“People called me sapu lidi [broomstick]."

Theo Sugandhi, a fitness trainer, recalls his days of being an underweight teenager teased by his friends.

The name-calling resulted in low self-esteem and a lack of self-confidence, a personal story that Theo, now a personal trainer, said he often shared with others. His goal these days is to help those with the same issues come to the realization that being healthy is more than simply looking fit; it is also about being and feeling healthier, both mentally and physically.

“I still receive comments such as my calves being too small — like I have ‘chicken legs’ — because genetically, I cannot change them. But there will always be people who will make harsh comments about your looks,” Theo shared, encouraging people not to mind what others negatively say about their physique.

In his career as a personal trainer, Theo said he often had female clients who thought they were never slim enough.

“They say things like ‘I’m too chubby', even though I can see that they are fit and have a healthy body weight.“

Different cases, same challenges

Diana Novita Wijaya, a 36-year-old mother of two, said that after the birth of her second son, she joined a gym with the hope of fixing an ongoing knee problem that she assumed came from her being overweight. Though she wanted to look good, Diana said her focus was always to be healthier, both in body and soul.

Monitored by her personal trainer, Diana went on a calorie-deficit diet and underwent a strength-training regimen three to four times a week and lost 18 kilograms in a year.

Both Diana and Theo now maintain their ideal weight by balancing what they eat, how they move and how they rest.

“I wouldn’t say my knee problem is fixed, but I have felt a huge improvement thanks to my [healthy] lifestyle,“ said Diana, who now can move and train pain-free thanks to strength training and a diet change.

“Whatever goals you have, all you need is a small voice inside you that says you really want it and it will open up ways to help you reach those goals,“ shared Diana, who no longer wears a size XL and can now wear clothes she likes.

For Theo, surrounding yourself with an encouraging environment is crucial to getting truly healthy. He said that it is always good to be rid of people whose comments revolved around one's physique, such as, “Have you gained weight?” or “Your legs look smaller”.

He also said it was crucial to understand that every person will undergo different experiences on their road to being healthy.

“I believe that we never stop learning. Body goals are not a brief program with a fixed timeline. Find a comfortable program for yourself and sustain it forever. When being judged by others, keep on doing your best. You will see that when you succeed, they will have nothing to say,“ Theo added, reflecting on his own journey.

Continuous process

“All I remember during the process was being hungry,” Diana said.

This was the thing she remembered the most during her program.

“Usually I’d order a caffe mocha or a cake with ice cream, but during the program, I remembered ordering plain chamomile tea and food like ketoprak [vetegables, tofu, rice cake and rice vermicelli in peanut sauce], gado-gado [mixed vegetables and peanut sauce] and salad when I eat out. I know I needed protein and carbs, but I got rid of carbs because, in my head, I was cutting my calorie intake.”

Diana, who received numerous comments on how she looks these days shared that, “I once hit 47 kilograms and all I remember was feeling miserable for not being able to eat anything but feeling proud to see the numbers on the scale.“

She couldn’t deny that deep down, she was addicted to compliments on how skinny she looked.

“My goal now is to reach 48 kilograms and I don’t know if it’s still considered healthy or not,” said Diana, who is 156 centimeters tall. For Diana, it remains an ongoing process of feeling as good as she looks.

Theo said that, “Diet is not just about losing weight, like what most people think. In my case, it is to gain weight by putting in more calories than what my body needs, known as a calorie surplus."

“Eating lots of [potato] chips would fulfill my need for a calorie surplus but it wouldn’t help my muscles recover after training. I eat a lot of chicken, eggs and other protein sources. I avoid food or drinks that contain sugar.“

Theo has gained 26 kg since he began training. He looks well built now with a weight of 71 kg at a height of 171 cm.

Theo hopes for a fitness future where people will no longer focus solely on shapes and sizes but more on quality of life.

Read also: Virtually healthy: Fitness coaches and students move to online gyms

“There is no ‘one size fits all’ program,” he said.

Diana added: “I am often asked for tips for losing weight and I have a tough time answering that.”

What helped Diana step foot on her current path was avoiding self-defeating phrases like, "I really want to lose weight, but I simply don't have the time to go to the gym."

“I used to say those things to myself before finally embarked on this journey.“

Diana’s training regime

Strength training is a physical activity designed to improve one's fitness by exercising muscle groups against external resistance in order to reduce body fat and replace it with lean muscle mass. Its other benefits include developing strong bones, weight management, increased concentration, better stress management and preventing old-age disabilities. Strength training can be done from the comfort of one’s home with no or minimal equipment. Now that physical mobility is limited due to the pandemic, it is the perfect time to do it.

To get to her ideal body weight, Diana does three training sessions every week and lowers her calorie consumption. A 30-minute strength training session that begins with a three-minute dynamic warmup to prepare for the “main course” is compulsory to avoid injuries. Below is an example of a simple strength training program:

Sit down to stand up. This is a squat movement that trains a group of lower body muscles. This movement strengthens the lower body to create a strong and stable foundation.

Wall push up. Imagine doing push-ups without as much gravitation as normal push-ups as you prepare for floor push-ups. When done properly, this will also strengthen the arms, shoulders and lower back.

Planking is a full body effort to contract muscles without any motion, known as isometric movement. Holding a plank position for as long as possible while maintaining a straight line from the neck to the heel will improve your posture.

Strength training is about repeating the movements several times to damage your muscle fibers and eventually creating metabolic stress by gradually adding repetition, set (a group of repetitions) or loads (bodyweight or external loads). These tensions will make microscopic tears in the muscles and they will return to their normal condition and become stronger over time with the help of proper rest and decent nutrition. As Theo said, “Every fat-loss or muscle-building program focuses on training, diet and recovery. “

Please consult with your personal trainers before undergoing any serious exercise routine.