Raymond vs Raymond: No more excuses

MANILA, Philippines – Raymond Gutierrez is a new man.

From 260 pounds, he now weighs 195 pounds. He can lift his own body weight, run even under the heat, and jump higher than he ever has.

The secret of his transformation is not about how he upped his exercise regimen, changed his diet, or rallied the support of his friends and mentors.

He simply got rid of his excuses.

An inspiration to be better

Raymond recently capped off his 90-day fitness challenge for Century Tuna’s No Excuses campaign.

His journey was documented in a Rappler video that was published last April 22. It went viral and reached 1.2 million views within 5 days. 

Many netizens expressed their admiration for Raymond’s reveal, and called him an inspiration.

 

Leading to the release of the video, Raymond documented his progress on his social media accounts. He says that his online engagement spiked with each new post about his workout or diet. People told him that he motivated them to start their own fitness journey, too.

“I just wanna thank everybody out there who has sent me a message because it encourages me to work harder. Honestly, I wanna say that I wanna fully support anyone out there that wants my help,” he says.

0 to 100

In his 20’s, Raymond spent his nights partying in nightclubs he owned, drinking alcohol, eating what he could get his hands on and just enjoying the life he knew how to live.

It was all fine, until he started finding himself often short of breath, even after light activities. A few more health scares pushed him to start making better decisions about his life. 

December 2016 was Raymond’s turning point.

He was about to turn 33. After repeatedly telling himself for years that he was going to start working out and eat healthy, he finally went ahead and just did it.

“I just hated the way I looked. I hated the way I felt. I felt I could do so much more, be so much more,” he says. 

With fitness coach Arnold Aninion, Raymond begain training 2 to 3 times a day, 7 days a week.

Raymond shares: “On January 2nd I met up with Arnold and we laid down the path I wanted to take. And to be frank with you I was really nervous. I was like, ‘Hey, look, I just signed up for this 90-day challenge and honestly, I don’t even know if I’m gonna make it.'”

Raymond’s workout consists of sled work, bench presses, air squats, battle ropes, and running in and out of the gym. He doesn’t train alone: his friends join him, too.

“One minute he just wanted to lose weight, and now, he wants to prove to himself that he could be greater than what he wanted,” Coach Arnold says.

“I was excited to try new moves and, you know, I was excited to see the little changes in my body,” Raymond shares. “And I think that’s what keeps me going. Next week, I’ll be a little bit faster, a little bit stronger.”

Beyond the physical transformation, Raymond said that he noticed improvement in other aspect of his life. “My priorities have changed. [I’ve’] rekindled certain friendships… Now I get to spend more time meaningful with [my friends and family],” he shares.

The “new Mond” has been revealed, but the journey isn’t over yet. Raymond still wants to be stronger, to build more muscle, and to see what else his body is capable of doing and what else life has to offer him.

“I’ve been unhealthy and I’ve been fat for so long that I feel like now, it’s given me a new meaning in my life and I’ve never felt happier and I’m excited to start this new life,” he says. “I’m excited to see the world with a different perspective, a different body, different mindset and better health.

I just feel like I can do anything now.”  – Rappler.com