Levent's success story with feastr

Levent, please introduce yourself.

Hi, I'm Levent, and some of you may still know me from my Freeletics days or from my transformation video on YouTube. Back then, my life changed in just a few weeks. Exercise was definitely one of the key factors in my transformation, but diet also played a huge role here. That's why we founded feastr 5 years ago to optimize this very important part and to help as many people as possible.

What was the trigger for you to lose weight?

I've been overweight my whole life. If I look at old childhood photos, you can see that I was very far from having a normal weight. I got older, but my weight didn't decrease, it steadily increased. At some point, I couldn't even walk a few steps up to my apartment without having to take a short break. I was also tired of feeling ashamed when I looked in the mirror. I no longer wanted to be the man in the mirror. And that's how it all started.

What goal did you set yourself?

It may sound strange, but my first goal wasn't a six-pack, but just to get under 180 pounds. It was kind of like a magic number for me to reach. Of course, I wanted something to change visually, but that wasn't my focus. Basically, I just felt really uncomfortable and wanted to change something about it.

How did you manage to lose 25 lbs?

I tried everything: low-carb, crash diets, cabbage soup diet, shakes and much more. I don't even want to imagine how much money I spent on empty promises. Basically, it comes down to one thing. There are no shortcuts on the road to success. There is no pill that will make you lose 10 pounds overnight. That's why I decided to slowly change my diet, guided by feastr. That went surprisingly quickly and my first target of 180 pounds was no problem at all. But then my ambition got the better of me and I just wanted more. So the pounds continued to drop and that's why I ended up where I am today: In a body in which I feel completely comfortable.

How could feastr help you on your journey?

To be honest, I'm a person who likes to eat and, above all, eats a lot. At first, as with other diets, I was afraid that I wouldn't get enough. But with the large selection of recipes, I could always choose the recipes where the portions were quite large but not so high in calories. After 1 week it was clear to me that I would have no problem continuing because the dishes were simply delicious, and I was stuffed every time.

Did you have any setbacks?

To be honest, there weren't really any setbacks. Of course, there were one or two days when I didn't eat according to plan. But they were moments where I enjoyed it. After every intermediate goal I reached, I rewarded myself with something. When the 180 pounds dropped, I cooked for my parents and siblings, and we treated ourselves to everything we wanted. Days like these are important, but you always have to be aware that they should be the exception rather than the rule.

What tips do you have for other feastr users?

Weigh-in, photos and motivation. I weighed myself regularly to document my progress. Of course not every few hours or every day. For me, it was Sunday. Always on an empty stomach and at the same time. So I always had a rough guideline where I was. In addition, I always took photos. Because at some point I started doing weight training, you could see the progress in the photos, but the weight didn't change as much because I also built muscles. Motivation was also a crucial factor that always kept me going. Both the feastr community and friends were always by my side and gave me the push I needed.

What's next for you now? Have you set any other goals?

After I had reached my goal, I treated myself to a week's vacation as a reward. Just lie on the beach and relax. But I am going to continue where I left off. Now that I've lost weight, I want to keep building muscle.

Why is it important to you to share your story?

To encourage people like me. Even if you suffered from being overweight as a child, that does not mean that it is too late to change it as an adult. All you need is the right guidance and a helping hand. I found both at feastr and can recommend it to everyone.