MY QUEST TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE

This is my story about my journey to a healthier lifestyle which I hope will inspire you to start living a much healthier lifestyle. I am in my early thirties and I weigh a whooping 116kgs and my height is about 5.7ft which takes my BMI to over 30 which simply means I am obese. The recommended BMI is 18.5 to 24.9 which means I have to loose close to 40kgs if I have to be within the normal BMI range. My total body fat also currently stands at more than 30% whereas the acceptable body fat is 18% to 25% hence my job in terms of losing weight is well cut out for me.

My weight at birth was 4.8kgs and as I grew up I was always the heaviest among my peers. In fact when I joined high school, I was so rounded that on the first day I earned the nickname “Yokoh” (“Yokozuna” if you prefer it in full). At home my older siblings never out did me in weight though they were a couple of years older than me. The fact that I was not active in sports in my formative years also contributed to my weight.

Going back to my current situation, I have for months been in and out of hospital for various conditions which can all be attributed to my weight. I have undergone a number of ECG tests, I have done an echo-cardiogram  I have done a stress ECG, a CT scan, numerous chest x-rays; I have done OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test) twice among many other tests that I have done for illnesses/conditions that are weight related. I have been lucky, since none of these tests has given a positive result, I may however not be so lucky the next time. I have also been seeing a nutritionist and her recommendation just like my other doctors is that the only solution to my medical problems is weight loss. At first I took this advice lightly and I would only do some bit of walking in the evenings after which I would slump on my couch for an evening movie treat. I however got a scare a couple of weeks ago when I developed some chest pains which were more prevalent on the left side and as you are aware that is where the second most vital organ if not the most vital is housed – the heart. I was back in the hospital again to see my GP who referred me to a cardiologist. Though the cardiologist gave me a clean bill of health for heart related conditions, his advice was the same as before – lose weight. When I took the results to my GP, she did not mince her words to me. First of all she inquired about how active I was and yes you guessed right, my answer to that was not at all. She then sought to know the reasons for my inactivity, I fumbled with words trying to explain that I am not into sports; she however cut me short and summed up my excuses with one word – LAZINESS. At this point I could not look straight to her face, she had hit a raw nerve and I had no defense. I thus resolved that henceforth I have to live a healthier life not just for me but for my family and all those that love me.

Having made the resolution for a healthier lifestyle, my next big headache was to get a good gym. For those of you who inhabit the coastal town of Mombasa, you are well aware that facilities here are not as advanced as those in the Nairobi. But of course if you have deep pockets you can opt to join a facility in one of the many beach hotels. I was however looking for a fairly priced gym with good training facilities. I have been able to find one though not for its good facilities but it offers good aerobics training which is what I need for a start. So for the past one week I have been doing the aerobics session for one hour every day and I have never felt better.

I have always enjoyed a nicely cooked meal and depending on the delicacy being served, I may so often than not indulge in bigger portions than is recommended. I also partake in the so called junk food every once in a while. As a trained hotelier I should know better but I guess my love for food always overrides my decisions on what I consume. Since I quit the frothy drinks a couple of years ago, I found another new drink in the form of soda/juice. At times I would take a whole litre of soda/juice at one go ignoring the information within my reach on the dangers of sugar. My nutritionist however spelt it our very clearly for me – drinking a 300ml bottle of soda can be equated to taking 26 teaspoons of sugar dissolved in a glass of water. So now that you have the information please put it into good use. If you can, make your own juice and enjoy it while its fresh. She has also taught me that all my meals need to be balanced i.e. they should contain carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins. Many of us take a few slices of bread with a cup of tea in the morning and of we go to a busy day in our various engagements. This however consists of proteins found in milk and carbohydrates in the bread, vitamins are mostly not considered by many during this very crucial meal. My nutritionist has advised me to ensure that I take some vitamins in the morning either in the form of a fruit or some green vegetables. She was very insistent of my intake of green vegetables which she called “my saving grace”. I am thus now making it a requirement that any meals that are served to me should contain a portion of these green vegetables. My intake of water was also a problem, I would spend a day or during the cold days more than two days without taking a glass of water. The other day while taking my son to the clinic, I learnt that if you don’t drink enough water the body will absorb water from the colon thus drying up your excrement. So if you are experiencing difficulties with passage of stool then water could be the remedy that you so badly need.

Another lesson that I learnt during my visits to the nutritionist is portion control. Very few of us consider the portions sizes of what we consume which is very important in weight management. My nutritionist recommends that half of your plate should be filled with vitamins; one quarter should contain proteins while the other quarter contains carbohydrates. She also informed me that the stomach of an average adult is not bigger than the palm of your hand hence the food on your plate should also be about the same size.

This sums up my story for today but if you are experiencing weight problems, this link may offer you some lessons on how to deal with them http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/index.html.

“To keep the body in good health is a duty, otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” ~ Buddha.