Weight Loss, Self-Love, and the Courage to Change

At 25, Florian Smarsly weighs 180 kilograms (about 397 pounds). Every step is a struggle; his heart no longer keeps up. Then he receives the diagnosis of heart failure. The shock becomes a turning point for him: initially alone, later with professional support, he begins to change his life. He loses 100 kilos (roughly 220 pounds). But with the physical transformation, his journey is far from over.

In “100 Kilo leichter” — How I Reclaimed My Life Pound by Pound, which Smarsly co-authored with Petra Bartoli y Eckert, he talks about emotional eating, shame, and setbacks. The book traces his path to a new self-image and his grapple with the question of what truly matters in life. It also addresses the difficulties that weight loss does not simply erase.

Slimness alone does not make you happy

Smarsly has to learn to accept himself, regardless of the number on the scale. His story is thus as much about self-worth and body acceptance as about shedding pounds. The personal account is complemented by pages with practical prompts from coaching, such as how to relate to one’s own body and how to develop new routines.

The 1992-born Florian Smarsly is a mental coach, speaker, and author from Göppingen. After his weight loss, his focus shifted from external change to inner development. Today he helps people confront self-worth, identity, and mental health.

He is a trained healthcare administrator as well as a certified personal coach and business coach. In addition, he has pursued further training in psychodrama, in meaning- and values-based coaching, as well as in mindfulness coaching. He has also completed programs as a Feelgood Manager, fitness trainer, and nutritionist. His story has been covered by, among others, the ZDF program “37 Grad,” the Stuttgarter Nachrichten, Bild, and RegioTV Stuttgart.

Petra Bartoli y Eckert, born in 1974, spent many years as a social pedagogue working with children and adolescents before turning to writing. In her books she explores strong emotions and topics such as satisfaction, resilience, and dealing with death and grief. She has published numerous books for children and teens, non-fiction works, and stories for radio and television.

For her youth book “Behind the Stars, So Close” she received the 2024 Readers’ Prize at the Book Summer Saxony. Bartoli y Eckert lives and works in Regensburg. (dd/pm)