How losing 41kg in 7 months saw Hongkonger go from panic attack to best shape of his life

Meir Ben Tovim’s wake-up call came in the middle of the night as he was struck with excruciating heartburn and struggled to breathe. He rushed to the hospital and was told he was having a panic attack. That terrifying moment triggered an incredible transformation. He embarked on a fitness journey that saw him shed 41kg (90lbs), going from 126kg in November 2020 to 85kg in June 2021. His story may have a familiar ring. Growing up in Israel, Ben Tovim had always been on the heavier side. He played football and volleyball in secondary school, but once he began working, he fell into a sedentary lifestyle. He has called Hong Kong home for 16 of his 43 years and works as the Asia sales director of HRA Group, a diamond manufacturer and distributor. As so many did, he suffered from stress during the pandemic and gained weight as a result of unhealthy eating habits. “I had anxiety about the business as the world closed down on us, and used food as a coping mechanism,” he says. “I had a high-fat, high-carbohydrate, indulgent diet. I worked from home and began cooking and baking. I would cook our favourite family recipe of lasagne with mushrooms and cheese, and eat half the dish with home-cooked garlic bread. Breakfast was a [fast food] sandwich … lunch was a burger, pasta or pizza, dessert was lava cake,” he says. When he stepped on the scales in November 2020, he was in for a shock. “I couldn’t believe that I had gained so much weight. I assumed I weighed 105kg to 108kg. When I saw 126kg, I freaked out,” he admits, adding he had tried to lose weight several times in the past. When he got married in 2016, he weighed 100kg. He took up running on a treadmill and lost 10kg within 4 months – only to put it back on after the wedding. He joined a local gym after his panic-attack-driven hospital visit, doing strength-training sessions with a trainer three times a week. “I wanted to stop my situation from getting worse. I told myself I would do anything to make a change. I wanted to be an active and productive father for my kids,” says the dad of three. When gyms were forced to close during the pandemic, he worked out with personal trainer Yasmin Victor in a back garden using dumbbells, bands, a bench and barbells. Later, they took up training at The Gym in Central. He now trains at Coastal Fitness in Causeway Bay. It did not take long to see results: he lost about 1kg every five days, on average. The game-changer for him was understanding the concept of basal metabolic rate, or BMR – the minimum number of calories your body needs to perform life-sustaining functions at rest, such as breathing, circulation, brain and nerve function, liver and kidney function, and cell production. “My BMR at the time was 2,350, which meant that my body was burning 2,350 calories every day at rest,” he says. He went on a calorie-deficient diet of 1,900 calories a day. He did not need to give up food he liked, only to eat less of it. Almost daily, while attempting to lose weight, he still had 70 grams (2.5 ounces) of ice cream – a small scoop. Using the app MyFitnessPal helped him track his food intake, exercise and weight to reach his fitness goals. “I would key in all that I had eaten and would ensure that it did not cross my daily limit. It was my accountability partner,” he says. “Weight loss is 80 per cent about the food you consume. Like most people, I associated weight loss with exercise, while the main focus should be on diet.” His usual breakfast is a protein shake and a bagel with salmon. At lunch and dinner, he often has grilled chicken, fish or steak with sweet potatoes or rice. “I still eat fries but cook them in the air fryer without excess oil and eat pizza once a week with my friends.” Stage two of his health journey began in March 2021. He had lost 30kg by then and was feeling good. On a hike with a friend one day, he ran 9km (5.6 miles). “I loved the feeling,” he says, and soon began exploring the city’s breathtaking trails. He joined the Gone Running shop’s running group and trained with a few running coaches. “Being a part of the running community in Hong Kong and having other like-minded people to learn from was inspiring.” He now runs an average of 50km to 60km a week and uses an AI app called Runna, which helps him learn about different types of training sessions and have a structured training plan. His favourite routes are from Mid-Levels to Repulse Bay or Stanley. During a pandemic quarantine, he ran 100km in two weeks inside his hotel room. “I sweated so much, I put cardboard all over the floor of the hotel room. My wife and kids were amused and proud,” he says of his biggest cheerleaders. View this post on Instagram Since taking up running, he has completed three marathons and two half marathons in Australia and Hong Kong. He is most proud of running the Nike Half Marathon in Melbourne, in October, in just under one hour and 29 minutes – “at a speed which I never imagined I could race at”. Running the Ultra-Trail Australia (UTA) 50km ultra-race in the country’s Blue Mountains in May 2024 was also special. He finished in under seven hours. “I love the feeling of being able to do extraordinary things and living [up] to my potential,” he says. “My wife helped prepare my food, and she and the kids would come with me for the races or be waiting at the finish line. They saw me transform from a couch potato into an ultrarunner.” His daughter now aspires to become a runner, too. “Most of my family isn’t in Hong Kong and I didn’t tell them that I was on a weight-loss journey,” he says. When he surprised them with a visit after the pandemic, “many of them didn’t recognise me!” He has also taken up the Hyrox challenge five times. This global fitness race consists of eight 1km runs, each followed by a different functional workout station such as a sledge push or a burpee broad jump. He has had two podium finishes in Taipei and Bangkok, and he missed a Hong Kong podium finish by seven seconds. He has had his share of injuries, knee pain and plantar fasciitis. “Being patient, giving it time and getting physiotherapy sessions helped,” he says. His greatest challenge is to be aware of what he is consuming and how much he is exercising. “It is a commitment for a lifetime,” he says. “The feeling of keeping the weight off and being able to motivate others gives me joy and keeps me going.” He learned that he has powers he “never knew existed”. “I am in the best shape of my life. I feel strong and confident and carry myself with pride.” For those who want to lose weight, he suggests finding someone to guide you and be there for you. “In most cases, people don’t find the right support and tend to get discouraged and give up. Get an accountability partner. And focus on your diet. That is the key.” Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. 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How losing 41kg in 7 months saw Hongkonger go from panic attack to best shape of his life

Meir Ben Tovim used food as a coping mechanism during the pandemic and topped the scales at 126kg. Here’s how he’s now at peak fitness