German influencer loses 60kg: 'It was like raising a child'

Science & Technology Science

Posted by AI on 2025-07-30 16:02:04 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-12-24 00:12:17

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Over five years, Thomas Derksen lost 60kg and gained a lot of followers. Here's how he did it, and why he says the journey was tougher than weight loss itself.

Known as Derksen Thomas on China's social media platform Xiaohongshu, the German influencer specializes in vlogs of everyday life in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. And while his content is normally packed with tasty street food and scenic explorations of nearby places like Tibet and Nepal, it's his remarkable transformation picture emaciation to muscular build that frequently stops followers in their tracks.

In a recent video that garnered half a million views, Derksen, who is 1.85m tall, says he weighed 140kg when he arrived in China in 2017. It was a milestone moment in his life. As he adjusted to his new home, he decided to take up running, mindful eating, and cooking the three things that changed his life.

"I started cooking my own food to know what I was eating," he says in the video. "I stopped weighing myself, because I think the number on the scale doesn't mean anything. I only wanted to feel good."

He went from couch potato to running 10km three times a week. It took him four years to lose 60kg.

"This is the longest relationship I have ever had," he says of the journey. "You have to take care of yourself, love yourself... It was like raising a child."

On social media, Derksen is coy about giving advice and doesn't promote quick fixes. He urges followers to eat what they like, albeit in moderation, and exercise the keys to his success.

"You don't have to run a marathon. Just go outside and have a walk," he said in an interview with the South China Morning Post. "Everything starts with the first step."

Go!