One man's journey to freedom from fat

Dubai: It took seven months, dozens of health books, regular exercise and many instructional videos. But to Gulf News reader Eliazar Dimalapang, losing 50kg and gaining a new lease on life was well worth the effort.

Although the mathematics teacher's journey began only a year ago, he said that he began gaining weight in high school and continued to do so through his university years.

The Filipino said: "I was teased many times and became insecure, but I always put on a happy face."

By 2010 the 35-year-old had reached 127kg and realised that deep down, he was crying out for help.

He said: "There was a gnawing feeling that something was missing. After much introspection, I knew I wasn't happy with myself any more and that I had to change my life." But it was the death of a friend that gave him that final push.

Dimalapang said: "He was young and full of dreams. It struck me how life can just be taken away at any time. [I realised that] life is short and being fat had done nothing good for me but limit my options in life."

Getting serious

With a yen to explore the world and tired of being hindered by his weight, he decided to get serious.

He said: "When I made the best decision of my life, I did not have a specific number in mind. I just wanted to lose like 60 pounds (27kg), and if I could lose that much, then I could move forward to 40 or more."

On January 28, 2010, he began his weight loss journey, and after seven months he had lost 50kg, going from 127kg to 77. But to achieve this feat, Dimalapang had to make many changes.

He started early each day, getting up at 5.30am to squeeze in an hour of exercise before work, and ended with an hour of exercise before going to bed at night. He experimented with different workouts, trying everything from yoga and Pilates to Tae Bo, kickboxing and Tai Chi by following instructional videos borrowed from his work's library or found on YouTube.

Dimalapang said some people wondered why he didn't consult a doctor or personal trainer. But he said he believes that the weight loss process is a simple one: eat healthily and exercise.

He said: "To do [both] properly though, knowledge is very important. That is why I read many books by health experts. At the end of the day, no matter how many times you consult a doctor or trainer, it is you who have to take the decision to change your behaviour."

He also kept a daily blog, writing down everything he ate and his thoughts and feelings about the entire process.

He said: "Keeping a blog helped me be on track and I became a ‘weekday vegetarian', eating only fruits and vegetables, almost everything raw, during the week and eating meat, such as chicken or fish on Fridays and Saturdays."

To Dimalapang, losing all that weight has been like becoming a new person.

He said: "I am definitely happy with my weight and, as of now I don't think I want to lose [any] more."

Skydiving

To celebrate his success, Dimalapang went skydiving in Dubai on Christmas Eve and the day before the anniversary of his weight loss journey, he went bungee jumping in Macau.

And others have also been inspired by his achievement.

He said: "I have been receiving feedback from friends back in the Philippines and from people at work telling me that they have been inspired by my journey. I know of one in particular, who even started a weigh-in event every Friday at their workplace."

Dimalapang's advice to those who would also like to lose weight is they should know what they are getting into.

He said: "Initially it will be a difficult process, but the rewards are immense. People should set realistic goals and celebrate small successes, like losing a pound in a week."

Most importantly he said that people need to do it for it for the right reasons and for their personal betterment.

Watch related video on Gulf News' cut the fat initiative: