I found Roger when I did my first coach Mark Carroll challenge.

It was all about sleep and shift work. Didn’t really pay much attention. I did my first ever night shift, and it was horrid. 3 nights in a row and it took me a week to recover.

I dreaded my next lot of nights. So I looked up “A Healthy Shift” again, and took on board when you sleep, when to wake, when to exercise and when and what to eat. I sailed through my night shifts. However, I don’t do nights very often, I swap and change from AM to PM shift all the time. I was tired, grumpy, putting on weight, scrolling my phone, drinking alcohol often and not exercising.

I was a mess and I was absolutely sick of it!

Something needed to change. I got a good kick up the butt on New Year’s Eve.

I had just recovered from Covid, ate a whole lot of junk food with a few mojIto’s and I woke up to the most horrid pain in my right upper abdo quadrant. As I nurse, I knew this was going to be my gallbladder or liver.

I went to my GP, had an ultrasound done and was diagnosed with a mild fatty liver and 2 gallbladder polyps. As an oncology nurse, I knew this isn’t great, so I knew that I needed to follow Roger and take on his advice and it’s the best thing I have ever done.

I hydrate before I caffeinate. When I’m not working a morning shift, I am out the door at 0630 for an hour walk to get the early light. I eat protein every meal and small meals during the day, 2 pieces of fruit (at least) and cut out all junk food.

I bought one of the sleep masks that Roger recommends and started creatine. I lift weights 5 days a week, cardio 2 x a week, and do at least 10,000 steps a day (but generally it’s between 14,000 and 20,000).

I have not had any alcohol since the first of Jan. I do not miss it. I have not eaten any junk food. I snack on fruit and protein shake/bar/custard. I no longer crave alcohol, caffeine or junk fatty/sugary food.

I wake up with energy and the same time every day. I go to bed and can fall asleep easily and stay asleep, I no longer need over-the-counter sleeping tablets.

I am happy, calm, no longer stressed and have so much energy. I now spend my days off going out and doing things rather than wanting to sleep. And the bonus is that in this process I have lost weight and people are starting to notice and comment.

When I can’t be bothered going for a walk or to the gym, I have Roger in my head, I watch his Instagram stories and that’s enough to know that he is there and makes me keep my discipline and consistency up.