Testimonials

Nicholai, Mirror Friendly client, Malta

“As a kid as far as I can remember I was always over weight. Being a tall guy at least gave me some confidence, but being fat was not really how I saw myself staying forever. I always loved food – eating and binging out gave me a rush but deep down I was not happy with how I looked.

As I grew up I started becoming more conscious about healthy living – the importance of being selective when it comes to what I eat and also about working out. The rush I used to get from binging out subsided and instead I started getting it out of sports. I played rugby for 10 years and tried all sorts of exercise like boxing, running and crossfit. To this effect in my late 20s I was in very good shape with my best weight trimmed down to 102kg.

Things changed after I got married at which point I decided to be more relaxed and social with my eating habits. Year after year I was gaining a kg here and a kg there, but somehow still felt comfortable with the way I looked.

When my daughter was born I wanted to spend as much time as possible with her and at the same time I was getting more busy at work. Even though I still trained and paid attention to what food I consumed, I was letting go more regularly.

Furthermore, in 2016 I had to undergo hernia operation and could not train for 3 months. I spent 3 months of dieting badly and became very lazy with my weight shooting up to 112kg as seen on the left photo below. This was the turning point.

I was in desperate need of motivation to start training and eating clean again. I wanted to regain a good shape and boost my confidence after the operation. Having known Andrew from the gym and following his work through Mirror Friendly, I reached out to him for help. After a brief consultation we agreed to proceed with the combined personalized nutrition plan and training program. I was determined to reach 102kg again.

Even though I work in the wine industry meaning frequent eating out and drinking wine, we still managed to strike a healthy balance through the training and nutrition plans. Naturally this requires a mentality of discipline however I still reward myself periodically. Fast forward to today and at 38 I am in the best shape of my life. I not only reached my goal of 102kg but surpassed it by far, with my weight now comfortably sitting between 96 and 98kg.

My love for food will never disappear but through Andrew’s coaching my mindset has completely shifted, learning how in order to deserve treating myself I have to work hard for it, both in the kitchen and at the gym. I love this balanced lifestyle and now I know that I will not relapse to my previous bad habits and shape.”

Jack, Mirror Friendly client, England

Mirror Friendly: “How long have you been working out?”

Jack: “I’ve been training in the gym since I was 17 years (now 28) but took a year off the gym whilst I travelled Australia, New Zealand and Asia in 2016 during which time I completely lost my shape. It was on my short stay in Melbourne, that I met Andrew one day at Doherty’s gym, after which day we remained in touch.

When I returned home in the UK from my sabbatical year I slowly tried to crawl back into a healthier routine but wasn’t consistent with training and certainly didn’t eat well, which is why I didn’t do much progress.”

Mirror Friendly: “What was the turning point?”

Jack: “It was when I flew to Malta on a short holiday in the end of 2017 where I met Andrew for a workout at his local gym. That day I got inspired to get back in shape by improving my lifestyle and becoming healthier. Between then and February this year I gradually recaptured a consistent routine of training after which I sought Andrew’s help on the nutrition side. Never would I have thought how powerful and effective a proper nutrition plan can be on one’s body composition. This is definitely the best I have ever looked and will surely not look back.”

Way to go Jack! His transformation is a classic example of what one can achieve when motivation runs high. He followed our fat loss nutrition plan to the dot and gradually shed off 10kg of fat.

Looking forward to further witnessing Jack’s progress as he continues to enjoy the healthy lifestyle we dearly uphold! If like Jack you would like to transform your body the healthy and sustainable way, drop us a message here and we’ll be happy to provide more info on how we work.

Duncan, Mirror Friendly client, Malta

Duncan has been working out for a number of years but always struggled to experience the desired changes in body composition. He reached out to us last December with the goal of dropping fat and staying lean over the long-term, the healthy way.

Martina and I worked on a sustainable nutrition plan tailored around his weekly schedule. No starvation methods, fad products or steroids; simply generous yet measured portions of clean and tasty food.

Duncan kept us posted with frequent updates on his progress and accordingly we modified his portions as he worked towards his goal.

What you see is the result thus far and definitely not the end. In fact, through the knowledge learned during the past months while working with us, Duncan can now continue striving towards his next best version.

Because as the saying goes, fitness is a journey not a destination.

If like Duncan you would like to transform your body the healthy and sustainable way, drop us a message here and we’ll be happy to provide more info on how we work.

Jurgen, Mirror Friendly client, Gozo

For us at Mirror Friendly, approaching fat loss is not simply a matter of calories in & out, rather a journey of small yet progressive lifestyle changes.

Our challenge is not limited to simply achieving the desired fat loss but keeping it that way regardless of the season. And this through helping our clients develop healthy habits. Well done Jurgen!

Franco, Mirror Friendly client, Gozo

Another 10kg of fat, written off in history.

Well done to our Gozitan client Franco for his terrific progress over the past months. He reached out for help, we drew up a food plan, he turned it into a lifestyle, results appeared and will surely keep coming.

We at Mirror Friendly take pride in making the Maltese Islands leaner, the healthy way.

Dulsimo, Mirror Friendly client, Malta

Dulsimo contacted us at the beginning of the year, asking for a training program and nutrition plan to gain muscle as he had reached a plateau. Fast forward 12 weeks and Dulsimo has not only gained muscle but in the process also dropped his body fat. As I like to say, the best fat burner in the long run is having more muscle.

This is what Dulsimo wrote upon completing the 12 week training program. He still follows the nutrition plan which now became his lifestyle:

“The results I have achieved over the past 12 weeks are astonishing, considering that I have been training for some years now and I had been stuck with the same physique before I started following your training and nutrition programs. For example, I have never seen such abs on my body, and hardly ever any obliques. My muscle size has also grown, and this is not just in the mirror; in fact I can barely fit in my clothes now ?

Weight wise, even though I have become more lean I managed to increase 2.5kg since we started so I’m pretty sure that the gains are all clean muscle.

Honestly guys I have no other words but to thank you for your professional plan and support, I’ve never been so happy with the way my body looks, and I have been told by several other gym members and friends that I have made a significant improvement in my physique. I also got the ‘what are you on’ question but having a clean conscience I can take that as a compliment”.

 

Martina, Certified Nutritionist on Mirror Friendly Team, Slovakia

Martina has achieved this amazing transformation by focusing on lifestyle changes rather than undertaking intense shortcuts. Martina is a qualified nutritionist. Together we build personalised nutrition plans and training programs to transform people into their best ever version while helping them gradually incorporate healthy living in their daily routines.

Check out how Martina managed to level up her life over the past few years and how her efforts led her to earn a seat on the Mirror Friendly team here.

Nathan, Mirror Friendly client, Malta

“At the age of 23, I was compelled to lose weight as I had reached a whopping weight of 89kg and was constantly picked on for my man boobs. It was then that I decided to do something about it and enrolled to a gym where I luckily met a few good blokes who offered me help and guidance. After about 11 months of weight training, I wanted to go a step further by focusing on my nutrition to be able to shred further fat.

In this respect I started googling for tips and meal plans. I recall that at some point during my research, a good friend of mine liked the Mirror Friendly facebook page and out of curiosity I scanned through this page. It only took me a while before I decided to send a message asking for some tips on losing fat while holding on to my muscle.

I was astonished with the prompt reply and straight away, Andrew gave me his tips which I quickly implemented in my diet. Along the way, many queries and doubts came to mind and once again, when I asked for advice, Andrew w

as always there to help me out, be it with food related issues, my workouts and most importantly powering me through my motivational dips. As time passed by my shredding diet was proving effective and after a year I reached my first fitness goal i.e. weighing 65kg while maintaining my hard gained muscle.

Upon reaching this goal, when autumn 2014 came around, I went on a lean bulk diet, and gained 10 kgs between October 2014 and March 2015. During my lean bulk diet, when in doubt, I once again referred to the Mirror Friendly team, which now also included Martina, and as always they kindly put my questions to rest.

The more results I saw the hungrier my motivation became to keep getting better. As spring 2015 approached I wanted to get in the best shape of my life for summer. To this effect I decided to ask Mirror Friendly to take complete control of my diet. I contacted Andrew and Martina, we met up over a coffee where they drilled down into my routine, habits and lifestyle and within a couple of days they sent me a daily diet plan which I found easy to follow and also sustainable. Results were visible after the first week, and week after week, the results continued to show!

6 months into my new shredding diet, at 61kg my body reached a shape that I never thought I could acquire! All that I accomplished was simply from regularly consuming the right type and amount of food at the right time and supplementing my training routine with 20 minutes of cardio 3 times a week as suggested by Andrew and Martina. However more importantly, the most material game changer was the motivation I received from the Mirror Friendly Team.

Today I stand proudly knowing that I managed to change my body without the aid of doping or fat burners on the advice of Mirror Friendly. On this note, I would like to pass on a little message to you guys out there who are or have been tempted to revert to shortcuts like steroids:

Why dope when effective changes can be acquired in a natural way? It will take longer, it will test your limits, it will sometimes break you for a while, sacrifices will NEED to be done, but at the end of the day nothing feels more accomplishing than knowing that the body you proudly live in was obtained naturally!

Once again, I would like to thank the Mirror Friendly Team for their genuine help, motivation and constant support. I couldn’t have done it without you guys!”

Isabella, Mirror Friendly client, Germany

“When I moved to Malta in 2012, I would have never believed in becoming the person I am today. I was a heavy smoker, rather lazy and followed an unhealthy lifestyle.

After a couple of months I started running and in 2013 I crossed the finish line of my first Half Marathon. It was then that something inside me triggered the need for a change.

I stopped smoking from one day to the other and started working on becoming a healthy athlete. Unfortunately creating healthy habits, without the right knowledge, is not easy. Hence my effort was a struggle, experiencing a lot of ups and downs especially with my weight, something which was also reflecting in my running results.

Fast forward to 2015. When I happened to come across the Mirror Friendly Facebook page and read the good testimonials, I decided to book a nutrition consultation with Martina. The tailor-made nutrition plan she prepared for me together with Andrew’s input and also her advice with respect to variations of snacks and meals set me on a good start. I started understanding more about the right way to fuel myself for training and eating healthy without actually being on a restrictive diet.

With the knowledge I garnished over the past months while still being in contact with the Mirror Friendly Team I managed to finally become the healthy athlete I wanted to be.

I already lost 13kg and feel stronger and fitter. Furthermore I am enjoying my running training and the gym more than ever. I now feel sufficiently strong-minded to embrace the healthy lifestyle for good.

Thank you Mirror Friendly!”

Joseph, Mirror Friendly client, Gozo

“I have been working out at the gym from the age of 15. I started training at the gym after an injury that stopped me from playing football. As I started visiting the gym on day to day basis, I developed a certain love for this workout routine and it became a part of my lifestyle. However while I was motivated to exercise and workout every day I was never keen on maintaining a proper diet.

A couple of months ago I started to observe how despite of all my intensive daily workout routines, my body was indeed big but bloated rather than aesthetic. During this time I felt like giving up on getting the shape I was looking to accomplish. It never occurred to me that this was due to improper food intake. Until one day I was browsing on Facebook and came across the Mirror Friendly page, founded by Andrew Farrugia and later joined by his girlfriend and nutritionist, Martina.

I started to read about Andrew’s success in making people look good and above all feel good about themselves. After some thinking I decided to get acquainted with Andrew and asked him some questions. He quickly replied back. After having a series of discussions I felt very comfortable opening up with him and it felt like I had known him for years. He gave me great tips and encouraged me a great deal.

His support pushed me to act upon my weakness, transforming my lifestyle and body for the better. After meeting Andrew and Martina over a coffee, they proposed to me a sustainable diet that would help me improve and at the same time feel better. This was my turning point. I started to work harder, exerting more effort, not only at the gym but also with the food I eat and my portions. It quickly became addictive.  My body started to mirror clear improvements, something which filled me with a certain kind of happiness which I never felt before. In the process Andrew and Martina were always there by my side; whenever I had questions they would answer me immediately and when I felt like giving up they quickly put my negativity to rest.

I feel grateful that I met Andrew and Martina – thankfully they not only made me look better but even more so feel better. I am also proud to I look the way I do now solely through my newly found healthy lifestyle. I was always against doping and with the help of Andrew and Martina I got the body I always wanted, the Mirror Friendly natural way.”

Darren, 100 metres Olympian, Malta

“I have known Andrew since we were kids. We grew up together at the athletics track, training year on year, rain or shine. It was here that as sprinters we built our character and discipline.

Andrew was an excellent sprinter but I always knew that above all he was born for bodybuilding.

He is truly talented, smart and works tremendously hard to reach his goals. These are the perfect ingredients which in my opinion make him one of the best in the local fitness scene.”

Jivko, athletics coach and ex pole vaulter, Bulgaria 

“I have known Andrew since he was 12 years old, from the time he joined my athletics group.

Thanks to his talent, dedication and hard work, he was one of the best sprinters on the island in the 100 metres sprint. Andrew is also one of the few local sprinters who has managed to run under 11 seconds. He has represented Malta numerous times and has made me proud to be his coach.

One of his best qualities is that of persistence; he does not give up until he achieves his goals. He is a role model to the young generation in this respect.

I am confident to say that Andrew was one of my best sprinters.”

 Matthew, Mirror Friendly client, Malta

“I have been obese for a while – have always used the rugby excuse to cover up my lack of will power to too loose the weight. The weighing scales were telling me that I was a 104KG  – my excuse was – more mass = more momentum = better for rugby.

My belief dissolved when I stopped rugby and started cycling and running – 104 kg was way too heavy. I read somewhere that your feet would need to exert 6 times the weight when you right – that’s more than half a tonne!!

I went to play squash and met Andrew there. I told him about my problem and he willingly offered to come to my place and discuss my eating habits and training – so we did. He came up with an eating plan which wasn’t too hard to follow (no calories counting etc…) and some hard training and started following it through. I lost 20 kg in 1.5 yrs – not by depriving myself from food – but by living a healthy lifestyle.

I have only praise for Andrew – without him – I wouldn’t have done it.”

Annelie, Mirror Friendly follower, Sweden

“While growing up I played basketball and I was very fit. I used to train daily with two different teams and in case this wasn’t enough I used to walk to any destination which was within an 8 kilometre distance. My priority at the time was staying healthy and strong to be able to remain competitive in my sport.

A few years later upon turning 19 I decided to move to Malta on a temporary basis and it took me a while until I settled down. Being used to working out regularly my body quickly started to lose its strength and fitness after a few weeks without exercise. I kind of panicked and started looking for a local basketball team to train with. I was even considering going to a gym but due to the fact that I had never been to a gym before, I was undecided on which path to follow. It was at this time that I incidentally met Andrew through a common friend of ours.

Andrew is a contagious person. His passion for fitness hit me and I wanted to follow suit. I joined the gym where he trains and he willingly prepared a training program in line with my fitness level back then and my goals.  He patiently showed me how to handle weights and machines using proper form and technique. In no time Andrew became my personal trainer but also a good friend.

Nowadays I am back in Sweden and I work out at the gym on a daily basis using the priceless knowledge Andrew passed on to me. Whenever I have any questions or if there is anything I’m not sure about, he is there to guide me. Andrew is a great role model and a true health inspirer. I will always be grateful for what he has done to my body.”

Annamaria, Mirror Friendly follower, Hungary

“I am originally from Hungary but I have been living in Malta for the past 3 years. I have always been interested in sports and healthy living. Being a person who loves challenges I decided to start practicing the sport of Capoeira 5 years ago. This has grown into being my life’s biggest passion and in fact my dream is to become a Capoeira instructor. A few months ago I have also started studying fitness instruction.

During the first few months of 2013 I started encountering difficulties at performing some advanced moves which required a high degree of strength at Capoeira training. This was very frustrating and needless to say I was disappointed.  During this time I happened to be conducting my practical hours of my fitness instruction course at the gym when luckily enough I met Andrew.

Seeing that he was in great shape and also approachable I asked him to help me out.  He gave me heaps of advice in the form of different workouts and proper technique and did a great job in motivating me. I started applying this new knowledge during the gym sessions which I introduced to my weekly training routine in order to improve my strength. In a few months his workouts made me much stronger and I could quickly see my Capoeira improving. While performing some gym sessions with Andrew he was very careful in pointing out proper form and breathing. He also gave me proper nutrition advice and kindly answered anything related to my queries arising from my course in fitness instruction.

Andrew is a great role model for those who have fitness to heart. He is a very good resource for those who want to lose weight and transform their body the natural way. As to me, I will keep his guidance in mind and will surely be following it to word. Thank you very much Andrew!”

Mirko, Mirror Friendly follower, Switzerland

“When I stopped playing football in 2011 I weighed 86 kg. In less than a year I went up to 101 kg (it happens when you eat and drink a lot without exercising). Last May (2013) I decided to do something about my situation because 101 kg for a 23 year old man were way too much. I went on a diet for 2 weeks and lost 4 kg. However this was not enough for me and I wanted to lose more weight. That’s when I decided to contact my friend Andrew.