Joseph was a size 3XL at 28. Here’s how he shed the stubborn fat in just nine months — and the one popular ingredient he cut from his diet for good

A high school teacher who gained weight due to a “reckless” lifestyle describes how he went from wearing a size 3XL shirt to a size small in just nine months.

Joseph Zia from NSW weighed 114kg at his heaviest, after ‘ignoring’ his health for most of his life.

“My lifestyle was reckless. I ate what I wanted, slept when I wanted and didn’t prioritize my health at all,” the 30-year-old told Daily Mail Australia.

“I was too comfortable to realize how out of shape I was. I was wearing 2XL and 3XL shirts, but it didn’t sink in how big I really was. That was the problem with being comfortable with yourself, it doesn’t create change or discipline.”

Joseph, who wore size 36-inch pants, wanted to sprint, but knew he had to overcome his unhealthy habits to lose weight.

“I was almost 29, I felt like I was ignoring one of the most important things in life: my health. I had no discipline in my life and I was just winging it,” he explained.

“Losing weight wasn’t my main goal. I dreamed of becoming a sprinter my whole life. I knew the best time to pursue that dream was now. I knew I had to change my life before I turned 30.”

In less than a year, Joseph lost 85 pounds after changing his diet.

Joseph Zia weighed 114 kg at his heaviest. In just nine months he lost 38 kg

“I completely cut out sugar, including natural sugars. It may sound crazy, but it was necessary,” he explains.

‘It took me about nine months and I kept it off. I also cut out processed foods and didn’t eat it unless I absolutely had to.

In addition to his diet changes, Joseph also started exercising and added sprint and strength training to his fitness regimen.

“If you add sprinting and strength training into your workouts, you’ll see results. Isometrics are seriously underrated; they give you great results. I mix it in with my strength training and big compound lifts,” he explained.

“I haven’t done any bicep curls or other small exercises this whole time.”

Joseph started losing weight in August 2023.

The high school teacher explained how he went from a size 3XL shirt to a size small shirt

By June 2024, he had lost just 170 pounds through a stunning body transformation.

“I’m really proud of myself,” Joseph said.

‘I won’t lie, it was a long road and often I didn’t feel like exercising or training.

‘The tracks aren’t that close to where I live, so it’s been a sacrifice. I’ve sacrificed so much time to travel to the track, and I haven’t given up.

“I don’t feel like I’m at the end of the road… I feel like I’m a long way from it. I’ve only just begun.”

Before Joseph lost weight, he would eat “anything he could find” and regularly enjoyed chocolate and crisps.

But now he eats healthy and only foods that he knows will fuel his body.

The 30-year-old with his wife, who has been his biggest supporter during his transformation

He starts every morning with a cup of coffee with collagen protein powder.

For breakfast he eats oatmeal with almonds, honey and peanut butter powder.

His lunch usually consists of brown rice with tuna.

Every night he and his wife cooked home-made meals, including lasagna, gnocchi and Thai chicken noodles.

“It definitely helped to cook certain meals with my wife. My wife has been very supportive,” he said.

The young man said he lived a “reckless” lifestyle, never putting his health first. In less than a year, Joseph lost 85 pounds after changing his diet

Despite his strict diet, he could ‘still enjoy life and food’.

“I didn’t count my calories during my weight loss and I ate out at least twice a week,” he explains.

Joseph said he enjoys eating out at restaurants, but that he always makes “smart choices” when he eats out.

“I don’t treat myself in the sense that I feel like I’m ‘cheating.’ I don’t see food as a matter of ‘dieting’ and ‘cheating,'” he explained.

“I eat out regularly, but I would never choose cheesecake; I know it doesn’t nourish my body. I eat mainly for fuel as a sprinter.”

Joseph, who now wears a size small shirt and size 28 inch pants, now trains up to twice a day.

After nine months of healthy eating and exercise, Joseph lost weight to just 170 pounds

For people who want to lose weight, he says self-discipline is the key to weight loss.

“Discipline is powerful and discipline is not caring what others think, especially when you are doing what is best for you,” Joseph explained.

He found that losing weight helped him endure the transformation.

“Losing weight is best done alone. You don’t have to do it in a group, you don’t have to pay anyone money for it. It’s an exceptional achievement, and to do it alone you need an exceptional person, an exceptional person,” he said.

‘It’s like a single round of applause at the beginning, only you know how much hard work you put into it and the support and ‘well done’ comments all come when you don’t need them, so it’s best not to depend on anyone.

“It’s also important to not be comfortable in your body, like wearing ‘comfortable’ clothes. Because once you do that, that comfort doesn’t give you the discipline to change.”