Trying 'gym' and it's not working? Here is the probable reason why

We Kenyans have a unique language, we swear our English is Queens English but the closest it comes to that is the spelling of colour and every other word Americans chose to adulterate (ha ha ha...I'm Kenyan after all).

This is not a post on English, though I am picking on one of the phrases often used by women here.

"I have tried gym, it doesn't work"....

What does "gym" entail? Unfortunately, I am not privy to what activities exactly went on in the gym, at what intensity and for how long. For some, it is simply "exercise". In my opinion, unless there is a serious underlying medical condition we don't know about, which happens in a very small percentage, the probable reasons that "gym" didn't work are....

1. You were not honest with yourself....
    I have never been to an AA meeting but I imagine that the reason behind the phrase "hello, I'm soandso, and I'm an alcoholic" is recognising that one has a problem. <<<<< Did you notice the non-american spelling right there? :-)
   Being honest has to go along with being realistic. This means knowing how much you burned in the gym. It takes an unbelievably long time to burn a double cheese burger. Or a doughnut, that is, comparative to the time it takes to eat it. So passing by a fast food place right after "doing gym" just doesn't work.
 
2. You were not patient
    When we watch "the biggest loser" or the Kenyan equivalent "slimpossible" we see large amounts of weight lost in a short period of time. We tend to forget these people have sacrificed other activities in order to become a part of our entertainment menu for a chance to change their lives and win money or some other prizes. Most of us do not have that luxury.
   We also did not put on that weight in a day, or a week or a month. It will therefore take more than a month to lose it. When I was eighteen, it took me a year to lose about twenty kilos on my own without a trainer. After having my little girl, it took me about half as much time to lose that weight. Remember though, I was breast feeding as well as exercising. Half the effort needed right there.
  If we are patient, we will start seeing results. It takes time to see visible results, but your body begins to adapt and change from day one. It's like those ads which we see on quitting smoking or the articles that show what happens one hour, one day, one month, and several years into quitting smoking. Day one, your body begins to change, your muscles break down in order to rebuild themselves into stronger versions, your heart begins to get stronger, your lungs begin to get stronger as well. Your bone density begins to get better, your mind begins to work better, your concentration levels improve, all this begins on day one, but the changes happen a little everyday. Keeping at it is key.

3. The intensity was wrong, the time actually spent exercising was too short, form was wrong...
  Everybody became a professor once Dr. Google came to being. There is a lot of information out there. A lot of it good, but in same measure, a lot of it wrong and even harmful. If you're keen, you must have read a few stories of diet scams and the like. Following wrong advice (especially advice that makes it seem easier than it should be) could also harm your fitness and weight loss efforts.
  I do not advocate for hours and hours spent working out. Instead, I advocate for making good use of the little time available. I usually exercise for a maximum of one hour but usually between half an hour and fourty-five  minutes aiming for five hours a week. I have found this to be effective in losing weight in a challenging (but not impossibly so) way and also sustainable. I do not chit chat when working out and usually put my phone on silent. This is because it is such a short period that even a phone call can take me off course and cut into my time such that I don't exercise. We live in busy times.
 Also, intensity counts. You have to challenge yourself. If you find that toning with body weight has become too easy, add weights. Our bodies adapt and if we don't surprise them every so often, the gains we make will plateau. Don't be afraid to break a sweat by jogging if you have been walking (unless the physician says you shouldn't). You'll be surprised what happens if you just work a little harder.

Wow, this is one of the longest posts I've ever typed out....still here? Great! That's it for tonight!
Have an active day!