Geoff Huegill’s Swimming for Weight Loss

Geoff Huegill lost 45kg (100 pounds)Australian swimmer Geoff Huegill has just made an amazing come back in the 2010 Commonwealth Games. In 2002 Geoff was at the top of his game and won gold medal in the 2002 Commonwealth Games 4x100m relay. He competed in the 2004 Olympics but only made 8th place in the 100m butterfly.

In the 6 years following he suffered from depression and stopped swimming. He kept eating the same high calorie diet he was used to though, and very quickly started piling on the pounds. He also started eating a lot of junk food, he was comfort eating for several years. He eventually reached 138kg (22 stone, 308 pounds). He hit an all time low, was unfit and obese. His health was deteriorating and his future looked bleak.

But 18 months ago he managed to pick himself up and started training again and improved his diet. He has worked incredibly hard to get fit and lose weight again, and earlier this year he had reached his racing weight and was approaching race fitness once again. This won him a place back in the Australian swim team for the Commonwealth Games.


How much Weight did Geoff Huegill Lose?

Geoff’s racing weight is around 93kg, and that is mostly muscle. He now sports an impressive set of abs, a well toned chest and strong arms and shoulders – all of which are vital in a good swimmer. He lost a total of 45kg (100 pounds) in his 15 month weight loss plan.

Geoff’s Swimming Diet That Helped Him Lose Weight

Geoff announced his intention to return to professional swimming in 2008 and by 2009 had qualified for the Telstra Australian Championships. In March 2010 Geoff shared his diet to help explain how he managed to lose 50kg and get back into great shape. By this time he had reached his ideal racing weight and was approaching full race fitness.

Really it was simple. He stopped eating all junk food, pizzas and processed foods. He ate fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats.

This simple change from poor diet to healthy diet, combined with regular intensive exercise, is all that Geoff needed. For more on swimming workouts take a look at the Michael Phelp’s workout and diet article.

He had an advantage in that although he was very overweight and unfit he already knew how to exercise and how to eat healthily to achieve his weight loss and fitness goals. Often when people fail to lose weight it is because of a basic misunderstanding regarding what a healthy diet really is, and what sort of exercise is required.


The type of diet that Geoff followed is very similar to the caveman diets that are popular at the moment. Since people have realised that the biggest dietary cause of obesity if sugar, and not fat, the emphasis is now on reducing total sugar intake. Our ancestors never had processed foods, refined sugars or energy dense grains. They ate fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats from wild animals and drank only water.

Gold Medal in 2010 Commonwealth Games 100m Freestyle

On 8th October 2010 Geoff’s journey reached is end – he raced in the 100m butterfly final at the Delhi commonwealth games and won gold.

Not only did Geoff Huegill win gold he also made a new Commonwealth Games record by finishing in 51.69sec.

One Comment on “Geoff Huegill’s Swimming for Weight Loss”

  1. MotleyHealth says:

    Geoff Huegill was hoping to win a place on the Australian team for the London 2012 Games but unfortunately did not qualify. In the Olympic trials in Adelaide in March 2012 hie finished 5th in the 100 m butterfly in 52.5 seconds. He needed to finish in first or second to qualify. Huegill said that he may retire for a second time. Full news story on The Roar.

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