Been away for 6 months from here, pushing myself , to
improve the old me. Feels great to be back! A week ago I met an old friend I haven’t seen
for close to 6 years! She looked at me and saw a healthy looking lady and said “I
love what am seeing, how did you do it? What’s the secret?” where do I even
start? So we both set a date and agreed to do a Saturday morning job at Karura
forest as we catch up.
The outdoor run was so much fun and there we were
catching up.
Picture taken in 2013 weighing 107Kgs
After I got devastating news about my health I developed
self-hatred about myself. . It was at that
moment in my life that I realized I was an emotional eater. Happy, sad, angry
or indifferent–no matter how I felt, I turned to food as my comfort. . I had
struggled with weight my entire life and tried every diet known to man. The
scales would go up and down, up and down until they finally kept going up with
no end in sight. Imagine being in denial for the longest time about your chronic
illness. Being overweight and hypertensive was a dangerous game to play, and I
felt as if I was losing out on life. I was not honoring the body that God had
given me. I was abusing it by not taking care of it and I knew I had to do
something about it.
Getting
Endorphins Flowing 2015
I
started my weight-loss and fitness journey in 2013. I weighed 107kgs and wore a
size 20. It was my goal to become healthy, fit, and medication-free by 2014. I didn’t
know how I was going to achieve my goal in losing weight, but I had to start
somewhere I knew with sheer will and determination, I could do this on my own
without any extra means. “Fit at 50” is my new Mantra.
Starting
off this journey was challenging. I couldn’t find any partner(s) to hold me
accountable. I was in it to win it alone through determination and hard work. A
year and a half later in my journey I have realized this is how it’s meant to
be. I have learned how to balance my meals and use portion control. I have switched
out sugar, flour, pasta, rice and bread for whole wheat options. I went out of
my way to book an appointment with a nutritionist which has really helped.
My trick always since I started this journey has been not
to worry so much about weight, but instead worry about what it feels to be healthy. Am still all about the treadmill, and enjoy running outside as well! The instant I get too comfortable, I increase the incline and speed. It doesn't work for everyone, but you have to challenge yourself.
Most
importantly, I have stepped up my prayer life and pulled away from people who
were negative and emotionally draining me. I surround myself with positive affirmations
because everyday isn’t going to be a good day but each day is another
opportunity to get it right. Life has its way of derailments, but it is up to you
to get back on track. I am more sociable, and I have learned how to handle
stress better. I am finally getting my life back and going full force with it, no
turning back.
As
of today, I have accomplished my goal of being healthy! I have lost 32kgs,
medication free for a year and a half, and am now a size 16. I have decided to
become an avid runner and actively participate in first lady marathon Kenya, an
initiative aimed at promoting maternal healthcare. I ran a few 5 to 7KMs daily just to get my feet wet.
Many
people have asked me how I lost all that weight and what I could do to help
them. I started a blog for my personal accountability to myself to remain fit,
maintain my weight loss, and to help others who are still in the fight.
You too can live a life that is fit and finally free.
