Girl 'turned ugly duckling into a swan' thanks to weight loss

Ho Chi Minh City Having completely cut out starch and gagged after eating, causing her body to weaken and her hair to fall out in patches, Quynh Anh chose to go to the gym to change her appearance and become healthier.

The last days of the year have seen Nguyen Thi Quynh Anh, 26, become very busy with work. As a communications officer, she has to arrange and prepare many schedules for the year-end event, so she is at the company almost all day. The only free time of the day is early in the morning, which she spends on exercising. Looking at the female employee with her toned body, no one would think that she was once a victim of body shaming.

Before losing weight, Quynh Anh weighed 75 kg, was 1.58 m tall, and was "loyal" to T-shirts, fabric pants, or dark-colored clothes. When she entered university, the 18-year-old girl began to realize that she was different. Being overweight made Quynh Anh self-conscious, making it difficult for her to move, and slow her movements. She often felt dizzy when standing up and sitting down, was lethargic, and wore clothes that were 3-4 XL.

"Just one look and I think they're talking bad about me," he said.

Quynh Anh used to weigh 75 kg and was a victim of body shaming. Photo: Character provided — Quynh Anh used to weigh 75 kg and was a victim of body shaming. Photo: *Character provided*

At the end of 2020, she went online to learn about cardio exercises, jogging to burn fat combined with dieting. Every day, the female employee exercises for about an hour, trying to sweat a lot to lose fat faster. "I always think about losing weight, having to lose a lot of weight in the shortest time," Quynh Anh said. However, due to lack of knowledge, she cut out starch and sugar, only eating vegetables and fruits. Many times, she accidentally ate too much, she stuck her throat to vomit the food out, "thinking that if it doesn't go into the stomach, it won't make you fat."

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Head of the Department of Digestive Surgery, 108 Central Military Hospital, fasting is the first thing that 99% of people who want to lose weight think of. This is the most obvious way to cut calories and also brings certain effects. However, fasting incorrectly will cause unpredictable harm and affect health.

In three months, Quynh Anh lost 20 kg, but she always felt tired, lacked vitality, and lost hair in patches, "just a light stroke and a handful of hair fell out". The extreme weight loss also caused her insomnia and dull skin.

Quynh Anh maintained 54-55 kg for two years. Then, she went to study abroad and suddenly gained 67 kg in three months. She thought that it was understandable that she gained weight because of unscientific weight loss. Being abroad alone, Quynh Anh was stressed so she ate a lot and did not exercise. Not to mention, compared to Westerners, her figure was average.

In early 2023, she returned to Vietnam and was shocked to see her "flabby, sluggish" body compared to everyone else, her clothes no longer fit. She decided to buy a gym package with a personal trainer (PT) to follow closely to lose weight more properly.

"Spending a large amount of money, working out and getting back in shape was the best decision at that time," she said.

Image of Quynh Anh after losing 20 kg. Photo: Character provided — Image of Quynh Anh after losing 20 kg. Photo: *Character provided*

Mr. Tran Khuong Thanh, Solid Fitness Center, who is also Quynh Anh's personal trainer, said that due to the nature of her work, she can only work out between 5:30 and 6:00. Not to mention, she used to use many negative methods, so she lost faith in losing weight and gave up easily. Therefore, Mr. Thanh made a simple workout plan that did not take much time, especially not leaving out family meals because Quynh Anh still ate with everyone.

In phase one, she was instructed on simple exercises at the gym combined with walking at work to keep her body from becoming sluggish. Next, the trainer increased the intensity and level of exercises to reduce fat. Priority exercises were weight lifting, cardio, squats, push-ups, jogging...

"Quynh Anh's results may not come as quickly as other students', but they must be maintained regularly," he said.

Regarding nutrition, Quynh Anh eats a variety of foods, with enough protein from meat and eggs and limited fat. When she craves food, she consumes more yogurt, fruit, and coconut water. From someone who likes to snack, Quynh Anh has gradually changed. She prepares her own food for work, drinks a lot of water, and supplements enough protein and vitamins, suitable for her daily activity level.

After 4 months of perseverance, she lost 10 kg, maintaining her weight at 52-53 kg. Currently, Quynh Anh continues to exercise three times a week, and eats a moderate diet, only reducing salt and other spices to keep her body healthy.

"After losing weight, I realized it's not too difficult. You just need to be determined and know how to love yourself," she shared.