This Filipino photographer’s quarantine transformation will inspire you to achieve your dream bod
At this point in the quarantine, we’ve all most probably started personal projects to make time seem worthwhile at home. It may be house improvements, creative work, and for many, getting “quarantined.” Since we’ve been given extra time in our hands, a lot are getting back their revenge bodies by following workout routines online to emerge from this lockdown looking their best versions of themselves. In an exclusive interview with photographer Mike Gella, he shared with us how he decided to work on his body.
“It was during the first month of quarantine. I was just laying in bed, feeling unproductive, watching TV, and eating a lot. My pre-pandemic life used to just work than hang out with friends to drink. At one point, I was already so unhealthy that I was gaining so much weight in a span of a week. Then I got fed up with it because I wasn’t doing anything productive with my time. I hated the thought of the gym and all those machineries that I didn’t know how to use, so I started out with something simple and I would find fun. I learned how to jump rope and then I found it so fun that I started learning tricks and all that.”
Making better choices
After a while, Mike noticed significant progress and gains. He shared that it wasn’t that all easy but he was definitely having fun in the process.
“So for a month, I would work out for an average of 4 hours a day, and it made my days so much quicker, not thinking of being stuck at home because of the pandemic. I stopped joining E-numans with my friends because I didn’t want to miss a day of working out. I eventually tried more things such as dieting and drinking apple cider vinegar every day. Everything else just followed after that.”
Was there a moment that he felt like giving up? Yes but Mike would immediately brush off that thought by convincing himself to keep going as he’d come thus far. It helps as well that he has a great support system that keeps his self-esteem in check.
“People were so amazed at my results and that motivates me to push even more. I have friends who are coaches at gyms also, so they guided me through my fitness journey telling me what I should and should not do. The best support system for me is seeing results. It might not show that fast, but I try to look at every detail and see if something changed. I would notice that every 3 days there’s something different about my body even if it was intentional, such as my legs slimming down, arms getting toner, the face is getting thinner, and things like that.”
Even before he decided to start losing weight, Mike already sees himself as enough and accepts his own flaws. He didn’t even want to call it his “revenge body” at all.
“Working out kept me sane. I guess you can say it’s a revenge for my insanity.”
Finally, he wanted to inspire more by telling them that they just need to find something that they can enjoy without instilling force. This makes it more effective for him.
“Always tell yourself that you’ve gone that far and don’t fall back to square one. This lifestyle isn’t just an aesthetic, it will help you physically, mentally, and in many more ways, you can imagine. Plus there’s also a pandemic happening right now, so it’s also a really great way to raise your immunity.”
