u/koimat

About a year ago I started taking morning walks because I needed to clear my head, ended up loving it and it became a routine.

around April this year I threw in jump rope, first month i went all in before i got a small injury and i decided to go back to walking.

One year later, I'm down 20 kg.

The unexpected part is that the mental benefits have been even better than the physical ones. I feel calmer, think more clearly, and actually look forward to getting outside every day.

My diet was not the best but it still worked out.

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Hey everyone, I’m on Day 4 of doing a routine consisting of push-ups, flutter kicks, sit-ups, mountain climbers, planks, and squats.

So far, everything feels okay, but my abs are absolutely on fire .

At what point should I take a rest day? Should I stop after a certain number of days, or is it better to have rest days between workouts?

I’m also not getting much protein at the moment because money is tight, although I’m trying to stay well hydrated.

For those who have been doing calisthenics for a while, how do you structure your rest days as a beginner?

Day 4 done, 3,000 jump-rope skips completed. Showing up every day,that’s the win.

3K today. Back at it tomorrow.

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Got in 45 minutes of jump rope and added some workouts too. The diet wasn’t the best today, but I’m not going to let that take away from the progress.

Three days in. I’m building the habit, getting stronger, and learning to stay consistent even when everything isn’t perfect.

Day 3 done.

Just enjoyed the jump for 1 hour,it was fun. i forgot ivwas jumping rope for a minute.

It’s 6 AM on my side of the world, and I just wanted to say hi. No big story, no deep message, just grateful to be awake, breathing, and ready to see what today brings

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I’m back to jumping consistently

Starting today, I’m committing to 30 minutes of jump rope every day, taking short 20-second breaks when needed.

The goal: trim down, lose the belly fat, and build my stamina.

No excuses. I'm just showing up every day and getting better.

Day 1 complete. ✅ ,managed to jump for 45 minutes

https://preview.redd.it/3s17f1dv85jh1.png?width=720&format=png&auto=webp&s=6782a5281c70b8f1b77f6c2ff6b7a405893091bc

My 7-year-old travelled to Grandma’s village a few days ago, and he hasn’t called me once.

Usually, when he’s away, he calls me 5 times a day with the most random updates.

“Dad, a chicken laid eggs.

Dad, why is Grandma milking the cows?

But this time? Nothing.

Grandma says he’s doing great,playing football, herding cattle and enjoying village life.

I’m glad he’s happy, but honestly, I’m the one missing him.

By the way, the football and Puma boots he’s using were bought for him by some Reddit dads. He’s definitely putting them to good use.

"A poor man knows he is poor, but a poor woman thinks she is just with the wrong man."

As a child, I thought it was just a saying about money and marriage. As an adult, I see it as a conversation about how people sometimes explain their struggles differently ,some look inward, while others look for outside reasons.

Like many old proverbs, it reflects the beliefs and attitudes of the time it came from.

Growing up, I often heard this African proverb:

"A man who visits his in-laws too regularly will eventually be asked to fetch firewood."

As a kid, I thought it was just a joke about doing chores. As an adult, I see it differently. The more available you make yourself, the more people begin to treat your presence as routine rather than special, and expectations quietly grow. It isn't really about in-laws or firewood, it's about boundaries and human nature.
Are there any proverbs from your culture that sounded funny when you were younger but made perfect sense later in life?

A year ago I was 244 lbs. Today I'm 198.I didn't even step on a scale for a year until I donated blood recently and found out .

The biggest change is being more present for my 7-year-old son.

Now we kick a football together without me getting winded, I run beside him as he rides his bike, and our morning walks to school have become one of my favorite parts of the day. Life is still far from easy, but I'm grateful I have the energy to show up for him in ways I couldn't a year ago.

One year ago, I hit my breaking point. I weighed 244 lbs, I was unemployed, completely broke, and sinking deep into depression. Everything in my life felt out of control. I didn't have a gym membership or good workout gear, I literally owned two pairs of black jeans ,one pair of shoes a hood and several t-shirts.

I started walking because I was losing my sanity and weightloss came in as a bonus.

I have a 7 year old son and my wife has been by my side since high school. Every morning, the stress of unpaid bills and the feeling that I was failing them felt suffocating. So I put on my shoes and walked.

It started with 30 minutes a day just to clear my head. 30 minutes turned into an hour. An hour turned into two, three, and eventually up to four hours a day, covering around 21 miles. Because I didn't have a job to go to, walking became my routine. It was the only thing keeping me sane.

Since i was broke, I couldn't follow a typical high protein diet. I couldn't afford meat or supplements, every shilling I had went toward my son’s school fees and basic family needs. Here in Kenya, fresh vegetables and simple carbs are what was available, so that is what I ate. An egg or two when I could afford it, plenty of greens, and atleast 4 liters of water because the long walks demanded it. The calorie deficit happened naturally.

I didn't step on a scale for the whole year. I just kept moving. Recently i was donating blood and i weighed myself for the first time in a year and saw 198 lbs. That is 46 lbs gone.

More than the physical change, my mind is completely different. Walking didn't magically solve my financial struggles, but it taught me endurance. It taught me how to accept hard realities without letting them break me.

Along the way, I met so many people from the walking community who were genuinely fascinated by this side of the world. They asked endless questions and really wanted to know what real, everyday life in Africa is like. Talking to them gave me an idea to create content.

Now that my mind is clear, I am focused on building a better future for my family. My goal is to start creating content that documents Africa, shares my journey, and shows what daily village life here in Kenya truly looks like. I don't have proper equipment yet, so I am working on sourcing a basic secondhand phone or an old camera just to start filming. If this past year taught me anything, it is how to start with whatever you have.

To anyone out there who feels overwhelmed, stuck, or too broke to get healthy, just start walking. You don't need a gym or money. You just need to take that first step