Let’s get the ugly part out of the way first. In the summer of 2012, I weighed in at 133 kilograms – my all-time high. But unlike a peak for stock markets, there was no good news for anyone invested in my health. I was beginning to show signs of physical deterioration, and given I was only 37, this was obviously a very worrying direction for me to be going in as far as my family was concerned.
Since then, I have lost more than 20 kilograms, and in the past year I have cast aside my Heavyweight Overeating Champion of the World title (I don’t miss it).
At 40, I can keep up with two high-energy toddlers, and generally feel better than ever.
I am lucky to have escaped the catch-22 I had found myself in: while being around for my family became my primary motivation to get healthy, actually having a family had also contributed to my sorry state.
When my wife first got pregnant in 2011, I was the one who ate for two, three and, sometimes, four. Given that my natural state is blob-like, it was easy to give up any pretence of trying to stay active. When I saw the big number on the scale a year later, I knew something had to give.
But even after such a shock, when I could no longer deny the truth to myself and any hope of hiding it from my loved ones had become impossible, I still struggled to exercise regularly and cut back my eating. It was stop, start for months on end. This was probably the most hellish time for me. I was demoralised.
When my second son was born almost two years ago, another ready-made excuse to give up was on offer. I clung on to it for a while amid late-night feedings – for him, not me – little sleep and frayed emotions. For a while I wallowed.
In the end, it was my wife, looking to shed one or two kilos post pregnancy, who got me on the right track. She gently encouraged me to join her down at the gym. I did it, but only because I’ll do anything for a quiet life. Then something happened that I did not expect. I began to actually enjoy the discipline of it all. Call it maturity, call it luck, better to call it a miracle really, but I became invested. I watched what I ate, worked out almost every day and started to feel better about myself.
It grew quickly from there, as long as I took it one day at a time. Thinking about it in any time-frame longer than that made my head spin and my hand reach for the snack cupboard. Eventually I found I was able to keep up with the kids in the climbing frame, that I could fit into my favourite pair of jeans and that I actually missed the Work Out of the Day at Haddins gym whenever I didn’t go. I have even managed to call time on my personal war with the bathroom scale. I wouldn’t say we are friends, but I am much more relaxed about meeting with it once a month, and it doesn’t have quite such horrible things to tell me anymore.
I cringe at how corny this sounds – but it does fill me with pride and joy to know that I have done my best for my wife and kids, and that I have given us all a better chance of spending many more years together.
Mustafa Alrawi is business editor for The National
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Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history
Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)
Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.
Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)
A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.
Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)
Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.
Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)
Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.
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Scoreline
Man Utd 2 Pogba 27', Martial 49'
Everton 1 Sigurdsson 77'
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Mobile phone packages comparison
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
