HOW DID SINGAPOREAN CHEF LOSE 11KG IN 5 MONTHS? WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY WAS ‘TOUGH’, HE SAYS
Taking time out for regular exercise and sticking to a balanced diet are keys to losing weight. So how does a chef who works long hours around food hope to shed extra kilos?
Ngo Xing Jun, a chef at his family's hawker stall in Singapore, found the answer when he shed 11kg (24lbs) to weigh 61.5kg and his body fat percentage dropped to a healthy 10.5 per cent over five months in 2024, from August to December.
Ngo's family runs Xing Long Food Stall at a hawker centre in Singapore's Chinatown Complex Food Centre, a zi char eatery selling local dishes like fish head in bean sauce, ginger chicken, cuttlefish kangkung or water spinach, and other popular stir-fry dishes.
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Ngo joined the family business in his mid-twenties and became its chef in 2023.
From a young age he would help his parents out, chopping vegetables, serving food and running errands.
"Post-Covid, we faced a difficult situation as our old chef couldn't work any more. I decided to step in," says 37-year-old Ngo.
While growing up, Ngo was fit and played different sports, learning Muay Thai and mixed martial arts.
"I became lazy over the years and picked up bad habits such as eating at erratic hours, eating junk food and sweets like cakes, ice cream and waffles, and drinking bubble tea," says Ngo, whose weight increased rapidly, peaking at 80kg in January 2024.
"I loved drinking draught beer with my friends after work, and would drink eight to 12 pints almost every day," he says.
His poor health was the trigger to get into shape.
"I would get colds and sore throats frequently. I had low immunity, and my body felt heavy. My energy levels were low, and I didn't have the strength to do anything. I was tired of feeling tired," says Ngo.
He was also concerned about his ability to take care of his ageing parents if he did not take charge of his own health.
Ngo had attempted to lose weight several times without success. "I would show up at the gym, do some exercises and then not go back for months."
Searching online, Ngo found an Ultimate Performance gym close to his home. Impressed with its client testimonials about their transformations, he signed up with personal trainer Harry Tanujaya.
Tanujaya designed a three-pronged programme for Ngo consisting of strength training, cardio exercise and a change in diet.
Ngo began strength training three times a week, following a calorie-deficit diet of 1,800 to 2,000 calories a day, and walking 10,000 to 15,000 steps daily. Twice weekly, he did 3km (1.86-mile) runs near his home.
Tanujaya focused Ngo's training on the bench press, pull-ups and split squats to develop his upper and lower body strength, and prescribed a low-carbohydrate diet to regulate his food choices and ensure a high protein intake to support muscle growth and recovery.
Ngo found it fun to prepare his own meals, a smoothie of oats, yogurt, cottage cheese, protein powder, banana, avocado and blueberries for breakfast, and a meal a day of rice, vegetables and meat, chicken, fish or prawns.
"I always cooked for others. Now I was cooking for myself. I used less oil and tried to make them as healthy as possible," he says.
"Earlier, I would eat anything I felt like - pizza, steak, burger, onion rings. Some of my favourite dishes were pork belly, pork knuckle and Indian curries," says Ngo.
Having lost weight, he is now in a bulking-up phase, having 2,400 calories a day to help build muscle. Typically, he has a smoothie at 11am, lunch at 2pm and dinner at 8pm. Occasionally, he treats himself to a waffle ice cream cone.
He also cut out alcohol and drinks only on special occasions.
It was not an easy process - Ngo works long hours, from 11am to 8pm.
"Working as a chef is draining and I found it hard to make time for myself and show up for my training sessions," he says.
"After being unfit for years, I found the training tough. My body felt tired, and I was hungry throughout the day. My body craved sweets, beer and junk food," he added.
It was hard not to eat while cooking food - especially when he saw cooks at nearby stalls rustling up delicious meals, and patrons relishing them.
Friends were not supportive, either, not believing he could lose weight after putting on so many kilograms.
"They would say, 'It's impossible for you to lose weight,' 'Being fat is fine,' or 'You don't need to lose weight.'"
To reach his fitness goals, Ngo realised he had to learn to let go of many ingrained habits so as not to keep self-sabotaging.
Working with his trainer was game-changing, he says.
"Harry became my accountability partner, checking in with me every morning and every night to make sure that I was on track in terms of my diet and cardio exercise.
"Knowing that I had to send him details of what I had eaten and my daily step (counts) kept me from indulging.
"When I felt hungry, I acknowledged that I was hungry. I observed the feeling and let it pass. I did not act on it. Weight loss is so much about being conscious and managing your emotions."
Ngo adds: "When I had 'low moments' or felt 'lost', he pulled me up and made sure that I was back on the right track."
Tanujaya had Ngo send him daily photos of everything he ate, allowing him to provide feedback and guide him on making healthier choices. In the gym, he tracked Ngo's progress closely to ensure he was making significant improvements and could maximise results.
The environment plays a big role, Ngo says, especially at the gym.
"Everyone is working towards the same goals, supporting and pushing each other. Every time I am at the gym, I feel joyful and push harder.
"I have finally learned the right way to eat, to train, and, most importantly, have gained a better understanding about my body and mind," which makes it easy to sustain the weight loss.
"I have regained my health, my body and my mind. It feels so good. I feel so much lighter and have incredible energy now. My friends admire the way I look and my high energy levels. They ask me for advice on how to lose weight and even ask me to help their overweight children lose weight," says Ngo.
His older brother, who weighs over 100kg, has begun exercising, inspired by Ngo's fitness journey.
His wife of six years, Serena, has been his biggest supporter.
"In tough times, she remained positive and always believed in me. She encouraged me by allowing me to take my own decisions and pulled me forward."
To become fit, Ngo advises:
finding a happy, supportive environment, where you are surrounded by like-minded people;
getting the "right trainer" who understands you;
setting clear goals and focusing on one thing at a time;
being conscious of daily actions, and finding joy in tough moments while working towards your goals.
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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.
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2025-05-27T07:40:04Z
