Harry Spacagna, 24, weighed 30 stone at his heaviest but has undergone a truly incredible transformation
A 24 year old man who once tipped the scales at 30 stone has undergone a remarkable transformation, shedding nearly half his body weight by turning to a whole foods diet.
Harry Spacagna has battled with obesity since childhood and found himself resorting to food as an “emotional crutch”.
Standing at 6ft 1in, Harry weighed a staggering 30 stone (190.5kg) as of March 2023, with a body mass index (BMI) of 55.41, placing him well into the severely obese bracket. He was wearing 5XL tops and 54-inch waist trousers.
A “wake-up call” from a friend on a night out in April 2023 made him realise he needed to change, especially with aspirations to stay active and become a dad in the next five years.
By playing football once a week through weight loss programme MAN v FAT, gym training three times a week and following a diet of mainly whole foods, including chicken, lean mince and vegetables, he now weighs 16st 1lb (102.1kg).
Harry has now shed an impressive 13st 13lb (89.91kg), transitioning from size 5XL to L and downsizing to a 34-inch waist. For him, the ability to shop for clothes off-the-rack rather than ordering oversized items online is “very emotional”.
Harry said: “When I reached my heaviest, I was self-conscious, not wanting to stand out.
“You don’t really feel valid in a society that puts pressure on looking good… people don’t realise a lot of males struggle with self-image. Growing up, you look at footballers and athletes as idols.
“My anxiety increased, I had more panic attacks – I wasn’t OK.”
Harry said he had been “big” for as long as he can remember but gained more weight as he reached adulthood and “spiralled from there”.
Harry’s diet included roughly three takeaways weekly and frequent snacking on high-calorie items like McDonald’s cheeseburgers and fries.
He said: “It wasn’t necessarily my meals, my meals were pretty healthy, but I was eating lots in between out of boredom.
“It’s so easy to go down to the kitchen, grab something or nip up the shop. Also quite a bit of emotional eating as well.
“Probably, if I went to the doctor’s about it, they would diagnose me with a bit of a binge eating condition.
“I had struggles with my mental health, so I’d eat to try and make myself feel better.”
He tried fitness clubs such as MAN v FAT but “fell off the wagon” and by March 2023, he weighed 30 stone (190.5kg), wearing 5XL tops and 54-inch waist trousers.
‘Mate, you really need to sort yourself out’
Harry, from Southampton, Hampshire, realised he needed change when he struggled with badminton, gymnastics and trampolining and “couldn’t keep up” with his friends.
“I’ve always been active in sports but the bigger I got, the more limited I was,” he said.
“I’d get out of breath and couldn’t keep up with my mates.”
An eye-opening trip to Hamburg in April 2023 further underscored his difficulties. Walking 20,000 steps each day proved painful, and his friends noticed his unhealthy eating habits.
Harry said: “A big group of us went on a night out, and we were steaming.
“My friend, who isn’t usually sentimental, turned to me and said, ‘Mate, you really need to sort yourself out, we’re all really worried about you’.
“That really hit home, it was a wake-up call. I realised I wanted kids in the next five years and to be able to play football with them.”
In May 2023, Harry rejoined MAN v FAT, playing football weekly, determined to make a permanent change.
He was put in a team with other men wanting to lose weight, which he said made all the difference.
“I don’t think I would have had the confidence or empowerment to keep going without that support,” he explained.
“We’d message on WhatsApp and encourage each other too.”
Between May and October 2023 he lost three stone and, by January 2024, he hit a plateau and started gym training with a fitness coach.
Harry explained: “At first, I did weight resistance training to build muscle because my coach said if I have more muscle, I’ll burn more calories.
“I’ve also been tracking calories and, because of my exercise, I eat 2,500 calories a day and still lose weight.
“I’m maintaining a two-pound loss per week.
“I just eat whole foods now – I still have the odd treat but a lot less processed food.”
By the end of 2024, he lost another nine stone, plus another stone so far this year, now weighing 16st 1lb (102.1kg).
He said: “Buying a whole new wardrobe last year was so emotional – I’d never been able to walk into a shop and buy my own clothes.”
Along with his physical transformation, Harry said his relationship with food is now “completely different”.
“It’s astonishing … I don’t see food as an emotional crutch any more,” he said.
“I’m a lot better at processing my emotions without food, and that comes from the confidence and empowerment I’ve gained from this shift.
“Even my work performance has improved because my confidence has gone up.”
Harry’s goal is to reach 14 stone (88.9kg) and get a six-pack, and he hopes to complete a half marathon and a Tough Mudder this year.
“I never thought I’d be able to do anything like that. It’s crazy how something like this can push you to the next level,” he said.
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