Amidst the pandemic, students are experiencing huge amounts of change, mostly from the new normal. However, this individual's change will inspire people, as many students and teenagers are facing the same challenge: weight problems which he turned into motivation for his change.

 

17-year-old Symon Paulo D. Pagtalunan is a perfect example of a student from Malolos, Bulacan who faced struggles with his weight and studies this pandemic.

 

Before starting his weight-loss journey, Pagtalunan suffered from extreme fatigue, loneliness, back pain, and morbid obesity, weighing at 120kg.

 

Way back in his childhood, he experienced a lot of bullying about his size and gender. This led him to have fewer physical workouts and develop an irregular eating schedule since then.

 

He also experienced having diseases such as gout which made his problems even more miserable. There are times that he could not walk and other times that he could not stand and get out of his room.

 

However, when he reached out to his doctor, things began to change for the better. The doctor gave a diet list and some tips for him and since that day, his joy returned! He started to hope that he could move on to a new chapter in his life, to change his old habits, and become more focused on his diet.

 

Since February this year, he has been on a low-carb diet, removing rice, sugary food, and even wheat from his eating repertoire. 

 

As time goes by, he has experienced huge changes. He has become thinner and stronger with a more flexible back and less fatigue. He is also finally back to being the optimistic person that he once hoped to be.

 

Pagtalunan cherished this change as his body is freer to move and his weight loss journey went completely right after trial and error the previous year.

 

“Masarap na gumalaw,” he said. "Di pa naman [ako] totally fit pero masaya kasi may progress.”

 

As of now, he has finished his defense and is expected to graduate from senior high this June. He also plans to finish and focus more on his education while also dreaming of being a successful tattoo artist.

 

“Siguro sa ngayon [my plans are] makapag tapos ng studies and maging professional tattoo artist,” Pagtalunan stated, having finally found a reason to be happy with his life.