Achieving your ideal weight can be a challenge these days because we stay more at home, adhering to safety guidelines. But who says you have no chance of getting started in your fitness goals this year? 

The thing is, there are a lot of things you can do at home, especially with the surge of online programs that fitness facilities offer to cater to your needs. 

While some of these fitness centers are now operational, like the Santé Fitness Lab, a premier one-stop fitness center in Vermosa, Cavite, you may still opt to engage in online fitness sessions, particularly when there are no available fitness facilities in your area. Some other products and services can also help you in your journey to lead a healthier lifestyle and to live more and do more in life.

Do you need more? Take it from these two kick-ass individuals, who achieved their fitness goals while quarantining at home.

Reclaiming Self-Esteem 

Jayson Francisco, 24, has always exuded body positivity. He is also surrounded by supportive people like his mom and dad, who he considers his best friends since birth. Jayson even finds being with them every single day during the lockdowns as the best thing that has ever happened. At the start of his quarantining, he decided to challenge himself by joining a fitness program organized by his churchmates to lead a healthier lifestyle.

“I always wanted to lose weight,” he said. “When I joined that fitness group, I eventually fell in love with the workout routine and the changes I made in my eating habits.” 

Jayson also mentioned that he does not want to be overweight by the time he was 30. So, he made sure not to miss his high-intensity interval training (HIIT), composed mainly of exercises, such as push-ups, mountain climbs, squats, jumping jacks, jumping sit-ups, among others. 

“After reaching my goal (75kg), I decided to lift weights. So, from 140kg last November 2019 and 136 kg last February 2020, I weighed 75 kg in September last year. It was hard to do the workout at home, especially that you are close to your bed’s comforts. But if you are well-motivated, I am sure that you can do it even when working out next to your bed,” he added.  

Challenging Yourself to be Better

Justine Castillo, 26, could not agree more. Her weight management motivation is more about challenging herself to be better. Her eagerness to lose weight came about when she took the uncertainties brought by the pandemic as a challenge to show herself that she can be fit and healthy even if she is stuck at home. 

“At first, I did cardio exercises, and then I focused on the part of my body that I want to tone – like my legs, arms, and tummy. It is important to have the routine early in the morning, so you can get used to it every day and achieve your fitness goals. I also found it challenging to workout at home because I am used to doing my exercises at the gym. The equipment I have at home was also limited. But, as time goes by, I learned that I could also do workouts at home and make possible the achievement of my fitness goals,” Tin said.

From Hard Work to Fitspiration
Jayson Francisco, Before and After

Changing your Diet 

Both Jayson and Tin also had to change their diet. For Tin, she simply chose to eat healthier food and cut her sweets, rice, salty food, and high-carb intake. She ensures that she eats a low-carb diet and adheres to intermittent fasting. 

“To fulfill my weight goal, I needed to have self-discipline, be consistent in what I do, and to have the right supplement that I need. I start my day by drinking a pre-workout drink like Santé BarleyTM or Santé’s Barliccino coffee. After a workout, I drink Santé’s FitN’Trim   juice and have some healthy breakfast, like salad and chicken. I also count the calories I burned during workouts and, of course, be conscious about my calorie intake,” Tin added.

Jayson also did the same as he believes in the “calories in, calories out” mindset. “I decided to track my calorie intake per day while making sure that I still get the nutrients I need to sustain my energy. I also drink Santé BarleyTM and FitN’Trim,” he said.

Finding the right fitness drink 

Aside from a well-balanced diet, Jayson and Tin believe that taking food supplements packed with nutrients that they need also helps achieve their fitness goals. For instance, Santé BarleyTM TM TM is a pure organic barley grass powdered drink. Blended with one of nature’s most potent sweeteners, Stevia, this product is best taken before meals. It also readily dissolves in water and contains A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, and E (per serving).

FitN’Trim, on the other hand, is an excellent drink to partner with during workout routines or healthy diets and one of Santé’s premier organic health and wellness products. It is a high source of Vitamin C and contains Santé’s signature organic pure barley grass powder, certified by BioGro, New Zealand’s leading organic certification agency. 

This drink also contains green tea and a zest of lemon flavor, mixed with L-Carnitine that aids in increasing your metabolism, triggering the reduction of body fat. It also has calcium to help build strong bones and teeth, protein to assist in muscle growth and maintenance, magnesium to aid in muscle and nerve function, dietary fiber to aid digestive health, and Iron and Zinc that helps the immune system.

Believing in Yourself

For those planning to start their fitness journey, Jayson said that everything boils down to your drive to achieve your goal. He recalled that he enrolled himself in a gym’s fitness program three years ago. Although it did not go as planned, a small-sized freebie shirt helped him believe that he could achieve his ideal weight. 

“My fitness coach, at that time, jokingly said that if that shirt fits me, then I’ll be his idol. The other day, I saw this same shirt in my closet. Guess what? It fits me now,” he said. “What learned from this experience is that there will come a time when you will lose your motivation. My advice is to remind yourself of your goals and the progress you have made every day. Managing your weight is not an easy feat, for sure. So, you must be clear on your WHY and let that produce the HOW.”

Tin, on the other hand, reiterated that starting your fitness journey begins by believing in yourself. “Self-discipline, consistency, and choosing the right supplement will also help you achieve your fitness goals,” she added. To learn more fitness ideas and to discover other Santé products, visit its website at santebarley.com/ph/. 

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