My Journey: From Fat to Fit | Personal Story Behind Amanah Fitness

By | Amina Khan

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I was disappointed in myself.
I was embarrassed.
Every glance in the mirror was a constant reminder of my lack of control.
I desperately wanted to change…
But I didn’t know how.
And no matter how many times I tried to make things right…
Nothing. Ever. Worked.

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My name is Amina Khan, and the wonderful ladies in my fitness classes may know me as the energetic hijabi bootcamp instructor who loves to sweat, laughs when it burns, and wears shirts that say LOVE THE PAIN while working out. My students roll their eyes and chuckle as I jokingly distract them while holding planks that seem to last forever, and groan when I yank just a couple more burpees out of them until every last muscle is completely fatigued. My family knows that the place to find me is near a heavy set of weights, dripping in sweat with a satisfied grin on my face. My friends understand that my kind of party involves fabulous workout clothes followed by perhaps some sugar-free, fat-free fro-yo. At regular parties, I usually end up dropping down to demonstrate proper form for a perfect pushup or lunge—in full party wear. Gifting me cake or chocolate would just be silly. If you have a question about nutrition, I’m your girl. If you have a question about fitness, I could go on for hours. Everything about me screams ‘health nut’, ‘fitness aficionado’, ‘way too much energy’, and ‘crazy workout lady’. And it’s true; that is me, and I do believe in a health-conscious, ridiculously strong and powerful lifestyle. I love living a fit, supercharged life and empowering my sisters to reach their full potential and surpass strength goals that they never knew were possible.

But the truth is, just a few years ago, I was definitely not the same person.

In fact, I used to be—get this—60 pounds heavier than I am today.

For most of my life, I was overweight, unhappy and completely uncomfortable with myself. I loved junk food and I disliked exercise. I changed the topic whenever health would arise in conversation, and I set the scale back a few pounds under zero so I wouldn’t feel so bad when stepping on.

Reflecting on my transformation still amazes me today.

This story is the reason for my passion for restoring health to our community. This journey is why I created Amanah Fitness and why I push other women to work for their health. I share this deeply personal experience in the hopes of inspiring you to reclaim your health and make the decision to change your life for the better today.

This is my raw story—my struggle, my journey, and my victory, by the Will of Allah (SWT).

I was always a heavy set child with a propensity to gain weight quickly. As the years went by, although I grew older, I never grew into a healthy BMI, and my weight issue only became more pronounced.

Throughout high school, I experimented with every diet I could find, desperately looking for a solution. I just wanted to look and feel normal. From the Mediterranean, Atkins, and South Beach diets, to commercialized products and systems such as Weight Watchers, Curves, SimFast, LA Slim, and various meal replacements, I tried them all. I struggled my way through restrictive programs and well-intended but misinformed suggestions from friends and family. My health and energy levels plummeted as each diet plan would yield temporary, unsustainable weight fluctuations. I came to expect failure in my health goals because I had never known success. Even as a teenager, I understood that the vast majority of diet plans are not designed to yield lasting success, but to create short-term marketable “success” stories to promote brands.

Aside from dieting, my experience with exercise was difficult and also painfully lonely. Running on our home treadmill was an arduous task being overweight, and solitary exercise was incredibly isolating. Having no instruction or fitness knowledge, I toiled for long, hated sessions of cardio on the treadmill. Unbeknownst to me at the time, this type of steady-state cardio was not sufficiently intense to rev my metabolism or create substantial fat burn. Every run was depressingly boring, which caused me to abandon running and exercise frequently.

I needed a lifestyle change, but I had no idea how to sift through all the misinformation available to make positive changes to my health.

In my first year of university, I hit an all-time low. At almost 180 pounds and a body fat percentage well over 30%, I was miserable. I felt frustrated and defeated. I was tired of the constant struggle with my weight—the vicious cycle of hope followed by let down. I felt trapped within my own body and was ready to give up. I still remember that day in my first year—late after a long day of classes, I lay on my bed, feeling utterly defeated.

Why couldn’t I reach my health goals, I wondered?

Here I was, working so hard to follow misleading plans that never followed through on their many promises of eventual success and happiness. Why couldn’t I find a program that worked… while so many friends seemed privileged with a high metabolism that handled junk food easily. I felt completely powerless. I desperately wanted to take charge of my health, but I was losing hope and the willpower to keep trying.

As I wallowed in self-pity from years of failed attempts, somehow a whisper of conviction came over me. At that time, I silently made a promise to myself.

I’m going to try one more time… I told myself.

One more attempt doing something completely different, and then that’s it.
If this doesn’t work, I’m quitting. This is my final chance.

Sick of slaving away on a treadmill, I enrolled in a recently opened women’s only gym and enlisted the help of a fitness instructor to coach me through new alternative exercises. I connected with an instructor not only for her knowledge in exercise, but also to create a sense of partnership that would motivate me to continue pushing myself. She was the missing link to fill in the suffocating isolation I felt while working out by myself. Working with her, I realized that her role as a trainer included her role as a motivator and fitness companion on my journey. We had a common goal to work towards together, which added layers of accountability to keep me on track. As training became part of my regular regimen, I noticed something that I had never experienced before… I was starting to enjoy and look forward to training.

I was determined to challenge myself like never before, and mentally committed to continue ‘hardcore’ for the next four months. I was eating clean, but maintained an intensive focus on high intensity exercise above all. However, fear nagged at me from the back of my mind. What if this was just another failed yo-yo attempt at weight loss? Would my handwork pay off? Although the weight was starting to drop, I was weary of getting excited. The scale had always been my worst enemy… the notion that the hated scale could finally become the bearer of good news seemed unfathomable.

I was scared to get my hopes up. My body was physically exhausted as I was transitioning from a sedentary lifestyle to a lifestyle of frequent high intensity training. Muscle development and water weight made the scale inconsistent on some days and made me doubt my progress. The days seemed to flow by quickly, without me realizing how much I was changing, until my mother looked up one day and commented that I looked great. That day I weighed myself and realized that I had already lost 20 pounds from when I first started.

I was suddenly aware that my body was, indeed, changing, as the rate of my weight loss began to quicken. It was as if my body had realized that I was transitioning into a pattern of regular fat burning and was grudgingly coming along for the ride. My family was a huge support and encouraged me to keep at it. The manager at the gym started paying attention to me when I walked through the door. She loved observing success stories and she relished in telling me that I was getting smaller every time she saw me. My cardiovascular capacity improved and cardio seemed easier. My bench-press weights became heavier. I felt as if I was watching from the sidelines as a fat burning switch ignited within my muscles. I didn’t know it, but the meticulously planned sessions of cardiovascular training coupled with muscular endurance and power was an extremely effective combination that kept challenging my body and promoting rapid growth. I was incredibly motivated by my progress but also terrified that my fat burning snowball effect would suddenly stop.

The only thing I could do was make sincere duaa.

Ramadan came and I continued to exercise regularly while fasting. Every night during taraweh at ISNA masjid I made the same duaa: Oh Allah, help me to reach my ideal bodyweight. Although I had lost almost 40 pounds in 4 months at the time, I was still heavy at 140 pounds. Each night as I would make duaa, I would wish for what seemed like the most far-fetched number in the world to me: Oh Allah, allow me to reach 125 pounds. I asked sincerely but a part of me almost laughed at myself.

You, the chubster? 125 pounds—keep dreaming.

I gritted my teeth and tried to push past the nagging self-doubt and concentrate on doing my part to achieve what I was asking Allah (SWT) for.

Ramadan came and went, and I persisted and lost another 10 pounds. I was ecstatic at my progress and was looking forward to buying a whole new wardrobe—my old, oversized sweaters were starting to swallow me up. I noticed that as I was nearing my target weight, it was becoming harder to drop pounds at the same rapid rate. Summer holidays from university were nearing an end, and I was nervous about returning to campus.

I knew I needed to continue working out to maintain my results, despite new challenges of limited time and resources.

I wondered whether I would be able to keep it up once the semester began, without the support of the women’s-only gym. I was not looking forward to saying goodbye to my instructor, either. She was a wonderful motivator and resource for health knowledge. Losing contact with her meant going back to a routine of solitary exercise. I was worried that I would drop the ball yet again and lose my handwork, but I resolved to do my very best to keep up the fight. I still had more weight I wanted to lose, and I knew that if I stopped trying, the momentum that I had built up would also stop.

I will never forget my first day back on campus after the summer break. It had been almost 5 months since I had seen many of my friends.

I looked considerably different since the last time we had met, and I wondered what they would say.

Several girls were gathering for one of the first MSA meetings of the term, and I vividly remember shyly walking through the doors of the building to greet them. I saw their eyes widen as they rushed towards me, arms outstretched for a group hug.

You look SO different, what HAPPENED?!
What did you DO?!
Congratulations, you look amazing mashAllah!!

As I thanked my friends for their warm compliments, it finally dawned on me, and I felt an intense rush of relief wash over my entire body.

I made it, I realized. I actually did it. This time, it worked.

In that moment, I was proud of every ounce of willpower that I had devoted to improving my health. I remembered the hours of training and the dedication required to wean myself off sugary and fattening foods, and I knew it was all worth it. When you see yourself in the mirror every day, it can be hard to step back and reflect upon your progress. But seeing the shock of my friends witnessing my transformation for the first time, I could finally believe that I had accomplished something incredible.

That moment of introspection allowed me to discover that I had changed much internally, as well as externally, during my journey. I felt a lightness in my step that translated to a lightness upon my heart. I was happier, inside and out, and felt capable of so much more. I felt as if the extra weight I had been carrying not only made me feel poorly about myself, but had also taken a tight grasp around my self-confidence, and hidden my personality inside myself. My transformation showed me what I was capable of when I committed to a goal. I was able to break down the barriers I had created for myself, and step out from within the cage I was sulking in. I felt as if I proved my worth and dedication to myself.

In that moment, I knew that I would keep working towards my goals, no matter what situation, environment, or time constraints I found myself in. As the school year progressed, I continued to lose weight, albeit at a slower pace, until I reached my target goal. Once I reached my goal weight, I turned my attention to maintenance, and finally to strength training, and truly fell in love with lifting heavy weights and further developing my strength.

Before I realized it, exercise and solid nutrition was already a huge part of a my life that I looked forward to and enjoyed every day.

Exercise had became a source of personal joy, so I wanted to involve my sisters. I started asking my housemates to participate in the workouts, and the first home rendition of Amanah Fitness took place. A few times a week, my housemates would gather and we would go through workout DVDs together. I had so much fun coordinating these sessions and correcting my friends’ exercise form from the knowledge that I had built up over the years. Once it became logistically difficult to continue classes in our student house, I knew that I wanted to teach fitness classes for my sisters on a bigger scale and hone my knowledge of the field with expert instruction. I maintained a solid grasp on my own fitness, and I felt it was time for me to give back from my experience to my close friends around me. Soon after, I enrolled in several fitness certification programs with the national health and fitness certification board, CanFit-Pro and quickly completed my certification procedures.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, I feel privileged, empowered, and incredibly grateful.

I can’t help but feel immense gratitude whenever I recall the fervent duaa that I made, now years ago, in the masjid that fateful Ramadan. I asked Allah (SWT) to allow me to reach 125 pounds—a number that I never thought was even remotely  possible for me. In fact, now, I maintain my weight under that amount I had asked for, as well as an athletic body fat percentage of under 20%.

I love developing strength and setting new personal weight lifting records, and thankfully I don’t obsess about my weight anymore. I emphasize health and healthful practices, and am strongly against poisoning my God-given body with excessive indulgences. I am comfortable in my body size and shape and am able to work towards personal improvement without stress or guilt following me with every food choice. I no longer exercise because I feel obliged to do so; I exercise daily because staying active makes me feel vibrant and full of life. I have confidence in my endurance and strength, which allows me to try a variety of activities and have a great time while doing so. This freedom and comfort I feel in my own skin is an immense blessing from Allah (SWT). I feel that all of this is the fulfilment of my duaas, and I encourage all my sisters to never forget the powerful role of duaa in all of our health goals. And conversely, we must remember to do our part and follow up with the required action to supplement these duaas.

The bottom line: I did it, and so can you.

Before I became a certified fitness instructor and trainer, I had absolutely no knowledge about health or nutrition, and I certainly knew nothing about fitness. However, I sought out experts who were willing to spend time teaching and motivating me, and I relied on their experience to guide me through my journey. The only thing I had was fierce determination—and I didn’t even have that when I started! I came from a very dark place of self-doubt. But I pushed past my insecurities and worked towards my final goal with tenacity and endless determination.

I trusted in Allah (SWT) and knew that if I put in consistent effort and I never gave up, success would follow.

Allah (SWT) created this world with cause and effect, and now, as a fitness professional, I know the causes that lead to reliable effects upon your body. There’s no quick solution or easy fix: good health takes effort and correct knowledge to steer you in the right direction. The only thing that you have to plug into the formula is your best effort and consistency. Once you supply those two crucial ingredients, and you make a sincere commitment to never give up, you are planting yourself on a one-way street to success.

I created Amanah Fitness to address major obstacles preventing women from achieving their health potential.

My personal journey allowed me to identify major obstacles women face when trying to make changes to their health. My goal with Amanah fitness is to eliminate these barriers to allow as painless and excuse-free environment as possible, where sisters can come together and unite towards a common goal. This is the program I wish I had access to when I was struggling with my weight. Some of the barriers that are all eliminated from the Amanah fitness class structure, include:

1)    A sense of Isolation when trying to self-motivate during workouts
I always hated working out alone. It was lonely and made every minute seem to drag on even longer. A lack of accountability is also a major reason why many women quit individual workout plans. For this reason, I am a strong supporter of the power of group exercise classes. The group setting makes workouts relatable and social. Sisters come together and bond through the experience, which makes working out a source of enjoyment. This is a crucial factor to ensuring long-term workout practice sustainability.

2)    Lack of knowledge and variety
Years ago, I hated repeating the same treadmill workouts by myself, but I had no idea what to do to add variety and challenge to my workouts. Now, as an experienced and certified fitness instructor, I spend considerable time carefully constructing unique workout routines so every workout is different and new to keep the program fresh and exciting. When I finally started seeing results, it was by following a meticulously planned schedule of cardiovascular training, strengthening exercises and flexibility work. The Amanah Fitness class structure integrates these primary components of fitness, as well as secondary components such as agility, coordination and balance to ensure that an optimal fat burning environment is created in a short, manageable time block.

3)    Lack of an experienced instructor
As I witnessed with my own instructor, the presence of a knowledgeable, personable, motivating instructor can provide immense support in pushing you to accomplish your fitness goals. A fitness instructor not only guides the class, but also checks and corrects exercise form to ensure safe and effective practices. As an instructor, my role is to motivate you and push you past your comfort zone to allow you to redefine your personal strength potential. As my class participants can attest to, I’m the fitness instructor you will love to hate while simultaneously having a blast while working out with! I care deeply about every single one of my class participants, and I know that together we can work towards your health goals, one step at a time and one class at a time inshAllah.

4)    Lack of private, halal, comfortable workout environments
As a Muslim female, a halal environment extends far beyond having a private area to workout in. Amanah Fitness ensures complete privacy so you can take off your hijab and exercise comfortably, but also ensures no musical instrumental tracks will be used during classes. Our classes utilize nasheeds, drum tracks and beat boxing tracks to ensure a comfortable class environment for all participants to reach success, inshAllah.

The Secret to Your Health Success: Never stop learning, never stop trying, and never stop giving your 100% EVERY DAY.

I love teaching fitness classes and helping my sisters see how strong they truly are. In class, whenever I’m instructing a really difficult strength move, or showing how to make movements more challenging, I see looks of disbelief flash across my students faces. It’s as if I see them saying Well SHE can do that because she’s a fitness nut, but *I* can’t do that. But that thinking is so wrong! When I started my journey, I was in a much worse state of health than the vast majority of my students. There’s nothing special about me. All I do is try, every single day and stay positive while doing so. Once you make that mindset change and shift from hating your workout to having fun with it, reaching your health goals is a matter of course, inshAllah.

I know you’ve got greatness inside of you, and it’s about time for you to unleash your potential! No matter who you are or your current level of health, we all can take better care of the gift of our bodies. So If you’re ready to take on this challenge with me and commit to a lifestyle of personal betterment, let’s get started on this journey together, inshAllah.

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Ibn Abbas narrates that
The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“There are two blessings which many people waste: health and free time.”

[Sahih Bukhari]

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