Monday 16 / September / 2024
Muscat: Only nine months ago, Mohammed Darweesh weighed 162 kg and suffered from health complications and chronic fatigue.
Worried about his future and the possibility of contracting a serious disease, the 31-year-old man decided to challenge his unhealthy eating habits with a “life changing” diet.
In a matter of six months, Mohammed lost 33kg. Around 15 employees of W J Towell participated in a competition to shed their weight. W J Towell is known for its health initiatives as it conducts its ‘Towell Health Week’ every year.
Mohammed said that he has improved the quality of his life, he has more fun playing with his child and has received a healthy medical report. Showing the results of his latest checkups, Mohammed’s blood pressure is 140/80 compared to 180/100 nine months ago.
“The secret is in the salad,” the Omani financier said, adding that his diet is very flexible and easy to follow. “Rice, soft drinks, red meat and white bread were removed from my daily menu,” he said.
Only ten days after starting his new diet in January, he lost six kilograms.
He explained that he only walks from 30 minutes to one hour, three times per week.
“I used to eat ten shawarma sandwiches per day before the new diet, but now two are too filling for me,” he said, admitting that he cheated on Eid day by having some Shuwa, a meaty, high-calorie, Omani dish.
He told the Times of Oman that his target is to reach a weight of 80 kg. But despite his dedication and strong will, he said that he is keeping his old wide shirts in his closet “just in case.”
“My relatives and friends were shocked and thought I was sick after seeing my transformed body,” Mohammed said proudly.
The company awarded Mohammed OMR800 for being the “biggest loser” among his peers.
“A better shape boosts a person’s confidence,” said Faisal, the person who inspired Mohammed to enter the challenge.
Faisal lost 15kg in just six months, but he said it was hard to compete with Mohammed’s strong will. “Earlier, I used to take a rest in my car after walking to it from my office. I used to spend most my time lying on the couch, watching TV and struggling to sleep,” Mohammed recalled.
But now, Mohammed plays sports with his four-year-old son and swims at the beach like any healthy man.
Mohammed said that he is keen to educate his family about his new diet and show them how it can dramatically change their quality of life. The diet programme was made by Apollo Clinic for Diabetics (Sugar).
