How Shobhana Lost 20kg for her Daughter’s Wedding

Losing weight was always a losing battle for 55-year-old lawyer Shobhana.

The mother-of-two’s focus on her family and her career as General Counsel for an asset management company in Dubai meant her health took a back seat and she suffered because of it.

Shobhana struggled for years with severe osteoarthritis which meant she had difficulty walking and subsequently piled on weight.

When she underwent two major knee replacement surgeries, the pain went, but she was advised to lose weight and start strengthening her legs.

But no matter what she tried, she couldn’t sustain the weight loss – long hours at work and a sedentary lifestyle meant her weight rebounded and she was back to square one.

However, Shobhana had a goal to get in shape and lose weight for her daughter’s wedding.

Now after losing 20kg in 20 weeks with Ultimate Performance Dubai, she has achieved her goal and built a healthy new lifestyle.

“My weight loss journey has been incredible.

“I am the lightest and strongest I have been in many years.

“I feel fit, and I have been able to achieve and understand the real lifestyle changes which I had been struggling with for a really long time.”

Shobhana had come to UP expecting to lose a little weight, but now she has developed a healthy new lifestyle, her fitness is through the roof, and she’s lighter and more energized than ever.

Struggling with the vicious circle of weight gain and a sedentary lifestyle

Now Shobhana is in the best shape she has been in for years. But just 20 weeks before, when she started her transformation journey, it was a different story.

Her health had been an on-going issue for years as she struggled with knee problems.

“I suffered from severe osteoarthritis of the knees, a debilitating condition that crippled me for three years, and that was when I reached my heaviest weight.

“My ability to walk was very restricted, and I was able to walk only short distances with a limp.”

Seven years ago, Shobhana underwent total knee replacement surgery on both knees.

The operation meant she could walk with no pain – but doctors advised she needed to lose weight and gain strength back in her legs.

“I was on and off diet plans to overcome my weight issues.  But because I found it difficult to resist food, I couldn’t keep up with any plan.

Time and time again she tried to lose weight, training in commercial gyms and following different diet plans, but every time the weight would creep back up and put more strain on her knees.

“Unfortunately, I fought a losing battle with my weight and had poor muscle strength.

“Long hours at work, no exercise and a sedentary lifestyle didn’t help either. I gained a lot of weight, which put further pressure on my knees.

“It was a continuous vicious cycle. In the past, I had tried commercial gyms. I would lose some weight and then would bounce back.

“As soon as I discontinued, the motivation was lost, or I struggled with recurring aches due to poor muscle strength.”

Feeling low on energy

For Shobhana, her job and her family always came first; her health was never a priority.

But long hours working in a demanding job, combined with a lifestyle devoid of exercise was a recipe for weight gain and health problems.

This lifestyle left her low on energy and with little motivation to make the changes she needed to her diet and training she needed to make big changes.

“I always put personal physical health on the back-burner behind family and career. So all these factors together contributed to weight gain.

“Before I started UP I was overweight and led a sedentary lifestyle. This made me feel tired well before the day was over.

“At the end of the day, I felt I needed rest more than exercise.

“I knew the importance of physical activity, but had to push myself really hard to be motivated to do anything physical, even if it meant simple activities such as daily short walks.”

Shobhana’s carb-heavy diet wasn’t helping the situation either.

“What I didn’t expect was a complete body and mind transformation at the end of the programme. I didn’t expect UP to be so incredible.”     

Before UP, Shobhana says she would eat carbs for every meal, eating a diet of rice, chapatti, bread, lentils, and meat and vegetables.

She had tried different diets but couldn’t make the necessary lifestyle changes stick in order to keep the weight off.

“I was on and off diet plans to overcome my weight issues.  But because I found it difficult to resist food, I couldn’t keep up with any plan.

“I wasn’t following any particular diet, nor was I watching what I was eating.

“I would have carbs for all the three meals, and considered it to be perfectly fine.”

What motivated Shobhana to change?

Having a goal to focus on is always a great motivator.

Shobhana’s goal was simple; she wanted to lose weight and get in shape for one of the most important days in her life – her daughter’s wedding.

Being fit and healthy for her family was something that was very important to her.

“My son mentioned to me that losing weight and being healthy for my daughter’s wedding would be a great gift to her.

“I also wanted to do this for her and make sure I could be physically active and healthy and fit for her big day.  But wasn’t sure how I would achieve it.”

It was a sign outside her office in the Dubai International Financial Centre that caught her eye saying ‘World’s Leading Personal Trainers’.

“My trainer brought out a training discipline in me which made me reach and beat my goals and reach these incredible results.”

That’s when Shobhana came to Ultimate Performance to see if she could finally get fit for good.

“I definitely expected it to be better than other gyms. So when I joined the programme, I knew that I would see results.

“What I didn’t expect was a complete body and mind transformation at the end of the programme. I didn’t expect UP to be so incredible.”

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Weight loss success and the support of an expert trainer

It wasn’t easy for Shobhana to get to grips with the new training regime and diet changes at first as she started her weight loss journey.

But the support of her UP trainer, Laurent, proved invaluable in coaching her through it.

The level of detail and depth of support from her trainer really took her by surprise.

“Laurent gave me advice on diet, nutrition and lifestyle changes, tips to help me achieve my goals.  I had heard all this before, but never applied these to my lifestyle.

“Initially, it was very hard for me.  I needed constant support and that, to my surprise, was there without me realising.

“In the past, I wasn’t used to updating the trainers or them following up outside the gym hours on diet and exercise.

“To my utter surprise, my trainer kept in touch with me constantly, 24/7, on what I was eating, what portion sizes were, how many steps I had walked, and what my weight gain or weight loss was.

“He was constantly telling me what to do and pushing me to do that little bit more every time I wanted to stop.

“This helped me to stick to the plan, and come back on track whenever I wavered until I started seeing the first results and was motivated enough to eat right and being more active.”

Once she started seeing the results of her hard work in the gym, the lifestyle changes really took hold.

“It is undoubtedly one of the best things that has happened to my health in a very long time and will benefit me throughout my life.

Shobhana wanted to train, wanted to be active and wanted to achieve her weight loss goals more than ever

UP gave her the tools and the knowledge to do that.

“It changed the way look at food, the way I look at exercise, and the way I looked at how to work at achieving the results.

“Borrowing from the gym’s tagline, I saw that ‘excuses stopped and results began’.

“The transformation happened! Initially, I had to be forced by my trainer to do certain number of steps, and I would do so, never achieving the minimum level set.

“But a few weeks into my training, I was told by my trainer that he expected me to do 12,000 steps a day, and from that day on I never looked back.  I started to always try and beat his expectation.”

The moment when Shobhana started seeing results

Shobhana’s motivation and determined mindset took her the rest of the way from here.

Week on week, the results kept coming, and the pounds kept dropping off.

Training regularly, making lifestyle adjustments and optimising her diet really paid dividends, helping her lose an impressive 20kg in just 20 weeks.

“The results were marvellous, unbelievable, in very a short time, and beyond mine and my family’s wildest expectation.

“When I started, I thought I would lose a maximum of 8-10 kg and be happy. That was the target. It was realistic.

“But this became a moving target as my trainer set new realistic targets as we started achieving the results and I was stronger after each session.

“We (my trainer and I) moved as we progressed, we understood that we could do it.

“My trainer is an excellent coach, a thorough professional, a tough trainer, and he knew how to push me beyond my limits without the risk of any injuries.

“I started pushing more than double the weight I was pushing at the outset and walking 7 to 8 times higher number of steps too.

“My trainer brought out a training discipline in me which made me reach and beat my goals and reach these incredible results.”

Feeling fit and healthy again

It’s amazing what can be achieved in such a short space of time, with a little perseverance, the right guidance and the support of an expert personal trainer.

Just 20 weeks is all it took for Shobhana to make her transformation.

But it has been so much more than just losing weight; it has been an entire lifestyle transformation – something she had been trying to achieve for a decade.

“It has been fantastic!  Marvellous results – unbelievable! Very impressive!

“I lost three stones.  I am now very energetic throughout the day. I have a very positive frame of mind supported by a very healthy body which helps me contribute better both at work and at home.

“My energy levels are so high that I do most of my walking after getting back late from work.  It doesn’t seem like a chore anymore.

“Exercising and watching my diet have become a priority in my life.”

The process has been an education for Shobhana in how to achieve optimal health through diet and training.

“The exercise and nutrition advice is excellent, and the support is something that you have to experience to believe.

She says she has learned self-control, discipline in exercise, and the importance of diet to losing the weight….and keeping it off.

“The transformation has changed the way I look at food, exercise and activity. It has made me more disciplined.

“There is no doubt that I have learned the way to manage a healthy lifestyle, going forward.

“It is undoubtedly one of the best things that has happened to my health in a very long time and will benefit me throughout my life.

“It is very inspiring for me and those around me who have tried to lose weight.”

Her transformation has taken her family by surprise too.

Shobhana says nobody expected her to achieve so much in such a short space of time.

“My family are very supportive and supported me throughout the journey, but I don’t think they were expecting this outcome, because in the past I had tried to lose weight but always failed.

“I would gain it back in short while. They thought it was just another gym I was joining; they wished me well, but I am sure no one expected these results.”

Why UP is different

Shobhana’s impressive transformation results speak for themselves.

Reflecting on her journey, one thing she experienced is the gulf in class between UP and every other commercial gym in Dubai.

“The training is very different from what I have experienced in commercial gyms.

“There is so much focus and commitment from the trainers which transforms the efforts into marvellous results.

“From my experience, I say that UP training is not easy.  It is rigourous, tough, hard work and serious.  It is teamwork, and you need to give your full commitment.

“But I strongly recommend UP to anyone who is serious about weight loss. Here there is no half measure!

“I enjoyed my weight loss journey and saw incredible results.”

The one thing she believes sets UP apart is the results-driven environment and the single-mindedness of the UP team to help clients achieve the best results possible.

“The exercise and nutrition advice is excellent, and the support is something that you have to experience to believe.

“The atmosphere is very welcoming, and you feel comfortable from the very first day.  All trainers are very dedicated to their clients and very focussed when attending to them. I felt very comfortable from day one.  Being in the gym was the best part of my day during the training period.

“The gym is expensive, but those who join will never regret spending the money.

“I am very grateful to my trainer Laurent at UP for helping, guiding me and supporting me on this journey. The end result was not possible for me to undertake or achieve on my own.  We did it!”

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