I'm rapidly beginning to become out of shape. By that, I mean I'm leaving my potato like exterior and entering a pumpkin like state. It's grim.

I could really do with some tips from Patrick Magno, a social worker from California, who lost 49lb in three months, getting stacked in the process.

Patrick weighed almost 13 stone, but after a health scare, when a doctor told him that he was at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, he decided to turn his life around in as little as 12 weeks.

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Credit: Bodybuilding.com

The 29-year-old watched his dad suffer from diabetes and didn't want to end up the same way. He was also unhappy with his job, having to remove children from broken homes, abusive parents and other harmful situations, was emotionally draining for him.

After his last day at work, Patrick proposed to his girlfriend of six years, beginning a new period in his life, saying: "I had to do better for my fiancé.'

Patrick came across a challenge offered by Bodybuilding.com, which called for people to enter their transformations for a chance to win $250,000 (£190,000).

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"I heard about the transformation challenge and, to be honest, at first I was sceptical of what the site claimed to offer," Patrick he said. "They said they would give tons of nutritional meal plans, options, workout guides and fitness advice absolutely free of charge, and offer a $250,000 (£190,000) in prize money. It sounded a little too good to be true."

Using the Bodyspace app and the Kris Gethin 12-week muscle-building guide, he completely changed his diet.

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Credits: Bodybuilding.com

He said: "After really dedicating my time to learn how to effectively lose weight, I finally started to see results.

"I spent hours during the challenge, researching articles on the website day in and day out and absorbing it all like a sponge.

"I had no idea what my body was capable of. All I needed were the right tools."

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Eventually, after getting his body fat to 24% lower than what it was, and lowering his risk of diabetes significantly, the former social worker was crowned the '2016 Bodybuilding.com male 250k transformation winner'.

Credit: Bodybuilding.com

"I felt like quitting before I even started but just seeing this much progress alone has made me feel like a winner," he said. "Getting my health back is the ultimate prize."

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If this doesn't motivate you, I don't know what will.

Words by Mark McGowan