The Free Dictionary defines a “Wonder Woman” as a woman who can be a successful wife and have a professional career at the same time.
I met one such woman who has helped women and men transform their lives with healthy lifestyle routines.
Meet Fatema Juma, a 27-year-old Certified Dietitian and Fitness Trainer.
Born in 1995, Fatema was overweight as a child and was bullied and had low self-esteem.
“I had no friends in middle school and felt very unloved, but my family was always there for me,” she says.
No one wanted to befriend a “chubby” kid, so she spent time alone. She was the kid who wasn’t even invited to her birthday party, dinner, or school lunch.
Fatema, a loner, found comfort in Cadbury chocolate bars, Pringles and Rays potato chips, Coca-Cola and chocolate ice cream. They were temporary fixes, and Fatema didn’t realize it was doing her more harm than good.
A mother of three, she got married at 19 and had to put her studies on hold.
“If a man loves me despite my weight, I can stop studying for him,” she shares.
And this is exactly what she did.
A few months later Fatema found out she was pregnant. However, her marriage did not last. She Fatema always thought that her weight and her looks were the reason her marriage failed. This was a difficult stage for her.
To keep her sanity, Fatema and her daughter Siyana moved to England to live with Fatema’s grandmother.
Fatema experienced a sudden weight gain when her daughter Siyana was five months old, but she brushed it off after giving birth. She knew something was wrong when she felt excessive hunger, irritability, mood swings, and insomnia, even though she was up almost every hour with Siyana. Later found out she had hyperthyroidism. She was so serious that she immediately started treating her.
Fatema was ashamed of not being able to take care of her daughter. She couldn’t follow Siyana without feeling her breathless and she needed assistance with the simplest of tasks.
A few days after her diagnosis, Fatema decided that enough was enough. She couldn’t be there for her daughter if she couldn’t move herself. She is interested in clinical nutrition and dietetics, and after pressure from her family, Fatema decided to resume her studies for her daughter.
Life as a single mother in the UK was tough, but she never lost her strength or faith. She believed in herself and she knew everything would be fine. After her four years of study, Fatema thought that her best way to put into practice what she had learned was to implement her theories herself.
She was 5’2 tall and weighed 88 kg when she started working out. She lost 35 kg in 12 months. She returned to Tanzania with renewed confidence thanks to her healthier version.
“I wondered how many women must have gone through what I went through. Why do women suffer when they are overweight?” One person knew that self-esteem can only be gained if you are happy with what you see in the mirror. The Fitness Stop was born.
boost women’s confidence
Fatema started training 5 women, then 10, 20, 30 and now trains over 200 men and women. Her motive was to remove self-doubt in women.
Due to the symptoms she was experiencing after her second pregnancy, Pre-Fate was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). She knew that taking medication was not the solution to the situation.
After gaining 20 kg with her second pregnancy, she started working on herself to lose postpartum weight. However, due to PCOS, shedding weight was a more difficult task this time around.
It is very unfortunate that PCOS is so prevalent among women of childbearing age. It may not be fatal, but it is hopeless for women who want to conceive but are unable to do so due to weight or hormonal imbalances.
This time, even more determined, Fatema worked on herself and lost weight eight months after giving birth. Rumors spread like wildfire that Fatema was training a woman for her PCOS.
Since she was in the same boat as these women, Fatema knew how to reverse PCOS with her knowledge. There is always a stage where women give up, Fatema told them. She said, “If I can do it, so can you. You are not doing it for me, you are doing it for your dreams!
Fatema has helped 44 PCOS babies, with the latest being born last week. It gives her immense joy to be able to help women and men achieve their dreams. Fitness Stop celebrates her 7th anniversary today.
Her success stories include model and former Miss Universe Tanzania 2016, Jihan Dimak, Yusuf Ahumani, Young African Sports Club forward and celebrities from India and Pakistan.
“It’s not easy being fat in Dar es Salaam. It was a big disappointment when I weighed 90kg in my prime. It was the best decision of my life so far.It was life changing for me.I never thought I could lose 35kg in a year,” says Zayn Gafoor.
Zayn says eating healthy and staying active wasn’t easy.
“But that’s what Fatema taught me. This change, this transformation, is not a short-term success. She made a diet plan so simple that she didn’t even think she was in the red. Eat a salad.” or eat biryani and the rest is just work, don’t stop working!
Another client, Zainab Amin, gained weight after giving birth and was able to lose weight with Fatema’s help.
“I just didn’t have time to exercise and the weights stuck to me like shoehorns. I would despise mirrors. When I heard of Fatema’s rave reviews, I decided to participate.”
According to Zainab, Fatema taught her to love herself and after doing this she saw the biggest change in her life.
“I realized my worth and became more consistent with my workouts and balanced diet. I can now enjoy my daily meals knowing that I am within the range of .
Fatema has a Master’s Degree in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics and is currently pursuing a PhD in Women’s Health Sciences.
Fitness Stop Rangers was awarded the first status by the Indian High Commission at this year’s annual Independence Day celebrations. Fatema is also her specialist in-house at the Kistu Polyclinic, located near the old post office in the Kistu district of the city centre.
Fatema has come a long way and still has a long way to go. This was a brief account of her journey from being a bullied chubby kid to being an empowering woman: she believed in herself and overcame her hardships. She also has the blessing of many families who have children in her home thanks to her hard work and hard work.
Fatema has remarried and today is the mother of three beautiful daughters.
Life is what you make of it, so enjoy life to the fullest with no regrets later on.
“Fitness is not a lifetime obligation. It is a gift we should be grateful for, and we do not appreciate health until we experience it. Why? It’s time! Eat, sleep, repeat, but also add exercise to your day,” Fatema advises.
