Health is the biggest winner in Abu Dhabi weight-loss competition

Emirati Yasser Al Marzouqi now weighs 70 kilograms after losing 12kg in the six-week Biggest Winner competition. Courtesy The Mall at World Trade Center Abu Dhabi

Programmes and incentives to encourage people to lose weight and live healthier lives are becoming more common in the UAE. There has been a huge rise in the number of community-based fitness events, such as the Color Run, and new gyms and fitness centres seem to open every week. Governments in the UAE have also done their part by offering free programmes and enticing incentives. In previous years, Dubai Municipality, for example, has offered gold to the winners of its weight-loss competitions, an incentive that encouraged more than 25,000 people to sign up.

This year, The Mall at World Trade Center Abu Dhabi partnered with Primal Gym to launch its “Biggest Winner” competition and up for grabs were 300,000 Etihad Guest Miles – enough for two business-class flights to Dublin, or a return economy trip to Melbourne and another to Munich.

More than 200 people signed up for the compeition and committed to classes three times a week at Primal Gym, with nutritional advice from Dr Nutrition, all in a bid to win one of three categories – weight loss, stronger and fitter. The group managed to lose 100 kilograms between them in six weeks, with everyone improving their BMI.

The winners included Lara Abu Ata, Zena Abou Said and Peter Mutizwa for weight loss; Shelly Houston and Fadi Theodary for stronger; and Ruben Sharma in the fitter category.

We caught up with one of the entrants, Emirati Yasser Al Marzouqi, from Abu Dhabi, to find out what he got out of the Biggest Winner competition.

Tell us about your weight struggle.

Before the Biggest Winner competition, I weighed 82 kilograms but my goal was to reach 72kg. I entered the competition to lose weight and have a healthier life. I always struggled with my weight because I’m in love with food. I love food in general and I always like to try new foods, especially sweets. My metabolism is low therefore it is difficult to lose what I gained without working out. At one stage I almost reached 90kg but I went through a very strict diet and my weight was at 69kg at the end. I couldn’t continue the diet, however, because it made me stop eating everything I love.

How has life changed now?

I lost 12kg during the competition and I’m feeling much healthier by having a diet plan and working out with great trainers in big groups. During the competition, the trainers always pushed me to give double my efforts, which has produced great results. This has also affected my diet and my sleeping. I am eating less now, even on my “off” days, and I have really noticed a change in my health – and so has my family. I lost weight and my body has changed for the better. I’m more confident now wearing my jeans and T-shirts.

Has your outlook on health changed?

I’ve learned to focus on the results not the training. The training is always hard but the results are worth it. If I were to give advice to others, I would say, always focus on the results and ask yourself a question when you look at yourself in the mirror: What do you hate more, the hard training or the current shape of your body? Results can’t be achieved without hard work and dedication. Results will need time to show and they won’t show immediately.