Ben Lucas, a former NRL player, marathon runner, gym founder, and head coach of the Sydney Marathon and Harbour 10K, has always led an active life. However, during the Covid lockdowns, he gained weight due to poorer lifestyle choices. For years, he struggled to reverse the effects of those choices.
Lucas’s story highlights an important truth: no matter how much you train, a poor diet can hold you back. Despite preparing for his 50th marathon, he noticed his performance suffered because of his eating habits.
What changed for Lucas was his understanding of how certain foods affect long-term brain health. After reading studies linking processed foods and sugar to cognitive decline, he decided to improve his diet. He kept his training routine the same but cleaned up his nutrition. As a result, he lost 25 kilograms in just 11 weeks and reduced his body fat from 18% to 6.2%.
Here is Lucas’s transformation in his own words:
“I gained some weight during the lockdowns, and it took me a few years to find the motivation to lose it. I stayed physically active but was under a lot of stress, which affected my sleep and led me to seek comfort food. When life started returning to normal, I didn’t jump straight into a health kick. I had two young kids and a business to manage, so healthy eating wasn’t my priority.
Fitness has always been important to me. I was an athlete, co-founded Flow Athletic, and I’m a marathon runner about to complete my 50th race this year. But during Covid, being a dad and running a gym, I let my diet slip. I also wake up at 4:30 am to work out, which affects my sleep—an important part of good health.
Recently, I read about the link between diet and brain health. Having played NRL, I’ve had several head injuries. The research shows processed foods and sugar can cause cognitive decline. As a dad, I want to stay healthy for as long as possible.
So, I committed to improving my nutrition for my brain’s sake. What surprised me was the physical change. In 11 weeks, I lost 25 kilograms and cut my body fat by 65%, from 18% to 6.2%. And I did it through diet alone.
I started just before Christmas. The first challenge was saying no to pavlova. Early on, I noticed better energy and sleep. Then, suddenly, the weight began to drop quickly. Like many of my clients who have transformed, I experienced a sudden change after a few weeks.
I cut out all processed foods and sweets. Dessert had been a daily habit since having kids, but I stopped cold turkey. The first three weeks were tough, but after that, I had no cravings.
Reducing portion sizes was also key. Many people eat twice as much as their body needs. Cutting portions helps with weight loss if you have a healthy relationship with food.
Now, my diet consists mainly of coffee, plenty of water, leafy greens, whole grains like rice and wholegrain bread, lean proteins and fats, and lean cheeses or nuts. I still run almost every day and do strength training. That didn’t change. But I feel more energetic, sharper, and more motivated.
I’m in my 40s now, and running is my passion—not body shape. I wanted to improve as a runner and be healthier overall, but I didn’t set a body goal. As a trainer, I knew fixing my diet would bring physical results. Still, my metabolism is slower than when I was younger, so I was surprised by how quickly I lost weight.
This experience made me a better dad and improved my work life. My marathon times are better too. It’s amazing how much your life improves when you fuel your body properly and get enough sleep. The benefits go beyond the physical—stress drops, energy and creativity increase, and burnout lessens.
If you are in a similar situation, my advice is to write down your goals and make a plan. Remember, it takes about three weeks to form a habit. If you push through those first weeks, you can make lasting changes.
And if you slip up—say, eat some ice cream—that’s not failure. Don’t give up. Enjoy it and move on. Many people quit because they feel they failed. You don’t need to be so hard on yourself.”
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