With weight loss transformations on the rise, we spoke to Marwan Abd El-Alim about his inspiring transformation that took him from a whopping 145 kilos to 87 kilos.
Have you always had weight loss issues?
Honestly, no. Or to be more accurate, I never really realized it until I actually lost the weight. I’ve learned that you do not have to have an issue to start losing weight, instead you need to WANT it, not NEED it.
How did your weight loss transformation begin and what motivated you to finally lose the weight?
Of course I tried numerous times to lose weight before. These attempts either had no results or I would put the weight back on in no time. There was no one reason that pushed me to do it this time other than really wanting to change. I wanted to change my attitude, my behavior, my friends, my career and my lifestyle as a whole.
What were the main factors that led to your success?
I see my success through four different aspects: consistency, courage, focus and persistence. These factors helped me to never fear anything, unlike the people I often see at the gym who quit too early as soon as they feel tired or in pain. I dedicated my entire existence to reaching my goal. I spent hours doing research, gaining the necessary knowledge and questioning everything. I’ve been doing all of this daily for nearly two years now.
What were the major challenges you faced throughout your transformation process?
Let me first differentiate between two types of challenges: emotional/mental and physical/technical. I experienced emotional instability mainly midway through the journey. I began to feel drained, my body was in shock and it definitely did not like being out of its comfort zone.
At times my body would just stop responding, which are natural weight loss plateaus. At those times I would start questioning myself and wondering if the process was really worth the effort. Once people reach that state, their response to these questions is critical.
How to control my mind to start losing weight was my biggest challenge.
I needed to reprogram my brain to perceive food in a new way that served my goals, which took quite some time to do. I lost 17 kilos the first 35 days only as a result of adjusting my mental state to new portions.
My other challenge was more physical and technical and I still continue to face it until now. It’s very challenging to transform your body and still look good. Losing fat and building muscles was a very challenging aspect for me. With no background about weight lifting or workouts, my first days at the gym were very difficult and slightly embarrassing, but you have to start somewhere.
I took very small steps towards my goal and it worked. I’m still not perfectly toned, it’s a work in progress and I am still working on excess skin, but luckily I do not suffer from major flabbiness.
What can you tell us about the mental or emotional changes you underwent?
After losing nearly 30 kilos and struggling with a weight loss plateau, I realized that your personality and body go hand in hand; you can’t change one without changing the other.
You simply need to get rid of the old you as a whole, meaning both body and personality, to make room for the new you.
As a result, I began to undergo personality changes, I began doing things I had never done before and I changed things I never imagined myself without.
How has your life changed following your transformation?
My life has changed drastically in every aspect. I can’t really describe this in words; it’s something you need to experience for yourself. I urge anyone to start now; it’s totally worth it!
What advice or tips would you give someone as they begin their own transformation?
Following my transformation, I began to encourage people and motivate them. From my short experience I can tell you that people usually quit for two reasons. First, most people know what they don’t want, and very few know what they want. People face confusion and guilt over the food they consume, they stress over the fear of not getting married because they’re so overweight and so on.
We need to learn to want things and not just do them because we have to.
Second, it’s natural to feel down somewhere along the journey, the excitement fades and you begin to question everything. What keeps you moving and stops you from quitting is running towards something rather than running from something. Keep your eyes on the finish line.
You’ll never win a race if you’re constantly looking behind you.
If you have no finish line or final destination you will lose sight of your purpose and you’ll get tired and go back the way you came. It’s only natural to do so, but if you know exactly where you’re heading, you’ll feel tired along the way, but you will continue to move towards your goal.
What are your thoughts about the health fitness craze that’s taking over Egypt?
I think it’s quite promising. It’s really inspiring to see youth engaging in real games and challenges, particularly the ones that help raise health awareness.
WE SAID THIS: Liked this? Don’t miss our interview with Nazli Mahmoud, winner of the last EL FIT Challenge about her inspiring transformation!