‘My Korean Husband’ Comic Creator Loses 50 Pounds to Get Ripped for Fatherhood

Hugh decided to prioritize his health and weight because, at 34 years old, he felt that it would be harder to achieve a healthy weight as he aged. Always a self-professed fat kid, he conveyed that he had accepted being big and had never really thought about his weight, what he ate, or physical activity in general. With a child on the way, he knew he had to take action and become healthy for his growing family. So he started vlogging, hired a personal trainer, and got to work.

He started his fitness journey at 85 kilos — about 187 pounds. He gave himself six months to lose as much weight as he possibly could, calling it his “last chance”.

“I made a project over six months to change my lifestyle, eating habits, and exercise habits. I call this project ‘the last chance’ because I don’t want to go back to being unhealthy again,” he said of his name choice. “I’m recording this to motivate myself. I know it gets harder as people get older, so this is the last chance to change my life”.

Nichola Gwon, his faithful Australian-born wife and writer/illustrator of “My Korean Husband“, helped him by chronicling his fitness journey and supporting him with every step of the way.

His videos often included his personal trainer, Yoojin Gwon, who would keep him in line with various forms of exercise.

“What do you think of my ability?” he asked her on camera one day. “Actually, now he’s…” she started, before Hugh could finish his sentence. “I’m pretty good, right?” he continued, earnestly. “No, he’s pretty bad, but…” she said, her tone and timing unintentionally comical. “…after, he will be good because he’s trying really hard. I think he absolutely can do it.”

His fitness journey wasn’t without its issues; one segment of the video featured a very tired and out of breath Hugh begging to stop the exercise because he hyperbolically exclaimed that he would surely die. Another clip showed him eating a burger, his wife scolding him for his decision. “What is this?” She asked, zooming in on the burger. “Cheating day! Cheating day!” he rationalized. “I thought you had a cheating day the other day?” She pressed, not convinced. Hugh paused for a moment before cheekily looking at the camera. “Another cheating day!” he grinned, taking a bite out of his burger while Nichola laughed.

But Hugh was serious about his workouts and his goals — there were plenty of clips that showed him working out in snow or at 4 a.m. He would eventually become accustomed to exercising for 3 – 4 hours a day and closely follow a strict diet. Due to these commitments, he saw progress, which prompted him to continue down his path.

Ultimately, he was able to lose 22 kilos (48 pounds) in 23 weeks — a nice, soft landing into a fit fatherhood (becoming a dream daddy in the process).

“I changed my lifestyle. I achieved a body I never thought I could have before. I’m happier now. I did it. You can do it too,” he said of his fitness journey.

You can check out the detailed, entertaining vlog here: