Don't fall for weight loss shortcuts, invest in gym

“Is your potbelly giving you stress? Would you like it reduced in a record 25 days?” reads a popular post on the Facebook group, Kilimani Mums Marketplace. The post is accompanied by a photo testimonial of a woman whose pot belly has magically reduced in the specified time frame. I cannot tell for sure if she is the original woman in the first photo.

The women in the group devour the post, hopeful that the magical happening that visited this woman will manifest in their bodies. “I want this tea like yesterday. Where are you found? How long do I need to use it? Here is my contact, Whatsapp me the details. I would love some, do you deliver?” reads some of the comments. One hundred and thirty six responses later, and orders for the magic substance giving amazing results is shocking. The magic worker in this particular case is a herbal tea that is made from a tropical fruit, and is a popular weight loss supplement.

I search weight loss posts on the group and I am astounded by the results. “Lose 4-8kgs in 20 days with this particular brand of coffee,” reads another post. The solutions are quite a number including dietary supplements with proof of efficiency, honey, herbal tummy slimming tea, corsets, body shapers, waist trainers and gazillions of creams and tablets that promise to deliver extraordinary results after a short period of time. The weight problems vary – pot belly, too much weight gain, love handles, double chin, stretch marks, cellulite and so on.

The women devour each post with an urgency that is worrying. They are desperate, encourage each other, and give advice on how to lose that weight piling around the stomach or the whole body. Then there are the not-so-positive ones who believe the sellers are just out to make a quick buck, and the products do not really work. Some are scared of the side effects that these drugs will have on them, and they are looking for an assurance from somebody who has used them, and she is not the seller.

Why the shortcuts with weight loss when it comes to women? It sure as hell did not take 25 days to pile on 10 kilos. Why would you want to lose that amount of weight in such a short time frame?

There are certified solutions that work if only women would stop being lazy, forget the shortcuts and invest in some work. These two solutions are proven worldwide to have results – no side effects, no health worries; just results.

Exercise: My local gym charges Sh2,500 a month and Sh200 a day for anyone willing to use the gym facilities. They have state-of-the-art gym equipment and trained instructors. They also offer personalised training and encourage their clients to ask any questions pertaining diet and exercise. They have an aerobic session every morning and evening for those who are ready to keep fit.

What’s my point? Some of the weight loss products were retailing as high as Sh8,000. No proof they will work just a seller hoping to convince you that you will get the results. Channel that money into a gym. If a gym is too hard, find exercise dvds and do your own tailor-made exercise. Talk to an instructor, Nairobi is flooding with personal gym trainers charging a reasonable fee. Invest in something you know will work for sure.

Watch what you eat: Clean eating does not mean that you diet. It basically means watching our lifestyle, and what you consume because we are really what we eat. If you are focused on heath and wellness, then this is a perfect solution for you. It involves reducing consumption of refined sugars, salt, choosing ‘real’ food over processed ones, increasing intake of fruits and vegetables, legumes and farm fresh food. Combine clean eating and the exercise, and there are already guaranteed results.

 

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