A 42-year-old Malaysian man’s incredible weight loss journey after just four months of brisk walking daily has made waves online recently. Shairul Rizdiyandi Bin Omar posted a before-and-after photo of himself wearing the same clothes to the BRISK WALK MALAYSIA public Facebook group, showing a stark difference in his physical appearance and garnering over 11,500 reactions and 730 comments at the time of writing.
In the viral post, Shairul shared how he lost a whopping 21kg after brisk walking consistently for almost four months. By 5 October 2026, Shairul weighed 68kg, looking much healthier and fitter compared to the before photo taken on 13 March 2026, when he weighed 89kg.
In the caption, he wrote:
“The result of brisk walking consistently for almost four months. Every day I never missed 15,000 to 30,000 steps, sometimes 40,000, even 50,000. Accompanied by the quarter-quarter-half diet.”
Shairul's incredible 4-month weight loss journey
Finding a community he loved in the BRISK WALK MALAYSIA group, Shairul began posting about his enthusiasm for the exercise in July 2026, sharing screenshots of his exercise statistics, which averaged 15,764 steps daily.
He then shared how he had lost over 5kg in July alone by brisk walking and watching his diet, recording an increased average of 17,251 steps a day.
August proved to be one of Shairul’s most remarkable months, as he further increased his average daily step count to 26,551 and recorded a whopping total of 823,074 steps for the month.
In September, he revealed that he had lost nearly 20kg after consistent brisk walking since July and didn’t do anything drastic with his diet, as he still eats rice, just in smaller portions.
Netizens' reaction
In the comments section of his viral post, many Malaysians expressed awe at Shairul’s health journey, with many saying it inspired them to commit to a healthy lifestyle.
When asked about his routine, Shairul said he usually goes brisk walking for half an hour every morning, followed by a treadmill session every night to reach up to 30,000 steps.
He also shared that he typically sleeps six to eight hours a day, noting that the physical activity helps him fall asleep more easily.
When a netizen commented that he now looks like he is in his 20s after the weight loss, Shairul replied, “I’m determined. Now I’m 42 years old, I always thought to myself that if I don’t change now, two to three years from now I may have to take medicine for high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes. When one is not obese, the risks are lower.”
When asked whether his weight loss was entirely down to brisk walking, Shairul revealed that he also follows a healthy diet by cutting down on sugar and opting for real food over ultra-processed options. Additionally, he mentioned that he practices 16-hour intermittent fasting.
Remarkably, Shairul added that he is not done yet, as he plans to lose another 10kg to achieve a healthy BMI.
What is brisk walking?
According to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), brisk walking is defined as walking faster than a stroll, at a speed of about 3 miles (4.8 kilometres) an hour. A simple way to tell if you are walking briskly is if you can still talk, but cannot sing the words to a song.
Meanwhile, Siloam Hospitals, a leading private hospital network in Indonesia, notes that brisk walking is a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise that induces sweating and raises the heart rate while still allowing an individual to speak comfortably. It adds that brisk walking generally averages around 100 steps per minute for adults, or approximately 4.8 kilometres per hour.
However, this speed is not an absolute standard, as fitness levels vary. Fitter individuals may need to walk faster than 4.8 kilometres per hour to reach a moderate-intensity exercise zone, with some requiring a pace of 6.4 kilometres per hour.
As highlighted by the Centre for Health Protection of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the benefits of brisk walking include:
- Burning calories to help maintain a healthy body weight
- Reducing the risk of heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes
- Improving cardiorespiratory fitness
- Lowering blood cholesterol
- Enhancing mental alertness and memory
- Helping prevent osteoporosis
- Building and maintaining healthy bones, muscles, and joints
- Improving strength, mobility, and balance in older adults
- Boosting fitness levels for pregnant and postnatal women
- Improving blood glucose control and reducing reliance on diabetes medication
What is the quarter-quarter-half diet?
Featured in the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines 2020 published by the Ministry of Health (MOH), the quarter-quarter-half concept, officially named the Malaysian Healthy Plate, is a visual tool designed to guide Malaysian adults on portion sizes for main meals.
According to the guidelines, a single meal plate is divided into three proportions:
- One-quarter rice, other cereals, whole grain cereal-based products, and tubers
- One-quarter fish, poultry, meat, eggs, legumes, and nuts
- One-half vegetables and fruits
This visual plate guide serves as a practical recommendation to promote balanced eating, increase fruit and vegetable intake, and assist in managing body weight to prevent diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Congratulations to Shairul on his truly inspirational transformation, proving what discipline and consistency can accomplish! What part of his health journey inspired you the most? Drop your thoughts in the comments section.
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