Thread by @shobanes

You know, what you eat really determines how you feel. How your body acts. Your mood. Everything. Your weight, mental and physical health included. I know. Because I have suffered.
#Thread

4 years ago, I was a normal looking guy. Mjengo was okay. I swam occasionally. Pesa ilikuwa just enough for basic needs and what not. Food was kawaida. I was healthy. Health issues were a rumour. Really. Food and a drink here and there.

Then at some point, I got a good gig. Had a little left over chums. I could tandika beers proper. Or drinks by the bottle. My day was all about, wake up, eat, work, eat sleep. I got home late, tired and hungry. I never had time to cook any more. Eating out became my thing.

Now in Mombasa, we really don't have many late night restaurant. So my diet in the evening was chips mayai (Zege) na sausage or kuku. Almost daily. Veges, whole foods were a rumour. I hated the small portions. I built a ridiculous appetite. 4-5 chapos, nyama and soda in a seating

Food made me 'happy.' It's the only time I had to 'rest.'
I would order pilau, then order beef stew and two chapatis to accompany it. Or two sinias and beef stew. Sijui food ilikuwa inaenda wapi. Energy drinks were an essential diet part. I needed the energy.

PS, I've never been big. Yeah. I've got a stocky body and all but all my life I was kinda skinny. This was me in 2011-2012 in campus. I was never big. I was into sports and all. It stopped.

I would have 4-5 complete meals in a day. Sometimes even 6. Lots of junk, lots of sugar, lots of calories. I never saw it coming. The weight. I woke up one day and everything was harder. Going up stairs, chores. Everything!
Even breathing was a problem. Fucking breathing!

I woke up one day and this was me. I was officially FAT!
Not big. Not big boned. FAT. In caps. That's when the problems started. Erratic blood pressure/sugar levels. I fell sick regularly. Any minor thing would trigger a host of things. It was bad. I got on Meds.

The thing with Meds though is that once you are on, you can never stop. I took Meds for the pain in my feet, Meds for my pressure. Meds for my back. Heck I took Meds because the Meds I was taking was fucking me up. But I just couldn't stop. It was 'necessary.'

Somehow, the weight made me feel good. I felt complete. I was stocky. No one could push me around. I loved being called biggy. I impressed myself every time I'd eat 6 or 7 chapos in a seating. 😂😂😂
I was young and foolish wallahy.
Viazi karai za 100 bob was my snack every 4Pm!

I tried motivating myself to work out but it never happened. I was either working, eating or sleeping and partying.

About a year ago, I was chilling with my niece watching cartoons when she asked me, 'Uncle. Sasa vile ume nona, ukianguka uta roll kama Humpty Dumpty?'

That shit scared the life out of me bana. 😂😂😂
For the first time in my life I realized that I had those folds at the back of my neck. Tummy folds. I was a mess. I was embarrassed. I felt horrible. But I knew that my diet was trash. Yes. It got me 😂😄😋 emojis but it was trash

I woke up, asked her to dress up and we went and bought a pair of trainers sneakers, sweat pants and a biker. Biker was necessary. The thigh burns would have killed me in a week. 😂😂😂😭😭😭

So about 1 year ago, I woke up at 5 Am as normal and instead of making breakfast, I dressed up and went for a jog. I almost died after 100 metres. I stopped and went back home. The next day I tried walking. It was hard. But I did it. 1,2,3,4 Kms. Pole pole. Then pace increased

I got into my fridge and cleared out EVERYTHING that was processed. From left over pizza to soda. That shit hurt than a breakup. 😂😭
I loved this stuff. I lived for eat. But I had resolved to make it work. I started jogging, cooking more. I experimented to make food interesting

I took things in moderation. Food, booze. Everything. I stopped smoking. Mostly. Lol. Story for another day. If I wanted burgers, I'd make burgers. Fresh. With lots of veges on the side instead of fries. My weight dropped. Weight improved drastically. I started playing ball again

I never joined a gym for a single day. I walked, jogged, planked. Did sit-ups indoors, and most importantly, changed what I ate. The change was dramatic and phenomenal. Also pressups for the arms. Lol. On Saturday mornings, I played beach rugby.
I went back.

My old clothes don't fit any more. I had to have them readjusted. They were oversize. Sizes bigger.

One day it hit me, I had stopped taking my Meds unknowingly. I went to the doc for checkup. He gave me a clean bill of health. Pressure ilikuwa poa. Sukari ilikuwa poa. I slept better. Insomnia hakuna. Wallahy even bowel movement became better. I shit you not. See what I did? 😂

I cook a lot nowadays. And I've gotten good at it. I know we are eating crappy foods in our homes in the name of comfort food because we find our normal meals to be bland. That's why I want to teach people how to cook delicious meals. Yes. Treats are good. I have them too.

Siwezi ishi bila ice cream na cake. 😂😂😫😫
Though making them at home helps me balance out the sugars, eggs etc.
I don't know. Maybe someone else out there is battling weight issues. Maybe these meals I'm trying to put together will help someone out there.

Now? Now I think I look good. I feel great. I sleep better.
I have not been to hospital in a year. Apart from this one time when I got caught up in the middle of a dog fight. Lol.
Story for another day too.
But. Yeah. Maybe someone will learn.
☺️☺️☺️

Never done bench presses or weights in a gym. Intense aerobics is more than enough. Get an instructor who pushes you to your limits. Not one who handles you like a spoilt brat. It will payoff some day.