A former social worker has revealed how he managed to lose nearly 3 stone in just 12 weeks! Patrick Magno, from San Diego, California, went from an obese office worker to a ripped bodybuilder after becoming unhappy with his appearance, and being told that he was at risk of diabetes.
Before the transformation, Patrick weighed 181 lbs. He had been told by his doctor that he was at real risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a condition that his father had fought for years. He also worked an emotionally draining job, rehousing abused and neglected young children in the San Diego Area.
Patrick decided he wanted to change his life. He gave up his job, proposed to his girlfriend, and vowed to get fit. “I couldn’t even recognize myself. I was embarrassed. I was disgusted. I was ashamed that I had let myself get to this point,” He said.
Whilst researching exercise regimes, Patrick came across Bodybuilding.com’s 250k Challenge.
“I heard about the transformation challenge and, to be honest, at first I was skeptical of what the site claimed to offer.They said they would give tons of nutritional meal plans, options, workout guides and fitness advice absolutely free of charge, and offer a $250,000 Â in prize money. It sounded a little too good to be true.”
But he signed up all the same. He also followed the Kris Gethin 12-week muscle-building guide and radically changed his diet.
“After really dedicating my time to learn how to effectively lose weight, I finally started to see results. I spent hours during the challenge, researching articles on the website day in and day out and absorbing it all like a sponge. I had no idea what my body was capable of. All I needed were the right tools.”
But it wasn’t easy. Patrick said he felt “Tired, sore, alive, motivated, determined. The more results I saw, the harder I pushed. The harder I pushed, the better I became.”
And it paid off. Patrick won the Bodybuilding.com challenge for 2016, bagging himself $100k for his troubles. Overall he was carrying 24% less body fat.
“I remember feeling miserable when I took my “before” photos. My belly was hanging over my pants. It didn’t help that I had been eating and drinking way more than necessary.I felt like quitting before I even started but just seeing this much progress alone has made me feel like a winner. Getting my health back is the ultimate prize.”
We’ll leave the last word to Patrick:
“When you want something that bad, You’ll sacrifice hours of sleep, force yourself to overcome bad habits and temptations, turn down outings with friends, all so you can achieve your goal,’ he said. Looking back, I was lost and in a very dark place and right now, I am the happiest I have ever been. I accomplished something I never thought possible.”
“I’m very thankful for the struggles I went through because I was able to overcome so much – physically and mentally – than I ever imagined. I am now pursuing a career as a personal trainer so I can help others who are dealing with similar situations.”
