LOSING weight takes a lot of effort, time and discipline. You can't just magic yourself into solving your weight-control problem and popping some diet pills are not an overnight fix too.
It will take months, years even, before you will be able to achieve the figure you wish to possess. And as you go along the journey of weight loss, you may find yourself changing your lifestyle; in the way you eat, the way you run your life.
“You have to have a goal gyud nga kailangan i-discipline nimo imong self (that you have to discipline yourself) and at the same time, just be patient kay dugay gyud ang result, ang progress dugay kayo (because the result takes too long to achieve, the progress will take a long time to achieve),” badminton player and Anytime Fitness endorser Oreo Vamenta said.
At the age of 34, Vamenta lost 40 pounds in a year after a “depressing” episode he experienced when he was in Manila.
“Last year I was so depressed kay nag guest man gyud ko'g concert sa (since I was a guest in a concert in) Manila. And when I saw myself sa video nga dako kaayo, nya naka coat nako gitago gyud og ayo ang akong mga flabs. Mao to nga na depress ko. Nag decide gyud ko nga mobalik na sa fitness (in the video where I looked so big, I wore a coat to hide my flabs. That’s why I was depressed. I decided to go back to my fitness regime),” Vamenta shared.
He added that that particular experience led him to a point that he did not accept any gigs offered to him for a month, as aside from being a badminton player, Vamenta is also a singer.
“Na depress ko, disappointed ko sa akong self kay although tsada ang akong performance, but naulaw ko in a way kay (I was depressed, I was disappointed of myself that even though my performance was good, I was so ashamed in a way since) one of the producers man gud nga naa dadto is mama ni Lea Salonga (was the mother of Lea Salonga). So I really want them to impress gyud, murag ana ko nga I wasn't in my best look, I wasn't in my best shape. But, akong performance, yes, ang applause, mao na dadto lang ko na depress kay akong mga kasabayan bata pa, ako oldie na (But my performance was good, I was given the applause, but I still got depressed especially that the other performers were young and I’m old),” he said.
“Mao na nga (That’s why) I have to do something,” Oreo added.
Without the aid of diet pills, Oreo was able to get the figure he wanted by conditioning both his body and mind.
“Ang 40 pounds, dugay kay na siya walaon (It took a long time to lose that 40 pounds), like it took me a year para mogamay (to lose weight) and at the same time, have faith sa imong self kay moabot gyud ang time na moingon ka nga 'kaya pa ba nako ni? Mo give up nalang ko,' ana. More like i-discipline sad nimo mentally ang imong self (in yourself because there will be a time when you will think of giving up. More like you should discipline yourself mentally), [not just] physically,” Vamenta said.
Food. A year ago, when Oreo decided to come up with a dietary plan to regulate his food intake, the badminton player decided to give up rice and soft drinks, two of the things that brings pleasure and satisfaction in a person's belly.
Oreo said that instead of rice, he gets his daily carbohydrates from eating wheat bread or oatmeal.
“But once in a while ga cheat day ko but basta no rice lang, kuan lang, pasta, or burger or pizza, mao ra na sya. Once in a while, once in a blue moon,” Vamenta said.
“Kay syempre (Of course), you have to at least treat yourself nga dili nimo kailagan i-deprive gyud kay syempre wala na kay life (you shouldn’t completely deprive yourself, you still have a life),” he added.
Although, when a game comes up, Oreo said he needed to eat more carbs but it’s in a form of pasta and not rice.
Aside from the alternative foods for carbs, Oreo also eat fruits and occasionally pork.
He also monitors his daily calorie intake which is 1,500 to 2,000 calories.
Exercise. Oreo has a weekly quota of 500 to 2,000 counts of abs work out, which includes chest, shoulder, back and leg.
Although he admitted that he is not fond of doing exercises that involves the legs, he still continue with his routine.
Mental preparation. It’s hard to keep yourself from eating the dishes that you love, especially during family gatherings where an abundant of food is served.
Such situations came to a point that Oreo walked out of the diner and left his family to eat their fill just to avoid being tempted to eat.
“You just really have to trust yourself and ang (the) progress, just be patience lang gyud kay i-test man gud ka, ma test nimo ang imong self nga makaingon ka nga 'ako pa ba ni padayunon (you will be tested to the point that you will doubt ‘can I still continue)?'“ Vamenta said.
“Giabot ko sa point nga naa na ang rice, naa na ang lechon, naa koy ingon ana na moment nga 'mokaon ko, mokaon ko (It got to a point that there’s rice, there’s lechon, I have those moments when I think I’ll eat some, I’ll eat some’).' But you really have to discipline [yourself] mentally, not just physically but mentally ready ka dapat sa tanan bagay (in everything),” he added.
Keeping tabs of your progress. Vamenta keeps record of his progress, aside from the measuring his weight, through taking pictures of himself and updating his social media account.
Just recently, he posted a picture of himself weighing 190 pounds and another of him a year after losing 40 pounds.
Aside from keeping track of his progress, the posts also served as an inspiration to people to change their lifestyle into a healthier one.
“September last year, nag sigi gyud ko (I always) update and then pagka update nako sa (when I updated my) social media, daghan na daun tao there are several people), in a way, nga gaka inspire nako (who were inspired by what I did). Even sila, sila pud nag sunod sa akong footstep nga mao ni akong buhaton, mao ni akong routine. Mahibaw-an nako kay sila man mismo mag message sa ako (They even followed my footsteps on what I do in my routine. I know because they message me),” Oreo said.
“Until now sige gyapon sila og pangutana. Mangutana sila unsay akong routine, then ma update nako sila sa akong mga daily activities kay mag post man ko, ana (Until now they still asked me for advises. They’ll ask what my routine is, then I also update them of my daily activities in my posts),” he added.
It’s not easy to lose weight, but with patience, perseverance and discipline, you might just be like Oreo Vamenta, living a healthier life with confidence.