure gold.

One of Peter’s key tenants is reducing inflammation in the body – whether that’s through what you eat, how you train or your lifestyle choices. One of his core principles is “If the body is calm, it can most easily let go”, so it’s a really important part of how Peter structures his workouts and training with clients.

So much of our regular, unquestioned “habits” that don’t serve us, increase inflammation in the body. And that largely begins with sleep. If we don’t sleep well, it’s going to immediately inflame the body. For centuries, ancient ageless medicine has made it very clear that being asleep between the hours of 9PM and 3AM is crucial as the body uses this time to replenish and heal. It’s when the spleen does its heavy lifting to clear the body, and where the endocrine system, gall bladder and liver work harmoniously to remove toxins and a build up of energy that has accumulated.

When it comes to diet, incorporating Omega 3 fats, colourful plants, protein at every meal , spices into cooking – black pepper, turmeric, cumin among others – will all work to support the body. And reducing processed foods, seed oils in excess, alcohol, refined sugar and white flour will all help to reduce the inflammation. Strength training, 2-4 times per week lowers chronic inflammation long term as does brisk and daily walking.

So for me, it was all about reviewing the basics and making sure that I was ramping up all the things that would support my body to reduce any inflammation.

I often say or do things that I regret in the heat of the moment – and this comes about most often when I haven’t been looking after myself to the level that’s being called for. And I’ve come to realise that when I react, it’s almost always expectation based ie I have an expectation of how things should be, rather the reality of how they simply are, with no judgement.

And when it comes to daily choices, Peter’s advice is that change is a moment-to-moment exercise that simply focusses on making responsible choices from moment to moment.  “Thinking you’ve got 8 or 12 weeks to make a change is daunting. But looking at your next meal, you can change that easily. That’s why I find it works” explained Peter. Taking each moment as it comes, rather than focussing on long term lofty goals has its immense benefits.

And ultimately, anyone can train and strengthen their body – but at what point does it become part of a normal, everyday rhythm that is as essential as eating and sleeping. Getting in shape and being fit is one thing, but it’s often seen as a linear process of not being 100% well, to being 100% well.  And when you have the realisation that your body deserves to be absolutely looked after in every way, consistently, without the ups and downs, why would we go back to any other way?