Become a Better You by Byron Morrison #Interview #TuesdayBookBlog #WeightLoss

I’m delighted to have local author, Byron Morrison, on my blog today. I ‘met’ Byron through a local Facebook networking group and was instantly drawn to his positive energy. I was thrilled when he agreed to pop over for a quick chat about his lifestyle and weight loss coaching and writing non-fiction. Over to Byron…

 

The Fun Stuff:

What part of the world do you come from? I actually grew up in Johannesburg in South Africa, but I moved to the UK around 20 years ago and now live in Stratford upon Avon.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Weirdly I actually wanted to be a writer but in a completely different context. As a kid I loved fantasy books, but as I grew up I kind of lost my passion for writing stories and instead moved onto writing songs and music. Then a couple of years ago that passion was reignited, but again in a different form.

List three words to describe yourself.

Passionate, empathetic, dedicated

Who would play you in a film about your life?

That’s a tough one, I’d have to go with Ryan Reynolds, simple due to the similarities in sense of humour.

What’s your favourite snack food when writing?

I genuinely rarely snack, although endless cups of coffee fill that void!

If you had a super power, what would it be?

Definitely the ability to fly!

 

 

The Sensible Side:

Tell us a little about yourself. (How did you get started writing?  What do you do when you’re not writing?)

It started as a kid in scrap books with stories about knights and dragons, then moved onto songs. I always loved writing lyrics, and found that was really my calling and a way to express myself. I think that helped a lot in growing as an Author, as it taught me to write in certain ways to get across various feelings, stories and emotions. These days when I’m not writing I run a Lifestyle and Weight Loss Coaching business, always cooking and trying different foods, along with being an avid film and live music fan.

Where did the inspiration for Become a Better You come from?

To be honest if you told me 5 years ago what I would have been doing or writing about now I would have laughed at you! The truth is I used to be pretty overweight and paid no attention to my health, doing no exercise and constantly struggling with everything from managing stress to dealing with the ups and downs of everyday life. Then my dad got cancer and in an instant my whole world was turned upside down. During his treatment he had most of his bowel surgically removed and spent 25 days in ICU on life support. That was the wakeup call I needed to do something about my own health, so I set about on my own journey. I found along the way that traditional approaches to dieting, fitness and losing weight didn’t work, which is why I wrote ‘Become a Better You’ around the help, guidance and support I wish I had when I was struggling.

How did you go about researching the content for your book?

Initially it started with a lot of scientific studies on nutrition and then went onto everything from psychology to fitness and managing stress. Using everything from books to documentaries and online stories. Then a big part of it was working with people, finding out the challenges they faced and what they were struggling to change, and it all grew from there.

Can you give us a brief excerpt from Become a Better You?

The book is about helping you make maintainable changes to the way you eat, think, move and live. Helping the reader go on a journey of self-realisation, as they develop a tailored plan based around their life and the changes they want to make. Showing them there’s more to health than just how much we eat and move, and that you can have the health and body of your dreams without spending every day in the gym, or giving up all your favourite foods. At the end of the day it’s all about balance, and become aware of our actions and the choices we make on a day-to-day basis.

You also offer Lifestyle and Weight Loss Coaching. What issue do you feel most people struggle with the most? (Mind set, nutrition, exercise, putting it all together)

I think a huge problem is that people have this perception that improving their health comes down to huge grand gestures and overhauling everything at once, as this is hugely the approach they take with dieting. So getting their mind-set right is definitely the biggest hurdle, as that’s the glue that holds it all together. But once that begins to click and they see just how much of an impact small changes can have on their health, then the weight loss becomes effortless and they start to enjoy the journey for what it is. Everything I do is all about maintainable change, and giving people I work with the skills, knowledge and confidence to take control of their journey.

What can we expect from you in the future? 

I’ve made it my mission to help as many people as possible live healthier, happier lives, in the hope that I can help them avoid going through what happened to my dad. Because of that I am launching a few free online courses, and getting more involved in running seminars and workshops. I really want to make an impact to the way people view and treat food on a national level, so I’m aiming at some point to start getting involved in the education system. Before that though I’m currently writing a cook book, and just enjoying working with people one-to-one. The beauty of the internet means I can do all my sessions over Skype, so I’ve been lucky to meet and work with people from around the world.

How can we contact you or find out more about your books?

The best place is at www.tailoredlifestyles.co.uk, where people can find out more about me and book in for a free no commitment ‘start your weight loss journey’ break through session over Skype. Here I sit down with them and look at everything from their goals to the challenges they face, and put together a tailored plan to help them get started. My book ‘Become a Better You’ is also available on Amazon.

You can also connect with Byron on Facebook.

Thanks for visiting my blog, I hope you enjoyed this post. Want more? Connect with me here:  Twitter @ShelleyWilson72, Instagram or check out my Facebook pages http://www.facebook.com/FantasyAuthorSLWilson and http://www.facebook.com/MotivateMeBlog. You can also find me on Pinterest