How a video gamer slimmed down for good

'I made four big changes, and I'm now on my way to the body I want'

VITALS
Austin Beck, 25, Brandon, FL
Occupation Graphic designer
Height 5'10"
Reached his goal in 3 years
Weight before 247
Weight after 173
THE SETBACK
I grew up playing video games--shooters and fighters, heroic stuff. As my characters kicked ass, I'd scarf chips, microwave pizzas, and popcorn chicken smothered in cheese. Almost everything I ate came from a drive-thru or the microwave. My snacks were the size of meals, and my meals could feed four people. One day I actually became winded carrying a grocery bag of junk food up the stairs.
Have the best new exercises from the Men's Health fitness team delivered to you weekly. Sign up for the Exercise of the Week newsletter.

What Is CrossFit?

THE GAME PLAN
I made the following four big changes, and I'm now on my way to the body I want.

1. Fight for it
I turned virtual fighting into a basis for real-life workouts, personalizing my own MMA-style regimen using various fitness plans and DVD programs. My training includes combination moves, such as burpees, split curls to overhead presses, and squats to shoulder presses. I also throw in some deadlifts, rows, and isometric holds to keep my body guessing. I still have some work to do, but with five or six of these workouts a week, I'm looking more and more like the digital characters I used to play on the computer screen.
Get the body you've always wanted in 4 weeks with The New Spartacus Workout.

2. Share your passion
Losing weight is easier if you're not alone. My girlfriend loved me for who I was even before I lost the weight, but we both wanted to shed pounds. So we developed better habits and a shared passion for being active. We've lost weight together (she's dropped 57 pounds), and we even took a vacation to Cocoa Beach, Florida, where we showed off our new bodies and went surfing. We're looking forward to a wedding in 2014--and both of us are planning on looking great.

3. Master a move
My favorite combination move is the burpee: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, lower your body into a deep squat, and place your hands on the floor in front of you. Now kick your legs backward so you're in a pushup position. Do a pushup and then quickly bring your legs forward to the squat position. Stand up quickly and repeat. I usually do 3 sets of 10.

4. Learn to cook
I now know how to make more than microwaved garbage. I can whip up grilled chicken, stir-fry, and sockeye salmon.
There are 46,000 foods in the average supermarket. How to choose what to put in your cart? Here's your shopping list: The 125 Best Foods.

Provided by Men's Health -->