TikTok star Ucegang has passed the halfway mark in his goal to lose 157kg in 100 weeks.
Ucegang, who is also known as 23-year-old Simeon Fiapule, creates comedy videos that often focus on the perspective of Pacific Islanders. He has more than 1.3 million followers on TikTok.
He began the challenge over a year ago, weighing in at 257kg with the ultimate aim of improving his overall well-being. After 55 weeks of weight loss, he’s celebrating the physical changes that are starting to show.
“I’m not out of breath like I used to be, and my cardio has improved a lot,” he said.
Te Ao Māori News first spoke with Fiapule in May last year 22 weeks after starting his weight loss challenge. He said his ambition and drive remains as strong as ever.
“It’s more of making it a lifestyle and changing old habits to new habits. I reckon I can live like this for the rest of my life, live a better and healthier life.
It brings a lot of joy and happiness because it helps with my mental health, completing small goals to get to the big goal of under 100kgs.”
Fiapule’s last weigh-in showed he had dropped 84kg and was down to 173kg from his initial 257kg starting weight. Discipline was an on-going battle, and the holiday period was especially tough. But he’s hanging in there.
“There were times where I doubted myself but now that I started losing weight and getting closer to my goal, I trust myself and know I’ll make it to my big goal by week 100.”