By | Uzair Khan

My name is Uzair Khan.

Throughout my entire life, I was always unhealthy and unfit. I was plagued since my youth by allergies and asthma that severely limited my desire for exercise and being active. In gym class, I could not perform as well as others in my class, simply because I couldn’t keep up with them. I ate terribly, mainly due to lack of knowledge, but also due to over indulgence and family habits.

…This was all until I got married.

After getting married, I realized I had to take care of my health not just for myself, but for my wife too. I finally made it a mission to get fit. So back when I was in University (yes I actually got married before I went to University, but that’s another story!), I was determined to change my lifestyle around. I started training in the gym and eating very healthy while working hard to maintain an honours standing in my Software Engineering program at the University of Waterloo. It wasn’t easy, but I was determined. I knew the key to getting fit was to be consistent and be patient. Over the course of 3 years, I lost about 30lb of fat and got into amazing shape. I knew exactly what I needed to keep my healthy lifestyle going.

Or so I thought…

But then

real life

set in.

University got harder, real life work started, and life generally got busier. Being in an Engineering program took its toll. After graduation, my focus shifted from theoretical studies to more practical. I was now a Consultant in Technology working for one of the big consulting firms. With this new life, my focus now became on my career. I started lacking severely in other aspects of my life, particularly my health. And it didn’t just stop there; I got more involved in my community and then to top it off, I had my first child, a beautiful daughter. Life got the best of me and I went from being extremely fit to weighing 220lb and having over 35% body fat.

I was depressed, lazy, and tired all the time.

I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I definitely took my health for granted. I was severely lacking in taking care of myself so much so that I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. My mother, noticing my health deteriorating, told me that when she went for Hajj around this time, she made sincere duaa for me to get back to a healthy me.

A couple of things also happened to me around the same time. My uncle passed away due to colon cancer. After reflecting on his life and his own health habits, I realized I needed to change. My parents getting diagnosed with diabetes only pushed me take action further. Keeping my family history on mind, I realized that the chances of me getting diabetes were very high had I kept up my unhealthy habits.

My daughter was growing before my eyes  and I could hardly believe it. And Alhamdullilah, Allah has blessed us with another little one on the way.

Enough was enough.

It was time for me to regain my health if not for me, for my family. If my children saw bad habits from me while they were young, it would cause them to face similar issues as they grew up. I refused to become a poor example for my kids.
I had once been fit, so I generally  knew what I had to do. However, maintaining a routine that required me to go to the gym everyday was difficult for my work/home situation.

To make getting fit easier considering my busy lifestyle,  I decided to work out from home. I started working out at home using workout videos and I became extremely strict with eating clean. I was determined.

I worked out… day in and day out… and most importantly, remaining consistent, to the point that I was able to go from 220lb down to 150lb in a span of over half a year. I actually probably went a bit too far!

After losing all this weight, I created my own routine with various goals (ranging from bulking up a bit, losing fat or maintenance). With my life getting busier and with my family growing, I had to move into a house, causing me to have longer commutes to work. So in order for me to keep up with my fitness routine, I designed and created my own home gym in my basement. That way, I was not limited by a gym membership. In addition, it gave me control over my own schedule; I was better able to balance my family, religion and health and give each aspect of my life the time and commitment it deserves.

Ever since then, I’ve been focused. 

Ever since then, I’ve been focused. I now vary my routines and diet regularly (depending on my health goals) and maintain a very low body fat percentage of around 10-12%. I consistently push myself harder and focus on various elements of my health at regular intervals throughout the year.

I’ve realized over the years how my body reacts to various foods, how my diet can be tweaked and how my fitness routines can be balanced- all while maintaining a hectic work schedule. Such a life is not easy.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not easy…

…But who said maintaining a balance SHOULD be easy?

It took work and dedication.

Once I made significant lifestyle changes to match my goals, it became just that: a lifestyle. No longer do I desire to eat what I want, when I want (well maybe sometimes during a cheat meal!). But I now know how to balance my schedule and diet to maintain my health. I know what foods to eat to fuel my progress, and what foods are lethal to my goals. Sometimes I go into extreme mode; other times, I go into maintenance mode

Rarely do I let my work and life issues cause me to neglect my health totally.

My health from now on will always be something that is of high importance to me.

After training and pounding my body over the years, I started to crave my health instead. Sure there are times when I take a break from training and healthy eating. I mean, obviously being strict all the time is not feasible over the long term. At times, when I do take a break, I relax and give myself a reward knowing full well that I need to come back and promise myself to maintain a healthy lifestyle day in day out. It’s gotten to the point where now when I do take breaks, I anticipate my workouts only to stop myself because I know I need the break (more on this in a future article). I then come back and beat my personal best and push myself even further.

It’s also come to the point that eating healthy food has become a lifestyle.

I feel alive when I eat properly and I feel dead when I don’t.

The way I eat directly affects my stamina and my performance at work and my daily life.

Whenever I cheat too much or start slipping, the lifestyle I have developed makes me CRAVE returning back to my healthy habits once again.

But the key point I want you to take from my story is not to copy what I did.

I did what worked for ME.

…No one program, routine or diet is fit for everyone.

I realized how to manage my lifestyle to maintain a healthy balance for what I consider balance. Everyone has their own definition of balance at different times of their life. The key is to find out what works for you and to journey through life to find out what that is. The key is EDUCATION so you can become an intelligent health decision maker, for YOURSELF.

The journey to a healthy lifestyle and balance is a long one and I am still on it. I am grateful for all the experiences I have gone through and the knowledge that I’ve gained through years of diet and exercise. I hope to share much of what I’ve learned over the years from my experiences in order to help benefit everyone who needs it. Look for further articles from me in the future elaborating on many tips and tricks I’ve gained over the years and I hope that Allah blesses Amanah Fitness, as we all work towards a healthier Ummah, inshAllah!