At 100kg weight, with a constant pain on my lower right side, I finally stepped on the scale. This is where Lighter Luggage begins: desperate, scared, and done pretending I travel light.
The scale said 100.
I stepped off. Stepped back on. As if it might reconsider. It didn’t. Scales are not known for their mercy.
So here I am, a Filipina digital nomad currently living in Quy Nhon, Vietnam, carrying a 100kg weight on a 5’2″ frame.
I have spent the last few years telling people I travel light. One suitcase, a laptop, a few good dresses. It turns out I was lying. I was carrying plenty. It just wasn’t in the suitcase.
Let me back up a little.
When I was still in the Philippines and planning my digital nomad life, I noticed that I felt heavier than usual. I had a sedentary life. My work revolved around a laptop, a desk, and wifi.
I moved to Vietnam to travel easily, take control of my finances, and get my fitness back. I knew I had gained weight. I just didn’t know how much.
I joined a Pilates class, and the first thing the instructor did was weigh us so we’d have a baseline.
The scale showed 99.1! And ohmygosh! I’M ALMOST PERFECT! (I wish I were saying this with glee!)
Pilates felt really good. I kept showing up. After more than a month, guess what?
I BECAME FREAKIN’ PERFECT! I weighed 100kg! (100.6, to be exact) 😭
And I was like, whoa. This had to be wrong. I’d been moving. I’d shown up to every session.
Then it hit me. I never factored in the food.
The number wasn’t even the worst part. The worst part was the pain. A dull, constant ache on my lower right side that had moved in without asking and showed no plans of leaving.
It was there when I woke up to the sound of my racing thoughts. It was there when I opened my laptop for work. It was there at 2 a.m., when I lay awake wondering what I had done to my body.
I was scared. I’ll just say that plainly.
When you live far from home, fear gets louder. There’s no mom down the hall, no sister who’ll drag you to the clinic. There’s just you, a translation app, and a body you suddenly don’t trust.
And I kept eating. This is the part that’s hardest to write. Instead of making some better choices, I made it worse!
I opened my ShopeeFood app and ordered my usual loaves of bread, pizza, cookies, a croissant with cookies on top, salt coffee (cà phê muối), and sweet tea. I know. I didn’t know what else to do.
I knew it wasn’t helping. I did it anyway.
Somewhere in there, I stopped believing I could change. Not dramatically. Quietly, the way you stop checking a phone that never rings.
I’d love to tell you I started this journey feeling inspired. I didn’t. I started it feeling desperate, ashamed, and a little afraid of my own reflection.
Desperation, it turns out, is a terrible feeling and an excellent alarm clock.
Then one night, scrolling through social media, I saw a post from Joyce, one of my closest and dearest friends. And damn, she looked good. I was genuinely happy for her and a bit envious. I wanted to take back not only my health but also my fitness.
I messaged her and there it started.
So this is where it begins. A 100kg weight, one sore side, and a suitcase that has to get lighter.
Entry # 1
Current weight: 100 kg
Goal: 55 kg
Emotional Temp: Hopeless, scared and desperate
This is my personal journey, not medical or nutritional advice. Please talk to a healthcare professional before making changes to your diet or exercise.