Namnyak and Renee for The Stingo.

Week 1 was… well… alright. I think I’ve hit a plateau since my weight seems to be exactly where it was at the end of the first challenge almost a month ago (although I think it has something to do with *that * time of the month). Even though I took three weeks off between challenges, I’ve been working out consistently since then so I’m rather happy about my discipline.

On the plus side, I’ve been eating [extremely] healthily since the beginning of last week and I’ve been working out at least 4 times per week. I’ve been eating lots of legumes, beans, fruits, veggies, non-white carbs (minimally) and staying away from white carbs, dairy and sugar. It’s not that difficult- I just make up my mind to eat at home, or pack lunches each day. If I do eat outside my home, I try to eat lots of greens and fruits which is proving to be rather difficult in Nairobi where fast-food is readily available. I did notice some bloating and water-retention around *that* time of the month, but it was gone less than a week later (NICE!). The cool thing about this diet is that I can cheat on one day, which I seem to forget. *DOINK!*

There are quite a few neggies though- my workouts seem to be getting easier as time goes by. I’ve been trying to increase my weights, but it results in allot of joint pain (my knees and wrists, to be specific). I purchased gloves which support my wrists, and consequently the pain there is subsiding. I don’t know what I’m gonna do with the pain in my knees… Any ideas? Also, I seem to be hungrier more often since I’m not downing any white carbs, sugars or dairy products. These three items are digested relatively slowly and therefore you tend to be less hungry during the day. I think I’m getting hungrier because I tend to eat my fruits first then eat my main meals. This is because fruits are mostly digested in the intestines- they pass right through your tummy (if you eat fruits last, they may start fermenting on top of the food eaten first). So this has the added effect of making me feel full faster, but also hungrier faster since they are broken down rather quickly. With barely any solid food behind the fruit, I get hungry pretty fast. So I’ve increased my fruit intake- I may eat two or three Meru bananas per day, and I drink at least one liter of water as well.

My goal with this part of the challenge was to incorporate aerobic workouts with my anaerobic training- that hasn’t happened. That’s another challenge, if ever there were one. I’m finding it really difficult to find something fun and aerobic to do. Hmmm… now that’s a prayer-point right there. I do have some options- a 2-hour yoga class on Saturdays (which will be challenging with my work schedule), basketball with some of my guy friends on Sundays, walks to and from my home, a random dance class here and there, Tae-Bo thrice a week and a few other options. I’ve made up my mind to just start! Do it! So I will.

Otherwise, I do hope that you’re doing something AWESOME with your one wild and precious life.

Makeup by Kangai Mwiti.

Styling by Kepha Maina and Sunny Dolat.

Photography by Jim Chuchu.

So this is a *short* list of what I want to do (note that it’s not exhaustive). But more importantly, I’m also including what I want to become, where the focus will be more on character-building rather than resumé-building. I think that’s more important in the long run. So… here goes.

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Read all the books I have… again. Read through the Bible. Become an Ombi facilitator. Do Hatua. Travel to at least five *new* countries each year. Weigh 120lbs. Run. Work on a major film set. Produce Wilbur Smith’s “Taita” series into four epic movies. Get an MBA and/or a MFA. Work with some of the world’s major makeup artists like Val Garland and Francesca Tolot. Workout at least 4 times each week. Marry the man of my dreams. Purchase my own 4-bedroom, 4-bath home. Get a 2010 Mitsubishi Evolution X in Cherry RED! Go on a week-long holiday in Mombasa. Launch and run my own business. Become a “4-hour Work Week“-er. Become a radio presenter. Learn to live with what I have. Practice daily disciplines. Create makeup tutorials. Do personal interviews with people who want to change the world. Become a local tourist. Learn Japanese. Become a proficient public speaker. Create and market my own beauty e-books. Collaborate with Africa’s best photographers, producers, directors, stylists and editors.

And, for more inspiration, Lady Gaga’s stylist just completed a shoot for Vogue Japan, and here are some of the shots. I’m inspired, and I feel challenged. Really. Challenged.

Bring. It. On!

All pictures from here.