Anyone in Africa?

Hi there,

I moved to Uganda from Atlanta a little over a year ago.  Although for any number of reasons (which I could list off here, but why bother with the excuses—I'm sure you've heard them all before) I was gaining weight before moving, it's only become more difficult leading a healthy lifestyle since being here.

Uganda is great, and I live in a major city, and so many things are available.  However, I find that I can't find much in the way of whole grains, high fiber, low fat, low sugar, etc foods—the ones that most weight loss programs are all about these days (and that I love eating anyway). 

Exercise is also somewhat more difficult than it was in Atlanta (again not that I was doing it all that regularly there either, but there are even more barriers here, it seems).  It gets light pretty pretty late in the morning (7 am), and it's way dark by 7 pm, meaning that I'm often still working when the sun is setting.  Although Kampala is quite safe, it's not a good idea to walk in the dark (either in the morning or in the evening). 

I wonder if anyone in the group is in a part of the world where they're experiencing similar challenges?  And how you're dealing with them? 

Many thanks,

     --Sarah

Hi Sarah.

I'm living in South Africa and here we do get all the low fat food item we need. But I know the rest of Africa is a bit slow with these sort of things (No offense) and espesially the part you are in.

But not to worry, I'm sure that things will improve in time as it did here. The problem with the countries so far in is obviously the heat and the bad roads doesn't make transport any easier. The culture is also differed (very much so here in SA) and things like my own personal big behind is considered very sexy by the Zulus and Xhosas but a lot less sexy by my own. This makes things like gyms undesirable since they don't see the need to loose the extra weight.

Anyways, I hope you find some way of getting what you need in order to reach your own goals. Africa is beautiful and I hope you will enjoy your stay.

C

Thanks, C.

Yes, I totally love Uganda.  It's really an amazing, wonderful, beautiful place with warm, caring people.  I recognize all the reasons why it's hard to get the things that are more familiar.  Bad roads, difficult cold chain, lack of market, etc.  On most days, it's those kinds of challenges that really make me tick. We have Shoprite and Game from SA, and so I'll keep my fingers crossed that eventually we'll start seeing some of the products that you're seeing. 

That said, I need to learn how to manage my weight in the mean time.  I guess my concern is more about recognizing that when I've been successful at weight loss before it's been in places where I've had easy access to those types of things—where whole grains were abundant, where there were lower cal options for various tasty things.  It doesn't mean that it's impossible to lose, but it does mean that it's a real head shift in how to do it. 

I totally hear you on different body types being symbols of desire in different places.  In all my years of traveling throughout Africa (going on 10), I'm still yet to really be able to appreciate when people say flat out, "wow you're strong" or things along those lines.  It really doesn't translate into the culture I was raised in, and there are days that I really just hate it being pointed out to me how fat I am, even though I know that it's not meant in the way that my ears hear it. 

Thanks for your thoughts.