Location: Kibondo
For the first time, last year September, I weighed slightly over 80kg. I have never weighed this much before, and I certainly wasn’t pregnant.
My instinct told me I needed to do something about it, and so I started to do a number of regimes such as walking, skipping lunch or dinner. However most of my regimes didn’t go beyond a month.
In January this year I registered with a service for a two weeks’ detox program. It worked (I lost some weight) but it was only a short -erm program.
Fortunately for me, a few weeks later I was introduced to the My Wellbeing Journey Program organized by ImpactAfya through my Employer. I found the program to be very inclusive, flexible which concentrated on long term sustainable lifestyle changes.
One of the most significant permanent changes that I have made is my significant reduction in sugar intake. I use honey in most cases, I have stopped drinking sodas and processed juices (or juices with added sugar). I also now opt for healthier cooking methods such as baking, boiling, sautéing instead of frying.
When it comes to exercising, I have used different methods over time. It was easy to fit in morning or evening walks whilst working from home. Since we started working from the office again, I try to walk at least three to four times a week between one to three kilometers on my way back from work. This is not stressful and is easy to maintain.
The greatest win for me is now almost six months in now I truly believe my lifestyle change is permanent.
When I started to track my weight in February/March I was at an average of 77kg, changing anywhere from 76 to 78 kg. I currently weigh 75kg for quite some time now. I am proud that my weight loss is slow but steady now I like it this way. Other regimes gave me an impressive weight loss but only to regain it a few weeks or months later.
I am grateful to the ImpactAfya team for their guidance on the best way to live more healthy and productively. The WhatsApp group was a great source of motivation, I got an exercise accountability partner there.
One other significant change I have observed is as a person with chronic migraines, is the reduction in the number of migraine episodes I get in a month.
For the past one month I only got one episode, and I could confidently explain the possible trigger. This is because I am conscious of my water intake and careful on new things I consume.
I still have a long way to go, but I am happy that I am moving towards the right direction sustainably. There are still steps I have to take to improve my wellbeing!