Raymond Gutierrez’s transformation journey in latest season of ‘It Takes Gutz’

Raymond Gutierrez

As far as Raymond Gutierrez is concerned, the coming fifth season of “It Takes Gutz to Be a Gutierrez” is really his first.

In the previous editions of the reality television show, which follows the lives of show biz’s Gutierrez family, Raymond—as for most his life—was “unhappily fat.”

But now that he’s 65 pounds lighter, the 33-year-old show biz personality can finally say that he’s looking forward to watching the series and actually mean it.

“I’m ‘restarting.’ This is my Season One,” Raymond, who recently underwent a rigorous 90-day fitness regimen, told the Inquirer in a recent interview for “It Takes Gutz,” which will return on air on E! channel on July 31.

Like a new person

As someone very critical of himself, Raymond admitted that filming—and, later on, watching—the show wasn’t always a pleasant experience.

“To be riddled with insecurities and have zero control over the lighting or the camera angles was difficult. I was very uncomfortable,” he said. “But after losing weight, the quality of my life has drastically changed. My mood is better; my mind is sound. I feel like a new person.”

“And now that I’m fit, I have become more confident. I’m happy with what I see when I look at myself in the mirror or on television,” added Raymond, whose job as a businessman on the nightlife scene—which usually entailed going to parties—
contributed to his weight gain.

He drank a lot and ate some more. Nightlife consumed him, and it made him neglect his health. But those days are behind him.
“I used to have a relationship with junk food, but things aren’t working between us anymore!” quipped Raymond, who’s determined to maintain his trim physique.

Fitness goals

“I removed rice from my diet, which is unthinkable in the Philippines. I stopped eating pork or anything that’s too sweet or salty. I eat all the good stuff—fish, chicken, vegetables,” he related. “But I reward myself with dessert every so often.”

Fittingly, Raymond’s arc in “It Takes Gutz” will focus on his transformation journey and the struggles he endured. By showing the process behind his weight loss, he hopes to inspire people who are in the same situation.

“I will be giving an inside look at my workouts, my new life. This show is an important platform for me to share fitness tips with the audience; to show them how I achieved my fitness goals,” Raymond said. “Viewers from the other Southeast Asian countries aren’t aware of my weight loss yet, so I’m excited to see myself looking fit, too.”