Bradlee Allen, 41, of London, UK, has a fast-paced life that requires a lot of energy. To excel, he needed to fix a huge problem: trouble breathing. Dealing with asthma since he was a child, Bradlee felt his strength being zapped by breathing difficulties. Being overweight worsened the situation. Here’s how he took control of his health, and got jacked in the process.
I WORK AS a senior partner solutions engineer at Zoom. My focus is on partner enablement: helping companies that work with us feel confident in our technology. It’s a fast-paced role that demands a lot of energy, clarity, and confidence—three things I was sorely lacking.
Before my weight loss journey, I was in a really bad place physically. I have asthma, so for a long time I was on strong inhaler medication for preventative and emergency situations. Still, I always struggled to breathe, which left me tired all the time.
My eating habits were really mixed up, too. Basically I was like, “oh, I like this food, so I’m going to eat it.” Sometimes I’d have breakfast, sometimes I’d skip it. I’d eat really large portions as well.
Now, there were times when I’d eat really healthy food, like salmon on toast with spinach or avocado. But I never accounted for how much fat I was eating. My inconsistent eating habits eventually made me put on a lot of weight. I was my heaviest in 2024, weighing almost 294 pounds.
Bradlee Allen/Ultimate Performance
Before photo of Bradlee Allen
Mentally, I felt like rubbish. I had no confidence in my physical appearance or myself in general. The turning point came when I was walking up three flights of stairs in my house while holding my 2-year-old. When I got to the top, I was out of breath. I just couldn’t stand the way I felt and it became the lightbulb moment to make a change. The end goal? To be more present for my family, and feel sharper at work and in life in general.
I Made Exercise a Non-Negotiable
My transformation took eight months. I approached it by starting to build structure and discipline—making exercise as non-negotiable as working or brushing my teeth. I focused on walking 10,000 steps every day, and getting 6 to 8 hours sleep every night. I started tracking my nutrition and macros without fail. Then I started strength training twice a week, and using a rowing machine (four times a week at home for 30 minutes). Over time, I saw results. I had lower body fat, more muscle, and better energy than I’d ever had.
I dropped to about 267 pounds but I didn’t stop there. I took my fitness a step further when I started weight training at Ultimate Performance gym. Once I started proper resistance training and focused on progressive overload, I saw how powerful I could really become. Weight training became my backbone—it built up not just my strength, but my confidence. I could literally see myself getting stronger, and that’s addictive in the best way. My trainer, Daniel Mangan, built a deep understanding of me as a person. This allowed me to go hard but also know the limits of my current ability. Thanks to Daniel, I was never pushed beyond what my body could handle. The big lesson I learned: don’t avoid the hard stuff. The exercises you dread are usually the ones that change you the most.
Bradlee Allen/Ultimate Performance
Bradlee Allen with his personal trainer
My training began with two one-hour sessions each week. This included lat pull downs, incline presses for my chest, doing the leg curl prone machine for my hamstrings, and lateral raises. I used a ski machine for cardio, deadlifts, flat bench presses, and the Prowler sled. It was quite a broad range of activities that balanced strength work while also improving heart health. I later progressed to training six days a week.
Dan taught me to treat data as feedback, not judgment. Training volume and progress photos helped me see patterns. Dan also drilled in that recovery and sleep are part of the program. He’s not only a positive trainer, but like a brother, providing me with guidance and demonstrating that discipline is key to becoming the best version of yourself.
I Changed my Diet to Maximize Muscle Mass
In terms of food, I started eating around 175 to 200 grams of protein, 80 to 100 grams of fat, and kept carbs below 50 grams most days. I ate 1,985 calories per day, which was split across five meals. I drank 3 liters of water everyday, plus two zero-calorie drinks, like Pepsi Max or Coca Cola Zero. Here’s an example of what I would eat in a day:
Breakfast: 4 large eggs, 60 grams of bacon, 50 grams of spinach, and 50 grams of avocadoLunch: 165 grams of chicken breast, 50 grams of spinach, and 50 grams of broccoliDinner: 17 grams of 5 percent lean meat or chicken and 100 grams of mixed vegetablesDessert: 20 grams of 85 percent dark chocolate, 60 grams of almond butter, 200 grams of Greek yogurtSnack: A 50 gram whey protein shake and 23 grams of whole almonds.
Right now, I’m eating around 2,600 calories a day to increase muscle mass. This involves hitting 200 grams of protein, 300 grams of carbs, and 70 grams of fat. My diet now looks something like this:
Breakfast: 2 large whole eggs, 100 grams of egg whites, 50 grams of oats, 1 apple, 20 grams of grapes, 10 grams of honey, 12 grams of whole almonds, and 50 grams of Greek yogurt.Lunch: 190 grams, a chicken breast, 100 grams of rice, 150 grams of vegetables, and sometimes coleslawDinner: 250 grams of 5 percent fat lean meat or chicken with 200 grams of potatoes or 100 grams of rice, and 150 grams of vegetablesDessert: 30 grams of air-popped popcorn, 30 grams of almond butter, 85 percent dark chocolate, Greek yogurt and 100 grams of Halo Top sea salt caramel ice creamSnacks: A 25-gram whey protein shake, 50 grams of dates, and 10 grams of almonds.
And, of course, I make sure to stay hydrated. I drink at least 3 liters of water a day.
What I Look Like Now
My weight went from almost 294 to about 175 pounds. In terms of body fat, I went from about 40 percent body fat to around 9 percent body fat. I’m currently at around 189 pounds and 11 percent body fat.
Bradlee Allen/Ultimate Performance
Bradlee Allen exercising at the gym.
I’ve completely reshaped my body composition and mindset. People comment on how much leaner and stronger I look, but the more meaningful compliment is when they say I seem more energetic and positive.
It’s been great to see that my results have inspired others to start training, too. My 10 year-old son keeps asking me when he can go to the gym, while my 3 year-old daughter keeps flexing and telling me she’s strong! It’s a beautiful thing.
One of the most momentous changes was being able to breathe more easily. I’ve dealt with asthma for most of my life, and yet I’ve not had to use my inhaler for five months. I can run, jump and swim with my kids without losing my breath. Then there’s the confidence. For the first time in a long time, I have the confidence to take my clothes off without feeling embarrassed.
Bradlee Allen/Ultimate Performance
Bradlee Allen working hard at Ultimate Performance Gym.
My next goal is to build strength and muscle mass for longevity. I want to ensure that I can be a strong man in my 70s and 80s. Ultimately, I want to give the best of myself every single day, without any limitations that are brought upon me by my own choices.
My advice to anyone of any age and of any fitness condition is to start small and be consistent. Getting your steps in, getting enough sleep, and getting your nutrition will already have you seeing massive progress in that alone. In my experience, the people who get results are the ones who don’t give up when it gets repetitive. Consistency isn’t glamorous, but it’s unbeatable.
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Lisa is an internationally established health writer whose credits include Good Housekeeping, Prevention, Men’s Health, Oprah Daily, Woman’s Day, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, Glamour, The Washington Post, WebMD, Medscape, The Los Angeles Times, Parade, Health, Self, Family Circle and Seventeen. She is the author of eight best-selling books, including The Essentials of Theater.