'I've lost 8st – visiting Chinese fat camp taught life-changing lesson in just 4 weeks'

'I've lost 8st – visiting Chinese fat camp taught life-changing lesson in just 4 weeks' EXCLUSIVE: André Helgesen travelled all the way to a weight loss camp in China to lose the final few pounds of a 100lbs weight loss - but it was far from what he'd expected A man decided to travel halfway across the world to attend one of China's infamous 'fat camps', where participants get help to lose weight. André Helgesen, from Sweden, quit his job as a System Technician to go backpacking through Asia. But while most other backpackers look to go to places like Thailand, Vietnam, or Indonesia on their backpacking adventures, one of André’s first stops was a ‘fat camp’ in China. Having originally learned about the weight-loss camps on Reddit, André was inspired to embark on a similar journey. He said: "I was already planning on going to China and looking to lose a few more kilos, so it'd be a perfect end to my weight loss journey." Having already lost an impressive 7.8st before he started his travels, going from over 21st to 13st, he was still deemed 'overweight'. This is why he was looking to lose a few more pounds before considering his weight loss complete. To help him on his way, André decided to attend Jianfeidaren in Shenzen, a prominent Chinese weight-loss boot camp and fitness enterprise established by Shenzhen Sunshine Xingya Culture Communication Co. They operate through a closed-camp model, offering intensive workout programs, hospital examinations, nutritional counselling, and psychological guidance. But despite this, André was surprised by how similar the actual weight loss was to what he would have achieved at home. He said: "It's the same enemy there as at home. It's completely up to you whether you succeed. "There was no one there holding my hand and telling me what to do 24/7; it was up to me to stick to the plan and get things done "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." They also provided personal trainers for the attendees to support their weight loss, which André really liked, especially since the trainers often did the exercises alongside the participants. "They suffer, we suffer," he joked. "And the fact that they were so kind, funny, and helpful, even to me – someone who didn't speak the language." Inside the China 'fat camp' regime On average, participants were encouraged to exercise three times a day during the four-week regimen. They were also advised to eat in a 1000-calorie deficit to shift the pounds. This excluded the workouts, bringing it to a 1,500-calorie deficit after exercise. On average, André consumed around 1,300 calories a day. But as he decided to go all in on the experience, there were some challenges along the way. Andre said one of the most difficult aspects was the expectation of fasting. The last meal of the day was served at 5pm. After that, participants were expected to fast until 8am, when the next meal was served. "It was brutal to not have anything to eat between those hours," André said. "I honestly didn't make it some days and had to buy an apple, not a big deal, but still, I didn't stick to the plan they had set up." Final results Despite the struggles, André still managed to lose the last bit of weight and achieved his overall weight-loss goal. He described reaching the finishing line as a 'huge relief'. He lost half a stone in just 28 days, taking his total weight loss to 8st. His progress is very impressive, given how much weight he had already torched before booking into the so-called "fat camp". The super-slimmer added: "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. "It was absolutely wonderful, but above all, a relief, and a sense of quiet, really. All that self-consciousness just vanished." André has decided to celebrate his success by continuing his backpacking journey to South Korea to watch the finale of the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI 2026) - a tournament for League of Legends, a multiplayer online battle arena video game. He said: "That is something big and exciting that I’m looking forward to. He's then continuing over to Japan, but is also looking forward to get back to his 'normal' life. "[I'm] so incredibly excited to just live like a "normal" person and enjoy life." If you are concerned about your weight and would like advice, you can talk to your GP or visit the NHS website for more information.