It was one of those awkward situations that many families can relate to, says Jo Shelford. The man you love becomes a bit wider around the middle as he gets older. You’re worried about his health, but you’re not sure how to broach the subject without deflating his ego – as well as his stomach.
Luckily, Jo had the responsibility lifted off her shoulders when her husband and former All Black captain Wayne “Buck” Shelford was asked whether he wanted to be a Jenny Craig ambassador. The weight-loss company was looking for someone to set an example to other New Zealand men – and who better than an All Black legend?
Jo remembers listening in to the phone call. “When he agreed we all said, ‘Yes!’” Buck had been fit and sporty for most of his life, but when his rugby career ended 20 years ago and work became sedentary, he began to put on weight. Jo says while she exercises regularly, Buck’s efforts were more sporadic. He isn’t alone. Middle-aged weight gain is something Buck has seen happen to his friends.
“Most of us are carrying about 10kg more than necessary. It’s just the lifestyle. Life catches up with you.” New Zealand men are incapable of admitting they need to slim down and tone up, Buck says, and pretend nothing has changed, “even if they’re carrying [an extra] 20kg around with them”.
After six months of following an eating plan and amping up his fitness regime, Buck dropped 24kg from his 1.89m frame. That weight loss took him back to the 110kg he weighed last time he pulled on the All Blacks jersey in 1990. A year on, he has maintained his impressive weight loss and has also had to have his suits taken in about 15cm. Walking hand-in-hand with Jo through the Viaduct Harbour in Auckland, he looks as trim and fit as most New Zealanders will remember him being in his days on the rugby pitch.
He says the biggest change he’s made to his eating habits is reducing the amount he eats, rather than what he eats – six small meals a day were able to fire up his metabolism in a way that three larger ones didn’t. In the past, Buck would have returned for seconds or thirds at meal times but Jo points out that on a recent Friday night dinner at home with friends, Buck only took one serving – and then stayed away from heavy, meaty meals for several days afterwards.
Jo says she took over preparing healthy meals while he was losing weight – but it didn’t mean huge changes for other members of the family. “We eat pretty well at home, anyway. He got educated about nutrition without realising it,” says Jo.
A former navy PE teacher who is currently studying at Massey University and a survivor of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer, Buck says he knew what kind of food was best for his body. “It’s quality versus quantity. Most people overeat and overeat the wrong foods. If you eat a 250g prime steak, that’s as much protein as you need for a week. It’s much better than eating inferior meat every day.”
Despite no longer being a regular on the rugby field, Buck says he still needs a result to work towards, a key reason why he and Jo signed up to do last year’s Auckland marathon. Buck says having the finish line in mind kept him motivated and he continues to work out four or five days a week.
The couple’s daughter Lia, who is the operations manager and daytime announcer on Times FM in Rodney and has gone through her own major health issues, says her father has been an inspiration to the family. “We’re all proud of him and it inspires us to look after ourselves.”
Jo says her husband Buck has completely changed his eating habits
Their son Eruera, a chef, has been inspired by Buck to complete a gym instructor/personal trainer course in the UK. Jo can’t believe the change in her husband, who has his energy and sparkle back, and she knows she doesn’t have to worry about awkward conversations in the future. “The weight he’s lost has been amazing.”
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