A Fitness Journey Worth Remembering

(Recently I was asked to write a testimonial for Crix, my personal trainer at Fitness First while I was living in Singapore. This was what I wrote)

I remember vividly how it started. It was the beginning of 2008. My friend was rummaging through my wardrobe looking for something to wear, and in total incredulity he lamented that I needed a (fashion) makeover!

Only then I realised I have not bought new clothes for years. I had always wanted to, but told myself to wait till I lose a little weight. Of course, that never happens, and years flew by.

(Me, at the beginning of my two-years regime, in January 2008)

Gripped by a fear that I will be a total telly tubby by the time I hit my 30s, I rounded up a friend who recently signed up for Fitness First. One week in, I got myself a personal trainer, Crix.

It wasn’t an easy process. I am the most unfit person I know. Crix has the patience of a saint to show me the rope and correcting my wrong techniques. A grueling combination of cardio work, muscle training and sensible diet saw itself paying off as I shave off one inch after one slow inch.

When I got started, my pants measured 40″ and I was a whopping 88 kg. Two years and two packages of 30 sessions later, I am the proud owner of pairs of 30″ jeans, while my weight dropped to the vicinity of 74 kg.

(My trainer, Crix at my 29th birthday party in June 2008, half year since we got started)

I learned that the body can take as much pressure as you wish to take on, and most of the time, the difficulty is a mental one. Yes, every now and then I slipped – a plethora of excuses, like work stress, travel schedule, birthday dinners – but the most important thing to remember is that, if you slip, it is not the end of the world. The right motivation and the help of a dedicated trainer go a long way.

Now that I reside in Hong Kong, I never forget some of the discipline and techniques Crix has instilled in me. Yes, I am still with Fitness First, and a firm believer on one-to-one training.

Crix, I have you to thank for in making part of who I am, today!

(At Budapest, Hungary in December 2009)