Losing It In Paradise One Month In

 If you’ve spent much time in Phuket, then you have undoubtedly met Tom “DJ Tank” Saharut Somsanuk. King of the Phuket social scene, Tank describes himself as, “a mixed up nutcase, but a nice one. Born and raised in the US; discovering his Asian roots in Thailand.” At 38, Tank has decided to take control of both his weight and his life. He’ll be working with Phuket Fit over the next year to lose some pounds and rediscover his fitness. We’ll be checking in on him every few weeks, to see how his journey is going. Here’s what he has to say…

Hey Tank! How far into your training are you now?

A month and some change. Training five days a week.

How are things going?

Good! I miss some days here or there, but I’m mostly keeping up with it. I’ve lost thirty pounds (14KGs) so far and I can really feel a difference. I feel better around my heart and my other organs. I also feel more mobile. The biggest thing that’s changed is that my legs used to be black and calloused. I was afraid I was going to lose them because of my diabetes, but now they’re looking better. They look and feel more human. Smoother skin, they more life in them. Right now that’s what I’m most excited about.

Has the training gotten easier over the last month?

It’s actually harder because I can do a lot more. It’s harder because we up it and make it more difficult. Always improving on what we did the previous time. Using a heavier weight and doing more reps. Whenever my trainer asks if I can handle it, I tell her that I can. That’s what we’re here to do.

How is the food side of things going?

At the Phuket Fit Grill, they make it really easy. The food portions are gigantic, but it’s healthy food. I’m used to it from the States, but instead of the veggies and lean meats I have here, it would be biscuits and gravy with dessert back home.

Are you struggling with any food temptations?

I own a burger stand, so it’s been hard. Even the burgers are getting less tempting, though. One you start eating well, your cravings seem to change. Instead of a daily craving, it’s maybe a weekly craving.

Have you discovered that you love any healthy foods?

I really like yams. They’re really filling and super tasty.

Have you faced any other challenges or setbacks along the way?

Working all the time. You set yourself up to try and achieve 200 things, and then even if you achieve 90 of them, you’ve accomplished a lot. The big goal here has to been totally steer clear of everything. That’s not going to happen all the time, but I can at least avoid most bad things for most of the time. I’m not one of those guys who want to go to the gym just to train for fun. I’m a living kind of dude with bills and a family. I need to work to support them. I know I have to do this for me, though. If I hadn’t started to make a change, then I wouldn’t have been able to support them for much longer.

What’s your plan from here?

I’ll be training five ways a week and eating well. It’s all about moving forward and sticking with it. It’s great having a trainer to work with. If I had been able to do this on my own, I would have done it a long time ago. Working with Phuket Fit is finally helping me to achieve my goals.

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