Her weight loss journey started when she discovered and fell in love with Zumba.
It was a rude shock when Celine Leow first went out to work after graduating from polytechnic in 2010. Her colleagues passed remarks about her appearance because of her weight.
“My colleagues said I looked older than I was, like a mother of three kids. Seeing my colleagues wear nice dresses in high heels made me very envious,” the 31-year-old account executive recalled.
Weighing 108kg then, Celine could only fit into clothes from stores selling plus-sized apparel.
“When I went shopping with my friends, I would just observe and help them with their fittings. I didn’t dare look at the clothes on the rack because I couldn’t fit into them,” she added.<img alt="" data-caption="Celine at her heaviest of 108kg in August 2010. A handout photo.
PHOTO: Shape” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”5a7ec41f-8ef8-412e-8d44-c6a9956bf048″ src=”/sites/default/files/inline-images/cel.jpg”/>
Heavy Hurdles & Daily Dilemmas
Unlike the effortless slide of a light‑weight life, her sizable figure brought knee pain into the mix, turning routine chores into full‑on challenges.
Everyday Adventures Turn Into Oxygen Crashes
- Falling behind the bus — turns into a sprint that leaves her gasping.
- Climbing the stairwell — practically a workout of its own.
- Every step feels like a reminder of how much weight she carries.
Such exertions forced her into panting hard and left her feeling the need for a moment’s pause — a pause that she hardly had.
Feeling “Hubby” in the Workplace
“I felt very insecure as a plus‑size girl, arriving at work drenched in sweat,” she confided. The imagery is vivid: sweaty, self‑aware, and clutching her dignity as she steps through those office doors.
That candid honesty reminds all of us that body image matters in the workplace — the more we accustom ourselves to being seen as “humans instead of just shapes,” the healthier we feel.
Long-term struggle with weight
From Gym‑Dread to Zumba Stardom: Celine’s Weight‑Loss Journey
Ever‑hungry in primary school, Celine was a runaway weight‑watcher from day one. At school, she had no choice but to sprint around the field every recess because she was part of the Trim & Fit club. The boys? They’d never let her forget she was the “slow‑poke” of the playground.
A Snack‑Obsessed Recess Routine
- In the last moments before class, she’d dart a canteen stall for whatever fried snack looked the most irresistible.
- Her love for snack‑powered munchies never faded, turning her lunchbox into a portable pantry of fried wonders.
Body Growth & Self‑Confidence Dive
By the time she hit Primary Six, the scale read a surprising 68 kg and the confidence dip was real. Running—especially the dreaded NAPFA test—was almost a running nightmare. The heavy feeling produced knee pain, and the run became a challenge she’d have to repeat seven times before passing.
Once she entered polytechnic, the weight climbed further—and hit a record-high of 108 kg. Balancing studies with part‑time retail work left little time for healthy meals. Fast food, bubble tea, and cake started to become her “official” lunch choices.
Full‑Time Job & The Fear of the Unknown
Stepping into a full‑time job brought a big wave of insecurity—but nothing changed until she stumbled upon a new love.
The Zumba Discovery
- Celine found a Groupon (now Fave) voucher for four Zumba classes and decided to give it a shot.
- The first session revealed that exercise could indeed be fun.
- Her passion for the Latin dance‑inspired workout grew; she bought a package and hit twice‑a‑week classes.
- The friendly atmosphere and safety at the studio made her feel comfortable—at least, until her instructor’s blog post about a weight‑loss transformation inspired her to start a conversation and make a change.
Quickly, she switched gears. Her journey from so‑called “gym‑phobic” to Zumba enthusiast demonstrates that life can change in the most unexpected ways—especially if you allow yourself to dance your way back into confidence.
<img alt="" data-caption="Celine with her Zumba instructor Charlotte Mizuki at the Chingay parade in February 2013. A handout photo
PHOTO: Shape” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”397c7d43-cd19-4141-8346-819fc2c23db3″ src=”/sites/default/files/inline-images/2013-Feb-Chingay-with-charlotte-Few-months-after-started-doing-Zumba.jpg”/>At the same time, Celine signed up for ‘Lose To Win’ in 2013, a 12-week weight management programme with guidance from professional trainers by the Health Promotion Board.
Her Zumba instructor Charlotte Mizuki was also one of the trainers for this programme, which included physical activities twice a week and healthy cooking demonstrations.
This marked the start of Celine’s weight loss journey. After three months on the programme, she lost 12kg.
Upon Charlotte’s encouragement, Celine went on to become a certified Zumba instructor and has been teaching Zumba for six years now. Leading Zumba classes has served as a huge confidence boost for her.
Overhauling her diet
In 2017, Celine joined the now-defunct TripleFit and went for six to eight group fitness classes a week, including trainer Sara May’s Core 360 and Latin dance.
After a year, she started doing personal training with Sara twice a week. Besides the physical training, Sara also helped Celine plan her diet.
Celine would then prep her meals accordingly.
This is an example of her daily meal.
Breakfast: Green smoothie made with ½ banana, ½ mango, 1 cup kale, low-fat Greek yoghurt, ½ small avocado, ½ cup nonfat milk
Morning snack: 1 apple + 1 oz nuts
Lunch: 2 cups of veggie soup or salad with 150g of protein (chicken breast/white fish)
Afternoon Snack: 1 cup baby carrots + 20 almonds
Dinner: 4 oz salmon + 1 cup steamed carrots + 1 cup steamed broccoli + 2 tbsp teriyaki sauce + 1 tsp sesame seeds
Within 1.5 years under Sara’s guidance, she lost 16kg (from 92kg to her current weight of 76kg).
Life now
<img alt="" data-caption="Celine in November 2019. A handout photo.
PHOTO: Shape” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”f7a93ee3-7dc4-4af9-9d28-9ee916d2454c” height=”909″ src=”/sites/default/files/inline-images/now.jpg” width=”682″/>At the moment, Celine is doing personal training with Sara twice a week, where she does a mix of cardio exercises like walking on the treadmill, and strength training for the arms and core.
At lunchtime, she goes for yoga and handstand classes.
“I am learning how to do arm balancing and inversions such as headstand, forearm stand and handstand in yoga classes. My goal is to master these movements. I don’t have any weight loss target; I just hope to reduce my fat percentage by the end of the year.
Diet-wise, she has no qualms modifying her meals as long as they fit her macros – her recommended daily calorie intake, and proportions of carbs, protein and fat.
[[nid:480751]]
“Breakfast could be overnight oats with blueberries, lunch could be a baked chicken breast + tempeh + cauliflower, and dinner could be fish soup with vege and tofu. When I’m feeling peckish, I’d usually have black coffee, egg whites and cucumber, or almonds for a snack,” she said.
“This massive weight loss of 30kg has definitely increased my self-confidence. In the past, I didn’t dare to wear sleeveless tops, and would choose to wear baggy and dark-coloured T-shirts to cover my tummy.
“I also used to stay quiet because I was afraid of people’s criticism and also concerned about how people would think of me. But now I’ve found the courage to speak up,” she shared.
More importantly, her friends and family have been inspired by her transformation, and many have started exercising more because of her.
Her mum is the most supportive, waking up early every day to prepare meals for her!
This article was first published in Shape
weight lossExercise/FitnessHealth and Wellbeing
