A doctor who lost 25 kilograms in just 42 days has gained viral attention on Chinese social media after winning multiple awards at a fitness competition. According to the South China Morning Post, 31-year-old Wu Tiangen, a surgeon at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in central Hubei, decided to pursue fitness after gaining weight from the sedentary nature of hospital work.
Wu’s weight reached 97.5 kg in 2023, and he was diagnosed with a mild fatty liver. In his work, Wu regularly helped obese patients lose weight through surgery. But seeing his own health issues, he decided to take action.
“If I cannot save myself, how can I save others?” Wu said.
He enlisted Shi Fan, a top athlete who won the Overall Fit Model championship at the IFBB World Fit Model Championships in Lithuania last year, as his coach. Together, they devised a plan focused on fat loss and muscle gain. The key elements of the plan included two hours of daily exercise and a consistent six hours of sleep.
Wu’s commitment paid off as he lost the weight in about six weeks. As the fitness competition neared, Wu increased his training to nearly four hours a day in the gym.
“Wu’s training intensity exceeds that of many professional athletes,” Shi said.
Standing 182 cm tall and weighing 73.5 kg, Wu competed in the Tianrui Cup Fitness and Bodybuilding Match in January. As the only doctor in the competition, he faced a tough challenge but ultimately won titles in the newcomer and fit model categories, as well as the Most Popular Participant award.
When asked for advice, Wu shared, “You should make a long-term plan to lose weight and stick with it. I do not advocate drastic, short-term methods that require eating very little.”
Wu has also helped around 100 people successfully lose weight in recent years.
