Thinspiration goes beyond skin deep
By Nickky Faustine De Guzman
Published: August 20, 2013
Beyond flaunting a gorgeous body, a more significant motivation for shaving off excess fat should be that of gaining optimum health and wellness. And from this healthy state, one is armed with the self-confidence to face life’s challenges.
This was the focus of the recently concluded 5th New You Achievement Awards (NYAA), where Fitness First highlighted and shared the drastic changes in the emotional, physical, and spiritual states of its 15 gym member finalists who experienced survival from fatal illnesses, low self-esteem, and bullying, all brought about by obesity.
According to the latest World Health Organization statistics, the cases of obesity have nearly doubled since 1980. In fact, more than 40 million children were overweight in 2011. In the Philippines, nine out of 17 regions have overweight adults according to a survey conducted by the Department of Science and Technology in 2011. Being overweight actually is the fifth leading risk of global deaths.
The NYAA awarded winners under the categories of Health, Shape, Sport, Strength, and Staff. The Health category cited drastic weight loss to return to utmost health condition after suffering from illness or injury. The Shape category cited the biggest loser. The Sport category recognized gym members who have passion for sports activities. The Strength category recognized members who gained power and built strong body mass. Lastly, the Staff recognized exemplary personal trainers.
Healthy and Happy
Take the case of Health category winner, Joee Guilas. The 106.7 Energy FM DJ and former RPN 9 News Anchor had chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD is the 10th leading cause of mortality in the country. It is also the same culprit that took the lives of Joee’s mother and brother.
He was also overweight at 180 pounds and he had fatty liver.
“My doctors told me that I should really have a change in lifestyle if I wanted to prolong the usefulness of my kidneys which, at that time, they calculated to be functioning at only 30%. The moment it drops to 15% then I would have to undergo regular dialysis treatments,” he said.
The doctors advised him to lose a significant amount of weight. Credits to his determination to drop his extra pounds and the motivation of his personal trainer at the gym, Joee was able to shed 45 pounds of excess fat. He now enjoys the confidence and compliments he gets for looking younger than his actual age.
“Pursuing a life of fitness however gives me constant hope that I will actually be given many more tomorrows. And from what I know, when you have hope, you can have everything,” he declared.
From Flabs to Abs
Meanwhile, Shape category winner and overall champion Drew Javellana, 27, had always been on the heavy side. There was a time when his body grew too big that his spine could no longer support him; he suffered from a slipped disc.
“In 2005, I made a move to lose weight and drop 50 pounds in three months. However, after years of going to the gym without proper knowledge, my back spine slipped. I was on bed rest for more than a year,” Javellana said.
But through motivation and strong will power, despite his doctors telling him he could not do physical activities anymore, he was able to lose 84 pounds of extra body fat in just 10 months after going to Fitness First. Now he looks better than ever at 150 pounds.
He said consistency and patience are the keys to a successful weight loss.
“I think that anything can be done. Don’t wait for you to get sick because of your weight issues. Just go to the gym, watch your nutrition and see your gains right before your eyes,” Javellana shared.
As the 5th NYAA Champion and Over-all winner, Javellana hopes to inspire and motivate others who also want to live a healthier and thus happier life.
Spotlight on trainers
“Fitness First and the annual New You Achievement Awards encourage and support anyone to step over the line and say ‘I can be better. I can do more.’,” Country Manager Mark Ellis said during the awards night.
However, the 15 finalists agreed that they will never achieve their fit body sans the persistent motivation of their personal trainers (PTs). They may have decided to stop their sessions at one point, but their respective PTs, were the ones who never gave up on them.
“These guys have gone above and beyond to step out and be better. This is also the time to appreciate what helped them get here. Often, it is the unsung heroes, the personal trainers, behind the scenes, working hard to motivate, coach, mentor, and really listen,” Ellis added.
Other winners
Meanwhile, the winners in the other categories were also recognized; they are Adi Luansing (Sport category), Nikko Ong (Strength), and Dheng Cruz (Staff). Juan Lee, 96, and Teresita Cando, 65, received special awards for their commitment to maintaining healthy and fit bodies despite advanced age.
The panel of judges included director Joey Reyes, model Ornusa Cadness, 2012 NYAA Champion Haide Acufia, Triathlon and first female multi-sport coach in the country Ani de Leon, Fitness First Training Manager Chyme Piedad, and media personality Tessa Prieto-Valdes.
For more information, visit www.fitnessfirst.com.ph
This was the focus of the recently concluded 5th New You Achievement Awards (NYAA), where Fitness First highlighted and shared the drastic changes in the emotional, physical, and spiritual states of its 15 gym member finalists who experienced survival from fatal illnesses, low self-esteem, and bullying, all brought about by obesity.
According to the latest World Health Organization statistics, the cases of obesity have nearly doubled since 1980. In fact, more than 40 million children were overweight in 2011. In the Philippines, nine out of 17 regions have overweight adults according to a survey conducted by the Department of Science and Technology in 2011. Being overweight actually is the fifth leading risk of global deaths.
The NYAA awarded winners under the categories of Health, Shape, Sport, Strength, and Staff. The Health category cited drastic weight loss to return to utmost health condition after suffering from illness or injury. The Shape category cited the biggest loser. The Sport category recognized gym members who have passion for sports activities. The Strength category recognized members who gained power and built strong body mass. Lastly, the Staff recognized exemplary personal trainers.
Healthy and Happy
Take the case of Health category winner, Joee Guilas. The 106.7 Energy FM DJ and former RPN 9 News Anchor had chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD is the 10th leading cause of mortality in the country. It is also the same culprit that took the lives of Joee’s mother and brother.
He was also overweight at 180 pounds and he had fatty liver.
“My doctors told me that I should really have a change in lifestyle if I wanted to prolong the usefulness of my kidneys which, at that time, they calculated to be functioning at only 30%. The moment it drops to 15% then I would have to undergo regular dialysis treatments,” he said.
The doctors advised him to lose a significant amount of weight. Credits to his determination to drop his extra pounds and the motivation of his personal trainer at the gym, Joee was able to shed 45 pounds of excess fat. He now enjoys the confidence and compliments he gets for looking younger than his actual age.
“Pursuing a life of fitness however gives me constant hope that I will actually be given many more tomorrows. And from what I know, when you have hope, you can have everything,” he declared.
From Flabs to Abs
Meanwhile, Shape category winner and overall champion Drew Javellana, 27, had always been on the heavy side. There was a time when his body grew too big that his spine could no longer support him; he suffered from a slipped disc.
“In 2005, I made a move to lose weight and drop 50 pounds in three months. However, after years of going to the gym without proper knowledge, my back spine slipped. I was on bed rest for more than a year,” Javellana said.
But through motivation and strong will power, despite his doctors telling him he could not do physical activities anymore, he was able to lose 84 pounds of extra body fat in just 10 months after going to Fitness First. Now he looks better than ever at 150 pounds.
He said consistency and patience are the keys to a successful weight loss.
“I think that anything can be done. Don’t wait for you to get sick because of your weight issues. Just go to the gym, watch your nutrition and see your gains right before your eyes,” Javellana shared.
As the 5th NYAA Champion and Over-all winner, Javellana hopes to inspire and motivate others who also want to live a healthier and thus happier life.
Spotlight on trainers
“Fitness First and the annual New You Achievement Awards encourage and support anyone to step over the line and say ‘I can be better. I can do more.’,” Country Manager Mark Ellis said during the awards night.
However, the 15 finalists agreed that they will never achieve their fit body sans the persistent motivation of their personal trainers (PTs). They may have decided to stop their sessions at one point, but their respective PTs, were the ones who never gave up on them.
“These guys have gone above and beyond to step out and be better. This is also the time to appreciate what helped them get here. Often, it is the unsung heroes, the personal trainers, behind the scenes, working hard to motivate, coach, mentor, and really listen,” Ellis added.
Other winners
Meanwhile, the winners in the other categories were also recognized; they are Adi Luansing (Sport category), Nikko Ong (Strength), and Dheng Cruz (Staff). Juan Lee, 96, and Teresita Cando, 65, received special awards for their commitment to maintaining healthy and fit bodies despite advanced age.
The panel of judges included director Joey Reyes, model Ornusa Cadness, 2012 NYAA Champion Haide Acufia, Triathlon and first female multi-sport coach in the country Ani de Leon, Fitness First Training Manager Chyme Piedad, and media personality Tessa Prieto-Valdes.
For more information, visit www.fitnessfirst.com.ph
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