Gym-goers share their journeys toward building habits that have seen them stick to their workout, and diet routines for years.
It is futile to embark on a fitness programme or set a weight loss goal unless you eat less and exercise more. No matter how good your intentions are or what diet and exercise tips you follow, being fit and healthy is a commitment that you need to make consistently until you have achieved it because it is easy to lose interest along the way.
As part of their New Year's resolutions, many Kenyans take out full gym memberships. However, sticking to it is a different ball game altogether.
At the beginning of 2023, Douglas was more interested in muscle growth and fat reduction than in weight loss.
Douglas Ayela performs a Sit-up workout on 2nd January 2023 at Thabiti Health and Fitness Centre in Syokimau.
Photo credit: BILLY OGADA| NMG
''Last year I weighed around 110kg, now I am at 105kg. I have a consistent training routine from Monday to Friday, preferably in the morning,'' he says.
He divides his routine into different body workouts.
On Monday he does lower body work, Tuesday is for back work, Wednesday he does shoulder work, Thursday he concentrates on chest work and on Friday he repeats the cycle of lower body work.
''I come to the gym around 9am, by 11am I am done, then I have my breakfast with fruits, although I call it brunch. Later in the day, around 4pm I have late lunch, then in the evening something light for dinner,'' he says.
Douglas doesn't have a meal plan and insists that ''the most important thing is to understand your body's balance and how you respond to what your body needs.’’
The ICT consultant's goal is to be fit in terms of his muscular mass and cardiovascular activities.
''I always set targets, the aim is to look good at 60,'' he laughs.
What has changed since he started training?
''I feel more active, my metabolism is a bit higher, and my sleep is better. I have stopped drinking alcohol, which has made me even more productive, improved my work rate and generally helped me get around with my children."
Besides the gym, Douglas also stays fit by playing football, rugby and enjoys occasional hiking.
"Fitness, for me,is beyond the body, I am a spiritual man, I work with God. I believe it's a way of communing with Him. As much as I'm building my body, my goal is to build the relationship I have with Him. Working out gives me hours to meditate and reflect on my journey."
This year, although his desire is to tone up his body to be more defined, Douglas wants to keep his weight down.
The hardest part is always getting started. He says, ''Don't procrastinate, just think about it, the worst thing people do is compete with each other. I've been consistent for five years now. When I started, I was overweight, I could do my cardio on my own without using weights because I knew the body I wanted. I lost more than 20 kgs in the first year of my training."
The BDLife catches up with Lizz just as she starts her gym session with a warm up on the cardio treadmill. She says it has not been easy juggling the gym and work.
Lizzy Onyango performs a Lateral flexion stretch on 2nd January 2023 at K.O Fitness in Syokimau
Photo credit: Billy Ogada| NMG
''I am an early bird because of my work. I wake up at 3am and have to be at work by 4am. Most of the time I work all day and by the time I get back," she says.
She usually has to fit in an hour of cardio at home if she cannot get to the gym on time.
"I try to make time for a fitness routine four days a week, mostly in the evenings when I'm not too tired and I don't have an early morning the next day,'' she adds.
Lizz goes on to reveal, ''As flight attendants we have to be a certain weight,'' and that fitness and health checks are compulsory for her. "We always have annual medical checks. If you are found to be unfit, you have no choice but to step aside."
Despite her hectic schedule, Lizz does intermittent fasting. She has coffee in the morning and a late lunch around 5pm.
''We are always provided with food at work, so I make sure that I have a balanced diet with less starch in my portion,'' says Lizz.
Maintaining her healthy lifestyle and being consistent with her gym workouts are her fitness goals for 2024.
"Last year I weighed 72kg, which was the highest I had ever weighed. Now I am down to 68kg and I want to lose even more kilos," she says
What has changed most for her, she says, is good sleep. ''I'm normally struggle with insomnia, so to sleep I have to get tired and I can only achieve that by exercising."
What has fitness has done for her? "I don't get sick easily, I used to get headaches a lot, but not any more. I can't remember the last time I had a flu."
Lizz always makes sure to have a protein shake when working out. "It is very nutritious and can take me a long way even when I am not training."
Harrison Obuchere, a fitness trainer at K.O Fitness whose day starts at 4am, says consistency and discipline are imperative to achieving your desired fitness goal.
Harrison Obuchere performs a Boxing exercise on 2nd January 2023 at K.O Fitness in Syokimau.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada| NMG
"You have to adopt a healthy lifestyle. I train for three hours a day, five days a week, and make sure that each day is dedicated to a specific routine.''
Harrison says that lack of patience, stress and a fuzzy routine are the main reasons why most people fail to achieve their fitness goals.
He explains that it's a long-term process of building a habit which doesn't happen overnight.
"I constantly get a lot of compliments and questions on how to achieve a toned and not so masculine body from most of my clients who want to lose weight although they have the misconception that they can achieve it within weeks of being consistent," he says.
While he agrees that much can be achieved within a year of consistency, he says many lack the discipline.
"Particularly for those just starting out, it is the daily lifestyle habits that you put in place alongside the training that will push you to achieve the results,'' adds Harrison.
To help his clients achieve their fitness goals, he conducts monthly performance reviews to monitor their progress and encourages them to follow a calorie-restricted diet, which burns more calories than what they eat.
''Intermittent fasting is always recommended for quick weight loss, but if you have a healthy diet, you can still achieve the goal you want,'' he advices
In addition, Harrison tell us, "I have a daily exercise programme for my clients, depending on their fitness goals. Before the programme, we discuss what they want to achieve to help me tailor the training. It is also important to be aware of any injuries or illnesses they may have before they start to engage in the routine.''
While we were still reeling from his 120 bench press, Harrison receives delivery of his food order. He explains that because he does a lot of heavy lifting, he eats six meals a day, the first being at 6:30am.
