Making fitness a family bonding activity
The country first saw the Du brothers, Ralph and Christian, struggling to achieve amazing weight loss during the Biggest Loser Doubles Edition on ABS-CBN a few years back. Unlike some stories of relapse, the two brothers kept the weight loss largely due to the fitness transformation of the whole family.
Ralph Du told us proudly that his family made significant changes in their lifestyles. In doing so, they individually achieved their fitness goals while at the same time strengthening their bond as a family.
“Today, the most popular bonding activities are going to buffets, family KTVs and even family spas. All of these provide good bonding opportunities to a family. Going further, jump-starting a fitness goal as a family brings much more than bonding. It makes us healthier while enjoying adventures together, teaches us how to train our future family, and is guaranteed to bond 1,000 times more than eating together alone,” Ralph explains.
He quickly credits his mother for initiating the smart detour to a much healthier family lifestyle while acknowledging his dad for providing the grand plan and the strategies to undertake to ensure success.
“There is a culture of Filipino families that they have the most bonding when they eat, usually after a week’s worth of studying and/or working. This was our family’s way of bonding four years before, when everyone was still obese. We would either go to restaurants every weekend and eat our fills or just order tons of pizza over DVD nights. These habits made the whole family gradually unhealthy as pains and sicknesses brought about by obesity started to pop up one by one,” Ralph recalls.
The whole family has been featured in a TV show precisely because if some people are called fitspirations, then the Du family is actually a family fitspiration to emulate.
Ralph provides tips for families who would like to become healthy together: “Don’t think, just go for it. Start a fitness program yourself. Show the results to your other family members in the next six months. Your results will convince them that the endeavor they are going into is worth their while.”
He further reveals, “Once they have agreed, hire professionals — doctors, trainers, and dieticians. Start documenting your ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures, stats, and blood profiles. Motivate each other. Pull each other up, gather strength from one another. Have the family sit down and agree on detailed changes to be observed at home, at work, and in school because good habits should be observed everywhere 24/7. Show them your improvement every month, take more pictures. After six months, bring them to parties, then the rest of the history will write itself.”
How did the Du family score in this family lifestyle change?
The patriarch David Sr started at 195 lbs. with a 44-inch waistline. He had hypertension, high cholesterol, high uric acid levels, borderline diabetes, osteoarthritis, chronic muscle pains and back pains. Today, he is a muscular 150-pounder with a trim 32-inch waistline. His blood pressure is normal, uric acid controlled, blood sugar normal, osteoarthritis gone, cartilage regenerated, and muscle pains gone.
The matriarch Josefina Aduna was almost 200 lbs. with borderline hypertension and osteoarthritis. Today, she is much leaner at 145 pounds with normal blood pressure and the osteoarthritis on both knees gone.
Dave Jr. before was 185 lbs. with 40-percent body fat. Today, his weight is maintained at 160 lbs., with a percentage body fat of 22 percent.
Christian Yves before weighed 260 lbs. He had arrhythmia or abnormal heart beat rhythm. Today, he weighs 175 pounds with a percentage body fat of 22 percent. His arrhythmia is also gone.
Ralph was heavy at 275 pounds before the lifestyle modifications. Today, he is much lighter at 170 pounds. His sister Celina started at 190 pounds and today stands proud at 140 pounds.
Ralph confirms that for the Du family, there is no turning back. The benefits they get for their new lifestyle far outweigh the fleeting satisfaction of over-indulging in food and lack of activity. He points out that their healthier lifestyle yielded the following benefits:
“You will look and feel younger due to more defined chin and cheeks. Feeling great produces feel-good hormones. Makes skin brighter and lowers stress level. You will save money from medical expenses and tons of food.
“You will enjoy adventures together as a family as no one is left out from being fit. A strong, healthy body and mind allow us to eat and do almost anything this world has to offer. Body naturally smells good due to normal blood lipid levels.
“Confidence in knowing we are on the right track as to how to ‘really’ raise a family. A big plus is that everyone can lend each other clothes as sizes don’t really differ from one another anymore.
“If you are obese now, you’re lucky as you will enjoy the utmost fun of being fit, something you only dreamed of. And it’s possible! How? #justDUit!”
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Post me a note at mylene@goldsgym.com.ph or mylenedayrit@gmail.com.
