Sunday, 2nd September

My road to healthy living...

It almost feels sad that the ARN Summer Fighting Fit program has come to an end. It was a program that created so much excitement and hope for those of us who have been finding it hard to achieve fitness and health objectives.
 
I have been finding it extremely difficult to shed the extra weight that I have carried over the last 10 years. It has been a frustrating time when you cannot do what you know you need to do. I have been conscious of the health issues associated with obesity. You do not need a doctor to remind you of the negative consequences of carrying extra load to your system. You can feel it yourself.
 
I have read the best seller books on diet and exercises, tried several weight loss clinics, the gym, special trainers, scientific gyms, dieticians, diet plans etc. I also visited the famous Tria Wellness Centre in Bangkok which has received so many accolades in the region. They all produce results - some do better than others. However, they only last for the period that you do them and requires a great deal of determination to continue with the plans. Some of these are difficult to continue, some require supervision while others are boring to do.
 
My doctor has even prescribed medicines such as Accomplia and Xenical. The latter produced significant results which I stopped using after reading through their websites on the effects the medicine could have on the liver.
 
All these have produced results but only for the short period of application. You need the will-power to continue doing the same without supervision.
 
I run a busy office, the activities being affected by the sudden (now continuous) downturn in the world economy. I am every other week on the plane visiting different countries. I do not have much time for exercises. The disappointing part is that, as I was not exercising I could not control myself with food and sometimes consumed junk food. When you are tense at work, you really have no time to choose your meal or the time you eat it. It is food at all times and whenever you see it - does not matter for quantity or quality.
 
In June this year, we were planning a detox-weight loss tour to Koh Samui island in Thailand. The family (my wife and daughters Mufida and Bushra) have similar problems even though from different causes. We were all determined to make it work this time. However, as always each had different holiday plans which could not accommodate us all being in Thailand at the same time. They had to go to Mombasa and I stayed behind on my own.
 
As a regular listener to Suzanne's Dubai Today, I was interested to visit some of the therapists on her show. Suzanne was kind enough to invite me to be part of the Fighting Fit program. Being on my own at home, I was happy to attend the Dubai Sports World activities. I could not attend as much as I would have loved to be part of these activities because of the fast of the Holy Month of Ramadan.
 
My past experiences gave me a huge fear of exercising during the summer. I tried this before a couple of times when I came to Dubai. I ended up sick in bed.
 
I started with Lovely at Healthtrendz - a wonderful lady who has plenty of patience to explain things in the most professional way. She put me on the one week diet plan. The plan gave me the guidelines needed for me to control what I ate. She also explained how I could sustain this over a period of time.
 
Of course, a diet plan is not enough to put you back into fitness. I had to start regular exercises. I did the treadmill at home, Safa Park exercises and a bit of DSW games. These helped alot.
 
Another important aspect of getting all this to work, is the water intake. I am conscious of the need to drink plenty of water. This is what my doctors and dieticians have always told me. I never took this seriously -  because juices were far sweeter and I wouldn't be stuck in a traffic jam with a full bladder.
 
Six weeks down the line, I can tell you that I have achieved beyond my expectations - certainly much more than my previous programs. I have eliminated the myths that have discouraged me from doing what I always enjoyed to do. I was a National hockey player in Kenya. We would spend at least 5 hours a day on the field doing hard exercise.
 
My food intake is under control. My water intake is almost as presecribed by the doctors. The other day when on flight, I was surprised that I could drink the large bottle and smaller ones while on the trip. I am now careful on the choice and quantity of food.
 
What is more, is that the entire family is with me on this raod.
 
The Holy Month of Ramadan had complimented my road to fitness. You get ever continuous advise from the fasting community; that we need to control the quantity and choice of food we eat during Ramadan. The doctors would talk about the health problems and how certain diseases are on the rise in the UAE. There are those who genuinely take the advice seriously, others who try but I am sure the larger population do "business as usual". As for me, I know that the Fighting Fit program enhanced my food choices in Ramadan to achieve my goals.
 
Overall, I was able to cut down almost 7kgs during the 6 week programme. I can now put on my clothes that I could not wear in the last 2 years. I feel I was able to conquer most of my previous failings and "myths". I feel healthy and have a better mental outlook. I believe I have set myself on the path of living a healthy lifestyle. I have had the benefit of trying things over a longer period of 6 weeks as opposed to a week program that has a short term effect to my system. I will now resume my exercises on a regular basis and have registered with the local gym in thr Mirdiff area to continue the good work.
 
All this could not have been achieved without the support of Suzanne and her team. Writing these blogs has been great fun. Reading the blogs of others has been an inspiration. Listening to Suzanne's guests has been motivating. I hope everybody else has benefited as much as I have. Thanks to you Suzanne and your team for this great help. May God bless you all.
 
See you in the next program.

Monday, 27th August

This past week was consumed mainly by Eid festivities and family gatherings. I did my level best to consume the bare minimum even though it is encouraged to partake in eating the good food. I also went for the healthy options.
 
I spent the last 6 days continuing my optional fast which is recomended after the fast of the month of Ramadan. It is spiritually fulfilling.
 
On Wednesday we were entertained to a game of netball at the DSW. It was my first time playing the game and as expected we were overwhelmed by the ladies. I did not realise it was such a popular game in Dubai. I played in one of the games and was positioned in the defense - I think they call it "Goalkeeper". The girl I was supposed to mark, ran corners around me. She was such a sharp shooter. I could not stop a single one of her shots. It was not as easy as I thought it would be. You basically need to be fit and have the skills for the game.
 
Overall I have maintained my weight and have consciously selected the food I eat. I was on low calorie diet on my flight yesterday.
 
I arrived in Johannesburg yesterday. We have a very good gym at the hotel I am staying at. I will also be looking for the personal trainer. Looking forward to talking to Suzanne on Wednesday for the Thursday event.

Sunday, 19th August

Eid Mubarak to you all...
 
Yesterday was the last day of obligatory fasting. We have just come out of the mosque to celebrate Eid Ul Fitr. Soon we shall start on the six days optional fast. It has been great during this month - spiritual inspiration and motivation to good health.
 
I was reading on the BBC website the other day and there was mention of Tevez, the Man City and Argentinian forward. The coaching staff were all impressed that he has lost a stone during the English Premier League break. I checked my Stone converter and realised that I have done better than Tevez during the same period. Well... sort of! He is a professional footballer who has his own motivations. Mine has been to get myself back to good health. Fighting Fit has been the driving force, assisted by my own determination to succeed. I must not discount the role played by the Holy Month of Ramadan. I was frustrated during the past years of Ramadan when I always ended with a few extra kilos. This time, I listened to my two dieticians - Lovely and Archana. Both have been supportive on my road to healthy eating. This Ramadan has been about healthy eating.
 
Bushra was at Healthtrendz to book herself meals for the next month. I sat to listen to Lovely's advice to Bushra and could not imagine anybody else explaining it so simply to my 17 year old daughter. Bushra left so inspired to get herself into good shape. I have in the meantime booked myself at MCC Fitness First Platinum to continue the good work that I have achieved so far.
 
The past week has also been good for my diet and exercise. I continued doing my 45 minute treadmill and exercises an hour before breaking the fast. I am looking forward to the netball game on Wednesday at the DSW. My wife was good at netball during her school days. I do not know how to break the news to her that I was about to play netball, which in Kenya is predominantly played by women. I might surprise her if I am able to shoot many into the goal ring.

Saturday, 11th August

Great Olympics in London...

I have been glued to my TV set this past week watching the Olympics. It is a great event. We were set to fly for the 1980 Moscow Olympics when America and its allies boycotted the games because Russia had invaded Afghanistan. This was in response to Russia and allies’ boycott of the 1976 when we all returned home without setting foot on the Montreal soil. It is a great feeling watching it on TV, much less the marvel of being physically in the Olympic village.

The past week was for the Track events, in which Uasin Bolt was to earn his legendary status. What great races they were – the 100m and 200m. He is such a gifted entertainer that has made athletics fun to watch, in the same way Muhammad Ali did for boxing. However, the event that attracted the world attention was the 800m run by Kenya’s David Rudisha. Up to that moment, I was dismayed by the performance of Kenyan athletes. We are known to be the Champions in Africa. This time we were overtaken by the Ethiopians. Lord Core, the London Olympics Organiser and previous gold medalist in 1500m and 800m world record holder said “simpy an unbelievable performance” and “will be the stand out performance of these Olympics games”. Rudisha’s success made up for the failures of all the other Kenyan athletes. He is the only individual who broke a world record in this Olympics track events.

To put the icing on the cake, the Jamaican trio made it 1-2-3 in the 200m.

One is inspired at watching the races and at times I felt like jumping on the treadmill to prepare for the next Olympics. There are obvious limitations as you grow older.

I did manage to do a bit of exercise following my bout of flu. I did sessions before the Iftar. I wish I could do after Iftar or visit the DSW arena. The Holy Month of Ramadan requires us to abstain from food and drinks and prohibits indulgence in sexual relations from around 4.20am to 7.15pm (Dubai time). I am able to do limited exercises during the day. We spend the early hours of the night to perform prayers in the mosque. We also have optional prayers after midnight during the last 10 days of Ramadan. It is difficult therefore to do the exercises at night. We expect to celebrate Eid on 18th August.

I have built so much energy and now have the momentum to continue the fighting-fit programme immediately after Eid and beyond. I am so glad weighing myself this morning, to find out that I have slashed another kilo of my weight. I am not sure if by watching the Olympics and pushing my favorite runners has helped in this. What I am sure about is that I have been doing reasonable exercises and maintained a strict diet regime to my own surprise.

Sunday, 5th August

I contracted a terrible flu virus that kept me indisposed for the entire week. I feel better today but still weak. I have not been able to do any serious form of exercise. The other day I tried to do indoor walking at MCC. It just made matters worse for me the following day. So I will give it another day or two before I resume my workouts.

The weather has not helped my situation. I am also unable to drink as much water as I know I should. This is because of Ramadan where I have a very short period at night for eating and drinking.

The good part is... I have lost another kilo. It could be due to my immunity system working overtime to consume the calories. I have however maintained my strict diet regime except for Friday when we had family friends from Mombasa. We had a typical Mombasa Iftar of "mbaazi na mahambri", "vibibi", "bajias"  etc. Anyway, I did remember Lovely's advice to do it in moderation.

I hope to resume and do a bit of catch-up soon. My best wishes to the team and all the good people who are giving us support.

In honour of the Oympics, I leave you with a picture.

With Uasin Bolt - I bumped into him on a flight from Nairobi to London

Friday, 27th July

I wish to take this opportunity to thank Suzanne (and Dubai eye team) for giving me the chance to be part of the Fighting Fit team. It was only the other day that Georgina (another member of the team) contacted me to ask if we all could meet as a team. It was a great idea that she organised for us to meet.

I say thank you to Suzanne because you do not realise the change that has happened. As I said in my previous blogs, after my first few experiences, I never would have believed that I would be able to exercise during the summer. I would visit my doctor to infuse a dose of glucose. I would always find a gateway place where temperatures were cooler - Mombasa being my favourite or Johannesburg when I spent the month watching the FIFA World Cup. This year, I am stuck in Dubai and I have not gone to see my doctor for glucose. As the saying goes, I feel as fit as a fiddle.
 
The secret is to believe in yourself and what you are capable of achieving.
 
It is Ramadan and if you ask any Muslim, he/she will tell you this year is tough - long hours and a hot, hot summer. I have been able to do 45 minutes of treadmill and exercises everyday one hour before breaking the fast. I start at 6pm and by 7pm I am on the table ready for the dates and water. Admittedly my water intake has been less than the period before Ramadan. I now consume just over a litre of water which is far below the 3 litres plus. It tells during the day when I can feel my dry mouth.
 
Yesterday being start of the weekend, I went with Bushra (my daughter - she is also trying to get fit) to the Khawaneej Park. For those of you living in Mirdiff surrounding, Khawaneej is closer than Safa and provides unpolluted environment. No cars but peace while you do your exercises inside the park. We spent one and a half hours of 6kms track and exercises. We were done by 11.30pm. This morning, I feel great!
 
I have kept to a strict balanced diet that I am getting used to. Normal Ramadan meals are packed with fried stuff and all sorts of varieties. This year  the entire household has been disciplined into eating right. As I said before, Bushra is also joined by her mother to keep fit as well.
 
Overall, I am down 3kgs since we started. An inspirational achievement purely on exercise and diet. My dietician (Archana) at the VLCC was so impressed by this achievement. Poor girl tried so hard for so long.
 
So thanks to you guys at Dubai Eye for availing this opportunity to do-it-yourself. It has motivated me to the max.

Representing Kenya in Perth, Australia
 

Thursday, 19th July

I am writing this while at the lounge of Mauritius Airport with my water and black coffee. I have booked my healthy diet on the flight.
 
It was a busy schedule during the past week in Mauritius but in more pleasant weather conditions. It is supposed to be their winter at around 22 degrees with patches of rain. If you have not visited Mauritius and are looking for a relaxing environment, then Mauritius is the place. This is almost my sixth visit. Hotels are classy and service is very good. Be sure you carry heavy pockets.

Coming back to the fitness regime, the good news is that for the first time in many years I am coming back home with less kilos! Wonderful feeling. It was hard work. I resisted all temptations to get into my old habits. Every time I tried it, there was Lovely saying "eat in moderation". I was with a couple of colleagues - Phil and Ollie. It was Phil who would limit my consumption of bread ("No, you can only have half"). Overall, I lived on grills, salads and veges. The seafood was delicious and I did not have to starve myself.

I kept to my exercise regime. I went to the gym almost daily and spent at least an hour on the treadmill and sit-ups. I tried the Power Plate for the first time and it was a good experience. I also walked extensively within Port Louis.

So yes, I am excited and looking forward to resuming my routine back in Dubai. My family is back tonight from Mombasa. We have been discussing my experiences with the Fighting Fit programme and they are all ready to live healthy. Saturday is the start of Ramadan and I will be sharing with my wife the Lovely Ramadan Plan.

Wednesday, 11th July

Today was the day to visit my nutritionist. I had spent the past week on Healthtrendz diet. There wasn't much I missed in terms of my normal diet. If anything, I had varieties. The taste was good enought. Ok, I missed the fatty stuff and sugars but hey, I had the muffins, chocolate bars and sweet deserts. The portions were generous. At times, I felt being over-fed. Thanks to Lovely for organising such a fantastic menu for me for the week. I am also pleased with the results. The machine assessment showed weight reduction albeit just over a kilo and fat loss in most areas of the body.
 
Lovely is leaving for her 2 week vacations. We agreed to meet on my return. I will definitely book myself for a longer spell. At least, it disciplines you on the good food to eat. I am also learning plenty from Lovely. I am able to know the effects of different food composition and its distribution during the course of the day.
 
Ramadan is in a weeks time. The food habits change during this month. I have spoken to my family and we are all in agreement that we must discipline ourselves for the benefit of our health. Lovely has kindly agreed to share a typical menu which we can use during the month.
 
As for exercise, I am not sure if I said before that I have avoided exercising during the summer. I had a bad experience and was grounded for 2 weeks when I first came here. The heat in this part of the world is not the same as our Mombasa. I could train during Ramadan and play squash in Mombasa - but not here. However, I did have a good week of training - both on the treadmill and cross-trainer. I spent 3 days rounding the Safa Park after 7PM.
 
Apart from the food and exercises, we tend to under-estimate the importance of water. I hardly drank 2 glasses of water in the past. However, after hearing the nutritionist, doctor and trainer, I am now doing between 3 to 4 litres a day. It has made a huge difference to my posture. I am alert and able to concentrate.
 
I am off to Mauritius next week. I have already booked my diet meal on the flight. I am determined to continue my getting-fit plan during my travel.

Friday, 6th July

I have just come out of my assessment with Corey. What an inspirational guy! Full of practical knowledge. Things he himself has done in life. It is not about keeping fit, it is about leading a healthy lifestyle.
 
Corey has been to my beautiful country. Yes, he played rugby in Nairobi and went to the Carnivore - an open-air meat specialty restaurant which is fast becoming a standard stop on the safari trail. I have also been to his unique Australia for sports - with the Kenya hockey team to inaugurate the first astro-turf hockey stadium in the southern hemisphere. What a coincidence!
 
I did not believe I could jog after this many years. I am used to a brisk walk in Safa or Khawaneej Park. But I did it today. OK, I did not do the entire mile but I can say I covered half of it albeit with heavy breathing. There goes the start in my determination to get fit. I then went through the drill of sit-ups, push-ups and the lot. Though tough, I needed to set myself high standards for my final assessment.
 
Corey has given me a program for a week or two, in which I have to report back to him on a daily basis. I have to tell him about my training program, what I ate, how many hours I slept, how much water I drank, etc. This sounds exactly the thing I have been looking for for years. Someone who knows his/her stuff and is able to motivate me to a healthier lifestyle.
 
Time will tell but I can assure you I am determined to make this work!

Wednesday, 4th July

Summer is normally a dull time for me. I feel energy-drained and short-tempered. I would be in my beautiful town of Mombasa, Kenya with my family, had it not been for work exigencies. The weather in Kenya is cool and rainy. It is also time to be with friends and relatives. However, this year we had planned a different route to Thailand to do the detox and weight loss programme which could not coincide well with the family visit to Mombasa and the coming month of Ramadhan. There was simply no time to satisfy all.

Having been a sportsman all my life (hockey, football, rugby, squash, etc) and now no longer playing, I have put on over 20kgs in the last 10 years. I have tried all weight loss programmes you can think of, including a stint in Bagkok for detox, weight loss and relaxation. I have been carrying a feeling of frustration for so many years. I have to purchase clothes to keep up with the weight. A friend recently called me from the US asking for the size of a polo shirt he wanted to bring for me. I told him the size but also to allow for future growth.

On a serious note, I need to take care of my health. I am therefore priviledged to be associated with the Programme, thanks to Suzanne who created the awareness and excitement.

Today I started my diet plan with Healthtrendz, following an assessment done by Lovely Ranganath, the Nutritionist at Dubai World Trade Centre. I enjoyed the simple manner in which she explained things I normally find boring or difficult to comprehend. Here I am today with my plastic containers telling me what to eat and when to eat it. When the driver delivered it last night, I thought what have I got myself into? Almost 15 containers which I had to find space in the fridge for. Now, the fridge is not my zone and I had to re-orgnaise it in the hope that nothing serious will happen when the lady of the house returns.

I carried my containers in the bag and had a taste of the food which I would normally dread. You know how it is when everyone in the plane has the normal diet and there you are struggling with the cold healthy option. Surprise, surprise! The food was delicious! I had my fill with bread for breakfast. Lunch was fish tika with brown rice - all with salads. Believe me when I say that I felt full! I am looking forward to my dinner.

I am determined to make this work and to visit Lovely in a week's time for another assessment.

LOCAL NEWS

News is proudly sponsored by: