It was a photograph in The Royal Gazette that inspired Bermudian Oliver Rego to lose more than 100lbs.The photo was of himself.The photo was taken last June during the World Cup and Mr Rego was shown playing a drum, dressed in the Portuguese flag. His nickname is ‘Captain Portugal', because of his enthusiastic support for both football and Portuguese culture.“At first I didn't really recognise that the guy in the photo was myself,” said Mr Rego. “I have been Captain Portugal for ten years now, but from the last tournament to this tournament there was such a huge difference in my size and girth.That shot really opened my eyes to something that I was becoming that I did not want to be.”He was in fact, 340lbs and 5ft 8in tall. Although he had tried and quit numerous diets in the past, this time he was determined to really change his life right there, right then well maybe not exactly right then as he had something more important to get through first - the World Cup.“It was June and I thought I'd wait until July 1, when the World Cup was over,” said Mr Rego with a laugh.His wife, Livia, had seen it all before and waited to see if he was serious this time.“Livia is a good cook, but it was not because of her that I was like this,” said Mr Rego. “She always cooks healthy meals and has never had a weight issue. It was definitely because of me and my poor choices.”Mr Rego tended to snack a lot, and ate large portions. His greatest weaknesses were potato chips, particularly Doritos. Even today, he has a hard time dealing with the temptation when they are in the room. Healthwise he was surprisingly alright for his size, but his physician worried about the condition of his joints under all that weight.He said some of the problem was cultural. He was born in Bermuda, his father was born in the Azores, but his grandfather was born in Bermuda. He is very proud of his Portuguese heritage and speaks Portuguese fluently. Unfortunately, the traditional Portuguese diet tends to include a lot of bread, carbohydrates and starchy foods.“There is a saying that we eat bread with bread,” said Mr Rego. “That means we might have a sandwich and extra bread to go with it.”To lose weight, he first attacked his diet and his eating habits. He lost 20lbs just by eating less, without adding any exercise to his life. Then, finally when he had that down, he joined Magnum Power Force Gym & Diet Centre. Like a lot of people he felt a little awkward when he first started at the gym. He had never been to a gym in his life and had to learn new skills, like how to run on a treadmill without falling off.But he quickly found that he and the gym were a match made in heaven. Working out in the gym not only helped him lose weight, it also helped him to cope with the day to day stresses of work and life. He hired a personal trainer, Diane Simmons, who has helped him a great deal to stay motivated.“It was a good way to get all the negative energy out of my system,” he said. “I hit the gym really hard and the results started to show instantly.”Today he has lost 102lb. He has gone from 52in waist to a 38. He looks as though he could fit his whole body into one leg of his old pants. He has had to buy a new wardrobe at least four times in the last year. When he is on the street, sometimes old friends don't recognise him.The new level of fitness means he doesn't have to just watch football on television anymore, he can actually play it. He plays for two football teams on the Island, the Amigos de Bala (Friends of Ball) for slightly older guys, and he has also been asked to play for another football team. He can now run at least three miles on the treadmill and hopes to soon take part in a 5K race. It also means he has more time for his six-year-old son, Christopher.“It is good that he has watched the transformation,” said Mrs Rego. “Now he asks me what I am doing to work out and tells me about what he is doing in gym class. That has to be a good thing.”His goal is to lose another 20lb, and he takes various exercise and dance classes including Zumba, an aerobic fitness programme. He was a bit hesitant at first to join the Zumba class because there weren't many men, but he eventually overcame his reservations and joined.“It was the best fun I have had in years,” he said. “It is a great way to let loose and yet you are exercising.”Mr Rego works full-time for BAS Serco Ltd and has found that even in his working life, getting fit is making a difference.“I feel as if my decision-making is better,” he said. “Mentally, I am switched on more and before I was more lethargic. When I sleep now I sleep deeply. Energywise, I feel there is nothing I can't tackle.”And he has been told that he has been an inspiration to many people around him. Several family members, friends and colleagues are now also going to the gym and getting fit.“I think they figure, if Oliver can do it and lose all that weight, they can do it too,” he said.Mr Rego said knowing when to stop losing weight can also be a challenge. It is difficult to know when enough is enough and you are at your ideal body weight.“I asked my trainer when do you become satisfied,” he said. “She said, not everyone's body can take the same amount of exertion. You will find your limits. The second thing she said was be happy with your limitations and be the best at that rung of the ladder that you are at. Not everyone is a professional basketball player.”Mr Rego's DietMr Rego started with a fasting diet of 1,500 to 1,800 calories a day to get through his body fat reserves. He said it is just as important to keep measuring your body mass as it is to look at your weight on the scale because you don't want to be losing muscle as well as fat. You can lift weights to build muscle as well as doing cardio exercise to burn fat.Weekday Morning:Water,High Fibre cereal with banana.Mid morning snack: appleLate morning snack: orangeLunchProtein shake, sometimes infused with organic peanut butter to make it a meal.(Lunch time workout)Fruit or a yogurt.DinnerSalad, lean meat, fish, protein or chicken.Weekend game plan:He carbs up on Friday evening in preparation for an intense workout at the gym on Saturday. Usually, on the weekend he relaxes a bit and eats whatever his wife or mother is cooking.nMr Rego ‘Captain Portugal' is particularly looking forward to Portugal Day to be celebrated in Bermuda on June 10 and 11, because it will mark exactly a year since Mr Rego first decided to get fit and lose weight.As part of the festivities, the executive board of the Vasco da Gama club will be holding their annual cocktail party for all their members from 7.30pm to 9.30pm, and there will be an after party for the general public from 9.30pm onwards. The dress code for the cocktail party is suit and tie. Entertainment will be provided by DJ Nelson Pavao who will be on the island for the event. There is also an event planned for June 11 in Victoria Park. Details had not yet been released at presstime. For more information see the website www.vascobermuda.com .