As some of you know,  I finally got my act together and decided to lose some weight. I normally can’t motivate myself to do this, but  by getting into a fitness contest with about 20 other guys, I finally had the motivation I needed. I originally got into this competition because I was on the cusp of becoming a “Desi uncle.” I was too skinny, but I had this huge gut, like those kids you see from Africa on National Geographic Channel. Plus, I didn’t want to end up in five years playing basketball with a gut that hangs out over my shorts every time I stretch for the ball. So here are the final results.

As you can see, a vast improvement, if I do say so myself. All this within 3 months. And there is no way I would have been able to do it on my own. The support of the guys I was in the contest with was huge, both at the gym and sticking with the diet. Surprisingly, even though we were all competing against each other, everyone was always willing to help. But nobody more so than our teacher, leader and fitness expert, Rehan Jalali. If you guys don’t know Rehan, you need to check out his book on Amazon, called The Six-Pack Diet Plan. Rehan was kind enough with his time to work out with and give us all personal tips and techniques on what we need to to do optimize the diet for our particular bodies. I can’t say enough about how much Rehan helped me get to where I am today and where I want to go.

One of the toughest things for me to do during this competition was the diet. I’ve always been a person who eats what he wants, when he wants, relying on my metabolism to keep me skinny. Unfortunately, that has slowed down a lot as I near 30. Not only that, but for a year I had a 1.5 hour commute where all I did was munch on junk food. In that one year alone, I gained 25 pounds. Even during this competition it was difficult for me to stay committed to the diet. I was constantly having cheat bites and meals well into late February. Plus the two weeks in New York didn’t help at all. But I finally buckled down and went to a strictly Rehan approved diet and immediately started seeing results. And after seeing the final measurements, I’m kicking myself for not being more committed to myself. I’m sure if I had started the diet when I was supposed to, I would have attained that ever elusive six-pack. After I finally dedicated myself to the diet, I was surprised by how easy it was. I setup a schedule and plan which I actually followed.

One of the best parts about this whole contest is that  I feel better than ever, I have more energy for everything and NO MORE BELLY! Even though I didn’t get to a six-pack,  I still benefited tremendously. I now know how to exercise and eat right. I know how to make food thats good for you AND tastes good. Plus even though I didn’t win, I made a ton of great friends who I will continue working out with for a long time.

Oh, and the guy that won the whole contest, Farooq, managed to drop 42 pounds! His before and after pics don’t even look like the same person! I’d like to take a little credit for that.  Farooq and I were new to the contest and every night in the gym, I was pushing Farooq till he collapsed. So he won thanks to me. The miles of cardio he ran and excellent dietary discipline and support from his wife he had, of course had nothing to do with it. 🙂

So, I dieted for three months, killed myself on the elliptical and lost the equivalent of a small child. Plus I lost my gut, my wife’s happy with that and I made a ton of friends.  A great contest and I hope and pray that I can continue this healthy lifestyle and achieve that elusive six pack!