Operation 60 Kilograms

Hi guys, sorry if I haven't updated my blog. I've been super busy doing something I should've done a long time ago. And I think it's time. 

All my life, I've been really chubby. SUPER CHUBBY. I guess that's because I grew up in a family wherein everyone loves to eat. We all love food... I love food... Food is my addiction.... we never run out of food. My family loves food. FOOD is all I could think of everyday! (that was me back then)

And we all know that kids are really honest. They tell you everything. IN YOUR FACE. I've been called by many names. I've been called "baboy"(pig) "balyena"(whale) "tabatchoy"(fatso). Everything you could think colossal, I've been called that. I didn't care since they were kids. But it stings, because you know it's the truth and the truth does hurt.

During my childhood years, I may have weighed around 50kgs. That's a one SACK OF RICE. I've been eating nonstop. I couldn't help myself since my parents didn't really care and because we all love food.

High School was a bit different, though I've never been bullied, I've been teased occasionally. It didn't really hurt me since it was a point of me being independent. I think that's the problem with me, I didn't really care what people thought of me. I think i just got used to the fact that people embraced me for who I am. Funny, outgoing, friendly and loud. And for having too much security from friends, I doubled my childhood weight and may have weighed 100kgs or more. It was too much for a high school student to be weighing that much.

high school - my hobby of downing a container of gravy. hahaha

at a wedding with my cousin

2005 high school graduation day

2004 with my cousins. THEY'RE all grown up now.

Then 2005 I entered college. I went to Manila and started studying at College of St. Benilde. I majored in BA- Consular and Diplomatic Affairs. Since it was my first time to be away from my parents and since I'd be living in Manila for a few years, of course, there were a lot of BINGING opportunities for me which we didn't have back in our city. Outside from where I lived, we had Starbucks, Wendy's, McDonalds, Jollibee and a whole lot of fast food chains. I lived near my school, that's why there were a lot of fast food chains surrounding it. And also the availability of 24/7 bicycle-delivered meals really took my eating habits up a notch. I would eat rice meals at 4 in the MORNING. And my only form of exercise was walking from to school which is about 100 meters away from where I lived. Yikes. Imagine how all those calories took a trip inside my body. It all just piled up and then I reached my peak of weighing 130kgs.. And I was just 19 that time.

Saguijo - college days

college friends

18th bday - i had my 1st bong.

lol - Fete de la Musique

2007 - college

I think I just got caught up with me being too far away from home and just enjoyed my freedom. I really had a great time during college. That's where I met my friends. So 2009 I graduated from college, went home and took a rest for a year. I started going back to tennis, but I didn't really change my eating habits. So I just maintained my 130kgs weight.

2010 I flew to Bangkok and went to culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu. Bangkok is known for its food, culture and everything else. So there.... FOOD. The fact that I went to French School which also meant 'butter' for me everyday and Thai Food surrounding me everywhere, I just didn't know how to control myself from all of it. It was too much for me. Everyday from school, I would take home a whole piece of duck, sometimes a kilo of steak, a whole fish smothered in butter sauce and even a whole rack of lamb. ALL FOR MYSELF. I even had a whole cake brought home (because I would exchange food with the students from patisserie). I tell you it was a FOOD FEST everyday. Even if I give some of it to the security people downstairs, still there's too much left for me.

culinary school - 130kg

130kgs

130kgs

130kgs

130kgs

130kgs

my bday - 130kgs

lol

AND NOW MY REASON FOR LOSING WEIGHT: My habits kept on going and going and going till May 2012 one night of that month, while i was watching tv lying down on my bed, I felt some tremors developing around my chest area. OMG I'm palpitating. I couldn't breathe at one point! And this kept on going for a whole week. It must have been the consequences all piled up and I'm about to pay the price. I didn't bother telling my parents. I wanted to keep it as a secret.

And later that month I said to myself, I need to lose weight. I need to be in shape. I want to see myself grow as a responsible young adult while I'm still "young". I will never know how will I look like as a healthy person. I may think of losing weight when I get older, but I will never know how I'll look like while I'm young. What will I ever say to my nephews and nieces now that they're coming along one by one? "tito, how were you like when you were young?" "oh i don't know, i was obese" ha ha ha ha... something like that? i don't think so.

To make a start, I NEEDED A SOLID THINSPIRATION. And I thought of SHIRLEY LAM. She used to weigh 343 pounds. She lost 220 pounds in 9 months! I said to myself "I need to be like her". 9 months is not so bad for restrictions. And  I realized that I have eaten so well for the past 23 years and I think it's ABOUT TIME that I do myself some favor.

SHIRLEY LAM at 343 lbs

after losing 220 pounds. Shirley Lam at 123 lbs

So..........one day of May 2012, I woke up in the morning, weighed myself and it's 130 kg still. That day, I started cutting down my calorie intake. For my first two weeks, I did the Nestle 14 Day Program, wherein all you could eat for two of your meals are cereals (i do breakfast and dinner) and one of it should be a regular balanced meal. Gladly it worked for me. I lost 8 kilos in two weeks. It was a start. It was hard, but it's all paying well. And then I take Del Monte Fit n Right an hour before my cardio everyday with that diet. I SWEAR. 8 kilos in two weeks. 8 KILOS! That's not a joke. And as a proof,  months ago I instagrammed what i bought on my 1st day of weight loss journey.

The first few weeks were the toughest. I was definitely hot-headed. I didn't want to talk with the people in the house because I was so hungry and cranky. I easily get mad and there could be a point that I just want to punch you in the face, because I was that HUNGRY! I was getting used to it.

Tamborrada Festival - San Sebastian, Spain

121kgs

121kgs

121kgs

121kgs with sister

121kgs

121kgs with brother

121kgs

121kgs

121kgs , A week after this, I decided to go on a diet.

After the 14 Day Program, I had to switch to regular healthy food. Meaning that I have to invest in greens, vegetables, fruits... basically the healthy stuff. So every week I go to the supermarket/grocery and buy my own food. I would buy greens, protein, non-fat dairy and my subscription of Men's Health Magazine... ALSO, I do my own food. I cook them for me and only for me, I should know what to put in my food. No oils, no butter, no FAT and LESS salt.

And with my healthy choices of food. I had to incorporate lots of fiber in my diet, well aside from the veggies that I consume, first thing in the morning, I drink a fiber supplement (C-Lium). Because fiber keeps you full and it adds bulk to your waste together with the toxins. But don't forget to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day to prevent constipation.

For the course of 3 months, (May-August) - I lost 30kgs! Even I was so shocked! So much difference with how I used to look like.

June - 110kgs

110kgs - with tennis friends

I took my first photo and posted it online  and it got more than a hundred likes! - at 100kgs

at 90kgs - you can already see the shrinking!

90kgs

and this one was the most noticeable - 90kgs

 And then my new habit kept on going! :) It was a piece of cake to lose weight! I have found to be the weighing scale as my new best friend. It makes me happy every time I weigh myself week after week after week after week.

I also had to intensify my workout routines. I incorporated Plyometrics, Insanity Workouts, HIIT Training, Tae Bo, Aerobics, Swimming and Running.  EVERYTHING! Well, Tae Bo really got into me... It was my post workout AFTER a workout haha. I got addicted to sweating and exercising. Which was a good thing. I workout mostly twice a day and still feel uncontented. And also my new eating habit was cooperating with my body really well.

me going out of the 90kg mark ...

88kg with the brother

85kg

83kg

80kg - during my mother's birthday

80kg in my Muslim costume

friends from Manila came to visit us in Cotabato! They were all stumped! - at 80kgs

And then I reached the dreaded PLATEAU. Plateau is a point wherein you "hit the wall" and stop losing weight no matter how intense your physical activity is. I realized that I have been eating so restricted that I forgot to give myself a treat once in a while.

So for one week, I ate regular food. I would have 2 cups of rice for a meal, some amount of fat, protein, greens. Around 2,500 calories a day and I did that with the exercise that I have been doing. And just after a week, I went back to my regular meal plans and started losing weight again.

at 77kgs

77kgs

75kgs

me and my old self - 75kgs

75kgs - with my college friend ABU

with Manila Friends - 75kgs

75kgs

at Pipino (vegetarian restaurant) - 75kgs

73kgs with the SWAGGER siblings 

73kgs - 2012 Xmas Photo

BONUS PHOTO:  2011 Xmas Photo HAHAHAHA. omg.

I met with my friends March of 2012 - 121kgs

and that same year we had our Xmas party! December 2012 - 75kgs

70kgs

But anyway, I'm slowly reaching to my goal now. I think i need about 5-6kgs more to lose. 

So ... these are my current photos at my healthiest.

after a 3k Run - 69kgs

shameless photo lol. 67kgs. still suffering from loose skin here and there.

For those who want to lose weight, always put in your mind the reasons why you want to be healthy and why you are doing this. I simply did so because I wanted to live longer. I still want to see the release of Iphone 20. hahaha. And of course I want to have a lifetime of happiness.

Before i couldn't dare myself to do challenging things... Now I can be a daredevil that I guess I have always been. I want to skydive soon and hike up to the peak of Mt. Apo

There may be gazillions of temptations, red velvets, pork chops, ribs, unlimited rice, endless coke refills to come, but always remember that "Discipline is your best friend and it will take you FAR and away"

p.s. I had this bracelet made, just to remind me of all the hardwork... and to not come back to that old self.

YOU CAN DO IT!!!
xoxo

Philip
the guy who's no longer trapped in a fat boy's body. ha ha ha. But the appetite is still there. 

BTW, I still eat carbs... HA HA HA