Pan “JJ” Junjie, 37, shares the wake-up call that led to him taking his health seriously—and transforming his body and entire lifestyle.
In September 2021, I received news that my brother was hospitalized because he was showing signs of a stroke. He survived, but the stroke left him with sudden loss of function, confidence and independence. It was heart-breaking to see him go from the man who could do everything independently to a childlike version of himself.
This prompted me to seek a doctor’s advice on my own health. While my brother was fighting to get back on his feet, my own health-screening report indicated an extremely-high cholesterol level which also put me in the high risk group of having a stroke. This was a hugely sobering moment: the possibility of having a stroke was hard to accept. What would happen to my wife and young daughter?
I could not just go through life and take everything for granted, hoping that everything will turn out fine, while knowing how highly preventable all of these issues are. It was for this reason that I decided to regain control of my health for the people I love. The doctor suggested putting me on medication as part of the treatment plan to control my cholesterol level, coupled with some changes to my lifestyle. I decided to sign up for a 12-week transformation program at Ultimate Performance in Singapore.
Prior to UP, I considered myself to be fairly active person who worked out regularly at the gym. I followed some free workout programs from the internet and cherry-picked the exercises that I was familiar with. Most of the time, I was not entirely sure what I was doing. Additionally, work and family commitments kept me busy so I tended to eat whatever that was the most convenient, snacking on bread for lunch and a pint of beer to end my day. Most of the time, I was just eating for pleasure and had no awareness of my daily calorie intake.
During my transformation, it was a complete change. I had to clean up my diet and get educated about nutrition for my calorie-deficit phase. Since it was my first time doing meal prep, I kept my grocery items simple, choosing whole foods such as chicken, tuna, green vegetables, pumpkin, eggs. I dropped all processed, starchy and sugary foods, and replaed my beer with water and zero-calorie drinks.
I was working out six days a week, consisting of three high-intensity resistance training sessions with my trainer at UP, and three cardio sessions by myself. My trainer focused on good techniques and building a strong foundation for me to progress and to execute more technical exercises. During the initial phase, he emphasised basic movement such as incline hip extension so as to familiar myself with the proper posture and better activation of the correct muscle groups. When I progressed to do the deadlift, it as so much easier for me to make the proper adjustment based on the feedback I was getting.
Ultimate Performance
Knowing that I had a limited amount of time with various commitments, it as helpful for me to identify the things that were within my control and focus my energy on them. Prioritising and planning these tasks effectively around my schedule helped to remove distractions and get all important tasks done such as meal prep and finding time to clock my daily steps.
My trainer was super committed on achieving my goal. He ensured that I understood the intent and the mechanic of the exercises. When I was doing the exercises, he was watchful and focused on my technique and form, and he knew when it was time for me to push harder and when to pull back on the intensity. On training days that I was struggling, he provided encouragement and assurance that I needed to pick myself up. He has been an awesome training partner.
In 12 weeks, my cholesterol level dropped from extremely high to just high, which my doctor was very impressed with. I lost 21% of body fat percentage, 10 kgs body weight (22 pounds) and gained about 9 kgs (20 pounds) lean body mass!
Ultimate Performance
This experience has improved my self-confidence and also my relationship with food. During the transformation process, I developed many good habits with regards to nutrition and training which gave me the structure to keep myself in good shape all year round. I do not worry about eating out, because my trainer gave me the tools I needed to be able to choose foods that are good for me. I can have my peanut waffles whenever I feel like it and not have to beat myself over it.
My wife looks at my wellness in a more holistic manner, placing more attention to my physical health as well as my emotional well-being. Although she noticed I became busier with my meal prep and training, she also felt that I have changed and become a much happier and cheerful person. Positive feedback from my friends has been amazing too. Some mentioned that I look younger and sharper while others are inspired to do something about their own health.
Ultimate Performance
I’m also a much more active father. I love to bring my kid out nowadays, chasing her around the park and at the same time, increasing my daily step count. More importantly, my new energy levels have helped me to be more patient with my daughter, compared to always feeling tired and reactive.
This entire experience was a real eye-opener for what I can achieve. I am now working with my trainer on my next phase of my transformation, focusing on getting stronger and developing my weaker muscle groups.
Everyone is different. What works for someone else might or might not work for you. The best advice I can offer is to speak to knowledgable and skilled professionals, and just as importantly, someone who is committed in achieving your goals. Being kind to yourself is important too. There were moments that I slipped up on my meals, did not train as hard as I wanted, or missed my daily step counts. But each time, I learned from my mistakes, and got right back to working towards my ultimate goal.
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