15:36 EST, 13 May 2014
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17:45 EST, 13 May 2014
A man who lost an incredible 45lbs in four months has revealed how his transformation has brought him closer to his children.
Matt Manning, a 45-year-old engineer from Xenia, Ohio, told WDTN.com that he decided to get in shape after experiencing heart pains and passing out, hoping that a healthier lifestyle would also help him be more active with his kids.
So he entered a Bodybuilding.com contest and began exercising every day and eating healthily, tracking his progress throughout. Four months later, he was a staggering 45lbs lighter and infinitely happier – and he won the top prize of $50,000.
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Before and after: Matt Manning, a 45-year-old engineer from Xenia, Ohio, lost an incredible 45lbs in four months after entering a weight-loss contest. He won the top prize of $50,000
‘Well, they say I look like a superhero now!’ he said of his kids, adding: ‘My daughter saw the before pictures and she’s like, “Man, you look miserable, I’d be miserable too if I looked like that.â€â€˜
Mr Manning said he decided it was time to get back in shape after his father – who had always been fit and healthy – had to get a heart valve transplant.
‘It suddenly became very real that a heart valve replacement was likely in my future,’ he wrote on his blog. ‘And I would probably need one at an earlier age than my Dad, based on how poorly I was taking care of myself.’
An e-mail about the Bodybuilding.com challenge was all it took to spur him on.
‘I
knew I needed to change, I knew why I needed to change, I knew what I
needed to change,’ he said. ‘And as soon as I saw the Transformation Challenge
email, I knew when I was going to change.’
To drop the weight, 5ft 9in Mr Manning – who started the challenge at 213lbs – portioned out his meals, stuck to a healthy diet and incorporated exercise into his daily routine.
Making an impression: He said of his kids: ‘They say I look like a superhero now! My daughter saw the before pictures and she’s like, “Man you look miserable, I’d be miserable too if I looked like thatâ€â€˜
Transformation: These days, not only is he unrecognizable from the outside, but he’s also lowered his cholesterol and his blood pressure, as well as dropping to just five percent body fat
He also practiced intermittent fasting, which saw him eating all his daily calories between 8am and 4pm, and fasting for the remaining 16 hours of each day.
‘My daughter saw the before pictures and said, “Man you look miserable, I’d be miserable too if I looked like thatâ€â€˜
Today, not only is he unrecognizable from the outside, but he’s also lowered his cholesterol and his blood pressure significantly, as well as dropping from 26per cent body fat to just five per cent.
‘It has to come from within – you have to have that want, it has to be
internally driven,’ he said of staying motivated. ‘But then you can do things to build support around
you.’
Mr Manning cites his wife Candice as especially instrumental in helping him stay on track.
Support system: Mr Manning cites his wife Candice as instrumental in helping him stay on track, giving her a call immediately after the Bodybuilding crew surprised him with his prize at the gym
Motivation: ‘It has to come from within – you have to have that want, it has to be internally driven,’ he said. ‘But then you can do things to build support around you’
Indeed, when the camera crew from Bodybuilding.com came to his gym to surprise him with the prize money, he immediately called his wife.
‘I’m at the gym and Bodybuilding.com is here,’ he says excitedly. ‘They gave me a bag of money! I mean, who does that?’
He then expresses his gratitude for her enduring support. ‘Thank you so much for everything you did,’ he says. ‘I just told them you got up this morning to do more progress photos!
‘Bye, Sweetie, I love you,’ he says, still grinning with disbelief.
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Aussie Villa Fan,
Melbourne, Australia,
moments ago
Sorry just don’t trust any photos these days have not been tampered…
sue,
south yorks, United Kingdom,
7 minutes ago
He looks sexy now
Bert Dock,
Liverpool,
8 minutes ago
Only in America.
lyndas444,
Auckland, New Zealand,
9 minutes ago
Congratulations on your dedication. You have done a great job and carved yourself a fab looking body. Humans are meant to be lean and healthy and you are a great example of that.
Gerardquintero,
Bridgewater, United States,
9 minutes ago
Incredible
Messibo,
London, United Kingdom,
13 minutes ago
Good work on him! his “after†body is almost identical to mine haha it’s kinda scary and at 45 years old! wow! My story is kinda different however I had low body self-esteem issues before, and instead of starting out chubby I was pretty skinny. I hope his success gives more motivation to men of all shapes.
Opine,
England, United Kingdom,
16 minutes ago
Congrats but did he gain weight in his crotch, nah.
Who Cares,
Brussels,
18 minutes ago
Well done to him! Big congratulations, he deserves every dollar of that prize money.
Harshman,
Manchester, United Kingdom,
28 minutes ago
Good luck to the guy. I’m in the middle of a grevious bodily overhaul after watching my Father’s health destroyed by poor lifestyle. Picturing yourself like that in 25 years is a very strong motivator but getting the diet/exercise/time with kids/rest/play ratio right with encroaching middle age isn’t easy so I wish all those posting negative comments would put a sock in it! I wish Matt a long and healthy life.
Angelina,
London, United Kingdom,
28 minutes ago
Whoever said getting there is easy, staying there is hard, you’re completely wrong. When muscle is good and lean your body works much more efficiently in processing your calorie intake and nutrients so you actually need to do less to maintain it. Know your stuff before commenting.
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