Bournemouth will have a new look Robert Pack spearheading their spin attack when they open their Southern Premier League Cup challenge against St Cross Symondians in Winchester on Saturday lunchtime, 12.30pm.
The left-arm spinner has lost a staggering five stone and more in weight since he last played for the Lions 15 months ago and, somewhat naturally, feels like a new man !
“I was tipping the scales at 22 stone 13 pounds last summer, but am now down to 17 and a half,” he beamed. “I can’t wait to bowl on Saturday.”
Pack’s amazing weight loss is down to sheer hard work, with stacks of gym work and road running over the past 18 months or so.
“A lot of in-between snacking and eating large portioned meals was the main reason why I was over-weight and then, when I turned 18 years of age, I started drinking cider, which is high on calories,” he explained.
“Training to be a chef probably didn’t help either, but I’ve always been very active, playing cricket, football and rugby so it wasn’t down to alack of exercise. It was all to do with a bad diet.”
But all that is in the past for the talented left-arm spinner, who has taken around 140 first team wickets for Bournemouth in the past five seasons – his 37 victims in 2018 helping the Lions lift the Southern Premier League Division 1 title.
“I started gym slowly at first doing an hour’s workout three times a week, but after two months had lost a stone and felt so good I just wanted to keep going. I soon became a gum junkie,” he laughed.
Target
“After six months I was going to gym five times a week – and dieting, which is the hardest thing to do.
“But I stopped snacking, cut my food portions in half and only drank alcohol on special occasions.
“At the gym I would work on weights before getting on the cardiovascular apparatus, doing running, working out on the cross-trainers and the stepping machines.
“I initially only wanted to lose a couple of stones, but having reached that target in six months I just wanted to keep going with the gym and the diet and really push myself see how much I could lose.
“The satisfaction you get of losing a lot of weight is so amazing it is hard to explain. I feel like a changed man, more confident in every aspect of life, especially my mental and physical wellbeing.
“The only downside is that I’ve had to buy a new clothing wardrobe, but the men’s outfitters in Westover Road have been pretty good to me.”
Now all Pack wants to do is play cricket – and make up for the time lost due to club cricket being suspended for over half the summer due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
“I’ve been playing cricket since I was seven years of age and to wake up on a Saturday morning with no game to go to has been weird. It’s such a good feeling to have cricket back again,” he added.
The left-arm spinner has lost a staggering five stone and more in weight since he last played for the Lions 15 months ago and, somewhat naturally, feels like a new man !
“I was tipping the scales at 22 stone 13 pounds last summer, but am now down to 17 and a half,” he beamed. “I can’t wait to bowl on Saturday.”
Pack’s amazing weight loss is down to sheer hard work, with stacks of gym work and road running over the past 18 months or so.
“A lot of in-between snacking and eating large portioned meals was the main reason why I was over-weight and then, when I turned 18 years of age, I started drinking cider, which is high on calories,” he explained.
“Training to be a chef probably didn’t help either, but I’ve always been very active, playing cricket, football and rugby so it wasn’t down to alack of exercise. It was all to do with a bad diet.”
But all that is in the past for the talented left-arm spinner, who has taken around 140 first team wickets for Bournemouth in the past five seasons – his 37 victims in 2018 helping the Lions lift the Southern Premier League Division 1 title.
“I started gym slowly at first doing an hour’s workout three times a week, but after two months had lost a stone and felt so good I just wanted to keep going. I soon became a gum junkie,” he laughed.
Target
“After six months I was going to gym five times a week – and dieting, which is the hardest thing to do.
“But I stopped snacking, cut my food portions in half and only drank alcohol on special occasions.
“At the gym I would work on weights before getting on the cardiovascular apparatus, doing running, working out on the cross-trainers and the stepping machines.
“I initially only wanted to lose a couple of stones, but having reached that target in six months I just wanted to keep going with the gym and the diet and really push myself see how much I could lose.
“The satisfaction you get of losing a lot of weight is so amazing it is hard to explain. I feel like a changed man, more confident in every aspect of life, especially my mental and physical wellbeing.
“The only downside is that I’ve had to buy a new clothing wardrobe, but the men’s outfitters in Westover Road have been pretty good to me.”
Now all Pack wants to do is play cricket – and make up for the time lost due to club cricket being suspended for over half the summer due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
“I’ve been playing cricket since I was seven years of age and to wake up on a Saturday morning with no game to go to has been weird. It’s such a good feeling to have cricket back again,” he added.
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