I am fairly active on Instagram where I regularly post stories that document my workouts and progress. And because of this, I get asked quite a bit by friends and even strangers regarding my routine, diet and other stuff. So, I thought I would collect the most commonly asked questions and answer them here.
How did you lose weight?
I attribute my weight loss to the combination of strength training and proper nutrition. However, I must point out that my journey is not just about me and the lowering the numbers on scale. I could lose weight and still be fat, like what happens to people who lose weight too much and too quickly through starvation-like diet and ending up losing muscle mass while retaining fat. I think this is what many people call being skinny fat.
My goal right now is to be strong and lean. To be physically fit and healthy.
When did you start strength training and what got you into it?
It all started in April of 2014. I knew I had to start exercising for many reasons. First of all, I wanted to be able to eat the food I love and not turn into a ball of lard. Another, more importantly, is health. We all have goals that we are willing to work hard for. But in order to work really hard, we need to be physically healthy.
The decision to go through with strength training was primarily because of my boyfriend. There were lots of research and pondering involved. But to make the long story short, we both hated running and he wanted to be strong. And so, we thought to focus on strength training.
How hard is it? Do you think I can do it?
Like everything else in life, it can be very hard in the beginning. The free-weights section, which is often dominated by sweaty men, can be intimidating. I started squatting an empty 20-kilogram bar and it was a struggle for me. And it doesn’t get any easier either. The good news is that as long as you put in the work, you get better at it. And once you have done it for a while, it becomes a routine. After that, it is like brushing your teeth in the morning.
What keeps you motivated? How are you able to do it for years?
There are many things that motivate me. The mirror can be a very good motivator. Then there’s the taste of progress.
There are also some motivational quotes like the ones from Socrates. “No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training…what a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”
However, being motivated only gets you started. You cannot depend on motivation alone. I think what is more important is discipline. To keep on doing something challenging, you need discipline. Discipline gets you out of bed even when your entire being wants to stay under the comfort of your blanket.
Would you recommend it to other people?
Definitely, yes. If I can do it, so should anybody else. Individuals will differ in rate of improvement and peak performance but everyone should be able to progress. Just make sure you get proper coaching or educate yourself regarding proper form and progression to avoid injuries and continue improving.
What are your greatest setbacks?
I stopped strength training for over a year when I was working in Qatar. When I got back to the Philippines and while waiting to start on my new job in Japan, I relished all the home cooking, so much so that my weight ballooned to 62 kilograms. Fortunately, I have shed most of the weight by getting back on exercising and adopting a proper diet.
What is this proper nutrition you are talking about?
In May of 2018, around 9 months after I started work in Japan, I signed up for a gym membership and got back into strength training. In October, I decided to stop eating rice. This is borderline blasphemous in a country where rice is staple and of incredible quality. Still, it was the simplest and fastest way to reduce my daily calorie intake.
By November of 2018, I dropped down to 52 kilograms. However, with strength training alone, I found myself stalling in my attempt to lose fat. So, for the entire month of March of 2019, I adopted a strict Keto diet. I credit the low-carb, high-fat diet for me dropping to 48 kilograms in two weeks of starting the diet. After that, I loosened the diet a bit but still limited my carb intake. By May, I touched below 46 kilograms.
Why Keto as opposed to other type of diet?
What makes Keto very appealing is that I don’t have to worry about going above my recommended daily dietary intake. The amount I can eat is self-limiting. I can eat as much meat as I want until I get full and not worry about calorie limits. There is no calorie counting. Also, I love meat.
Are there downsides to Keto diet?
Ingredients for Keto recipes are a bit more expensive. I also have to be more careful when grocery shopping. To make sure I don’t go over my carb limit for the day, I avoid sweets.
There are also some physical effects. At the beginning, you can experience getting headaches and keto breath. There are some other potential effects but are temporary and only happen when your body is still adjusting to the diet. However, I only experienced these two.
How much weight did you lose?
In less than two years, I was able to lose 16 kilograms. But more than just losing weight, the physical changes was tremendous. Smaller tummy. Stronger body. Improved muscle definition. And being lighter and stronger meant I could do some physical activities that I couldn’t do before, like monkey bars.
Things did not happen overnight. One of the lessons I’ve learned in my fitness journey is that it is a continuous process. It is a lifestyle choice, a deliberate choice. My goals are more than just about losing weight or being called thin. I want to be strong, lean and overall, physically fit. To be honest, I am not there yet. However, I am working to get there. And when I do get there, I know I need to continue putting in work in order to stay there.
