Dubai Fitness Challenge: How this expat lost 46kg in 8 months

After realising that his health had been deteriorating fast, 27-year-old Aly Ibrahim made a decision: It’s time to shed the flab. He embraced a fitness routine and in just eight months, he lost 46kg.

Before the journey, Ibrahim weighed 140kg. “Basic day-to-day activities had become a challenge for me,” said the expat who has been living in Dubai since he was three years old.

“I weigh 91kg now. Obviously, it is still not the ideal weight for my height, so I want to keep going with my fitness journey,” he told Khaleej Times.

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Thanks to a strict regimen of intermittent fasting and exercise, he was able to lose weight fast.

It was the second time in his life that he lost over 40kg of body weight.

“Before my drastic weight gains the second time around, I was a Muay Thai trainer. I used a combination of Muay Thai and intermittent fasting to lose weight,” he explained.

A ‘very unhealthy’ eating habit was one of the root causes of his weight problem, he said.

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“I was a student of the International School of Choueifat and graduated from the American University in the Emirates. I am currently working as an intern for Al Futtaim Willis,” Ibrahim said.

“I would eat out of boredom. It was always an excess of calories and it was mostly junk and supermarket fast food.”

He said he wouldn’t track his calorie consumption either. “I was constantly eating throughout the day.”

Over time, even getting out of bed had become a challenge for Ibrahim. “Everything had become really tedious. I realised my health was being compromised,” he said.

Ibrahim tried intermittent fasting and saw that he was able to shed weight pretty quickly. “I stopped eating sugar and junk. I would fast from 9pm to 2pm,” he shared.

Ibrahim would break his fast by eating a snack of fruits at 2pm and have his first big meal after 5pm. “This meal is mostly protein and some carbs. I would have another snack later in the day and stop eating after 9pm. I don’t drink juices or have any liquid calories. I stick to fresh food only.”

The routine worked for him, he said, as he instantly felt higher energy levels throughout the day.

After eight months, Ibrahim successfully lost 46kg and he is working hard to shed some more. “For my height, my body weight needs to be in the 80s,” he said.

The Dubai Fitness Challenge, he said, is an incredible way for people to get into a fitness habit.

“I think the challenge is an amazing initiative for people to get healthy. It is something I would recommend, especially for people who are facing challenges similar to mine,” said Ibrahim.

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai