By Liana Jacob
THIS FORMERLY obese man led an unhealthy lifestyle due to a tough relationship until he decided to get back in shape and lost half his body weight in just two and a half years.
Personal trainer and weight loss coach, Matthew Sheffer (34), from South Carolina, USA, used to be in great shape as an athlete at Virginia Tech, until he embarked on an unhealthy relationship that led to his heaviest weight of 27st 7Ibs, while consuming a whopping 5,000 calories a day eating ‘everything in sight’.
After feeling so low he decided to take a long break from relationships until he lost 8st 8Ibs, focusing on the gym, getting a coach and landed on his current 13st 13Ibs six-pack body, cutting his calories in half from before.
He is now a certified personal trainer and coach for others who wish to transform their body.
“I was trapped in a horrible relationship and I wanted to die,” Matthew said.
“I decided to change my lifestyle because my weight cost me a relationship. I am now having no more than 3,000 calories a day when maintaining my weight; 2,000 when cutting, 4,500 when bulking and I’m now training seven days a week.
“Despite losing the weight, I still feel unattractive. Many of us experience this. The hardest thing about the process was the plateaus I endured and my self-image issues.
“I focused on no one, not even going on date until I lost at least eight-stone eight pounds. I did it – I got back in the gym, got a coach and peeled down to a six-pack while packing on muscle.
“Then I met a woman, fell in love; thought my life was going great until I hurt my back and three days before my spine injury we broke up.
“I ate everything in sight and lost some muscle and gained a lot of fat back, so I got back to the gym again and resumed grinding, I was starting to get my life back together, then, boom. More back complications.”
During his heartbreak, Matthew’s life spiralled out of control; engorging on junk food, drinking a lot and falling into depression.
This life woke him up and made him realise he had to get his life together to move on. He got back into the routine of weight lifting and tracking his meals.
“I had to wait around for two months with no training before the insurance paid for my surgery, then five weeks later, with three months of no training in total, I got back into it again,” Matthew said.
“It’s a never-ending story, my weight loss journey. You’ll mess up but it’s OK. Just get back on track and don’t lose focus.
“I worked very hard and I’m a lot happier and more positive now. Everyone is astonished with my progress and some are even envious.”
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