SINGAPOREAN CHEF’S INCREDIBLE 30KG WEIGHT-LOSS JOURNEY AND HOW HIS HEALTH HAS BENEFITED

LG Han of Michelin-starred restaurant Labyrinth hit 94kg in 2022. Now over 30kg lighter, he says he is happier and more mentally focused

Weight-loss stories often begin with a moment of epiphany, which is then followed by an intense period of discipline and perseverance - sometimes measured in months, sometimes in years.

For Singaporean chef Han Li-guang, who has lost more than 30kg (66 pounds) since 2022, it has been a slow, steady race to the finish line. Even now, he continues to work out for two hours at a time, six days a week, to set himself up for the day.

"Going to the gym helps me clear my mind, to start fresh. It sets my mood in the right direction as well," Han says.

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The chef, better known as LG Han, is credited with redefining modern Singaporean cuisine at his Michelin-starred restaurant Labyrinth at the Esplanade Mall in Singapore.

Han, who is mostly self-taught but who has worked in classical French kitchens, was driven by a desire to elevate his heritage.

He deconstructs hawker stall staples like rojak, a salad dish of Javanese origin, and chilli crab into avant-garde masterpieces - think edible "soil" made from dried shrimp, or ice cream infused with tangy crab essence.

He is an advocate for sustainability and sources ingredients within Singapore, from vegetables grown in vertical farms to ikan bilis, or dried anchovies, from nearby fisheries.

Even his plating tells a story: one signature dish, Memory of a Chicken Rice, layers Hainanese rice foam with crispy chicken skin, evoking street-food memories from his childhood.

"I want to show the world that Singaporean food is fine dining," he says.

After graduating with a finance degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science, Han worked for three years in global investment institutions like Goldman Sachs and Citibank in Singapore until he discovered that what he really wanted was to work with food.

While still in finance, he started out as a weekend kitchen hand in restaurants, scrubbing dishes and cleaning floors while observing the chefs at the same time.

He would then buy ingredients and experiment at home, before going back to consult the chefs about what he did wrong and how he could improve.

Before he opened Labyrinth in 2014, he even asked an acquaintance who owned a chain of restaurants if he could work front of house for a few months to gain experience in that role.

It is safe to say that Han is dedicated but cautious when it comes to his goals.

That is also the case when it comes to his personal life. In mid-2022, as the Covid-19 pandemic stretched on, Han was tipping the scales at 94kg. It was the most he had ever weighed.

He points to several reasons for the weight gain. One in particular was the late-night suppers he would have with his other chef friends.

"We all have the same mental pressures, you know, you're putting yourself out there and we're putting so much time and effort into the food, but even the best restaurant in the world will have criticism," he says.

"Even if you have one hater out of 100, it does hurt, and having camaraderie with other chefs helps - but the suppers don't help our waistline."

Another was the irregular eating habits that he had fallen foul of as a result of his dedication to work.

"I was the first one in, last one out," Han says. "I was just not eating regularly or healthily. When I got hungry, I just snacked on the go - chips, sausages, chicken nuggets and fries from the kitchen."

Lastly, there was the closure of public spaces during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I tried to lose weight before Covid, but the pandemic killed it off," he says. "In Singapore, they banned [people from] going to the gym, going to the pools. You couldn't do anything except eat."

The turning point for his weight, as is common for many, was his impending wedding.

"The buttons on my chef jacket were bursting when I sat down, and I didn't want to look like a penguin in my [wedding] suit. So, five or six months before the wedding, I had to start losing weight," he says.

"I'm the kind of guy that, if I do something, I want to do it all the way. If I don't do it, I don't do it at all, so it is either zero or dedicating myself 120 per cent to my goal."

As he did when he moved from finance to food, Han took measured steps towards his weight-loss goal.

"I started to do a lot more cardio, controlled my carb intake, and lowered my fat intake. I was very successful. I dropped around 8kg in four months," he says.

Han tied the knot with Pamela Tan in the summer of 2022 at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore hotel. That year, Labyrinth retained its Michelin star and was listed 40th on the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list, which meant his wedding menu had to be something special.

Wedding guests were treated to dishes with a Labyrinth twist specially curated by Han and his team, such as truffle chicken rice stuffed chicken wing, grouper XO fish soup and chilli crab ice cream.

Han continued his fitness regime after the wedding, but by early 2024, he felt like he had hit something of a plateau. Instead of losing more weight, he was holding steady at 79kg.

When he realised this, he engaged a personal trainer, who helped him shed an additional 15kg.

"He actually educated me that it's not just about the exercising, but about the nutritional intake," he says.

"He dispelled a lot of myths for me, and that losing weight is not about having zero carbs in your diet. It is about having the right amount of carbs, fats, protein and sugar. It's really about managing that and dropping it in phases.

"I'm actually eating three bowls of rice a day. I'm in a bulking phase now [to build muscle] so I need to increase my carbs and protein intake."

Han's weight-loss journey has not been about reaching an ideal weight. He wants to manage his physical health to better support his mental health as well.

"You can crash diet and be skinny fat, but it's about losing weight the right way for your body, in the right proportions for your body," he says. "The key is mental health. Good physical health leads to good mental health."

He adds that working on his body gives him the time to clear his mind.

"I feel good and I can function better. I have more stamina, and my mental strength has improved as well. I feel so happy waking up these days."

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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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2025-04-18T20:37:55Z