Our MAN v FAT Soccer leagues got underway in the summer of 2024, with men in Florida being the first to take to the field in the USA.
We’ve seen some great communities building in Broward and Tampa Bay, including several guys who have become our first American members to hit their 5% weight loss.
We caught up with Sonal Mehta, who plays in our Broward club to find out his experiences so far.
1) Tell us a bit more about yourself?
I am 43, originally from India and living in South Florida for the last 6 years. I am a physician who specializes in stroke and neurointervention, due to which I am on call a lot and have a somewhat unpredictable schedule – and that’s been one of the challenges (also excuses) I’ve had in the past in making lifestyle changes. I am married and have a daughter who’s almost 3.
2) What were your initial reasons for signing up for MAN v FAT Soccer? And how did you find out about it?
I love soccer and have played it since I was a kid. Some of the best moments of my life and some of my best friendships are from the soccer field. However, due to a combination of life, work, age, multiple moves over the years, I haven’t really played at all in about 10 years.
I had actually been looking for a league just like this last year, but most leagues were much more competitive with players who were younger and playing at a higher level than I could at the time. I came across an ad on Facebook and thought that MAN v FAT was perfect for what I was looking for.
3) How have you found being a part of the league so far? And how are you and your teammates getting on as a group?
It’s been brilliant. Not only have I been able to get back to playing the sport I love, I’ve found a community of guys who are in a similar place in life. We are still just getting to know each other, but the sense of community, and being on a team is quite wonderful.
Game day evenings are now the high point of my week and I feel those days pass so slowly waiting to play.
4) What has been the secret to your success in losing weight so far? And what have been the early challenges?
I feel like I was well set up to lose weight in the sense that I had already been exercising regularly, and sort of knew the dietary changes I needed to make. What MAN v FAT did was give me the push to actually make them, and the shared accountability of doing it for the team, not just for me was extra motivation.
The biggest challenge I have had has been trying to find newer healthy recipes, and essentially replace some of the less healthy foods that were part of my diet without getting bored of just eating salads!
5) What would you say to any guy who is thinking of signing up for MAN v FAT Soccer?
Do it! It is absolutely the best thing I have done for myself in years.
Want to sign up for MAN v FAT Soccer? Take a look at www.manvfatsoccer.com for more details!
