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Day 1 of My Journey

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My Weight Loss Journey Begins. Then and now!

A year ago, I stood at a crossroads. Weighing over 100 kilograms, I knew something had to change. It wasn’t just about the numbers on the scale—it was about reclaiming control over my health and well-being. This is the story of how my journey began, a journey that has transformed not just my body, but my entire approach to life. Welcome to Day 1.

Facing Reality: The Start of My Transformation

Looking back at old photos, it’s almost surreal to see how far I’ve come. Those images are a stark reminder of the long, often challenging road I’ve travelled. But they also serve as proof that change is possible, and that it starts with a single, determined step.

My journey kicked off with a strict, two-week liquid diet—more accurately, a detox. Designed by my nutritionist, this plan was meant to give my body a fresh start and provide my stomach with a much-needed break. I was both nervous and excited, knowing that this was my chance to reset.

Going Rogue: Making the Plan My Own

Those first two weeks were transformative. I felt lighter, more energetic, and more in tune with my body. Encouraged by these changes, I decided to extend the diet to a month. As the days turned into weeks, I found myself thriving on this regimen, and I continued it for two full months. Even now, a year later, this liquid diet remains my go-to whenever I need a detox or when my stomach needs a reset.

But let me be honest—I didn’t follow the plan to the letter. My nutritionist will tell you that I went rogue, and she’s right. I made adjustments that worked for me, turning the original plan into something uniquely my own. This was the first step in taking true ownership of my weight loss journey, and I believe it’s a critical lesson for anyone looking to make lasting changes.

A Healthy, Sustainable Approach to Weight Loss

My goal was simple: lose weight quickly but do it safely and sustainably. I wasn’t interested in extreme measures like starvation, dangerous medications, or surgery. My health is too precious, and life is too short to take unnecessary risks.

The Liquid Diet: Nourishment in Every Sip

The liquid diet I adopted wasn’t just about drinking juice or water all day. I made sure it included all the essential nutrients my body needed. My daily routine consisted of a smoothie for breakfast, a hearty bowl of soup for lunch, and another for dinner. Throughout the day, I kept myself hydrated with coffee, ginger lemon tea, lemon water, and coconut water—locally known as madafu.

This wasn’t a deprivation diet. My soups were rich in protein from meat, fish, or seafood, and packed with vegetables and spices. I made everything from scratch, ensuring that every ingredient was fresh and wholesome. This gave me complete control over what I was putting into my body, which I believe was key to my success.

Overcoming Challenges: The Power of Discipline

The first few days were the toughest. My body was used to solid foods, and the sudden shift to liquids was a shock. I drastically reduced my calorie intake, and both my body and mind had to adjust. But I pushed through, knowing that this initial discomfort was temporary. To help myself stay on track, I avoided social dining during that first month. It was a challenge, but it allowed me to build the discipline and resolve I needed to succeed.

Conclusion: The Importance of Taking the First Step

And that’s how my journey began—on Day 1, with a simple but powerful decision to take control of my health. Over the past year, I’ve learned so much, not just about weight loss, but about myself. The most important lesson? It all starts with that first step.

If you’re beginning your own journey, remember that it’s okay to make adjustments, to find what works best for you. This is your journey, and it’s yours to own. And while the path may be challenging, you don’t have to walk it alone. We can support each other, share our experiences, and make lasting, positive changes together.

If this story resonates with you, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below and share your own experiences or ask any questions you might have. If you’re looking for more inspiration and tips on health and wellness follow my journey on my Diet Tales podcast, https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-nw6y3-16d0784,  on Podbean.  Remember every big change begins with a single small step!

The New Normal!

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“The world is on a bumpy journey to a new destination and the new normal” Mohammed El Erian

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day. We were lamenting about our current plight (lockdown due to COVID,) and reminiscing about the way life used to be prior. When we had the “freedom to move around as we wished.

Then it occurred to me that I am not sure for many life was better, before COVID. For instance, my friend (I will call him John-not his real name), is a self-employed lawyer. His daily life entailed waking up at the crack of dawn. Hurriedly leaving the house in an effort to beat traffic on his way to work each day. Getting caught up in traffic anyway, and ending up sitting in that traffic, for at least1 to 2 hours. Many commuters had the same idea as John.

When he would eventually get to work, invariably his clients would show up late, even as much as an hour. The excuse? “Salaaala!, the traffic is so bad today!” This adjustment in time for the first meeting would have a snowball effect on all subsequent meetings, creating havoc on his schedule. 

Once the meetings began, John would be going from one meeting to the next. The rushed schedule meant that he barely had enough time to grab a decent meal (if you can call a meal on the go, decent). Frequently, after meetings, John would have to put in time in administrative time in his office. Often unable or unwilling to leave the office before 8 pm. 

John would leave town at the end of the day, hungry, and exhausted, only to find himself stuck in traffic again. This evening/night traffic was as a result of people like him, opting or forced to stay late in the office. They all had the same idea, leave later and avoid the rush hour traffic. After sitting in traffic for at least another hour or more, John would get home, beaten and beat down. His only recourse was to grab a bite and stumble into a bed, “looking forward” to the same again the next day.

Exciting right? This is what COVID has taken from many of us. How can we miss this hectic life that many of us saw as a normal life? Normal because it is how we have been conditioned. Not a healthy life and not sustainable in the long term. It is not surprising that stress and lifestyle diseases are on an upsurge in the world. 

With COVID forcing many of us to stay home as our new “normal”, I asked John how his work situation has been affected? His answer? As his movements are now restricted, and he is unable to go into work each day, John has had to adjust his life accordingly. All his face to face meetings have been replaced by online meetings (Zoom or Skype etc. ). He has also discovered that a lot of the “busy work” he was doing daily seems to have reduced.

His routine had changed significantly due to COVID. With the new lockdown, John wakes up daily and plans his meetings. He does have the allowance to go to work a few days a week but often opts not to. Embracing working online, including phone or internet meetings, he has discovered it is not necessary for him to leave his home as often as he used to.  

John does not wake up as early as before. When he does wake up early, he can use that time for his own leisure and in the comfort of his home. Not rushing and stuck in traffic. He now can take time to eat a proper breakfast before his workday begins. In lockdown, John can eat proper stress-free breakfast before his workday begins at 9 am.  John’s meals now are freshly cooked and healthier. A better option than the store-bought fast food that sustained him for years, due to little time and less choice, whilst in the “rat race”. John’s answer was encouraging giving hope for a better future

Meetings now seem to take less time. Clients seem to wast less time online with John and not face to face. There are also less distractions. With all the pro’s of lock down for John’s lifestyle, the most useful one is the time he saves with no cummute. He is able save as much as 2 to 4 hours each day which he can use to be more productive with work.

By 5/6 pm John can complete his workday. He is not too tired at the end of the day, and even has time and energy to exercise. Somthing he only did on the weekends, pre-COVID. John finds that he is not spend as much money and his stress levels have reduced. All in all, he was achieving a better work-life balance, a more sustainable way to live. 

Currently, John goes into the office when he absolutely must. Due to the lockdown, there is less traffic, and he can make it to the office or back home in 20 minutes. The online component of his work means that he does not go into the office often. Only when he must and for the shortest time possible. There is still his health to consider and increased exposure creates a higher possibility of infection.

Looking at life from the perspective of John’s new “normal” is it not better that we are restricted? Though not wished for, the “lockdown situation” has forced many of us to re-evaluate our lives. What the pros and cons of the old life versus this new one? Will it be possible to see a future after COVID and lockdown? A future where we make different decisions about how we value ourselves and our time? 

Time is a finite commodity and yet we spend at least half in pursuit of a “better” life. What is the point of that “better” life. This pursuit often leads to detririorating well being and increased stress. Increasing our chance of lifestyle diseases. We are at breaking point and until COVID could not see an alternative way. We were unable to see the forest for the trees?

What if we decided to value our time more? Pursue professional careers, yet, do it in a way that is not detrimental to our overall health and wellbeing. What if we reduce the time we spend commuting or even in physical offices? We only go to work when we absolutely must? What if we gave as much attention to our sleep, relaxation, eating as we do our pursuit for more wealth? What if we strived for a better work-life balance?

COVID has forced us all to stop and evaluate ourselves and the way we have been living. COVID lockdown has forced us to have an improved lifestyle. More time at home, less commute time, more controlled spending to name a few. Eating wholesome fresh home cooking. More time to relax. More time with our loved ones. Surely this is better for us in the long run? 

I am not saying we should stay locked down indefinitely. I am suggesting that we review critically all the positives in our current situations. Compare them objectively to the lives we lived before. Learn from this forced situation and pick a new “normal”. A new “normal” that will enhance our lifestyles in the future. After this, we don ‘t want to just live to work. We can work and we can live. We can manage both in balance, allowing us a healthier more balanced lifestyle. 

Groove me!

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“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”  Aristotle, Ancient Greek philosopher, Teacher, Doctor 384 BC-322 BC

I was having lunch with a friend recently and we were discussing a very interesting topic, actually it’s more like he was schooling me on a concept that I found really interesting.  He had called me earlier that day and he was eating digestive biscuits, he proceeded to tell me that they were his reward to himself. So of course nosy me, I had to know what he was rewarding himself for, I wanted to take the piss out of him, but actually the answer he gave me, really made me think and it made me curious to know more. 

Our subsequent lunch time discussion was about this reward system that he used, he explained that this was not his invention but one that was legitimate and supported by a lot of studies.  He explained that when we learn something new like driving a car, it initially requires that we invest a lot of our mind into making it happen successfully, we are initially painfully aware of the gears, the indicators, all the mirrors and we are probably unable to even carry on a conversation whilst mastering this car driving thing.

After a while and with practice, it becomes commonplace, a habit. The constant practice has made it so that we can drive that car on automatic pilot, without investing too much of our immediate thinking.  We are then able to talk, eat, and listen to music all whilst driving the car.  We have “grooved” the habit of driving the car into our “Basal Ganglia”; the part of our brains that is responsible for a variety of functions like voluntary motor control, procedural learning relating to routine behaviors, what we call habits. Grooving, my friend explained, is like how a tract can have a constant flow of water until it is shaped or “grooved into a canal. In the same way habits are grooved into our “Basal Ganglia”.  I am feeling so scientific right about now, very pleased with myself and excited about this new thing that I am learning!

Anyway after our very exciting discussion, okay I thought it was exciting!   I started thinking about how it is that I can adjust or change bad habits or introduce new habits into my life, and how my friend had mentioned that for a habit to be well “grooved” it needs a reward.  Hmmmm! okay so basically the way I understood this was, if I want to say, make exercise a part of my lifestyle, I begin the exercise and give myself a reward each time I actually get out there and do it.  I like massages and I can decide that this will be my reward for successfully exercising.  After a week of continuous exercising I reward my continuous efforts with a massage.  Something that makes me feel good, as a reward for maintaining the exercise.  Apparently, because there is a reward attached to my exercising, grooving it becomes easy and it becomes a part of my lifestyle; Success!

So right now am wracking my brain trying to see what bad habits I have, I have many trust me! I wonder how I can modify them with just the right reward to ensure success. I am also thinking about what new behaviors I would like to introduce and “groove” into my Basal Ganglia for my personal advancement and growth. This will take a while, but I have begun on this new path towards personal development using rewards.  Sounds so yummy, I am excited! I am buying into and joining “the groove theory” into the Basal Ganglia! Does that not sound like a song or at least a political movement?  I am going to pick a bad habit or find a new one and I am going to try this groove theory.  I will let you know how I fare.  I challenge you to try to chart your own path to personal development!