André Helgesen, a Swedish system technician, quit his job to backpack through Asia but first stopped at a Chinese 'fat camp' to shed his final pounds. Having already lost 7.8 stone (from over 21 stone to 13 stone), he was still overweight and sought to lose more. He attended Jianfeidaren in Shenzhen, a closed-camp program with intensive workouts, hospital exams, nutritional counselling, and psychological guidance.
Unexpected lesson in personal accountability
Helgesen was surprised that the camp's approach mirrored weight loss at home: '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.' He noted that while the camp laid out schedules and meals, cheating was possible, reinforcing that personal responsibility is key.
Daily regimen and challenges
Participants exercised three times daily and ate at a 1,000-calorie deficit, excluding workouts, resulting in a 1,500-calorie deficit after exercise. Helgesen consumed around 1,300 calories per day. The toughest challenge was fasting from 5pm to 8am; he sometimes broke it with an apple.
Results and relief
In 28 days, Helgesen lost half a stone, bringing his total loss to 8 stone. He described reaching his goal as 'a huge relief' and 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.'
Next steps
Helgesen plans to continue his backpacking journey to South Korea for the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational (League of Legends) and then Japan. He looks forward to 'just live like a normal person and enjoy life.'
