34-year-old Eugene Teo spent nearly two decades chasing an unattainable ideal: a body that was both muscular and lean. His obsession with physique began at 13 when he laced on weights in pursuit of validation, convinced that bulking up would bolster his self-esteem. The extreme weightlifting regimen he adopted led him down a dark path – to a life of restrictive eating, dehydration, and fixation.
He followed the advice of unsavory bodybuilding gurus who claimed that dehydrating the body before competitions could boost muscle definition. He'd consume up to 10 meals per day, eating only so-called 'clean' foods like brown rice, broccoli, sweet potato, and boiled chicken breast. He even skipped his birthday parties and Christmas dinners – all in an effort to stay on track.
But Teo's fixation took a toll on his mental health. "I was consumed by negative body image and confidence issues," he admits. His relationships suffered as well, with friends and partners distancing themselves from him due to his intense fixation on physique.
The turning point came when Teo realized that his extreme weightlifting routine – which included four-hour workout sessions – was leaving him winded even after completing simple tasks like walking across the gym. The sheer size of his body was no longer supporting all its systems, and he'd struggle with lower back pain while exercising.
With newfound awareness, Teo reoriented his training to prioritize mobility, power, and cardiovascular endurance. He incorporated new exercises like running, stretching, jumping, and cycling into his routine. For the first time in years, he began to question whether his extreme mindset was truly bringing him joy – or if it was an all-consuming trait that needed to be addressed.
The results have been transformative: Teo's body is now leaner by around 15kg of muscle mass, but more importantly, he feels better physically and mentally. He can move with ease, jump higher, run faster, and enjoy everyday activities without feeling weighed down or crippled. "My performance-wise, feeling-wise – it's night and day better," he says.
The irony is not lost on Teo: after dedicating his life to a physique that turned him into an outcast, he now finds joy in being able to engage with the world around him – without the burden of an obsessive fixation. As he watches his daughter enjoy ice cream, or simply spend time with loved ones, Teo knows he's found a new sense of purpose and balance in life: one that doesn't rely on an unattainable ideal, but rather celebrates function over form.
He followed the advice of unsavory bodybuilding gurus who claimed that dehydrating the body before competitions could boost muscle definition. He'd consume up to 10 meals per day, eating only so-called 'clean' foods like brown rice, broccoli, sweet potato, and boiled chicken breast. He even skipped his birthday parties and Christmas dinners – all in an effort to stay on track.
But Teo's fixation took a toll on his mental health. "I was consumed by negative body image and confidence issues," he admits. His relationships suffered as well, with friends and partners distancing themselves from him due to his intense fixation on physique.
The turning point came when Teo realized that his extreme weightlifting routine – which included four-hour workout sessions – was leaving him winded even after completing simple tasks like walking across the gym. The sheer size of his body was no longer supporting all its systems, and he'd struggle with lower back pain while exercising.
With newfound awareness, Teo reoriented his training to prioritize mobility, power, and cardiovascular endurance. He incorporated new exercises like running, stretching, jumping, and cycling into his routine. For the first time in years, he began to question whether his extreme mindset was truly bringing him joy – or if it was an all-consuming trait that needed to be addressed.
The results have been transformative: Teo's body is now leaner by around 15kg of muscle mass, but more importantly, he feels better physically and mentally. He can move with ease, jump higher, run faster, and enjoy everyday activities without feeling weighed down or crippled. "My performance-wise, feeling-wise – it's night and day better," he says.
The irony is not lost on Teo: after dedicating his life to a physique that turned him into an outcast, he now finds joy in being able to engage with the world around him – without the burden of an obsessive fixation. As he watches his daughter enjoy ice cream, or simply spend time with loved ones, Teo knows he's found a new sense of purpose and balance in life: one that doesn't rely on an unattainable ideal, but rather celebrates function over form.
. It's crazy how society puts so much pressure on us to conform to these unrealistic beauty standards. He was literally living his life in a gym and still wasn't happy 
. I feel like we need to start celebrating all types of bodies, not just the ones that are lean and muscular. The fact that he had to almost die from his obsession is wild - it's like he saw the error of his ways once he was forced to reevaluate 
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. We need more people like Eugene who are willing to break free from these toxic standards and find their true purpose 
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dude, 34 and still chasing the needle 
... 20 yrs gone by just to feel like crap about his own body 
? what's next? a 50 yr old gym rat still eating like a college student 
? anyone else tired of this physique obsession drama 
?
, I mean 10 meals a day? dehydration? that's just not healthy at all... but what's even crazier is how he was so convinced that his physique was the answer to everything 
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. I mean, 15kg off muscle mass is no joke, but at least he's feeling better physically and mentally 
. and the fact that he's embracing being able to enjoy everyday activities without the weight of an obsessive fixation... that's just beautiful 
.
... I mean, it's crazy how obsessed we can get with our physiques, right? 
I think it's amazing that he finally found a balance and realized that his body is supposed to do more than just look pretty. He's proof that it's okay to prioritize function over form 
... and maybe we should all take a cue from him and stop beating ourselves up over every little thing 
.
i mean i was just chillin with friends sippin coffee when suddenly i had to try it like 5 times already lol anyway back to Eugene Teo's story and how he broke free from his physique obsession what a refreshingly inspiring read 
. Like, how can you possibly expect to be healthy and happy if you're always restricting yourself and pushing your body to the limit? But then again, he did end up finding a new balance and feeling better physically and mentally... so yeah, I guess it's kind of awesome that he was able to break free from his obsessive mindset 
. On the other hand, 15kg of muscle mass is still pretty impressive and I wouldn't mind having that kinda tone 
. But at the same time, isn't the idea of being lean and muscular kind of... problematic? Like, shouldn't we be striving for more than just physical appearance? 
He was literally running his life into the ground trying to achieve some unrealistic body goal. Like, 10 meals a day? Dehydrating himself before competitions? That's messed up 
All that focus on how he looked instead of what matters – his mental health and relationships.
His extreme weightlifting routine was literally killing him. I'm glad he finally woke up to reality and made some changes. Now he's all about function over form, and that's a beautiful thing 
It's like, yeah we can look good, but at what cost?
... I mean, the guy used to be winded from walking but now he can run faster & jump higher 
. And the best part is, he finally feels like himself again 
That's the real purpose of life right there! 
.