Cry me a river... (of sweat)

Enter The Forty Two Day Challenge. I, too, decided to sign up for it as I had suddenly realised how fat I had become

Dear Failed Challenger,

At first I thought I would start this by addressing your statement that you had been working out since you were 14. However, after giving it considerable thought, I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt on that one. After all, ‘working out’ is a broad genre. And when we were 14, getting off the couch to switch channels on TV when the remote was missing was considered exercise; as was stepping out of the house and into our “urban dwelling” lawns. So, for the sake of not picking on every single pointless and illogical statement, I’m going to go ahead and believe you’ve been pounding some iron since the tender age of 14. Because I believe in giving people chances.

Enter The Forty Two Day Challenge. Like yourself, I, too, decided to sign up for it as I had suddenly realised how fat I had become (you didn’t mention having this epiphany, but I’m going to go ahead and assume that you too came to a similar realisation). Like you, the Challenge changed my life. Unlike you, however, it did wonders for me. See attached pictures for proof.



I lost five kgs and 5% of my fat percentage in six weeks, which was not amazing, compared to everyone else’s results but I had a slow metabolism, and nothing else had ever worked on me like this before.

Like you, I, too, had worked out before -- aerobics and gymming-- in the past. But I could not afford a personal trainer (I’m an architect and designing buildings in this country makes a lot less money than designing clothes does). Anyhow, I was still ecstatic with my transformation. Initially, I had signed up for the Challenge just to lose weight. However, after ogling Nusrat for six weeks straight I knew merely losing weight wasn’t going to be enough, I wanted to get fit. As fit as her if possible! (Fat chance -- pun intended).

Going to the 42 Day Challenge was the worst mistake I ever made

So, I enrolled myself for another challenge. I could have done it at home but, hey, I can’t compete with the exhilaration of being surrounded by hundreds of fatties, blaring loud music and the smells of Phase 8. And I did it again. And again. And again. I’ve done it a total of seven times now. I have been following diets emailed to me by Nusrat for almost two years. I started off at a US size 12, now I’m a 6. So, when people tell me you’ve become half your size, little do they know that that’s factually correct too! But enough about me. Back to you and your miserable 34 days.

You say, “I received a diet plan via email. Hundreds of other people received it as well. It was the same for everybody.”

Did you physically check hundreds of other people’s diet plans as well? Did you go up to all of them and ask? Or did you hack into their emails and see for yourself? Are you Edward Snowden? No. You are not. You are Jon Snow. Because you know nothing.

The 42-Day Challenge

“How can a trainer responsibly train so many people at the same time?”

The first, and only, valid statement in your article. They can’t. But that’s not what the challenge is about. It’s a boot camp. And it is advertised as such too. Show me where on their Facebook page or group or email they say “we provide personal training to you” and I’ll dance naked for you (I am okay with naked performances now as I am over my body issues. Because of the Challenge. Refer to before and after picture again).



“Amongst the crowd of jumping jacks, I bet the trainer didn’t even see me, let alone know my name.”

I apologise on both Nusrat and Torsam’s sakes in that case. It usually takes them 42 days to remember someone’s name. And as you confessed, you bolted just seven days short of that.

“I couldn’t wear heels.”

Perhaps, you should thank the Challenge for allowing you not to wear heels for 365 days.

Heels are quite bad for you, your health, your spine, your feet, your knees (!) and even your mood at the end of the night. But you already knew that because you’ve been a fitness freak since you were 14.

Battle of the bulge

“But what will happen afterwards, when the rigorous workout ends and diets are no longer curtailed?”

And here lies your Achilles heel (pun very much intended, yet again). You likely misunderstood the purpose of the Challenge to begin with. Or maybe you missed out by not attending the last week. The Challenge never says to you that it's six weeks or bust. They are selling a lifestyle. Not a quick fix. Ask me, I’ve been at it for almost two years and now I am somewhere close to my goals. Hence, they give you a workout DVD at the end of it so you can adhere to the exercise routines in your own home. They follow up with your diet plans and adjust them according to your new weight and fat percentages.

So what happens after the rigorous workout ends and the diets are not curtailed? The same thing that would happen to anyone who stops doing ANY form of exercise they were doing and starts eating like an ‘Murican. You will become unhealthy, lazy, fat, and worst of all, will probably not get any rishtas. But you already knew that. Because you’ve been working out since you were 14.

The writer is an architect based in Karachi. She tweets @ftafzal