Need some weight loss inspiration from one of your fellow Men’s Health readers? Meet Sergio da Costa, newest member of the Belly Off! Club
Vitals: Sergio da Costa, 30, Joburg
Weight Before: 130kgs
Weight After: 90kgs
Height: 1.75m
Time to goal: 13 months
Related: 12 Quick Weight Loss Tips
The Gain
As a teenager I was always active. I participated in a lot of different sports and found it difficult to gain weight, but when I left school I started to slack. I ended up living off junk food, and inactivity and boredom took the place of fitness. I joined a local gym and embarked on a weight training programme, but I didn’t change my eating habits and I didn’t see the results I wanted. I was careless with healthy living and I made fun of myself. I would focus on my personality more than my looks.
Related: These 5 Common Mistakes You Keep Making That Make You Fat
The Change
By 2011 my weight had spiraled to 132kg and my health was totally out of control. Simple tasks like tying a shoelace or getting up from a chair, were done with great effort. Climbing stairs was a definite “no” (I would opt for an escalator), and I had difficulty being mobile. I made a decision to employ a personal trainer, Beulah Strydom from The Winning Edge Gym. I asked her to transform my body, to change my bad eating habits, to train me to get fit and most of all to restore my confidence and appearance. Being a hardcore trainer, she said she would train me on one condition: that I didn’t fail her and disappoint myself, or waste her valuable time.
The Strategy
Our game plan was on. We shifted our focus to corrective eating: six to eight smaller meals daily, drinking lots of water and training five days a week. I also went to Marc Herhert, owner of Gorilla Warfare, for some high intensity interval Tabata training, Olympic lifts and some boxing training.
Related: This Is How You Can Smash Fat Faster
The Reward
I have become a spokesperson for fitness, health and nutrition. I can now, with personal education, help others who are experiencing what I have been through and guide them on a healthy lifestyle. This is the best I have ever felt in my life and the best I ever looked, and that has boosted my confidence.
The Result
I lost 40kg in 10 months and my body fat dropped from 28% to 11%. This process restored my confidence and has motivated me to become a CrossFit coach/trainer. I am not embarrassed and I am not the fat guy with the great personality anymore!
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