Recently I have heard a lot of comments about vanity, and how those that continuously work on their bodies are vain and selfish, taking the time out of their family/social lives to work on themselves. Inconsiderate in their food choices when they choose not to indulge where others are. Obsessed for being particular, reading labels and choosing not to poison their bodies. It's not obsession, it is commitment.
We have come to a point that weight issues have become weighty. Where obesity is costing us and our healthcare providers more and more. In Kenya, over 40% of women are overweight, these figures are not that current and I wouldn't be surprised if the figure rose to 45% or even 50%. Imagine that statistic superimposed to that of lifestyle diseases....diabetes, heart diseases and the lack of productivity caused by these diseases. Imagine you having to pay for treating those diseases, imagine the cost to your family in terms of emotional distress, imagine early deaths where children bury their parents for reasons that were totally preventable. You do not have to imagine it anymore, it is already happening.
So you see, choosing a healthy lifestyle is not a luxury, it is a necessity. We are past the age of lack, where we gorge ourselves not knowing where the next meal will come from. We have made our lives easier, mechanising a lot of tasks we used to perform manually, we move less, and this is progress, but it is killing us.
Today as I was performing wood choppers using cables, I thought to myself, had I been born 100 years ago, I would be doing wood choppers for real...then again, I wouldn't have been overweight to begin with, highly unlikely.
So finally I get to my point. Love thyself. Go for a walk, go for a run, swim even and pick up something heavy while at it. Sweat a little bit and remember the long hard days our ancestors put in, you're lucky WHO recommends only 30 minutes of exercise for an adult everyday....that is so little. Get some happy hormones, ward off some disease, look bad ass while at it and rock that muscle tee or bikini for your self esteem. Everything about it is positive. Why not give it a go?
Have an active weekend!
Friday, 24 January 2014
Wednesday, 22 January 2014
Weight loss is the easy part....
What? You oxymoron you....! What did you say??!!!
Yes, I said it right, losing weight is easy, it's when your goals begin getting more complicated, when you demand more of yourself, when you start feeling that just being good isn't good enough, you want to be the best version of yourself you can be, that is when it becomes really difficult. Let me explain myself before you begin throwing rotten tomatoes at me ...
If you are consistently being active, taking whatever form of exercise you have taken up seriously and watching your diet, unless you have underlying physical problems, the weight practically falls off. Yes, it is challenging and it takes an enormous amount of will power to break habits that lead to weight gain but with determination, progress can be seen within a month and after that, with consistency, there are continuous gains in terms of fitness, inches lost, measurable health gains and on the weighing scale.
But you want more...you look longingly at the photos of fitness models, of bikini competitors and say to yourself...if they can do it, so can I...so you pick up the not so sissy weights and start lifting...you begin doing more intense cardio and become a bit narcissistic, looking at yourself every morning, looking for the littlest hint of a line that will show that finally you are getting some definition. And when none shows after a month of lifting, you begin to get discouraged, your body does not begin to look like those fitness models, or the athletes, or Lupita Nyongo...
But ask yourself this, why aren't there more people who are that ripped? They are a minority amongst us, which is why we stare when we see them. Why? Because it is hard! And it takes time and discipline to get that way.
Because it does not take a month for you to achieve that greek goddess (god) look that we crave. And it takes a lot more training than you are used to, even if you train smart.
So trust the process and do not despair, it will take time, but if you are consistent, you will get there. It takes time to build tall buildings, because the foundation has to be deep and strong. You cannot define what muscle isn't there, you cannot tone without building first, you cannot build floor upon floor without first digging a deep foundation and building the support.
So when you're looking at the woman next to you near the weight rack who's muscles ripple, or the trainer with what seems like a 16 pack, remember, they have been at it for a while. And it will take you a while to get there.
Keep active, keep at it.
Have a wonderful day!
Yes, I said it right, losing weight is easy, it's when your goals begin getting more complicated, when you demand more of yourself, when you start feeling that just being good isn't good enough, you want to be the best version of yourself you can be, that is when it becomes really difficult. Let me explain myself before you begin throwing rotten tomatoes at me ...
If you are consistently being active, taking whatever form of exercise you have taken up seriously and watching your diet, unless you have underlying physical problems, the weight practically falls off. Yes, it is challenging and it takes an enormous amount of will power to break habits that lead to weight gain but with determination, progress can be seen within a month and after that, with consistency, there are continuous gains in terms of fitness, inches lost, measurable health gains and on the weighing scale.
But you want more...you look longingly at the photos of fitness models, of bikini competitors and say to yourself...if they can do it, so can I...so you pick up the not so sissy weights and start lifting...you begin doing more intense cardio and become a bit narcissistic, looking at yourself every morning, looking for the littlest hint of a line that will show that finally you are getting some definition. And when none shows after a month of lifting, you begin to get discouraged, your body does not begin to look like those fitness models, or the athletes, or Lupita Nyongo...
But ask yourself this, why aren't there more people who are that ripped? They are a minority amongst us, which is why we stare when we see them. Why? Because it is hard! And it takes time and discipline to get that way.
Because it does not take a month for you to achieve that greek goddess (god) look that we crave. And it takes a lot more training than you are used to, even if you train smart.
So trust the process and do not despair, it will take time, but if you are consistent, you will get there. It takes time to build tall buildings, because the foundation has to be deep and strong. You cannot define what muscle isn't there, you cannot tone without building first, you cannot build floor upon floor without first digging a deep foundation and building the support.
So when you're looking at the woman next to you near the weight rack who's muscles ripple, or the trainer with what seems like a 16 pack, remember, they have been at it for a while. And it will take you a while to get there.
Keep active, keep at it.
Have a wonderful day!
Monday, 13 January 2014
Sometimes we need a little help with being conscious
I was talking to a friend and client this morning and realised I hadn't touched on the subject of consciousness for a while.
Consciousness in our fitness journey I mean.
Understanding the implications of your day to day decisions on food and activity level on your overall health.
Sometimes, seeing these decisions on paper makes them seem more real to us. Writing down what we eat, how much we move might help us see the bigger picture when there is no positive change.
So today, we ponder helping ourselves being conscious. Take a pen and paper and write down everything you eat and all the exercise you do in a week. Then analyse it, and see what failings and what successes you have made during the week.
Have an active one!
Consciousness in our fitness journey I mean.
Understanding the implications of your day to day decisions on food and activity level on your overall health.
Sometimes, seeing these decisions on paper makes them seem more real to us. Writing down what we eat, how much we move might help us see the bigger picture when there is no positive change.
So today, we ponder helping ourselves being conscious. Take a pen and paper and write down everything you eat and all the exercise you do in a week. Then analyse it, and see what failings and what successes you have made during the week.
Have an active one!
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