Losing weight with SHEKO: Mathias' story
When your weight has been a wild rollercoaster ride since childhood, finally achieving a healthy Body Mass Index is something special. In conversation with Mathias, the young man explains how he finally managed his weight successfully in his mid-twenties – with SHEKO and enjoyment, but without exercise or deprivation.*
from Paulina
Mathias: Finally a healthy body weight with SHEKO – even without intensive exercise
Mathias starts his day long before sunrise. When the alarm clock jolts the 29-year-old awake from a deep sleep at 5 a.m., there's no time for a leisurely breakfast. Instead, he reaches for his shaker. With SHEKO, after years of struggling, Mathias has found a way to slowly but surely reach his ideal weight.
It should be noted that Mathias can only participate in sports to a very limited extent due to serious back problems. However, thanks to SHEKO, he is still losing weight.
Tell us your story, Mathias. How has your weight changed?
"To be honest, even as a child I tended to be on the heavier side. In my youth, I was a competitive rower and, due to competition requirements, had to maintain a weight of 60 kg at a height of 1.76 m. That was tough. By the age of 18, I was simply fed up with dieting."
With the end of his athletic career, the number on the scale climbs – until Mathias weighs almost 120 kg. At this point, he is just 27 years old. His half-hearted attempt to shed unwanted kilos with a gym membership and artificial-tasting protein shakes initially leads to frustration instead of a change in his body weight.
When did it really click?
"There was indeed a key moment. As part of the start of my apprenticeship, I had to undergo a body scan, for which I stood on a bathroom scale, among other things. When the result lit up – 118 kg – it was quite embarrassing."
The obvious conclusion after this unpleasant experience: from now on, eat less and cycle a lot! While this combination did result in rapid weight loss , its limitations made it unsuitable for long-term use . Moreover, after just a few weeks, Mathias hit a plateau . Searching for a solution to his weight loss stall, Mathias discovered Thai boxing. Intense training kept him sweating twice a week for a while, but this meant his healthy diet suffered. And when a herniated disc made training impossible, Mathias had to look for a solution once again.
In September 2019, after struggling to lose the first few pounds and later permanently with Weight Watchers, Lisa came into his life – and with her, SHEKO. Due to numerous negative experiences with their range of shakes, Mathias initially declined. But how bad could a weight-loss shake taste that his girlfriend drank every morning? A brave taste test finally convinced Mathias. Since then, the colorful SHEKO containers have been a permanent fixture in his kitchen cupboard.
"At first I was skeptical, but then I just tried SHEKO!"
Once tested, SHEKO has become a regular part of his daily food routine. On October 5, 2019, the scale displayed 97 kg; 12 months later, it's only 84 kg. Matthias definitely prefers this slow but steady decline to the previous ups and downs. Understandably so!
Do you want a life without deprivation, like Mathias? With SHEKO shakes as meal replacements, you save calories without a strict diet and don't have to worry about the yo-yo effect . Discover the starter set today and write your own success story.
Mathias's Nutrition
During the week, his routine is dictated by his workday. After his morning shake, he snacks throughout the day on boiled eggs or raw vegetables with dip. Freshly brewed coffee is a must. On some days, Mathias even drinks two shakes.
In addition, he opens the cans of vanilla and strawberry flavors whenever he feels like it.
His secret tip: Mix SHEKO Strawberry with low-fat yogurt for a snack. Thanks to the powder, the yogurt gets an ultra-creamy consistency.
In a society where you can help yourself to whatever's in the fridge at any time of day, it can be difficult to follow your body's hunger signals. We've explored this topic and written an article about intuitive eating . Mathias particularly appreciates that SHEKO Shakes make it easier than ever to balance out cheat days . The meal replacement saves calories and tastes delicious!
"I want to lose weight slowly and healthily and keep the weight off."
Another helpful tool for Mathias is Weight Watchers. The points system works perfectly with SHEKO shakes and is very easy to implement. The shakes are flexible and adapt to your life – not the other way around.
"I don't follow strict rules, but rather my feelings."
Mathias' favorite food
While browsing the recipe page, he discovers our chickpea salad with feta . It fits perfectly into his meal plan, because in addition to shakes, he's become a real fan of crisp salads over the years. Every evening, he and his girlfriend prepare fresh salads – with either chicken or fish. The best thing about SHEKO: It adapts to your life, not the other way around. You decide how often and when you drink your favorite shake. The colorful cans are waiting for you, so what are you waiting for?
What role does sport play in your life?
"Sport used to play a very central role in my life. As an adult, I found something I enjoyed again in Thai boxing. Unfortunately, as a result of many years in competitive sports, I have a herniated disc that severely limits my abilities."
How do you manage to lose more weight without exercise?
"Losing weight without exercise is difficult, but as we all know, diet makes up the majority of it. It is possible without exercise. And I do a little bit of exercise to strengthen my back – yoga and Pilates. I adapt certain exercises to my body's needs."
In addition to short but effective workouts, Mathias walks at least 10,000 steps a day. He's literally approaching his goal weight step by step. Set yourself small goals ! Sufficient exercise doesn't necessarily mean you have to be sweating buckets. Not everyone can or wants to take the time to follow a strict training plan. For those who want to know how to reach their ideal weight without an extra run, there's an article here on the topic of losing weight without exercise .
What motivates you to keep going?
"You want one thing, but you have to do another. If I feel like a glass of wine in the evening, then I drink the glass of wine. The next morning I start again with a shake. This balance is motivating because I don't have to give up the good things and, incidentally, I continue to lose weight in a healthy way."
Mathias' tips for a healthy lifestyle
Raw vegetables – cucumbers, peppers and kohlrabi – are low in calories and provide you with vitamins and minerals.
You don't have to say no to all temptations. Find a balance and consciously enjoy the little indulgences.
Set yourself a personal step goal for the day and run that extra lap. Can you beat it the following day?
*The amount of weight loss varies from person to person and cannot be guaranteed. Similarly, the weight loss results reported in the SHEKO stories are individual and do not guarantee a corresponding weight loss within the same timeframe. To lose weight, two daily meals must be replaced with SHEKO shakes as part of a calorie-reduced diet.