Weight loss story: I wasn’t allowed to ride a horse because of my weight

We all tend to take our health for granted and by doing so, we put ourselves at the risk of so many problems. Sadly, most people don't realise it until they receive a hard blow or face an unfortunate situation. Something similar happened to 37-year-old Shan Alam Khan. After hearing some bad comments and also facing a number of health issues, he decided to take matters in his hands and strive to shed weight.In a matter of 1.3 years, he went from 152 kilos to 112 kilos and hasn't stopped working out.
To know how he did this, take a look at his fitness journey:
Name: Shan Alam Khan
Occupation: Educator
Age: 37
Height: 6'3"
Highest weight recorded: 152 kilos
Weight lost: 40 kilos
Duration it took me to lose weight: 1 year 3 months
The turning point: Since long, I was leading such a busy life that it was difficult for me to pay attention to my body. All this extra weight also made me suffer from joint problems. Slowly, other problems too cropped up. I used to have pizzas and burgers almost daily! In 2015, I weighed 152 kilos. It only got worse later on.
In March 2017, I went on a family vacation to Manali. Like all the tourists there, I wanted to go on a horse ride. However, the rider didn't allow me to do so and passed a comment saying that his horse will die if I sat on it! This hurt me so badly, I still cannot forget it.

When I returned home, I signed up for a gym membership straightaway. I had expert guidance, followed the assigned diet plan, paid attention to supplement intake and focussed on losing weight for good.
My breakfast: In the mornings, I keep it light. A cup of black coffee and omelette does it for me.
My lunch: For my lunch, I like to have some boiled chicken (200 gms) with a serving of some seasonal veggies and salads. I also munch on some almonds.
My dinner: My dinner is the same as my afternoon meal. This way, I do not have to stress about what to eat.
Pre-workout meal: Black coffee is the best drink to have and gives me energy to work out.
Post-workout meal: I usually drink a glass of whey protein (3 scoops of it) mixed in water.
I indulge in (What you eat on your cheat days): While I try to steer clear from the idea of cheat meals when I do like to have a day off from dieting, I have a bite of any of my favourites.
My workout: I have been working out religiously ever since I decided to kickstart my weight loss journey. I exercise 6 days a week, doing heavy weight training and cardio solely.
Low-calorie recipes I swear by: Boiled or grilled chicken is the best thing to eat to lose weight, according to me. I have it quite frequently.
Fitness secrets I unveiled: I have realised that losing weight is a combination of many factors and it cannot happen overnight. You need to focus on your diet, workout as well and give yourself some time to heal too.
For me, it is 50% diet, 25% workout and 25% body rest.
How do I stay motivated? I was never really happy with how I looked. Whenever I feel a little low or want to pump up my motivation levels, I look back at my old pictures. I made a commitment to myself to never look like that again.
How do you ensure you don’t lose focus? Watching motivational, real-life stories on YouTube is very helpful. You feel like you can do it too!
What’s the most difficult part of being overweight? Like many people who struggled with their weight, it was difficult to find clothes my size and the ones I liked. In our country, there are limited options to browse through if you are on the heavier side of the scale.
What shape do you see yourself 10 years down the line? Dwayne Johnson is my ideal. I want to get a body like him in the future. He is my sole inspiration and makes me workout harder everyday.
What are the lifestyle changes you made? One of the first things I removed from my diet were all things fried and sugary. I am very conscious of what I eat right now. I have also stopped drinking fizzy drinks now.
What was the lowest point for you? There was a time where no matter what I did, I couldn’t lose weight. I was really ashamed of myself because of the way I looked. I felt really helpless and desperately hoped for a miracle to happen. I do not want to get back to that state again.
Lessons learnt from weight loss: I feel staying positive can change the entire game. The biggest motivational factors lie inside each one of us. You alone have the solution to your problems.
My weight loss has also taught me a few other life lessons. I feel a lot more energized, youthful and motivated now.
If you too have a weight loss story to share, send it to us at toi.health1@gmail.com.