She was once classified as obese, weighing in at a hefty 95 kilograms, with 44 percent body fat. But Arwa Al-Moghrabi has transformed her life, reducing her body fat to 20 percent, similar to that of many athletes, and has become a fitness instructor. This young graduate of King Abdulaziz University, who is of Saudi and Lebanese ancestry, also recently passed a Group Exercise Leader Certification course in Dubai. She has done all this while in hijab. Al-Moghrabi is making a career in the fitness industry. She has taken a number of courses with Middle East Fitness Professionals (MEFITPRO), which offers internationally-recognized certificates. The courses focus on human anatomy, exercise physiology, exercise nutrition, aerobic and non-aerobic music, choreography, coaching, safety and technique, said Al-Moghrabi. Al-Moghrabi's course was practical in a mixed environment but wearing a hijab did not deter her. “To tell you the truth it wasn't easy at first. I had to constantly remind myself why I was wearing it, remembering the ajir from Allah and that I'm an ambassador for my religion, country and people. This made me forget all the hassle.” Al-Moghrabi said her fear of being stereotyped dissipated because of the respect and warmth of her fellow classmates and teachers. Al-Moghrabi said that she learnt to appreciate sports from living in the United Kingdom for a while. “I started to appreciate different types of sports such as soccer, cricket and badminton which were part of my daily activities. When I returned to Jeddah everything stopped.” Al-Moghrabi said she struggled with her weight in her late teens because of the pressure of studies during her last year of school. “I had to study for long hours and stay up late nights. I found comfort in chocolate.” Like many women, Al-Moghrabi lived in a state of self-denial about her weight and the effect it was having on her health. “I always believed: ‘Never judge a book by its cover.' I went around saying: ‘Eat healthy, stay fit, die anyway,' so why waste my life on staying healthy. That was until I saw a photograph of myself in February 2009 at a wedding. It shook me to the core. I was devastated.” Al-Moghrabi decided to take action by enrolling in a gym and hanging out with people committed to their health. “I was taken care of, supervised, educated, and inspired by awesome instructors. They were all there for me through all the pain and self-doubt.” She enrolled weighing 95 kilograms, with 44 percent body fat, which she reduced in two years to 20 percent, like many athletes. She said that controlling food intake is 60 percent of any weight loss program, with 40 percent based on exercise. “Meals should be smaller and of better quality. People should have three big meals a day, with three snacks in-between. You have to time yourself and eat every three hours.” Exercise helps to keep a person healthy in many ways. It reduces the risk of developing certain illnesses, is a great stress-reliever, improves posture and builds confidence. Al-Moghrabi is currently a group fitness instructor at Dynamic Code, instructing women in everything from kickboxing, aerobics, ring pilates, stretching, free weights, aqua aerobics. She is also a personal trainer. “When I see my clients suffering I tell them that I was also in their shoes once. When they look at me, this inspires them to work harder.” At the moment Al-Moghrabi is preparing for a certificate from the International Sports Science Association, which will be her third certificate in the field. After that she hopes to get certified by Les Mills, an international fitness company, that has developed a series of 10 choreographed fitness-to-music programs, which are distributed worldwide. “I hope I can get certified in my favorite programs, including weight lifting, conditioning, mixed martial arts and cardio.” Al-Moghrabi seeks to develop her skills clad in her hijab, to show that wearing a veil is no barrier to following one's dreams. __
