Khartini's Story at TSquared Lab
Khartini's Story at TSquared Lab
Khartini, 42, had always put her career and family first, brushing aside concerns about her health.
However, during her annual health screening in March 2023, she received alarming news: she was
pre-diabetic, with elevated blood sugar levels and a BMI in the obese category.
The news shook her to the core. "I knew I wasn’t in great shape, but hearing the word ‘pre-diabetes’ was
terrifying," Khartini recalls. She realised that her busy lifestyle, frequent takeout meals, and lack of
exercise had taken a toll on her body.
"I couldn’t believe I’d let it get this bad. It was a wake-up call I couldn’t ignore," Khartini shares.
Unsure where to begin, Khartini turned to her friend Kelly, a personal trainer at TSquared Lab, for
advice. Kelly offered to help her develop a sustainable plan to reclaim her health.
"We started with an honest conversation," Kelly says. "Khartini had tried fad diets before, but they
weren’t sustainable. I told her this time, it had to be about building healthy habits for life."
Kelly designed a plan centered on three pillars: nutrition, exercise, and mindset. They began with
simple changes like swapping sugary drinks for water and setting realistic, measurable goals. "I
didn’t want her to feel overwhelmed," Kelly explains. "The key was to make it manageable and
celebrate every win along the way."
"Pretty much, this was my last-ditch effort," Khartini says. "I knew I couldn’t do it alone, and I
was ready to listen."
The first few weeks were tough. Khartini’s biggest hurdle was changing her eating habits. She was
used to skipping breakfast, snacking on chips, and ordering pizza for dinner. Kelly introduced her
to meal prepping and encouraged her to include more protein, vegetables, and whole grains in her
meals.
At first, Khartini struggled with the idea of eating more food. "She was eating less than 1,000
calories a day," Kelly explains. "Her body was in starvation mode, which made it hard to lose
weight. We had to teach her that eating the right foods would actually help her feel better and lose
weight."
She also started incorporating daily walks into her routine, gradually increasing her activity
level. Small successes, like losing her first 2 kg and feeling more energised, motivated her to keep
going.
"It was a slow process, but I started to realize that I could do it. Each small step felt like a
victory," Khartini recalls.
Khartini, 42, had always put her career and family first, brushing aside concerns about her health.
However, during her annual health screening in March 2023, she received alarming news: she was
pre-diabetic, with elevated blood sugar levels and a BMI in the obese category.
The news shook her to the core. "I knew I wasn’t in great shape, but hearing the word ‘pre-diabetes’ was
terrifying," Khartini recalls. She realised that her busy lifestyle, frequent takeout meals, and lack of
exercise had taken a toll on her body.
"I couldn’t believe I’d let it get this bad. It was a wake-up call I couldn’t ignore," Khartini shares.
Khartini was diagnosed as pre-diabetic during a routine health check-up in March 2023, with high blood sugar levels and a BMI categorised as obese. This marked the beginning of her transformative journey.
After six months of dedicated effort, she reversed her pre-diabetic condition, normalising her blood sugar levels and losing 15 kg by the end of the year.
Khartini set a goal to run a marathon, something she had always considered unattainable. She began training with small runs and built her endurance steadily, aiming to participate in her first full marathon in the following year.
Unsure where to begin, Khartini turned to her friend Kelly, a personal trainer at TSquared Lab, for
advice. Kelly offered to help her develop a sustainable plan to reclaim her health.
"We started with an honest conversation," Kelly says. "Khartini had tried fad diets before, but they
weren’t sustainable. I told her this time, it had to be about building healthy habits for life."
Kelly designed a plan centered on three pillars: nutrition, exercise, and mindset. They began with
simple changes like swapping sugary drinks for water and setting realistic, measurable goals. "I didn’t
want her to feel overwhelmed," Kelly explains. "The key was to make it manageable and celebrate every
win along the way."
"Pretty much, this was my last-ditch effort," Khartini says. "I knew I couldn’t do it alone, and I was
ready to listen."
The first few weeks were tough. Khartini’s biggest hurdle was changing her eating habits. She was used
to skipping breakfast, snacking on chips, and ordering pizza for dinner. Kelly introduced her to meal
prepping and encouraged her to include more protein, vegetables, and whole grains in her meals.
At first, Khartini struggled with the idea of eating more food. "She was eating less than 1,000 calories
a day," Kelly explains. "Her body was in starvation mode, which made it hard to lose weight. We had to
teach her that eating the right foods would actually help her feel better and lose weight."
She also started incorporating daily walks into her routine, gradually increasing her activity level.
Small successes, like losing her first 2 kg and feeling more energised, motivated her to keep going.
"It was a slow process, but I started to realize that I could do it. Each small step felt like a
victory," Khartini recalls.
I think for the first month, I started realising that I was getting stronger. I could do more things in a shorter time. And I think in about five months, the physical changes were very obvious.”
I think for the first month, I started realising that I was getting stronger. I could do more things in a shorter time. And I think in about five months, the physical changes were very obvious."
Khartini was diagnosed as pre-diabetic during a routine health check-up in March 2023, with high blood sugar levels and a BMI categorised as obese. This marked the beginning of her transformative journey.
After six months of dedicated effort, she reversed her pre-diabetic condition, normalising her blood sugar levels and losing 15 kg by the end of the year.
Khartini set a goal to run a marathon, something she had always considered unattainable. She began training with small runs and built her endurance steadily, aiming to participate in her first full marathon in the following year.
As the weeks turned into months, Khartini’s consistency began to pay off. She followed her nutrition
plan, exercised three times a week, and stayed committed even on days when she felt tired or
unmotivated.
Six months into her journey, Khartini received life-changing news: her blood sugar levels were back in
the normal range, and she was no longer pre-diabetic. By the end of the year, she had lost 15 kg and
built noticeable strength through regular weightlifting.
"She became a different person," Kelly says. "Her confidence grew, and she started to believe in her
ability to reach bigger goals."
Khartini also noticed changes beyond her physical appearance. She slept better, had more energy, and
felt happier overall. "It’s not just about losing body fat," Kelly explains. "Her mental state improved
too."
What surprised Khartini the most was how much she enjoyed the journey. By discovering healthier versions
of her favorite foods, she didn’t feel deprived. "Chips and chocolate are non-negotiable for me,"
Khartini laughs. "Now I just choose smarter options."
15 kg
10%
From
15 kg
10%
From
With her health stabilised, Khartini decided to set a new goal: running a marathon. It was a
dream she had tucked away years ago, thinking it was out of reach.
Starting with 5 km runs, she worked on building her endurance week by week. She joined a local
running club for support and discovered a new sense of community. "The first time I ran 10 km, I
cried," Khartini admits. "It felt like I was proving to myself that I could do anything."
While she hasn’t completed a full marathon yet, Khartini has her sights set on one in the coming
year. "Now I feel like the whole world has opened up to me," she says.
Today, Khartini is unrecognisable from the person she was a year ago—not just because of her
weight loss, but because of her transformation in spirit. She has reclaimed her health,
confidence, and sense of purpose.
Her story has inspired her friends and family to prioritize their own health, and she often
shares tips and recipes to help others get started. "This isn’t just about weight loss,"
Khartini says. "It’s about finding a version of myself I didn’t know was possible."
Looking back, Khartini feels immense gratitude for the journey. "It wasn’t easy, but it was
worth it," she says. "If I can do it, anyone can."
Witness the power of consistency.
Empower yourself with valuable resources related to training, nutrition, and well-being along with expert advice from world’s leading personal trainers helping you to address your unique fitness and health goals.
Longevity is the pursuit of living a longer, healthier life by making conscious choices that promote overall well-being.
Losing weight can often feel like an uphill battle, even when you are putting in your best efforts. It’s frustrating, disheartening, demotivating, and sometimes downright confusing. You might be eating right, and exercising regularly, yet the scale refuses to budge.
Consistency in training forms the bedrock of any successful fitness journey. It’s the steady rhythm of effort and dedication that leads individuals toward their goals. Amongst the myriad of considerations in crafting an effective training regimen or finding the right personal trainer, one question often looms large: How many days a week should you train?
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Reps In Reserve (RIR) are the number of reps or repetitions you can accomplish before hitting a technical failure or before you miss a lift. And technical failure means that you cannot do another rep without proper form. Therefore, RIR is an effective tool to measure the intensity of your workout.
During an exercise set, time under tension (TUT) means the amount of time a muscle is put under strain in a particular exercise. With UT workouts, each phase of the workout is extended, which results in longer workout sets.
When it comes to workouts, you need to consider various factors to create a workout plan. For example, to become stronger and how your training impacts your body. That is you need to choose the right exercise, and lift the right weight, do the right number of reps, complete the set, obtain the proper rest, etc.
Have you ever found yourself stuck with your training? You’re hitting the gym consistently, putting in the effort, and doing your best, but you can’t seem to make progress toward your goals?
With the steadily growing popularity of courses, group classes, and online coaching, personal training might seem like a lost art, but that is far from the truth.
Like most people interested in building muscle, you’ve probably asked others what the best repetition range is for the goal.
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Tuesday: 6 am–9 pm
Wednesday: 6 am–9 pm
Thursday: 6 am–9 pm
Friday: 6 am–9 pm
Saturday: 6 am–4 pm
Sunday: Closed
