Validation can come in odd ways; a stranger’s nod, a reflection in the mirror, a mother’s smile. For Pakistani expat Ahmed Ali, what was gratifying was his wife could not recognise him.
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He went past her four times before she raised her head and eyed him with suspicion. That look – before the awe and after the recognition may have been worth but a few blinks. It was enough: Ali’s gambit – eating frugally, exercising loads – had paid off. Four months into his programme he was 29kg lighter and had turned into the family’s role model.
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Origin story
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Four months earlier, at an office party, the 5-foot-11-inch Ali stood alongside his peers for the mandatory selfie. The photos, when shared, had him horrified. Before this (recently acquired) job, Ali had maintained a healthy 75-80kg. Now he was looking pointedly larger, podgier. His then roommate-and friend forced him to the gym and the weighing scale threw up unbelievable numbers; he weighed 103kg.
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It was a combination of laziness, sedentary office life and bad eating habits, he says, that caused the gain. “After I bought my car 4 years back I didn’t do any activity,” he says.
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After those photos however, he decided that he’d go to the gym every day. “When I [first] went there [to the gym], I feel very shy to look into the mirror and look at the other guys, maybe, I thought, maybe they laugh at me. Because I was not looking good, and I always wear the XXL size so people cannot [tell] that I have too much tummy,” he adds.
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Still, panting, he decided to begin with the treadmill – on which he walked for 5 mins, until he got used to it – slowly increasing speed and pace until he was jogging. He also began to weight train and do ab exercises. “In the first month I lost 4-5kg, that’s when I picked it up – [ I realised] that I can do it,” he recalls.
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‘No eating out’
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As for food – the self-confessed foodie says he had a tough time that first month. He’d eat two boiled eggs for breakfast; a salad if he was very, very hungry for lunch; and steamed chicken or fish with vegetables for dinner. He’d also have a fruit right before hitting the gym. Friendship then played a big role in Ali’s fitness. His friend acted as guide and nag – stopping him from binging on food from restaurants, keeping him going to the gym. “After one or two days I thought I should skip it but he told me you have to pay for 3 months or 4 months [before you see the results]. Even that time I thought I have to skip, but he motivated me,” he says.
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The lessons he taught have been stuck in Ali’s mind. When his family members, who are based in Pakistan, came for a visit in June, he thought he’d have to hit the brakes on his workout routine. Then he found a way. “Every night we went to Buhaira corniche and I do jogging, 20-30 mins [worth].”
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He has kept it up – the exercise – and kept the weight off six months on. Now, he’s got a new goal – taking his roommate on the same, fit trip.
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Follow this policy
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“Everyone has to give time for himself. If you can’t give time to you, you can’t do anything. You must commit for this [journey] if you want to lose weight – that is the main thing,” says Ali when asked about advice for people wanting to follow his path.
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And the commitment is worth it. For Ali the validation came from family and friends, and most of all from his wife, whose first comment to him was: “I can’t believe this is you.”
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Have you undergone a transformation? Would you like to share your story? Write to us at [email protected]
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