The Workout Plan

Before heading back to the states, I was starting to just feel really "gross", for lack of a better word, about what I was eating and how I was feeling.  Kenyan food tends to be a little static and heavy on the complex carbs (rice, chapatis, ugali, etc).  Everyday I was feeling entirely too full and was just exhausted by crazy amounts of sugar my body must have been processing.  It was time for a change.

When we got back I decided to try to do an overhaul of what I eat.  I knew I couldn't cut out the Kenyan staples entirely (it just wouldn't be possible here) but I knew I had to reduce how much of them I ate.  In the past I've tried to do similar things and failed.  I'm just not good with cold turkey!  Thus I knew that I would have to do this process slowly so I could train myself to not want these things.

My new plan isn't really complicated.  The goal is just to make better choices for myself.  I'm cutting back my consumption of Coke and bringing water to lunch instead.  Sure I still have two or three a week but this is much better from my once a day habit.  Speaking of water, I'm increasing my intake and trying to consume 3 Liters a day.  This is about 1 liter more than what is recommended but I'm a big water drinker anyways and its pretty dry over here at the minute.  I've also asked our cook to remove as much Blue Band from his cooking as possible.  For those who don't know Blue Band is this margarine that is so processed that it can sit on the shelf without refrigeration.  Its filled with who knows what that's supposed to help growth and development.  Translate that to someone who isn't undernourished and that spells extra weight!  (I went off our cooks food for one week and lost 5lbs.  I'm convinced that it was due to the Blue Band)

Of course I'm doing the usual things such as increasing my intake of fruits and veggies.  I'm also starting a workout plan and am hoping that I'll be able to stick with it.  Working out here has always been a frustration and the recent increase in robberies in the area has made it even more difficult.  Basically I am confined to my house.  I've tried to improvise with using some workout DVDs I had on hand.  I also asked our gardener to make some kind of weights for me.  I loved his creativeness on this and he managed to craft this awesome hand set.

They're a little long but they do the job!

Its too early to tell if its working.  I do know that I already feel better about myself and have a little more energy.  The real test will be if I can stick with it.  The number on the scale really doesn't matter to me.  This is just something I want to do for my health long term.