“The crisps, the chocolate, Haribos, it’s just trying to cut out the junk food" – Gerwyn Price details secret to weight-loss success

Gerwyn Price has turned his physical transformation into renewed confidence on the oche. The former world champion has shed sixteen kilos in recent months and feels the changes are benefiting not just his body, but also his game.

The Welshman, known as “The Iceman,” cut his weight from 104 to around 88 kilos. He did so mainly by training regularly in the gym and cutting unhealthy snacks from his diet. According to Price, the new approach is having an immediate impact on his performances.

“When I started I was about 104kg, and now I am down to about 88kg. I’m glad I have lost it and feel a lot better in myself. It gives me a lot more confidence,” he told Red Dragon Darts.

Small changes, such as a different clothing size, also add to that positive feeling, Price says. “When I put on a 34 waist instead of a 36 waist I feel even better."

Beyond the weight loss, Price stresses the importance of an active build-up. Training regularly helps him arrive at the oche sharp, both physically and mentally. “The more I train leading up to games, the better I seem to play. You know what it is like when you go to the gym. After you have come out, you just feel better for the day."

He notices the difference, especially when he skips a session. “If I miss a session or I don’t get up and go to the gym and then roll out of bed at 10am, you just don’t feel the same person. You feel lethargic. But if I am up at 7am in the gym, get that done and go back home, get the protein in, you just feel like you are set up for the day.”

Price emphasizes that his change did not come from a strict diet or complex meal plans. For him, it’s mostly about conscious choices. “I don’t meal prep. I just have a Nando’s or a Wagamama’s. If you have a Nando’s it is not bad food."

The biggest gain, he says, comes from cutting out snacks. “It is just chicken and cutting out the bits in between. The crisps and the chocolate, Haribos, which are my favourite. It’s just trying to cut out the junk food."

One of the toughest moments, Price admits, is eating after matches. “And eating late at night when you play is the hardest part, especially when you are starving. It’s just making good choices.”

Price believes his weight loss has paid off because it happened gradually while he kept playing on tour. “I think if you lose it too quickly it can probably affect you. When you are playing as consistently and as often as me and Luke Humphries are, then you don’t really feel the difference because it’s gradual."

The Welshman says the constant match rhythm helps him adapt to his new body. “You are constantly playing, and maybe I will lose a couple of pounds a week. If I put my darts down for six months and lost the weight, maybe then it is harder. Because I am playing when I am losing the weight, you get used to it.”