Jas Mathur, a Canadian entrepreneur, actor, and producer, walked into the Gulf News office with a calm confidence. With his long dark hair and fit physique, he looked like a version of Jason Momoa. But this transformation did not happen overnight.
Not long ago, Jas weighed 205 kilos. His waist measured 68 inches, and he could only buy clothes from Big & Tall stores. He felt unhappy with his body and self-image. The turning point came unexpectedly — a girl from his high school and a reunion sparked a challenge he gave himself to change.
Jas says he did not use any shortcuts. No weight loss drugs like Ozempic, no expensive trainers, no gimmicks. “I mainly changed my diet and used a treadmill,” he explains.
He began by cutting his daily calories to under 2000, then below 1500. For a month, he ate less than 1000 calories a day. “It was stricter than any competition diet,” he says. In three months, he lost 40 kilos and became motivated by his progress.
The reason he started was personal. “I was reconnecting with a girl from high school. She didn’t know what I looked like, and I didn’t want her to see me that way. So I set a challenge for myself.” He adds with a laugh, “I did get the girl. We were together for three years. But even if I hadn’t, the challenge changed my life.”
Jas believes everyone has something they are chasing, even if they don’t admit it. For him, it was self-worth.
Before losing weight, Jas was financially successful but neglected himself. “I used to put money and others first. Then I realized I needed to make myself a priority.”
That mental change was important. “When you start to love what you see in the mirror, your confidence grows. Then you can achieve anything.”
His transformation also changed how others saw him. “People respect me more for my discipline in losing weight than for my money,” he says. Friends and colleagues encouraged him to share his story publicly instead of staying behind the scenes.
Now, Jas works out five days a week for nearly two hours. He follows a balanced diet and believes in moderation. “I don’t deny myself everything. If there is bread on the table at a restaurant, I’ll eat it. But I don’t eat pasta or bread every day.”
Jas is critical of quick fixes. “Ozempic is for people with diabetes, not for those wanting to lose weight for vanity. I respect my journey because it was hard work.”
He started losing weight alone without expert help. Today, he has top trainers and doctors, but the early stages were all about self-discipline.
Jas acknowledges that healthy food can be expensive. “In Dubai, fast food quality is better than in the US, but clean food still costs more. It’s an investment in yourself, and I made that investment.”
Asked if weight loss is his biggest achievement, Jas says without hesitation, “Yes. It’s harder than making a million dollars. You have to work every day, even when you don’t see results.”
He concludes, “I’m not competing with anyone. I like being around people who have more money than me because they don’t have my discipline.”
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