Man shares brutal problems with Chinese 'fat camp' after showing off insane before and after
While the likes of Biggest Loser and Fat Families might be no more, there are still ‘fat camps’ knocking about around the world.
And André Helgesen recently documented his trip to China where he went to a weight-loss boot camp for four weeks.
It was certainly no easy feat, with the Swedish lad says some days he was not ‘able to make it’ due to the ‘brutal’.
He’s opened up about the problems with it too, as he referenced the ‘strict’ rules and the sleeping conditions.
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Helgesen had quit his job in order to go backpacking around Asia but stopped off at the camp before properly starting his travels. At this point, he’d already been on a weight loss journey, dropping from over 21 stone to around 13.
But he wanted to lose a little more, so spent the four weeks at Jianfeidaren in Shenzhen.
Helgesen’s time at 'fat camp'
The experience combined daily exercise with a ‘healthy’ diet, medical checkups and mental health support.
"They laid out the schedule and the meals, but if I’d wanted to, I could have cheated on everything. It surprised me – realising that, just like at home, it all comes down to personal responsibility," Helgesen - who has documented his journey on TikTok (@imhelgis) - told The Mirror.
He praised the personal trainers and staff and said that each day included three workouts and a 1,000-calorie deficit. So, Helgesen was to consume around 1,300 calories a day.
For reference, the NHS recommends an average man consumes 2,500 calories a day to maintain a healthy weight or 1,900 calories a day if aiming to safely lose weight.
Helgesen had to follow a strict fasting schedule, with dinner served at 5pm with breakfast not until 8am the next day.
The ‘problems’ with the camp
In another TikTok, the lad explained the disadvantages of the ‘fat camp’ in China.
He recalled feeling ‘super exhausted’ from eating a small amount of calories but burning roughly 2,500-3,000 calories a day.
There was also the ‘strict attendance at the camp itself’ as well as the fasting that proved to be pretty rough parts of the experience with Helgesen.
But other issues weren’t necessarily around the programme as he said ‘sharing a room with others’ was something he struggled with.
“They smoke and don’t sleep on time and fart a lot,” he said (in a translated list).
Plus, Helgesen claimed that in the evenings he had to take part in TikTok lives as there was a focus on ‘making money’.
Helgesen’s results
Of course, we have to keep in mind that he had already experienced a lot of weight loss before the camp.
But in the 28 days, he lost half a stone, taking his total weight loss to eight stone.
"Not just the camp, but that whole identity of being overweight. I can finally stop thinking of myself as the big person and just be myself,” he added.
"It was absolutely wonderful, but above all, a relief, and a sense of quiet, really. All that self-consciousness just vanished."
NHS guidance
The NHS states that ‘if you're overweight, losing weight can improve your health, give you more energy and help you feel better about yourself’.
“But losing weight is not always easy, and many things can affect your progress. Your eating habits, sleep, activity levels and how you feel can all play a part. If you have struggled with weight loss before, you are not alone,” the health service adds.
If you want to lose weight, the NHS advises trying out four things:
- Change what and how much you eat
- Change what and how much you drink
- Change how much you move
- Reflect on your sleep habits
Visit the NHS website for more information on weight loss.
Jess Battison