Jason Smith hadn’t felt joy in years.
‘Happiness wasn’t part of my day-to-day life,’ the 55-year-old, who hails from Surrey, near London, tells Daily Mail Australia.
Jason was in poor health, tipping the scales at 98kg (216lbs or 15st 6lbs). Unfit, depressed and lacking energy, he felt exhausted playing with his 10-year-old son and often finished games as quickly as possible to he could slump back on the couch.
He was also drinking too much.
‘I was probably drinking three glasses of wine per day – while cooking my meal, while eating my meal, and after my meal,’ Dave admits.
‘I felt angry, tired, depressed and bored.’
Jason’s wife knew he was secretly struggling, but he was able to hide the full extent of his misery from her.
Things got so bad he went to see his doctor who ran a series of tests.
In his early fifties, Jason was unfit, depressed and lacking in energy
Jason weighed 98kg (216lbs or 15st 6lbs), was drinking too much and living off processed food
Jason was diagnosed with depression and put on the antidepressant Cipramil. He was also prescribed Ramipril for high blood pressure (hypertension) and Atorvastatin for high cholesterol, and doctors said they needed to monitor his fatty liver.
He knew something had to change.
‘These health challenges didn’t push me out of my old lifestyle though; it wasn’t the threat of those health issues. Rather, it was the promise of something better,’ he says.
In January 2019, an Instagram post finally spurred him into action.
‘I saw a post by a guy named Dave, showing a picture of Bilbo Baggins running through the Shire with a smile on his face and the words “I’m going on an adventure”.
‘Under the picture, Dave had listed all the things he was going to do during his day – go bike riding, go for a run – all these things that sounded fun.
‘The post epitomised everything that I wasn’t and showed everything I wanted. I wanted that feeling. I wanted to go on an adventure. I just knew that I could do this, I could be better, more active, happier, and live a better life.
‘I went for a run on that day – which was more of a walk because I was too unfit to run – but it was a start.
After being diagnosed with depression, hypertension and high blood pressure, Jason was spurred into action
Now Jason has the energy to play with his young son. He also works with other midlife men and women to help them get healthy
‘I remember finishing that day thinking, “This is it, I’ve changed.” Obviously, my physical appearance hadn’t changed, but I knew that my new life had begun.’
The next thing Jason did was download an app called Quit Drinking and read ‘quit-lit’ book The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober.
‘Stopping drinking alcohol, specifically wine, was a big part of my journey,’ he adds.
The word ‘joy’ in the title of that book was something Jason really got stuck on, considering it was something he hadn’t experienced for a long time.
Jason wrote a description of what a person who felt joy and went on an adventure would be like – the things that they would do and wouldn’t do.
‘I used that as my guide to making the changes. For instance, they wouldn’t drink alcohol or eat ultra-processed food; instead they would be energetic and exercise.’
One by one, he began to implement the changes and the positive effect on his mental health was swift and dramatic.
‘When you change your fitness, your mental health improves. I was more positive, happier, more creative, I wanted to do more, and I wanted to be more. When my son had homework, I could be present, with a clear mind and a positive outlook to encourage him.’
Before that January day, Jason says every evening meal included chips.
‘Chicken Kiev and chips, pie and chips, steak and chips – a lot of these meals were pre-prepared and highly processed. But I liked the taste and they were easy.’
Jason started to think about the quality of food he was consuming. Rather than thinking of it as a convenience, he thought of it as fuel.
‘I started to eat more protein, more natural foods, lots of salmon, turkey, the occasional steak with something like spinach or roasted Mediterranean vegetables,’ he says.
He also cut out processed foods, reduced his carbohydrate intake and found a non-alcoholic drink to replace his wine habit.
After four months of consistent exercise, improved nutrition and abstinence from alcohol, Jason went back to the same doctor who had prescribed him a litany of medications for his various health problems.
‘The first thing she said was, “Really well done, it’s amazing what you’ve been able to achieve.”‘
Jason had lost 25kg (55lbs or almost 4st), all of his health markers had improved, and he was able to come off all of his medications – including the antidepressants.
The best part, though, was how much his relationship with his son improved.
‘What changed very quickly was the quality of the time I was able to spend with him,’ Jason says.
‘I was more vibrant, suggested doing more activities and we played a lot of cricket in the garden. I became a better husband, better father, I began to enjoy life and smile again.’
Jason’s improved health even led to a career change.
‘At the gym, I saw a lady of about 60 struggling on one of the machines. The personal trainer she was paying was more interested in chatting up younger women around the gym. I remember thinking, “This is so wrong, there’s got to be a better way.”‘
Jason gave up his corporate job in marketing and qualified as a personal trainer and nutritional advisor, launching his business Fit in Midlife in September 2020.
Now, Jason is on a mission to help middle-aged men and women start and maintain a fitness journey that will improve every area of their lives.
