With summer now approaching, getting back into a good fitness regime to feel the best and healthiest version of ourselves will be on most people’s minds.
However, with so much information at our fingertips, it can be overwhelming of which advice to follow and what is the best practice to go about improving your overall health and wellbeing.
But when it comes to truly reaching optimum health, it all starts with diet, as Dubai-based fitness expert and personal trainer Ahmed Gaber who goes via @flyfitgabo on Instagram.
“Both are physical fitness and nutrition are very important in the aspect of achieving one’s body goals,” he tells . “But without having a proper nutrition plan your body will never change.”
Not having a proper nutrition plan is the biggest mistake people make when it comes to starting their fitness journeys.
“Most people start with a very strict diet,” Gaber explains. “They believe that having zero on carbs, no sugar and sodium will make them lose weight faster.
“When that turns out to be a failure, they do not see any changes, they stop believing in themselves. All this happens due to not having a good solid strategy plan nor basic knowledge in the first place.”
Ensuring he always advocates for his clients’ wellness and best interests, Gaber knows what it’s like to start from scratch when it comes to fitness after suffering a serious injury following his career as a water polo player.
After dislocating his shoulder, he was grounded for a full year, gained weight and became depressed. However, this is what then motivated him to start studying fitness and nutrition.
“I decided to study the recovery process from injuries, gain solid knowledge about nutrition and all the aspects of fitness in order to go back to my best shape,” he says. “I wanted to help people who gained weight due to stress, injuries and eating disorders, postpartum depression and hormonal imbalances.”
This is exactly what he’s gone on to do – helping his clients regain their confidence, health and overall wellbeing.
“My forever goal is to give people back their confidence and make them love themselves again and love their bodies,” he says. “I was once in that dark place myself so I’m empathetic to those in the same situation as I once had that difficult experience.”
Amongst this 360-degree approach, each client is considered as an individual and no one is ever given the same diet or workout routine as all bodies are individual.
While it can seem like a daunting process to start on a fitness journey, it’s all about controlling your mind and sticking to your goals.
“Control your mind and your body will just follow through,” Gaber says. “The first week is always the hardest. Trust my knowledge and expertise and do not give up. A strong mind always leads to bigger achievements.”
