Ho Chi Minh City – Once weighing over 100 kg, Tra My was disgusted when she looked at herself in the mirror, afraid to go out or meet friends for fear of being ridiculed for her appearance.
Before getting married, Tong Thi Tra My weighed 54-55 kg. After two years of staying home and giving birth due to the Covid-19 pandemic, her weight doubled. Looking at her bulky body and "plump" waistline, the young mother felt disgusted. With a height of 1.63 m, My was likened to a "shorty" or a "walking barrel," making her reluctant to go out, avoid meeting friends, and stay indoors all the time. Furthermore, the rapid weight gain caused My to frequently get sick, becoming breathless after climbing just a few steps of stairs. Medical examinations revealed high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Before losing weight, My only wore black clothes to hide her flaws. Photo: Provided by the subject.
Nguyen Huu Lam, from Solid Fitness Center and Tra My's personal trainer, said that she had tried many negative methods such as fasting and taking weight-loss pills to lose weight, but they backfired. After giving birth, My suffered from back pain and was also obsessed with her weight, losing confidence, making her transformation journey even more difficult. My works in an office all day, so she needed a comprehensive exercise and diet plan to achieve her desired results.
"For My, there's no need for a complicated or overly strict diet; just ensure that the calories consumed are less than the calories burned, combined with consistent exercise," Lam said.
However, My's body had accumulated fat over many years, making exercise even more difficult. To achieve results, she told herself she had to work twice as hard as other trainees. She set herself specific goals to achieve. For example, she challenged herself to lose 10 kg in two months. Each subsequent exercise had to be more challenging than the previous one, gradually increasing depending on her strength. She requested that her trainer provide a precise diet plan, not just estimating the quantity of food consumed.
"I bought a digital scale to make sure I'm eating the correct amount of calories," My said, adding that she eats a variety of foods including meat, fish, eggs, and dairy, but doesn't consume more than 1700 kcal a day.
In addition, the mother of two constantly changes her diet, not sticking to one regimen. For example, in the first month, My ate a calorie deficit, meaning the amount of calories consumed was less than the amount of calories burned. According to experts, one of the most important factors in weight loss is a calorie deficit, meaning the amount of calories consumed must be less than or equal to the amount of calories burned. Calories consumed (calories in) per day include food and drinks. Calories burned (calories out) are from metabolism, normal activities (including breathing or sleeping), and exercise.
For each meal, My prepared a variety of dishes while limiting the amount of oil and fat. For example, in the morning she ate stir-fried beef with broccoli; fish for lunch; and meat for dinner. In the first month, she lost 11 kg.
In the second month, My switched to the 16:8 intermittent fasting method, meaning she ate between 6 and 8 hours and fasted for the remaining 16-18 hours. However, she only applied this method on weekends to allow her body to adjust, while maintaining her deficit eating habits for the rest of the time.
In the third month, My switched to intermittent fasting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while eating a deficit on the remaining days. In subsequent months, she continuously changed her diet to avoid boredom and prevent weight plateaus. However, when eating a deficit, My limited her intake to no more than 1600 kcal per day, and with intermittent fasting, she always finished before 6 PM. She absolutely did not eat after 8 PM.
"Many people think I'm starving, but I always try to eat plenty of meat and fish throughout the day, up to 800 grams, so I still have enough energy to work," the woman said.
Furthermore, she believes that losing weight doesn't necessarily mean eating only chicken breast or just boiling and steaming food. My only limits her intake of fats and sweets. When her weight loss plateaus, she allows herself a "cheat day" to regain energy, and then continues her weight loss journey.
Thanks to this, she reduced her waist circumference by more than 40 cm and confidently chose her clothes. Coach Lam praised her as a disciplined student with admirable weight loss results.
When My arrived at the gym, she weighed 96 kg. Now, she has reduced her weight to 53 kg. Photo: Provided by the subject.
Besides nutrition, My was guided to do resistance training to improve her weight more effectively. "Due to her weak physique and poor physical strength, it took My quite a long time to get used to the intensity," Mr. Lam said. Her calves were the hardest area to lose weight due to her "pear-shaped" body type, so My added planks and cardio exercises to build muscle and lose fat faster.
After 8 months, My lost over 30 kg. She said that although her body measurements weren't perfect, she felt confident knowing she had mastered the rules of diet to avoid regaining weight. The mother of two understood that weight loss is a long journey, requiring 100% effort in both exercise and diet.
Currently, My continues to train four times a week, for 1.5 to two hours each time, to become healthier and more beautiful.
Thuy An
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