With our Amazing Losers game on the horizon, we’re spending the days leading up to kick off meeting the lads who’ll be pulling on the shirts in this year’s game at Walsall FC. Incredibly, we head stateside to meet Christopher Klenz from our Houston club!
Tell us more about your initial reasons for joining MAN v FAT
A few things came together for me all at once. I had just turned 50 and gotten a wake-up call from my doctor about my health and weight—something I knew I needed to address but always struggled to commit to. The real tipping point was finding out I was going to be a grandfather. I wanted to make sure I’d be around and active for her long-term. I knew that if I didn’t make drastic changes, none of the things I wanted to do would be possible. Hiking a scenic mountain valley to a waterfall, wandering the streets of Rome, or making it to Machu Picchu would never happen. I needed a big change, and that’s exactly why I decided to join MAN v FAT.
If you could go back in time and talk to the version of you at the start of your weight loss efforts, what would you tell them about the changes you’ve experienced?
If I could talk to myself at the start of this journey, I’d tell him that losing 95-plus pounds changes absolutely everything. From a medical standpoint, the results are undeniable: my cholesterol and A1C dropped dramatically, and my body fat and visceral fat numbers are all finally normal.
The physical transformation to my body shape has been dramatic, but the best part is the sheer amount of energy I have now. Mentally, the confidence boost is just amazing. I finally have the drive to get out into the world and actually do things. On top of all that, I’ve met a lot of great people through MAN v FAT, and I genuinely can’t wait to get back on the soccer pitch every single week.
Who would you like to thank for their help in your progress?
Thank you to my girlfriend Barbara. Your love and support meant everything. Thank you to our coach Zach. His passion for health is infectious. Thank you to all the North Houston Tuesdays players. Your judgement-free encouragement and support to this old bad player made it so much fun.
What are your future hopes around your health and wellbeing?
The way I feel now gives me so much hope and optimism for the future. I finally know I can actually do the things I want to do, and more importantly, be here long-term for my granddaughter and my family. My biggest hope is that I just keep building on this new lifestyle. I’m on a new path of health and wellbeing, and I have absolutely no intention of looking back. I’m only looking forward.
How much are you looking forward to the game in May?
To play in a match of football in England on a professional field is a dream that I never imagined I would that would come true.
