From getting used to life on the back benches to becoming a knight and shedding the pounds it can be said that Great Yarmouth's MP is enjoying a new lease of life.
Sir Brandon Lewis is relishing getting out and about in his constituency without the constraints of a ministerial diary and is still getting used to his royal honour.
The MP, who resigned from the government in October last year, was made a Knight Bachelor last month.
And as he jokes with constituents about being Sir Brandon, people are also remarking on his slimline figure as he has lost nearly five stones in a health drive.
Reflecting on becoming a Knight Bachelor for public and political service, Sir Brandon said: "There's that moment about ten minutes after it goes public when you realise I don't feel any different.
"Look I was very fortunate to be made a CBE a few years ago and to get the knighthood is very special, it is lovely.
"It is a reflection on the whole team of people who have worked with me, both as volunteers and professionally over the years. It is a reflection of everything everyone has done.
"It is the one honour you get where your partner gets some recognition, so it is Lady Lewis. So it is recognition for all her love and support over the years.
"It is a huge honour. It is a bit surreal, to be honest."
Last October the MP resigned from Rishi Sunak's government, ending 10 years of life on the front bench in the House of Commons.
He had also been in the cabinet for five years.
During his career, he has held eight ministerial posts across five departments, including Northern Ireland secretary and secretary of state for justice.
Sir Brandon had got used to accusations from political rivals that he was neglecting his constituency as he served in the government.
He says that being in the corridors of power helped secure funding for the borough and he is still focussed on doing everything possible to secure further investment.
Sir Brandon said: "I have always taken the view that in any job in government you have that job because your constituents give you the honour of representing them.
"And one of the things I have been very fortunate about, particularly about the Northern Ireland job, is that constituents understood that I had a government job to do for the country and that meant I had to be away a lot and were really understanding of that.
"I have been very lucky a lot in that I also have a brilliant team that made sure we keep on top of everyone's casework and never ever moved away from the priority of casework.
"And the Conservative Party locally and our councillors locally have been brilliant in giving me the space to do those jobs for the country, which is a huge honour.
"It has also meant I have been able to build the relationships that I can secure things for Great Yarmouth, like the third river crossing and the money we are getting for the James Paget hospital rebuild.
"And now I have that time to spend more time going back to do more things locally.
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"One of the beauties of being a MP is that the job is so varied, at different points of your career it is always changing and that keeps it interesting as well."
Sir Brandon also revealed he has lost nearly five stones in a health drive, that has seen him ditch chocolate and get out running and cycling as much as possible.
He said: “I’ve now lost about four-and-a-half stone from where I was. I had a really bad chocolate addiction and all those starchy junk food things you shouldn’t eat.
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“But I’m now just eating healthier and doing a bit of training, but chocolate was my main problem.”
Sir Brandon also said no constituents had contacted him over the scandal that was sparked by an incident in which a police patrol car drove into the back of another vehicle at 49mph on the A146 but did not stop.
The driver, PC Karl Warren, saw criminal charges against him dropped after he claimed he had amnesia at the time.
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