A couple of weeks back, former Tottenham, Middlesbrough and West Ham striker Mido revealed his staggering weight loss results following an unflattering picture emerging online.
The Egyptian retired in 2013 and turned his attention to management - coaching former side Zamalek on two occasions as well as Ismaily and Wadi Degla in his homeland.
Never really a slim Jim in his playing career, Mido piled on the pounds and had to make drastic changes to his lifestyle - not merely to improve his wellbeing and quality of life, but to ensure he lived beyond 40.
Mido got to a point where he was 150kg, which equates to 23st 6lbs. He struggled to do basic exercise like walking and one particular experience on an Island prompted him to make a drastic change.
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"I was 150kg and I reached a point where I couldn't walk 30 yards," Mido said in an inspiring interview with The Guardian.
"If I did, I started to feel pain in my back, my joints and my knees. I remember I was getting off my boat in Egypt five months ago - this day is the turning point in my life - and I was walking off on to an island.
"I had three friends with me and it was 300 yards to the end of the island. The sand was a bit heavy and it was a bit sunny and I said to them: 'I cannot walk.' I had to sit for 30 minutes. I was only 34."
The 35-year old's health was in serious danger. He immediately paid a visit to the doctor, who disclosed some home truths that Mido needed in order to wake up and smell the coffee.
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"Two days later I saw the doctor. He asked me to do blood tests. When I had the results and the doctor started to talk to me, I knew I had to change.
"He told me that my cholesterol is 320 and that the top of the average is 200. He said I was on the edge of being diabetic.
"And, to be honest, the doctor told me that if I continue with my lifestyle, there is a more than an 80% chance that I'll die before I am 40. He told me: 'You will die.'"
After hearing those words, Mido simply had to turn his life around and has done just that.
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He's cut out bad carbs, fried food, salt and sugar from his diet and is doing his fair share of exercise - whether it be swimming, squash, football or weightlifting - and has shed a staggering 37kg as a result.
Kudos to you Mido, and keep putting in the work.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Tottenham Hotspur, Football, egypt, Premier League, West Ham
