Meet Ahmed

The news doesn’t sleep, and neither did I,” says Ahmed, a former senior correspondent embedded with the U.S. Army in Iraq. For 15 years, he worked 18-19 hours a day, lived on canned sodas, and was the target of frequent threats. “It was a very stressful time, and it was tough to maintain my health. I jumped from 200 to 360 pounds.” 

In 2014, says Ahmed, “I moved to the United States looking for a better life.” Once settled safely in Oregon, he turned his attention to improving his health. “And I tried,” he says. “I went to gyms, trainers, even food behavior specialists, but nothing changed.” Finally in 2022, motivated by a new baby, he decided, “That’s it. I need to change my life forever.” With his doctor’s support, Ahmed had a sleeve gastrectomy at the Providence Center for Weight Management. Fifteen months later, he’s lost 118 pounds. 

“It feels gorgeous!” says Ahmed. “I’m not just talking about how much it improved my health, fitness and shape. It’s also my energy, mood, confidence – it’s the whole package.” The only downside, adds the former size 5XL: “You have to spend all your money on new clothes.”  

What helped the most, he says, was “how much the team showed their support and care. It made me want to work harder to make them proud of me. And they told me they were.”  

Today, Ahmed is living his better life. “I wish I could knock on every door and tell everyone about this,” he says. “I’m so grateful to be alive.”