Chris James - Performance + Health Behaviour Change Coach

This was a great message to receive this morning from Shaun.

100lb lost whilst working together.

Not my work - it's his - but I've been in his corner throughout.

Shaun had never really focused his health for years but as he started working from home, things started to snowball. His activity plummeted and his weight ballooned.

Then a single moment happened and Shaun knew he needed to change.

He put his hand up and said enough is enough but admitted to himself he couldn't do it alone.

We had a chat and agreed to focus on the simple stuff.

Food

Movement

Water

There have been a lot of hiccups along the way, family issues, holidays and occasions, but Shaun has always got back on track.

He never gave up.

Without sounding patronising, I'm incredibly proud of him. This was no easy ride.

This is exactly the support I offer to my clients.

No crazy plans or restrictions and you don't need to hide from your social life.

I've changed Shaun's name for anonymity and I won't mention his "moment", but if you've had that moment (and if you have, you'll know what I mean) maybe it's time we talked.

Drop me a DM - let's have chat.

Your kids are watching every move you make.

You tell them to do something, they don't always listen, but they are still watching.

If you're fit and active, they tend to be fit and active.

If you're hitting the bottle every night to unwind, they might not be having a glass, but they're watching.

This was a picture of my lunch yesterday. Not going to win any Michelin stars for this one, but it was done for a reason.

We have a little girl with us this week who hasn't eaten vegetables in 6 months.

So this is what we did. We put three peas, three pieces of sweetcorn and three cubes of carrot on her plate.

She sat at the table and looked at them in disgust, but then looked around and saw us eating away.

We can now reset the vegetables timer to 0 days. She started tucking in and even had some more.

They're watching - lead by example.

"The kids are off this week so things haven't quite gone to plan."

I replied, “Is that a reason or an excuse?”

But what’s the difference?

A reason is a genuine barrier. Something real that makes things harder, slower, or messier. It needs adjusting for. Planning around. Working with.

An excuse is a cover story. Something we tell ourselves (and others) to justify not doing what we said we would. Not because we couldn’t… but because we didn’t want to, didn’t prioritise it, or didn’t prepare.

Reasons require adaptation. Excuses require ownership.

Having a reason is fine. Life happens. Pretending an excuse is a reason is where progress dies and you teach yourself that it's ok to fall short.

This is how I live. And it’s exactly how I coach.

My daughter is off school this week too. My routine isn’t perfect. My schedule isn’t smooth. Things are more chaotic than usual.

That’s a reason.

So I adjust. More long dog walks in the woods or trips to the park. Prioritising clients over social media. Lower expectations of perfection as baking my world famous butterscotch tart was demanded.

Because real life doesn’t have to stop progress. It just changes how progress looks.

Next time something “gets in the way”, ask yourself honestly, is this a reason or an excuse?

Then act accordingly.

Something great is coming.

In the next few weeks, Elevate EPP is to start work with it's first client. Initially, with the leadership team and then a full roll out to the business in April.

Their team are going to have access to a small team of excellent coaches ready to boost performance.

This isn't a tick box exercise, that isn't what employee wellness should be about.

When you invest in your team, they grow.

The World Health Organization found that happy, healthy teams actually get about 20% more done.

What could a 20% performance boost mean to your business?

New Year, New "slightly better" Me

I know, I could have come up with a catchier line, but it fits.

My socials are filled with how 2026 will be the best year yet, how different it will be. But it won't be different if you're not different. Do the same stuff, get the same results.

BUT there is a caveat to that, especially when it comes to health.

Personal trainers and 90 day shredders are licking their lips right now. January is prime time for them to sell the dream. Do this awful diet or regime for 90 days and have abs forever.

They even deliver it in polished up marketing, looking all shiny, with rows of ripped people all smiling.

And we all know how it ends, because we've all done it.

We've all done the quick fixes and tried the shortcuts. They work for so long until they don't anymore.

And that's my message from this post. If you are going to invest in your health, and I truly believe it's well worth it, do it properly.

Don't jump in feet first with emotion, use your head.

And that's a perfect segue into this next part.

If you do want to do it properly, like Kevin who lost 20kg, Brad who has lost 18kg (so far) and Andy who is 11kg lighter, let's have a chat.

You can book a 15 minute phone call into my calendar by clicking the link in the comments.

Worst case is you lose 15 minutes of your time, but I will make sure you come away with some great ideas.

The best case is we get this sorted properly and with my help, we actually make 2026 the healthiest yet and do it in a way that lasts.

Finally, Happy New Year. We don't do a lot at New Year other than have a few friends and family over for a chilled one. We have a baby with us this year, so I'll probably be in bed by 12:01AM ready for my 5:30AM alarm!

Stop putting so much pressure on yourself.

We all have wobbles, especially in December, it's perfectly normal. The big issue is when you start beating yourself up over it.

You tell yourself you're an idiot, why did you do that? Why did you undo all that hard work? You knew you couldn't do it!

Three of my clients have had wobbles this month.

One was Christmas deadlines got in the way.

One was the Miniature Heroes (I'm so glad the chocolate eclair is out).

And one had expectations that were a little too high.

It happens.

Their health isn't a sprint, it is a marathon. As long as this December is better than the last, they're winning.

I've not been perfect either - but I don't consider it a wobble.

January will come around and although I don't subscribe to the "New Year New Me" thing, it is an ideal chance to make some progress on the health front.

The social calendar empties out, no one is going out and no one is bringing Mince Pies into the office.

This post isn't an excuse to eat yourself stupid and sort it in January, it's to temper your expectations. Give yourself permission to indulge a little.

I'm still waiting for one thing to arrive. I ordered it on the 4th. What are the chances of it actually showing up?

9 sleeps to go and I'm all sorted

Unbelievable Jeff

I'm not sure what's gotten into me this year, usually I'm a leave it until last minute, panic and wrap everything Christmas eve kinda guy.

But not this year...

It's good that we are sorted, as we have a busy December with loads of little ones coming and going.

There is no message or learning in this post but I am interested in hearing from you.

How are you doing? All sorted and ready or not even started?

20.55kg across 8 months

3x holidays

Hotel stays with many miles driven

A demanding job

Date night with his partner

Easter, birthdays and a best friend's wedding

No calorie counting and no missing out.

This is what true health and weight loss should be like, not your typical 90 day plans.

Yes, he could have done this in 90 days, but we all know how the next 90 would go.
Back to square one.

This lifestyle we've put together will last Kevin the rest of his life.
And right now, I think the difference is amazing.

I was in his corner when things went wrong (and they did!).

But it was his hard work, grit and determination that got this done.

Absolute pleasure to work with.

Kevin was one of my January starters this year.

Like we can with you, we put together a couple of things to stop the December weight gain going on and then started properly in January.

If this is something you'd like to do in 2026, drop me a message or book a call. I'll put a link to my calendar in the comments.

In short, I'll coach you for free in December and then we start properly in 2026.

A third of December is gone, so the sooner we speak, the more weight we can stop going on.

We're well into December now and my social calendar is filling up.

It seemed like the perfect time to revamp this guide.

It shows you exactly how you can enjoy the special occasions without ruining your waistline.

It's exactly what I try to coach my clients to do through December.

Do you want a copy?

Comment below and I'll send it over.

So that's 2 calls booked in from my December offer.

You can get to January without putting on a load of weight AND you can still eat these.

Sounds too good to be true but it isn't.

You can book in a 15 minute phone call here where we can go through how things work.

https://cal.com/chris-james/15min

I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse...

No it's not more Black Friday tat that you don't need.

And no, I haven't applied a 97% discount to it either.

If you're watching your waistline, I know this time of year is tough.

It's freezing outside, so you've put the bike away. Running isn't an option either.

The decorations will be going up soon and the Miniature Heroes will come out. Then you've got the work Christmas parties and every day someone is bringing in mince pies...

The easy option is to leave it until next year - new year, new me.

But that worked so well this year didn't it...

Don't take that personally, Sonny. It’s strictly business.

Stuart was a prime example of this.

He'd catch a glimpse in the mirror and think "that's not me".

He would try all the diets through the year. He'd have success, but it was always short term. He'd very quickly go back to "normal".

December would come around and he'd be no different, despite all the promises he made himself.

Disappointment would set in and he'd just tell himself to start again next year.

But next year would come and he'd be another 5lb heavier. And the cycle continued...

"But Chris, what's this offer you're talking about? Come on, kid, don't fool around."

If you're wanting to sort yourself out or have ever considered working with me, now is the perfect time.

Here's what we're going to do.

1) We’ll book in a 15 minute phone call and discuss where you are and where you want to be.

2) If my programme is suitable for you, I’ll invite you on board.

I know what you're thinking here. With the festivities, it's probably best to start in January, right?

Wrong - If in January you're going to be 5lb heavier like Stuart was each year, surely January will be the wasted month?

And here is my offer.

Now we're talking business, let's talk business.

Instead of starting now, we will start properly in January, but we'll do a "soft start" this month.

We'll agree some sensible actions you can do in December to prevent that 5lb coming on or at least reduce it.

That way when we start in January, you've already got less of a mountain to climb.

If this sounds like it'll work to you, you can comment below or drop me a DM. We'll talk through the details and get you back into the smaller side of your wardrobe for good this time!