Blessings really do come in disguise, and this man’s story is proof of it.
Looking at Umar Malik’s fit physique today, you wouldn’t have guessed that once upon a time; this chiseled man didn’t even see himself as attractive because of an unhealthy lifestyle.
His path to self-confidence and health started after an unusual wake-up call.
Good appetite = good kid
Umar Malik’s love for food started when he was young. He grew up with his parents motivating him to eat a lot.
“Growing up in a typical Asian family, it was generally seen that if you ate a lot, then you were the good kid and if you didn’t then there was something wrong with you,”
- Malik in a Mirror article
Unfortunately, he developed an unhealthy appetite for food.
“I think that’s where it all started, but I have always had a big appetite and enjoyed the food. I was out of control, but I didn’t want to commit to losing weight”, said Malik in the same interview.
It even came to a point where he was consuming as much as 7,000 calories a day. To satisfy his appetite, Malik would eat ten pieces of toast and eight eggs for breakfast alone; and on the side, he would always be snacking on chips and sweets while downing soda.
This unhealthy diet led him to reach the size 6XL when he was 26 years old.
An unexpected life-changing accident
At this point, Malik couldn’t even weigh himself on a regular scale. He also had difficulty finding clothes that would accommodate his size. He even remembers having to borrow clothes from his father’s wardrobe.
Worst of all, Malik’s weight led him to lose confidence in himself.
But in 2014, he experienced quite a rude and unexpected awakening that would push him to change his lifestyle.
While showering at home, his bathroom floor broke due to his heavy weight and leaked water into the kitchen.
Malik took this event as a sign that he should make major life changes for the better.
Turning his life around
Beginning in 2015, Malik began training at the gym with a personal trainer. Together, they created a weight loss program that altered his poor eating habits and introduced intensive training to his sessions.
He was advised to reduce his caloric intake down to just 3,000 a day divided into six healthy meals of chicken, fish, vegetables, and berries.
It takes hard work
Of course, things didn’t come easy for Malik at first.
“Whatever you want to achieve in life, all it takes is a little faith. Faith in yourself, faith in your abilities, and faith that you have the strength to realize your ambitions.”
- Malik in an interview with BrightSide
With this mindset and self-discipline, he was able to achieve his dream body. But his physical transformation is only secondary to the transformation he felt inside.
Lifelong commitment
Malik now works as a trainer for popular gyms helping other people achieve their best selves through training.
You can see him at work with his clients through his Instagram posts.
More importantly, Malik is continuing to work on himself through constant training.
Now a healthy size 3XL at 169 lbs., he says that there is still room for more improvement.
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