Heartbreak
A Japanese man known as Shirapyon believed he had it all. He had a stable job, a nice house, and a wife he loved with all his heart.
But his wife did not feel the same way. As they grew older, Shirapyon stopped exercising like he used to and hi wife slowly began to feel less and less attracted to him.
Divorce
The man was shocked when his wife confronted him with reality: she wanted a divorce. He had not realized that she was drifting away, and now it was too late to save their marriage.
Of course, his looks weren't the only reason why their relationship crumbled, but she did mention that the fact that he did not take care of himself anymore was part of the issue.
Realization
Even though he was heartbroken and did not know what to do anymore, he did understand where his wife was coming from. He was balding, put no effort into his fashion choices, and hadn't exercised in years.
Now that he did not have his wife anymore, he realized that he was just a sad man with nothing going for him. He had no hobbies or passions outside of his relationship, and now he was left only with sadness.
Starting The Change
Of course, his life did not change overnight. It all started with a few baby steps here and there, until he found his path. The first step in his change was looking in the mirror and realizing what he wanted to change.
Then, he decided to shave his head. After all, he was already balding, and his hairstyle did not look good anymore. When he looked at himself in the mirror again, he realized that this small change already boosted his confidence, which motivated him to do more.
More Changes
The next easy step for Shirapyon was switching from glasses to contact lenses. While some people can definitely rock glasses, he did not feel attractive wearing them.
Then, he took a trip to the mall and decided to change his outfits a little bit. All of this made him feel more and more confident, pushing him to take his transformation to the next level.
Eating Healthy
Now, it was time for him to tackle his biggest insecurity and the one thing that his ex-wife had pointed out and broken his heart with: his weight.
If he had known that a simple change in his diet would make all the difference, he would have done it a lot sooner. All he did was eat healthier food in smaller portions and ditch the junk food, and he started losing weight rapidly.
Motivation
Now that he felt much more confident, it was time for him to set new goals for his life. He had no hobbies and nothing to do besides work, so he needed to occupy his time.
He thought about his younger days when he went to the gym, played sports, and had lots of friends and realized that he could have it all again if only he worked hard. Who says you can't get fit in your 40s anyway?
Fitness Journey
He did not get fit from one day to the next, obviously, but his determination and effort eventually helped him reach his goal.
All he did at the beginning was going to the gym once a day for an hour. This small change already did wonders for his body and his confidence. He started seeing his body change from day to day and was amazed at the results.
More Than Vanity
Although he started his fitness journey for his looks, he quickly realized it was not all about that. Sure, it is nice to be fit and have a six pack, but fitness brought him a happiness he had never felt before.
He felt young again! He was more energetic and loved setting challenges for himself. He also met a lot of people through fitness, which led him to form strong friendships with people he would have not met otherwise.
Healthier
The most important thing about this change was that he felt healthier now in his 40s than he felt in his 20s. It was as if he had been reborn, and the person he used to be was only a distant memory.
Then, he realized that this wasn't his some temporary goal or a hobby but that he wanted to dedicate his life to fitness. So, he quit his job and decided to become a body builder.
Training Harder
He was already super fit at this point, but body building is no joke. You have to train for hours and follow a strict diet that you can't miss for a single day.
But all this effort did not discourage the man from working towards his goal. In fact, he adored every second of it.
Competing
After a few months, he felt ready to test himself in a body building competition. Even though he did not qualify the first time, he was not discouraged. He just kept trying and trying and the following year, he made it.
It took him a few tries to actually win a competition, but eventually he did. Taking those medals home made him feel accomplished and unstoppable.
Inspiring Others
Thanks to the rise of social media in recent years, many people are able to share their stories and inspire others, which is exactly what Shirapyon did.
He started sharing his progress and his fitness journey on social media, inspiring many people to do the same. To him, this made it all even more worth it.
Paying Off
His hard work has certainly paid off, garnering attention from several news outlets. His transformation was so inspirational that people wanted to know his secrets.
In an interview, he said: "I lost weight in my own style, I lost 12 kilograms through a healthy food diet and an exercise program at the gym. At my first contest, I did not qualify. But I loved the challenge and have now been competing in bodybuilding contests for 4 years.”
Words Of Wisdom
“I’m happy to be the cause from which someone change has begun. If you want to be reborn, do it while you’re still alive," he said - and how right he is!
His change made him feel like he was reborn into a new person, and that feeling is incomparable. After all, we only got one life to live, so we might as well live it to the fullest!
Finding Love
Not only did his transformation bring him health, happiness, a new purpose in life, new friends, a career, and confidence, but it also led him to find love again.
He met a bikini fitness model through body building competitions and has been happier than ever before since. The two instantly hit it off and are now inseparable.
Married Again
The two quickly fell in love and it didn't take long before the two got married. But their wedding was far from usual.
The happy couple did not want an expensive, flashy wedding and instead got married at a restaurant with their closest friends. All they needed was special people to share this special moment!
The Spark That Started It All
In Shirapyon's case, the one thing that sparked his change was working out, as he said in an interview:
“It doesn’t have to be bodybuilding that creates the spark. It can be swimming, a marathon, any hobby. Anything that takes perseverance to improve oneself. I fight against myself, not others.”
Everybody's Different
Like he said, it is not that body building changes everyone's life, but that it happened to be what changed his. He believes that everyone should work hard to find what it is that truly makes them happy.
And this can come in many forms: starting a new hobby, moving to another country, changing your career path, leaving a relationship that is not good for you - the possibilities are endless.
Transforming Yourself
When you are going through a rough patch, you can either pick yourself up and dust yourself off, or wallow in your mystery. It is of course easier said than done, but it is definitely possible.
Shirapyon turned a heartbreaking situation into a completely different life, one that fulfills him finally. His story is inspiring thousands to turn their lives around and do the same. What are you waiting for?