UAE expat went from shy to confident after shedding 37kg

Dubai - Here are 10 tips to keep your waistline in check.

Any moment could be a turning point in someone's life. For Husam Mohamed, that point came when he turned 30 and realised that the kind of life he was living wouldn't take him beyond 50 years.

"I was living an unhealthy life. I ate junk food every day and did not have the desire to exercise," he told Khaleej Times. "Basically I led a very inactive lifestyle."

One day, Husam found it difficult to climb the stairs and it was then it struck him that his lifestyle was getting out of hand. "The idea to lose weight and live an active lifestyle was always there in the back of my mind but I never felt motivated," said Husam. He said that the UAE lifestyle, where everyone uses a car to travel and sits for hours at the workplace, leads to people piling on kilogrammes.

Soon after, his workplace tied up with a company to start a fitness programme. "I took part in this programme and started off making small efforts such as eating healthy and taking short walks within the office," he said.

The first couple of months were the toughest but persistence paid off and Husam lost 20kg in under three months. "This motivated me further and I realised that I needed to exercise more and eat healthier to continue on this weight loss journey."

Husam then started to control his food choices strictly. He researched the kind of foods that would make his diet healthier and those he could stick to. "I don't want to call it a diet because people freak out on the word diet ... I just call it sticking to food that is healthy and suits me," he said.

In the following months, Husam also became more active and focused on fat loss instead of water or muscle loss.

In 15 months, he had dropped 35kg, turning to a fit 88kg from the earlier 125kg. Husam, however, says that the target is still far off. "The main point is to follow a healthy lifestyle and make all changes, be it diet or exercise, a part of your daily life and not give up," he said.

Since his weight loss, Husam has changed a lot. "My confidence and energy levels have gone up," he said. "I used to feel shy earlier, even while shopping for clothes, but now I feel confident in helping my family and friends."

He also uses public transport instead of driving. "This also keeps me active," he said

10 tips to keep your waistline in check