It’s all too easy to pile the weight on in Abu Dhabi. An extra handful of dates here, a taxi ride instead of a walk there, and next thing you know your gut could give Pavarotti’s a run for its money. Freya Jaffar has decided enough is enough, and has set up an all-new WeightWatchers-style slimming group aimed at supporting women who have a lot to lose.
What first inspired you to set up this group?
The lack of support for people trying to lose weight in Abu Dhabi. I felt the only options available were aimed at our pockets rather than getting people inspired and motivated. Knowing that you have committed and will be attending a weigh-in is motivation enough to watch what you eat during the week. Plus, I hate going to the gym where the usual dieters only have a little weight to lose. There is nothing worse than a size 10 person jogging on a treadmill complaining about their stomach when the last time you saw your own feet was three years ago!
Why is the group just for larger ladies?
The requirement is that you have to have at least 2.5 stone [around 15kg] to lose. Someone who has that much weight to lose just cannot relate to someone needing to lose less than 10lbs [4.5kg]. When someone has 60lbs [27kg] to lose, you know they have been yo-yo dieting and generally struggling for a long time and need to find a tailored weight loss group.
What happens at a weigh-in?
The first half of a session is spent weighing everyone. The weight is noted down confidentially in a ‘class book’. Once a month we will announce who has been the ‘biggest loser’ – this is the person who has
lost the most weight. They will receive a fun certificate and a small gift from each member of the group. After the weigh-in, people can stay around for the informal motivational session. This is where we chat and share ideas and motivational tips, as well as share our ‘fat stories’ and have a laugh.
Fat stories?
Basically a bad or funny experience someone has had being overweight. One group member mentioned that when they walked past a shop window, they didn’t realise that the fat reflection in the shop window was their own –a depressing experience, but also a wake-up call. Sharing this with the group meant we could all laugh – everyone has experienced the ‘that’s not me!’ moment.
In your experience, why is it so hard to keep the weight off in Abu Dhabi?
It is incredibly hard to watch your weight here as everyone has such a busy social life. And with being social comes eating out a lot. I know at our last meeting members were saying they eat out so much more than they did back home – whichever country they are from. For me, being a Muslim and coming from the UK, I suddenly had all this access to halal food. I think for the first six months I did not cook at home – I was always ordering or eating out!
In addition to the weigh-ins, what other plans have you got for the group?
I am hoping that as the group grows we can plan charity walks or other fun things that will keep us inspired. At the group meetings we will be sharing recipes and other weight loss tips, and members can use our Facebook page, Big Beauties of Abu Dhabi, to see when the next meeting is and share their progress.
Meetings are free, and are held every Tuesday from 9am-11am, and 6pm-7.30pm with an optional discussion session after the weigh in. Contact Freya at freya_jaffar@hotmail.com for more information.
