Diet, discipline and determination did it for us, say two women who succeeded in losing almost half their weight.
I lost over 60 kilos and regained my health
At the beginning of every year, members of CITAM Church on Valley Road, Nairobi, undertake a 40-day fast.
For years, I had joined my fellow church members in the annual fast, sometimes going for five or seven straight days without food.
I had never attempted the 40-day fast, partly because I wasnt sure I could hold out that long.
But I decided to give it a try in January, 2018, living on water and one meal a day at 6pm for 40 days. I did it for spiritual reasons and felt an incredible sense of accomplishment.
Although I wasnt fasting to lose weight, I was pleasantly surprised to note that my weight had dropped from 138 to 132 kilos.
I was always the chubbiest child in class and the playground. Even as a grown up, I was always the biggest of all my friends.
Not that it bothered me. I am a confident and outgoing person.
Still, I had tried losing weight several times using different diets I found on the internet.
I would diet in the run-up to events, aiming to fit into certain clothes, or whenever my clothes became too tight.
I occasionally lost weight but would revert to my normal eating habits right after, regaining all the kilos, and some.
For a person standing 58, my weight 138 kilos at my heaviest brought a lot of health complications.
I was in my early forties but seeing the doctor every three weeks; I had sleep apnea (a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts), asthma, high blood pressure, dizzying headaches and joint pains.
So bad were my knees that getting up from a chair or climbing a flight of stairs was difficult.
Because of the sleep apnea and high blood pressure, I was sleeping only one or two hours a night, leaving me tired and drowsy during the day.
Things got so bad that I tried to convince my doctor to prescribe sleeping ills for me. But he refused and advised me to lose weight instead.
Although I decided to follow the doctors advice, I had challenges finding the right weight loss method.
I needed to lose almost half my weight 70 kilos. That sounded almost impossible to achieve.
I was still mulling over how to go about it when my sister told me about a childhood friend shed bumped into.
The friend, a medical doctor who had always been as chubby as I was, had lost 40 kgs.
My sister pushed me to look for her and I did, and she was more than happy to share her secret.
On her advice, I booked an appointment with a representative from the Wellness Project Africa.
The weight loss companys website said it provided medically monitored and tailor-made medical plans for individuals.
Their programme used foods to balance weight- influencing hormones in order to trigger fat burning.
I had my blood samples taken for the purpose of monitoring the levels of various weight-influencing hormones in my blood, as well as my liver, kidney and thyroid functions.
I began my weight loss journey on June 18, 2018, strictly following instructions from my wellness partner, a trained individual assigned to help me navigate the process. I lost five kilos the first month.
The foods prescribed were great and there were many options to choose from.
I was glad that my favourite foods like beef, chicken, traditional greens and fruit were included. The meals were also easy to prepare, even when I was travelling.
By the second month, my energy levels had increased, enabling me to join a gym and go for walks in Karura Forest.
I no longer suffer from sleep apnea and insomnia and my blood pressure is normal. PHOTO | COURTESY
After six months (June to December 2018), I went from 133 to 85 kilos. It was almost unbelievable.
My friends and I flew to Cape Town to celebrate my achievement. Although I relaxed a bit on the diet during that holiday, I still stuck to the principles avoiding junk food and processed carbohydrates and sticking to protein, fruit and vegetables.
In January, 2019, I went back to strictly following the diet. It paid off because by April, my weight was down to 77 kilos, the lowest in my adult life.
But when I dropped to 74 kilos, my family became concerned, saying, I looked a bit weak.
On the advice of my wellness partner, I completed the diet and increased my protein intake while taking up weight training to build muscle.
I still do that, having changed my eating habits for good. My weight now oscillates between 74 and 77 kilos, almost a year after finishing the programme.
The benefits Ive reaped are immeasurable. For someone who got asthma at age 25, it is very refreshing not remembering the last time I had an attack or used an inhaler.
For the first time in my life my weight is normal and I can sleep throughout the night.
I no longer suffer from sleep apnea and insomnia and my blood pressure is normal.
Although my knees are still a little inflamed, I go to the gym, climb stairs and get up from my seat without a struggle.
One of my greatest achievements, which many people might take for granted, is that I can now cross my legs when seated, wear stockings and balance in high heels.
Although I was never a big eater, I now realise that skipping meals and snacking on junk foods like chocolate, cakes, ice cream and pizza was the reason I gained so much weight.
Because I had a busy schedule and lived alone, I rarely cooked, opting for unhealthy takeaways.
I also never drank water, but relied on Fanta soda to quench my thirst, even when I woke up at night with a parched throat because of sleep apnea!
I havent eaten chocolate, pizza, chips or any junk food since 2018, and I no longer even crave them.
Continue reading here:
Battling the bulge: What women say - nation.co.ke
