This is why I do what I do!

Before




After




NAME: Grace Chung
AGE: 22 years
OCCUPATION: Nuclear Medicine Student



The reason why I decided to start going to the gym was because I felt that if I didn’t do anything about taking care of myself, then I’d only end up becoming increasingly heavier, chunkier, and miserable. I epitomized the classic yo-yo dieter, and always refused to be in a picture when somebody had a camera around because I knew I wouldn’t like how I turned out in it. So I decided that joining a gym would be a birthday present to myself. In addition, I have a family history of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, which was where I was headed if I didn’t act soon.

At my initial assessment, I discovered that I wasn’t just overweight, I was clinically obese, and my body fat composition was a horrendous 45%!! That definitely shocked me; frankly, it was embarrassing. If I didn’t accept it before, I sure did when I saw the numbers – I was FAT. Therefore, I agreed to be assigned to a nutritionist and a personal trainer – the nutritionist would teach me how my body metabolizes food and what sorts of foods are better for me as an individual, and a personal trainer would whip me into shape while keeping me accountable.

Greg was my nutritionist, and he basically taught me the philosophy of eating. Previously, I was eating a lot of carbohydrates and fats, and not enough protein and fruits and vegetables; now it’s the opposite. He taught me how exercise affects how my body processes food, and how to make better food choices while not giving power to food. Greg also gave me an incredible tool: a food diary. I still use it every day to record what and how much I eat, the times that I eat, the total calories and the total protein for the day. Because he understood that I am a visual learner, writing down all that information would help keep myself accountable for what I put into my body as fuel, as well as reflecting on what dietary adjustments I need to make on an on-going basis.

In the end, the key is that I learned and was educated throughout the entire process, I was taught what to do instead of being told what to do. This is important because now I’ll be able to create workout programs and eat properly on my own. Best of all, I saw results and I still do!! It’s been just shy of one year, and I’ve burned off 38 pounds and my body fat composition is at a fair 25%. Not only that, I am now determined to live a healthy lifestyle, and I know I’ll be able to maintain it because of how much I’ve changed not only physically, but mentally; I have a more positive outlook on life, and definitely on health and fitness. I am now a healthier and happier person and am grateful to all the people I’ve met along the way!!