In the past, I was not comfortable crossing my arms or hugging.

Hi, This is Shiori here.

I am a personal trainer/diet coach in Tokyo.

Since this is the first time to write in English blog...

I will start introducing about myself :)

Recently, for those engaged in personal entrepreneurship or acting as a solo entrepreneur,

there's a common saying to "reveal yourself" or to "show your past failures."

I occasionally share pictures from when I was overweight, but

talking about what I was thinking at that time,

what my mindset was like,

is still something I find embarrassing to discuss with others.

But this time,

even if just a little,

I want to encourage you with,

"Even someone like me could lose weight!"

So, I've decided to lay bare my perspectives on life, my upbringing,

embarrassing past, traumas, and so on.

I hope this can be a source of inspiration for you.

I'll passionately talk about why I became a personal trainer, my upbringing and worldview, the emotions driving my activities, and my future vision and dreams.

I was born on March 18, 1990, in a city near Kawagoe, known as "Koedo" (Little Edo) in Saitama Prefecture, not far from Kawagoe City. Currently, I'm married to a foreigner, and my surname is "Statter," but my maiden name is "Miyadera." My given name is Shiori. Although it's a common question, I'm purely Japanese.

Now, I serve as the representative of RAZZA Co., Ltd., mainly working as a personal trainer. In the past, I sold fitness wear that I designed myself, but I decided to temporarily halt the retail business to focus on training.

Nowadays, I've achieved a lifestyle where I can enjoy wine without gaining weight, maintain healthy eating habits, exercise regularly, and understand my body's characteristics. My students have experienced weight loss of -5 to -10 kg in three months, reduced suit sizes by two, and participated in group training for corporate clients.

Students sometimes address me as "Shiori Sensei," although calling me "sensei" feels a bit distant. It wasn't always this way.

Let's go back 20 years. When I was 14, during my junior high school days, I experienced bullying. It wasn't the kind of violence or online bullying that makes headlines today. Instead, it was a milder form where one or two students in the class would be ignored or avoided each month.

When my turn came, I decided to endure it quietly. During that time, I was labeled by a popular boy, someone admired by both girls and boys, with the words "fat" and "gross."

There was an aura that whatever he said was absolute, and since I also thought he was cool, it was a shock. In reality, I was around 58 kg at 158 cm, so I was somewhat chubby.

"I need to lose weight," I thought strongly and determinedly.

From that point on, I started leaving white rice and desserts during school lunch, and at home, I would eat only half a bowl of rice. Even though I was in the volleyball club in junior high, I felt extremely hungry. Nevertheless, I endured and convinced myself that I had to lose weight.

Even after the bullying ended and I moved to the next grade, the determination to lose weight did not change. I disliked school, so I searched for a high school where I could study abroad. Since private schools and studying abroad are expensive, I needed to get a scholarship. I studied harder than ever, and the only things I looked forward to as a junior high school student were seeing the numbers on the scale decrease and my test scores increase.

I learned from television that having tight muscles leads to weight gain. Even after retiring from the club activities, I continued jumping rope and running. There was even a period when I forced myself to do splits until tears came out.

Although I didn't go to the hospital, I probably injured some muscle. Fortunately, I got into the high school I wanted to attend. However, since I only focused on the numbers on the scale and test scores, I struggled with social interactions.

Since it was an all-girls school, girls in the class would link arms or hug each other. I found it uncomfortable. Being touched and feeling someone sense my fat made me uncomfortable, so I kept a subtle distance.

I recently learned that people with low self-esteem tend to dislike hugs, so that might have been a factor as well. From the summer of my first year in high school, I went to Canada.

Aside from having to restrain from hugging, Canada was a lot of fun. However, the suppressed appetite I had been enduring exploded, and my body shape started to change rapidly.

The host family's home in Canada didn't have a scale, so I didn't know how much weight I had gained until I returned to Japan a year later. When I stepped on the scale, it showed 60 kg—more than when I decided to go on a diet in junior high. It was alarming, but I reassured myself that living in Japan would help me lose weight.

However, that wasn't the case. Instead, my weight increased to 63 kg. The self-restraint I had in junior high became difficult to maintain. Once back in Japan, I reverted to my awkward social self.

Even friends I thought were close had left school without me realizing. I hated school, disliked my overweight self, and coped with stress by eating.

During this time, I learned that a friend I met at work was struggling with binge eating and purging. Curious if I could do it too, I practiced and learned to induce vomiting. At that time, my only concern was losing weight.

With repeated binge eating and purging, my weight dropped to 39 kg. Classmates probably noticed, and my parents scolded me. I visited a psychiatrist, who asked nonsensical questions like whether I was pregnant.

Believing that gaining weight was worse than vomiting, I continued the behavior. Despite my family not being well-off, I was told during junior high that after high school, I had to either study abroad or go to college. After graduating high school, I attended a vocational school to become a flight attendant.

In vocational school:

I was too busy to find time to vomit.

I met people I hadn't encountered before, reducing stress.

A former flight attendant teacher told me, "You won't pass the hiring exam looking like that!"

This forced me to quit binge eating and purging. Looking back, I consider it fortunate.

Though I didn't become a flight attendant, I started working as ground staff. Alongside this job, I secretly worked as a hostess due to financial struggles, leading to weight gain due to late-night drinking, inadequate sleep, and lack of exercise.

I despised the reflection in the mirror and the image captured in photos...

However, I no longer wanted to engage in unhealthy diets like I did during my student days.

While working, I studied nutrition and body science, both from books and internet cafes, and applied what I learned.

As my body transformed, my mindset became more positive, and I decided to relocate to Tokyo for a career change.

Gradually gaining confidence in myself, I successfully navigated several job interviews and saw improvements in my sales performance. I also reached a point where I could comfortably hug my current husband. Despite twists and turns, we eventually got married.

While I didn't dislike my job, marriage sparked a desire to "be more helpful to others." Considering how I could contribute, I identified areas where I could make a difference:

• People struggling to gain self-confidence.
• Individuals wanting to improve their appearance.
• Those working hard on their fitness journey but facing challenges.

I began sharing my experiences and knowledge, thinking they might be helpful.

The self-taught training I had been doing caught the attention of Ayako Inada, a former rhythmic gymnastics Olympian who now runs her own gym. Under her guidance, I gained knowledge and experience as a personal trainer.

I learned valuable lessons from my mentor, Ayako Inada, and combined that knowledge with my personal experiences.

Offering a trial one-month program to acquaintances struggling with their body shapes resulted in significant changes:

• Weight loss of approximately -1.8 kg
• Waist reduction by -7 cm
• Hip size decreased by -4 cm
• Body fat percentage down by 1%

Though it's not a rapid weight loss diet, it convinced me that this program not only transforms one's appearance but is also sustainable.

Applying my past experiences and conducting tests, I formulated a program emphasizing:

• Not accumulating stress
• Prioritizing nutritional balance (not just reducing intake)
• Achieving weight loss through eating and movement
• Balancing the mind
• Aligning the body's lines through massage and stretching

I've personally experimented with the program, enjoying my favorite wine without experiencing rebound weight gain.

Students, on the other hand:

• Averaged a weight loss of -5 to -7 kg in three months
• Reduced body fat percentage by 3-5%
• Witnessed a waist reduction of nearly 10 cm in some cases

Moreover, they shared positive experiences such as fitting into pantsuits bought several years ago, being able to wear tight skirts, and receiving compliments from friends about their enhanced appearance.

I believe there's always room for improvement, but just like my past self, I find immense joy in helping those who want to:

• Love the reflection in the mirror
• Build confidence
• Carry themselves with poise in public

Even if there's still work to be done, it's incredibly gratifying to assist individuals on their journey. Whether it's experiencing positive changes in love or career after altering their appearance, or transitioning into a lifestyle where they choose meals and engage in training for the sake of their well-being, I want to encourage people to become more and more enamored with themselves and continue polishing that self-love.

My love for dogs also fuels my aspirations. I dream of making significant donations to rescue dog facilities and helping as many people as possible. One of my goals is to establish a gym or studio where dogs are welcome—a space where people can work on themselves while enjoying the company of furry friends.

Even someone like me, with my own struggles, was able

to achieve success in weight loss to the point of teaching others.

So, I truly believe that you can succeed too.

I hope we can continue to connect in the future, and if you've found inspiration in thinking,

"I can do this too!" it would make me very happy.

Thank you very much for reading until the end.

RAZZA Co., Ltd. Shiori Statter