It all started when I was dying in my sleep. Slightly exaggerated. A friend pointed out that my snoring pattern was irregular and loud. I would stop breathing for a while. In the middle of the night, I would choke in my sleep and my throat was blocked with fat and I wasn’t breathing half the time in my sleep.
I would not have a good night's rest no matter how much I slept. I would wake up tired. My energy levels would deplete really fast and I was not mindful about my health.
As a result, I was overweight and obese. At peak, I was probably around 95kg, didn’t weigh myself much because it was just disheartening.
How did you kick start your transformation?
All it took was TWO questions that I asked myself to get things started:
1. Am I going to be overweight for the rest of my life?
2. If not now, when? Five years later when it is harder to get in shape?
My fitness journey started 4 years ago with Gym Bae #1 Sean Ng. Back then we would go to pay per entry gyms. For the first year, I didn’t know what I was doing. I don’t even have a clear goal in mind. It was just getting into the gym and moving things around.
I wasn’t intimidated entering the gym because I was there to better myself, not to be self-conscious about how I look at the gym. All I know if I keep doing this, the Jun today will be better than the Jun yesterday.
It started for health reasons but it slowly turned into aesthetics. As I gained more knowledge, I started doing things better, eating better and my training regime became more effective.
What has been the most memorable moment in your journey?
In 2019, I decided to challenge myself with all the knowledge I possessed and started my cutting phase for a year. Still, without a clear goal in mind, I just wanted to see how much I can achieve. I wasn’t racing with anyone else. There was no competition. You hold yourself accountable.
As long as I'm enjoying the process I didn’t care. Hence, I don’t do leg day. I hate leg workouts. If you don’t enjoy the process, then you are doing it wrong. Sometimes it's not the result but the journey that matters.
This is the result of my cut. It would have been better if I was more diligent but I was taking it slow.
However, I'm not here to motivate anyone because true motivation can only come from within. The desire to change comes from you. The desire to keep striving comes from you. Watching or reading motivational messages isn’t going to help you in your transformation.
Here are some workout tips that helped me:
GO WITH A FRIEND!
Find a friend or better yet, make a friend in the gym. Gym people are actually one of the most gentle and friendliest people around because we have all been there. Community and empowering each other is a huge driving force. And Union Strength has exactly that.
I would have Gym Bae #2 Brian Tai to always keeps me company. I would be so lost without him around. But I do know people who prefer working out alone, to each of their own.
CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY!
There were ZERO results in the first year in the mirror for me, even though I was getting stronger. I wasn’t seeing it. People would quit by the first month without results. In an age of social media and technology where you get instant gratification for whatever you do, the fitness journey does not fulfil that.
Enter the gym, stay in the gym and start moving things around. Knowledge will come, or rather, thirst for knowledge will come because at one point you will be thinking ‘I'm already going to the gym so often, I better make sure if what I'm doing is effective or not’.
RESEARCH, PLAN, APPLY, MODIFY, REPEAT!!
There are so many resources out there, for instance, YouTube, Websites and Instagram. But if you need an extra push, you can always find a personal trainer to guide you the way.
CHOOSE A DIET THAT FITS YOU!
I never believe in crash dieting. All diets are the same whether you want to put on weight or lose weight. The fundamental principle is Calorie In – Calorie Out. Find the one that fits you the best and stick to it.
Also, it is important to enjoy your DIET! Whether it is Paleo, Vegan, Keto, Liquid or Intermittent Fasting. To make it more interesting, research your macronutrients intake needs, complex carb vs simple carbs, good fats vs bad fats, supplements and more.
I practice intermittent fasting because it works well for me. My fast lasted 16 hours with 8 hours eating window. Intermittent fasting mainly helped me to not over-consume my food intake throughout the day.
Track and count your calories for at least two months so you know how to count and track your macros. I stopped doing it because I'm now good at eyeballing my calories now. Back then, Sean and I would bring a weighing scale to everywhere we eat and note it down on our phone. From eating chicken rice to buffets. Aunties would laugh at us.
"The desire to change comes from you. The desire to keep striving comes from you."
