The main cause was my out-of-control eating habits. I was eating anything I wanted in huge portions. I\u2019d go through a drive-thru and order four sandwiches plus two large drinks. I\u2019d get two large pizzas delivered, or eat multiple meals of Chinese food with sides in one sitting. I had no structure and no limits.
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Friends periodically noticed I was gaining weight. I heard joking remarks like, \u201cDamn, boy, you got big.\u201d By May of 2022, I was 240 pounds, and by January 2023 I hit my heaviest at 276 pounds. I was only 27 years old. <\/p>\n
At my heaviest, I felt terrible in every way. Mentally, I was sluggish and full of brain fog, like my mind could never fire on all cylinders. My self-esteem was at an all-time low. I had no confidence. Physically, I was exhausted all the time and got winded from simple activities. My knees would hurt<\/a> going down the stairs, and I\u2019d have a glaze of sweat on my face even at rest.<\/p>\n I tried what I call “micro-adjustments” to lose weight. I ordered pre-made meal boxes, and I tried going for occasional walks around the neighborhood, but nothing stuck. I wasn\u2019t consistent, so I ended up gaining even more weight.<\/p>\n The Lightbulb Moment<\/p>\n Then came a real turning point. I was in my car in a parking lot, and there happened to be a Porsche dealership nearby. In the showroom was one of my dream cars. I sat there staring at the car through the glass. I genuinely am not a materialistic person; it wasn\u2019t about simply wanting a car. It was the car represented: the future and dreams I had imagined for myself. A life where I was secure, healthy, confident, performing as a concert pianist at the highest level, and living up to my potential. Included in that dream, of course, was a Porsche in my garage.<\/p>\n That day, I decided to part ways with a manager I\u2019d been working with, who I felt took advantage of my business. The decision marked a new beginning and pushed me to finally commit to the full, drastic reset I needed\u2014a real change.<\/p>\n I Approached Working Out Like Piano Practice<\/p>\n I made a plan. I asked one of my best friends, someone who has been in great shape his entire life, which gym he went to. He said Life Time in Syosset, NY. I signed up online to become a member. I wanted to progressively strengthen my body, and I knew I had to start incredibly small. My first workout was literally one minute on the StairMaster. The next day I made sure I stayed on just a little bit longer.<\/p>\n I approached working out with the mindset I use as a concert pianist. You don\u2019t practice once today and expect to perform a piece onstage tomorrow. It takes months, sometimes years of consistent preparation. So I applied that same philosophy to my fitness: consistency over intensity. I kept most workouts at about 60 to 70 percent effort so I wouldn\u2019t be too sore and lose progress. In the beginning, I focused solely on cardio, core, and stretching, no weights at all.<\/p>\n I worked out alone for a long period since my friend\u2019s schedule rarely aligned. It wasn\u2019t until I lost the excess weight and wanted to learn more about calisthenics<\/a> and traditional weightlifting exercises<\/a> that I booked some sessions with a personal trainer. We did multiple sessions, maybe like once or twice a month for some time. But as we did them, I would ask for \u201chomework,\u201d and what to incorporate to my independent daily routines to incrementally make progress.<\/p>\n Ludovic performing a deadlift at Lifetime Gym.<\/p>\n I Changed How I Plated My Meals<\/p>\n The biggest shift in terms of food was portion control<\/a>. I cut out junk food and committed to basic, protein-focused meals, like chicken strips with tomato sauce. I would eat just one tray of chicken strips and call that an entire meal, a drastic change from the free reign I had before. That discipline with portion size made an enormous difference, especially as I coupled what I ate with my idea of “earning my meals after a workout,” and intermittent fasting<\/a>.<\/p>\n I knew from the beginning that this wasn\u2019t going to be an instant gratification process. My goal was incremental growth. The steady fuel, the thing that truly got me through the journey, was discipline. On the days when discipline alone wasn\u2019t enough, I would remind myself of how I felt at my lowest: that was the version of me I refused to ever be again. That was a jump-start.<\/p>\n What I Look Like Now<\/p>\n It took me one year to lose the first 100 pounds. After that, I stayed around the same weight but shifted my focus entirely to changing my body composition, getting stronger pound for pound. Today I’m 165 pounds and under 10 percent body fat. In total, I lost 111 pounds. <\/p>\n After weight loss photo of Ludovic.<\/p>\n My favorite meal now is a medium-rare steak<\/a> with feta or cottage cheese on the side, plus four eggs over medium. As for my workouts, I stretch for 15 minutes, do deadlifts<\/a> (3 sets of 12 reps at 135 pounds, 1 set of 5 at 225 pounds, 1 set of 3 reps at 315 pounds and 1 set of 1 rep at 405 pounds). I also do controlled static hold pull ups<\/a> and muscle ups. I then focus on a specific muscle group for a day, like back\/biceps, chest\/triceps, or legs\/shoulders). I also do 200 sit ups, cardio, and then finish with 10 to 15 mins in the sauna<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now that my routines are a lot more balanced, there isn\u2019t a main focus on cardio and weight loss anymore. I still do the StairMaster on the even days of the week. But daily cardio goals for the day are to do 100 calories, twice a day. If I\u2019m on the StairMaster at a decent pace, it takes about 10 minutes. On the stationary bike it takes about 20 minutes.<\/p>\n I genuinely feel like I\u2019m in the prime of my life. Because I approached everything with balance, I feel strong and full of energy. The aches I used to have the knee pain and lower back pain are gone. Mentally, I feel clear and sharp.<\/p>\n![\"person](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/img-2272-697cec7d2aadb.jpg\" "\\"person")
Courtesy of Ludovic Zamor<\/p>\n![\"individual](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/img-4569-697ce89221a82.jpg\" "\\"individual")
Courtesy of Ludovic Zamor<\/p>\n
![\"Headshot](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/c3524a5a-4c08-4c44-a70c-ba0e863fd83b_1637680127.jpg\" "\\"Headshot")
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