Project Change 2018

Project Change started out as a bet between friends at work.

I was walking through City of Dreams in Manila, Philippines. Dom Lau was walking by me, I said hi and told him I had an idea. I would bet him $100usd that I could get in better shape than him during our upcoming break from work. It was going to be 6 weeks until our next event. As we went through the event rehearsal, I told other people what we were doing and tried to recruit more to raise the stakes. Olivier, Ric, Bashir, Ashley and Bo said YES! I knew I was on to something.

Olivier put together a group chat and started an FB page. The enthusiasm grew and people were motivated to start working out. I said when I win, I would give away all the money to charity as a challenge to compete for something greater than myself. Olivier said “me too” and just like that we had a charity raising foundation built around getting into better shape. We started posting about the journey we were about to go on and said other people could join in on the fun. Through the power of social media and the internet, more and more people wanted to join. I knew I needed a place to keep the money. I looked all over the web and settled on a Go Fund Me page.

Just before the challenge started, the country of Laos was hit by a disaster. A small town in southern Laos was destroyed by a flood which happened when a dam burst. I didn’t want to wait until the challenge was over to donate. The funds were badly needed. The group agreed, and I donated $250sgd to a rescue group in Laos. The Vientiane Rescue Team was part of the mission to help the junior Thai soccer team that was stuck in a cave in Thailand. They were on mission in Laos and I thought it would be a cool first donation. The next day I donated $750sgd to the Red Cross for more immediate relief. 100% of all the funds went directly to help the people in need.

One of the members of the group Daniel Fletcher went to help during the Lombok earthquake and I realized it was on his birthday. We were raising more money than I expected and still had the $1000sgd to give to the winner of the contest to donate to a charity of their choice. So I donated another $250sgd to his friend’s Go Fund Me page for his birthday. I thought it was a nice gesture and needed to be recognized. 100% of the funds went to support the people of the Lombok relief.

We were about 2 weeks into the contest and the challenge was in full swing. The support group was so much help. People would rally around each other when one person was down. It really made it easy to stay motivated by hearing about others success and difficulties.

My situation was different from most of the people in the challenge. I just opened a gym and coffee shop with my girlfriend. Everyday I would go to work and create the perfect atmosphere to transform someones body and mind. It became my very own small fitness lab and I love it. It was no surprise that I hit my goal of losing 3 kgs in 2 weeks. This gym has always been a dream of mine and it has came true during this contest.

During this 6 weeks I shared progress photos and advice for the other contestants. I even offered to design programs and diets but no one took me up on the offer other than the people who were already in my online program or actual clients in the gym. Now that this whole thing is over and I seem to take on the admin of this project, I am removing myself as a contestant and act as a host instead to not have any misunderstandings regarding having an unfair advantage with timelines and creation of rules.

Besides I already gave away $1250SGD and that was my goal in the first place. I did pretty well. I dropped 3.5 kgs or 7.7lbs or fat and didn’t drink alcohol for the entire 6 weeks. Now I need your help to pick a winner. Voting will be open until 3am September 19 2018 SG time. To vote for your favorite contestant, find their before pic in the poll below, click their circle and submit your vote by clicking “VOTE”.

Follow our Facebook page (Project change 2018) to find on more about the contest and who wins season 1.

Lets meet the contestants:

Dom Lau

IT STARTED SIX WEEKS AGO WITH A FRIENDLY CHALLENGE AMONGST COLLEAGUES TO SEE WHO COULD TRANSFORM THEMSELVES THE MOST. FOR ME HOWEVER, IT BECAME MORE THAN THAT...

I SET MYSELF SMALL, PERSONAL GOALS OF LOSING WEIGHT, SHEDDING FAT & BUILDING MUSCLE. I WANTED TO EAT CLEAN, CUT OUT THE PARTYING & THE BOOZE; GENERALLY LIVE A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE. I STARTED AT 99KG & 21% BODY FAT. I ATE CLEAN & TRAINED DIRTY & AM NOW 91KG WITH ONLY 12% BODY FAT! I DID NOT MANAGE TO CUT THE BOOZE OUT AS I OCCASIONALLY HUNG OUT WITH FRIENDS TO CELEBRATE BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES.

MY MOOD IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY BECAUSE FOR SIX WEEKS I WAS KICKING ASS & TAKING NAMES RESULTING IN BEING HAPPIER WITH THE WAY I LOOK &, MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW I FEEL. NO FAD DIETS OR TRAINING PROGRAMS WERE INVOLVED, I NEVER STARVED MYSELF OR TOOK ANY DRUGS. I SIMPLY TWEAKED MY LIFESTYLE & ACTUALLY GAVE A SHIT ABOUT MY BODY & HOW I WAS TREATING IT.

THIS EXPERIENCE HAS HELPED CHANGE MY ATTITUDE TOWARDS HOW I APPROACH MY LIFE BECAUSE BEING “HEALTHY” IS NOT JUST A PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTE BUT A MENTAL ONE TOO. PHYSICAL EXERCISE & GOOD DIET REALLY DO IMPROVE MENTAL WELLBEING.

SUICIDE, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION & GUILT ARE JUST A FEW OF THE MANY DIFFICULT & OFTEN TIMES DEVASTATING MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES ORDINARY PEOPLE FACE DAY TO DAY.

AS SUCH, SHOULD I WIN THIS CHALLENGE, I’D LIKE TO DONATE MY WINNINGS TO MIND HK: AN NGO DEDICATED TO RAISING AWARENESS & BREAKING THE STIGMAS THAT SURROUND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.

MASSIVE THANK YOU TO MY FELLOW CHALLENGERS & TO THE AWESOME OTHERS WHO HAVE HELPED ME ALONG THE WAY. THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING!

SO, IF YOU LIKED THE “BEFORE & AFTER” PHOTOS & YOU DIG MY STORY, PLEASE VOTE (FOR ME) BECAUSE I REALLY WOULD APPRECIATE IT - AS WOULD THE CHARITY!!

CHARITY - 100%

Olivier Coste

I dedicated everything to the #projectchange2018 as I really wanted to test myself physically and mentally . My wife helped me a lot as we have 2 kids , our 2 y old daughter and 6 months old son but nothing stopped me to get to the finish line . I want to thank all the members of the #projectchange2018 , the constant support helped me to keep going and not giving up . This challenge made me accomplished a lot of things :
- I lost 8 kgs
- I ate clean for 6 weeks ( no cheat meals )
- No alcohol for 6 weeks
- First time in my life prepping all my meals
- Went through a 5 days master cleanse ( no food for 5 days )
- I trained almost everyday
- I can do 10 strict pull ups ( could do only 3 before )
- I listened more my body and now I workout properly
- I got back and shoulder pain for 3 weeks but with the help of a physiotherapist and an acupuncturist , I was able to find exercises that helped me to get better . Now I am almost pain free
- I feel now a lot healthier
I am now ready for season 2 as I will enter my first spartan race in November !
And for my before / after pic , same lighting ;)

Ric Auty

Thank you to the amazingly supportive people at #ProjectChange2018. In 6 Weeks I managed to lose 5kg (82kg - 77kg), gain noticeable muscle mass, improve my fitness and lower my resting heart rate from 58bpm to 48bpm.

Hard work, dedication and consistency were the keys to this transformation, but this is only the beginning.

If selected to be the winner of this challenge I will be donating to the Singapore Heart Foundation in memory of my late father who passed away due to heart failure. This challenge has been all the more special to me as both my parents suffer/suffered from not only obesity but movement/fitness issues. My dad was a sportsman in his youth, and represented the army in boxing and also played rugby at national club level in the UK, seeing his fitness deteriorate as he got older is a reminder that we must all work to keep what we've got.

#PositiveVibesOnly #MakeNegativityYourBitch

Charity - 100%

Singapore Heart Foundation

Bashir Ahmad

Before working with ONE, my entire identity was as the "hero" the MMA athlete who fought for Pakistan. I was in shape, I was inspiring people with my fitness, my grit, and my toughness and my identity as an MMA fighter gave me a platform to put out a positive message and get people involved in being better or contributing to something like Shaheen. After joining ONE, I did a decent job staying in basic shape, but I didn't feel like that hero anymore or have that extra hunger. To be honest, I actually had a real loss in my self-worth and I felt like I lacked a reason to push myself just that little extra. But with Project Change, I was held accountable and had a group of people I would let down if I didn't get truly serious about things...it has made a huge difference to re-spark things. I don't know where this will go but it's a good start, I really hope this can culminate in me competing in a serious way again. The biggest benefit is that I feel like I have found the way to balance my new life with my martial arts goals. I destroyed my body so many times in camps...banged up my joints by trying to get in peak shape too fast. Having the goal of completing project change without the pressure of a fight...I have found a new way to train and I could become the best athlete I have ever been.
No Stats. Zero. And I am super proud of that tbh. Here is why - In the past I would try to have these crazy results in 6 to 8 weeks, and it was not an appropriate long-term goal. I didn't look at a scale once. I don't know how much weight I lost and I don't care. I look good. I walk taller. I feel solid. I know my body and I know I am doing the right thing. I never woke up so sore that it was uncomfortable, I never woke up unable to wash my face cuz my elbows were so stiff. BUT...I saw almost the same results! Maybe a bit less than if I crushed myself, but guess what, now I am not impatient and I'll get to that point a few weeks later but feeling good. For season 2, I have a new goal of mobility. If there is any "stat" it's this...I can do 250-300+ push-ups and be fresh the next day. My before and after looks pretty much the same, but there is a huge difference that the photo isnt showing. I am closest to my pre ONE fitness than ever before.

I'm playing for Shaheen. Since I am not in Pakistan anymore it's been more of a struggle to keep it running and growing. 100% will go towards Shaheen to either pay for more rent (I try to pay one year in advance and I am currently good til April) or paying for better staff to manage it better in my absense.

Charity - 100%

Ashley Tang

#projectchange2018 has come to an end! I set out with simple goals to eat clean and stay off coffee on the road to more definition through my fight camp. The road wasn’t easy, I had goals that I’ve never achieved before (seeing a solid set of abs that weren’t shy and hidden), sometimes I’d get a little down but at the end of the day it’s the community of people striving to be a better version of myself that’s got me going.

My goals changed, I decided to fuel my body for what it needed through my fight camp and take the results as they came. I ended up with a little more definition but most important felt happier and a lot stronger going into my fight without worrying too much about getting abs that were photo worthy.

I am happy with the results, because I got to understand the limitations of my body through these 6 weeks. To everyone out there, understand that everyone’s body is different so reaching a goal might take longer than others and there’s no reason to beat yourself up about it.

Charity - 100%

I’ll be donating the wins to the National kidney foundation. My dad went through a rough patch going in and out of the hospital for dialysis sessions. It was a scary time, physically for my dad, emotionally for everyone but thankfully my parents were huge savers. So financially we were ok to handle the situation. I Am hoping the donated funds would help these kidney patients out in a way or two because having to go through all this emotional stress and physical pain is hard enough, having gone through that with my dad, I hope this donation takes off a little stress to a patients life.

charity - 100%

Maria Mackenzie

Project Change has helped me change my life because it provided the competitive avenue that I needed to really get a hold on my weight. Honestly, I've had issues with my weight since I was a tween. This is mostly because I didn't know the enemy I was up against. My PCOS was finally diagnosed in 2016. That should've been the moment I made a change but I didn't. As a result, my weight snowballed rapidly to near 200 lbs and I felt trapped in that shell of a body. Thanks to project change, I’ve been reminded that much of the transformation has to come from within. Whether you need to tell yourself you love yourself, take care of your body as if it belonged to a loved one or simply put yourself first, it’s all about the love. I tried to tell my self how much I loved myself and remind myself that I am worthy of a strong healthy body whatever shape it would take at the end. It was not an easy road, days of fatigue; mental, physical and emotional but I knew in my mind that Season 1 is not the end of the journey. The changes I made are slowly becoming a lifestyle as I navigate managing insulin resistance, hormones, depression and whatever my body throws at me now. From here onwards, I am more prepared and have found the truly supportive individuals in my life to journey with. Bring on Season 2!!!

Bikes for philippines -Bikes for the Philippines is a non-profit foundation providing bicycles to disadvantaged individuals across the Philippines. They help people improve their own lives by making it easier to get where they want to go, one bike at a time.

Charity - 50%

Mui Thomas

Project Change 2018 was something I thought would be a laugh and a giggle. I always wanted to be part of one of those before and after challenges. This was my chance! I was daunted by the fact that i had inadvertently stepped into a group of super fit people. I contemplated dropping out when I realized what I was dealing with. I wasn’t sure if I could be in a group where everyone was about 10 times more hardcore than I was. I even bought waterbottle weights to get into routines with.
But what I gained from being a part of PC2018, was a genuine love for looking after ourselves. Whether it was a workout or shamelessly sharing pictures of our food, it was the vibe that kept me from dropping out when i had crap food. I did this challenge not to lose or gain weight, but to feel comfortable again in my own skin, to take ownership of my eating habits and lifestyle, to show people that living with a visible difference isn’t always horrible.
I’ve had some major changes this year which absolutely threw me off in so many ways, physically and mentally. But because of PC2018, I have been able to try and build my body back up and come back fighting harder than I have ever faught. The people you surround yourself with are so important and thats what made PC2018 such a positive experience for me.

Playing for Foundation for Ichthyosis and Related Skin Types in the US, specifically towards the research of my particular kind called Harlequin Ichthyosis which is basically the rarest and least research has been done based on the rarity.

Charity - 100%

Bo Vongsakoun

Historically, I have a very spotty record of exercise… I’m getting better lately, but I normally work out 1-2 times week, 5-8 times a month.

Project Change helped me increase that number to 27 workouts in August!

Add in the fact that I lost some weight, added some muscle and ate healthy all month long and I’d say it was a huge success!

Mitch Chilson

42 days

weight - 77kgs - 73.5 kgs= 3.5kgs of fat loss

Diet - buttr coffee /Intermittent Fasting / keto

Training - 60 min something everyday

Charity - 100%