An American in Africa

BurkinaMom

BurkinaMom

New member
I am 41 years old, married and have four children. Pretty average, except that I was born in the USA, my husband is French and we have been living in Africa for the last eight years!
My weight is also not average. A few weeks ago, I weighed 191 lbs. I haven't weighed that much ever. Not even when I was pregnant with our twin daughters! I am 5ft 6in and wear a size 16 in pants, 14 on top. I am in pretty good health. My blood pressure is normal to low and I have plenty of energy. But I feel like I look very frumpy. My husband looks so great that I feel like people must think I'm his dumpy older sister! Plus, I have no clothes that I can wear now! I need to get back to a size 12 so I can wear all my stuff. There's no Walmart or Target here, where I can stock up on "fat clothes"!
My job here keeps my busy and with all the demands of the family, I have found it hard to find time for myself, to excercise, etc. Also, the heat, dust and lack of sidewalks here are a good excuse not to walk.
Food choices here are not wide. There are not a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables available. The diet is mostly based on rice and cornmeal. And of course, there is no Lean Cuisine or diet sodas!
But I have started to loose some weight. I have found a small gym with air-con where I can work out. I am doing cardio 3 times a week and weights 2 times. It's not a lot, but it's what I can manage right now.
I really wanted to start posting today because I have had a couple of "successes" the last two days: It was my twins' birthday party yesterday and I made them two cakes out of yummy cake mixes sent from the USA. I swear they put addictive drugs in that stuff! It is so good! Anyway, I got through the day and didn't have any cake. At all. In fact, I completely stuck to my healthy eating plan of fruit, veg, whole grain and low-fat proteins. And today we went to eat at a restaurant. I ordered a small salad!! It may not sound like a big victory, but I am really pleased!
I have lost 6 pounds total so far and I am hoping to get near my goal weight by the first of July. I will be visiting my family in the USA for the first time in two years. I'd really like to be in size 12 clothing by then!
I am counting on this board to be my support. My friends here don't think I even need to lose weight! In Burkina Faso, fat is a sign of health. If you lose a few pounds, people don't tell you you look great, they ask if you are sick!
 
Hello and welcome to the forum.

I can second the lack of variety a bit in African cuisine, but I will say that being African myself, there are foods that I could suggest you try that are good for you. Let's see, yams...not the american kinds but the brown ones that look like cassava. They have a nice protein content. Also how about trying goat meat. Less fat than beef, nice protein. Tomatoes, peppers, and onions are staples in lots of indigenous African foods, you try out some recipes. You should also try out some of the indigenous fruits and vegetables they have out there. They're very healthy. Oh question, do they have Palm oil in the region of Africa where you're from??? If so, it's a healthy oil to incorporate in your diet. It's red in color, very thick and is the oil taken from yams. If I can think of anymore, I'll definately come back and leave you a message.
 
Thanks for the ideas!

Palm oil is not produced here, but they do make it in Ghana, which is just to the south. But I find the taste is pretty strong and I can't get used to it! Even worse is the shea butter that is the most common cooking oil here!

I agree that there is local things to try, but there is not a lot of variety. The Burkinabé tend to eat a much more monotonous diet than in a lot of other African countries. The main crops here are millet, peanuts and cotton. The peanut butter here is wonderful, but definitely not low-fat!
The diet staple is tô, a sort of dumpling made out of millet or corn, served with a sauce of peanuts and leaves. It is very, very good!! Which is good, because most people here eat it every day!
I can't eat goat or mutton. It creeps me out.
Yams are a good idea. Thanks! People here eat them fried in shea butter, but I guess I could boil them......
BTW:Where in Africa are you from Funkyphantom?
 
I'm from Nigeria. Good idea to boil the yam...that's how we do it in Nigeria. We boil it and add a bit of sugar to it for taste, my mom replaces the sugar either with equal or splenda and once boiled, she drains it. You can eat it either by itself, or as a breakfast food. Cook some eggs with it and you've got yourself a nice meal. Also, have you tried eating some plaintains? You can have it with a side of rice and if you like beans, my mom has a great recipe using beans, where you can make bean cakes or this thing called moimoi.
 
Progress!

I haven't lost any more weight, but I have stuck to my food program and gotten in my excercise every day! I have decided to reward myself every week that I stay on program! I know that the scale doesn't always move despite our best efforts. And that can really discourage me. I know I'm replacing fat with muscle, etc....but if I workout and eat right for seven days, I can get really upset when the numbers don't change. Upset enough to eat at least 12 small glazed doughnuts! So, I thought I should give myself non-food rewards, so I would have to spirit to keep going with a slow, healthy weight loss. Today after my 40 minutes on the treadmill and toning excercises, I went and had my hair done. I HATE my stupid curly hair and when I get it blown out, I feel quite glamorous. It was a great reward for me. I'm sure I'll work hard this coming week to earn another salon session!
BTW Funkyphantom- I hadn't thought of plaintains as a good food for me. They seem so sweet and starchy, I was worried about the calories.....
Boiled yam for breakfast definitely sounds good, though!
I wonder if moimoi is like the gonré that we eat here. Gonré is a little like tofu, but much tastier. It's often pale gree, as people add-in leaves for flavoring. It's usually eaten with oil, but I like it cut up on top of a green salad with a little dressing. Yum!
 
It's working!

I have been sticking to my program, even though it hasn't been easy. Yesterday we went out to eat to celebrate a birthday in the family. The fish curry on the menu really tempted me, but I was worried about all the calories in the coconut milk. So, I had a simple salad and then fresh, plain strawberries for desert! The salad wasn't that great, so I left half of it on my plate. Truly a miracle, as I am a Clean Plate Club kind of gal.
BTW-at the meal, I noticed that one of my kids left a few bites of ice cream uneaten. I would never have done that as a child!
I got in a good 40 minute walk yesterday. But the best news is that I've gotten a couple of friends interested in what I'm doing! We have agreed to support each other and I think it will really help us!
The scale is my friend this morning! I was so disappointed yesterday when it hadn't moved an iota. I would have given up for about two cents (or two cookies) But I stuck with it and this morning my work showed!
I can do this!
 
Awesome, keep it up. I know it's hard to resist the tasty food temptations when you are at a restaurant but you did it. If you can do it once you can do it a thousand times.
 
I hope the whole finding good things to eat is working out for you. I asked my mom about the plaintains and she said that they can be very starchy and are high in calories (219 for 1 medium plaintain) as well as being high in carbs (57.08g). I suggest that if you do choose to indulge in the odd plaintain, you budget it into your day's calorie intake so as not to go over the calories you've alloted for yourself.
If you did decide to incorporate them into your diet say as a lunch item, it's best to bake them in their skin. It saves on having to fry them and thus adding unnecessary calories. I've baked them and eaten them as a lunch item by themselves, or I've eaten it as dinner with some cooked beans. They taste really good with beans. You can even eat them with a side of brown rice. Just some ideas for you to consider. Other than that, good job with keeping away from the coconut milk, totally high in calories and congrats on your weight loss. Keep up the good work.
 
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Still doing it!

By some miracle, I am still on program with my eating and excercise! It was really hard last week, as it was that time of the month and the scale would not budge and I was sooooo hungry! But I kept on with the plan and when I got on the scale today, I saw real progress....not to mention that clothes that my "fat clothes" which were too tight before are once again comfortable!
My big breakthrough on the excercise front is that I have discovered Dr. Phil. I had heard of the show before, but never seen it. The gym I go to now is the one for the US Embassy here and they get AFN (Armed Forces Network). At 9am every day of the week, they show Dr. Phil. My time on the treadmill and /or elliptical just flies by as I shake my head over all the crazy stories! I love it! I never miss a day!
I am mostly eating fresh fruits and vegetables. It is broccoli and strawberry season here, so I am really taking advantage. I am also freezing what I can, as it will all be gone in a couple of weeks.
The one thing that has got me down is that no one has mentioned noticing a change in me. Not even my husband! Maybe 9 lbs is not enough for others to notice, but I sure feel different!
 
dr phil is kind of like the jerry springer without the body guards and chair throwing.... though steve the body guard on jerry springer is totally hot :)

dr phil I just watch with total wonder and awe - and really wonder why someone would need t go on national television and air their dirty laundry l ike that - use the internet like everyone else :)

The one thing that has got me down is that no one has mentioned noticing a change in me. Not even my husband! Maybe 9 lbs is not enough for others to notice, but I sure feel different!
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I think people who see you every day are less likely to notice - and you gotta remember your husband loves you for you - you could shave your head and probably wouldn't notice because he's got a vision of you in his head and that's what you look like always (sometimes I nauseate myself when i wax poetic about love :)

Feeling different abouot yourself is an awesome gift to give yourself an thats what counts.. .well done on the 9 lbs
 
burkina mom

Hey I love the way your hair looks in your photo.

I'm 42. My first seven pounds came off fast and then it slowed. Just remember you need to rack up a deficit of 3500 calories to lose a pound. I have gotten a lot more educated since I joined this forum and am satisfied if I can have ANY deficit on a day because I know it all adds up. Just don't get discouraged and if you do, make a Uturn right away.

Your exercise looks awesome. You can do this.
 
Congrats on the 9lbs that you've lost so far. Don't worry too much about people not noticing the weight loss. They see you everyday, so they aren't able to really grasp the progress that you've made. Before you know it, you'll have people commenting on how thin you've gotten.
 
Embassy Party

Thanks for all the posts and encouragement.
I have been "stuck" for the last week and it's really gotten me down. I have been excercising a lot- for me, anyway. I am at the gym sweating for at least 50 minutes five days a week. Then I walk an hour with friends three times a week. I get one day off, so on Wednesdays and Fridays, I get nearly two hours of good excercise, which is a MIRACLE for me! And I am expecting the pounds to melt off, and they aren't.
I guess I have to look harder at my food intake... I am eating way more calories than I think? :( Gosh, I hope not, because I am kind of hungry all the time. Last night I didn't eat any dinner, except for three carrot sticks. And I was at a party at the US Embassy with LOTs of yummy food! So, I patted myself on the badck for a 1, 200 calorie day yesterday. But when I got on the scale this morning, I still saw the same darn numbers.
A couple of nice things happened at the party, though. I had just been thinking all day that it was no use and I should just give up. I have been working hard for a couple of months now and I still look horrible, is what I told myself. But while I was at the bar (getting a glass of ice water!) a woman came up that remembered meeting me, though I didn't recall her. When I complimented her good memory for people and names, she said "Oh- but you are so pretty. I couldn't forget you!" which was so sweet. Then a little later, I came across a lady I know here. She has a great personality, sings amazingly and is quite overweight. I'd say she's about 350 or more pounds. She announced to the whole group we were chatting with "I want to be just like Beth! She has the best figure, all curvy and cute!" I laughed, thanked her and agreed to trade my body for her singing voice....But afterward it really made me think about how hard I am on myself. I tell myself that if I weighed 140 lbs, my life would be perfect. But there are people that think they would be happy if they were just my current weight and shape.....
The truth is, I just need to keep living this healthy lifestyle and not worry about the numbers on the scale as much. Because I have a suspicion that my life is not going to become perfect when I get to 140.....
 
I am still at it. Still loosing very slowly. That may be healthy, but it sure can be discouraging. But I am not giving up. I'm going to get to my first goal! I don't know how long it will take, but it is going to happen!
One big thing that keeps me going is spending time on this board, seeing what everyone else is going through-all the folks that have lost so much weight and are an inspiration, the ones just starting out and all of us in-between.
One thing I read here on WLS many times that especially helped me is the idea that just because I have a piece of cake or a handful of peanuts doesn't mean I'm washed up for the day. I can compensate and work these detours into the program. What a concept! I've tried to lose weight before, but I'd get messed up by my convoluted thinking. If I had a healthy breakfast, but then ate lunch at Taco Bell and had no clue of the calorie count, I'd just say "What the heck. May as well eat what I want the rest of the day, because today is a lost cause." That would lead to a binge. Which would lead to feeling rotten the next morning. Which led to.....still more unhealthy eating. Big surprise, right?
So, it's a big deal for me to stay on a healthy weight-loss eating pattern for this long! I usually lose my momentum after a couple of weeks.
Thanks to everyone on this board!!! You are the best!
 
Hi BurkinaMom; I loved reading your journal. My sister was born in Zimbabwe and I think you are living quite the adventure. What a great goal to be at your desired weight for your visit home to America. You are making so many good choices, I'm sure you will succeed.

Your picture is very nice. You must turn a lot of heads over there.
 
Wow, congrats on having lost 11lbs so far. This forum is a blessing. It really helps you see that there are others out there going through exactly the same thing as you, and it gives you sense that you aren't alone. Wishing you continued success.
 
Thanks, Mal!
BTW- your journey is particularly interesting. I love going and checking out all the threads you've started. Maybe one day you'll write a book!
 
More friends for me!!

Wow! I hadn't seen there was a second page and two more messages!!
Lucky me!
Phantom-Thanks for the encouragement. And your loss is amazing! 18 lbs!!?? You must be melting away! How are you doing it?
2Skinny- I hope you get to your goal!! Best of luck!
Just curious-were your parents missionaries? If you want to read more about my life in Africa, I have a blog. If you look in my profile, the address is there.
I have to say that I get more attention here than I would in the USA! People here admire heavier bodies and my coloring stands out. But I hope to garner less admiration in the future, as I slim down. I am prepared for friends to ask if I'm ill.
I did recently change my avatar pic for a more recent one. Glad you like it! The old one was from Thanksgiving. The new one was just taken on March 17 at a Winyé mask ceremony.
 
Having a spot of insomnia

Hi BurkinaMom; thanks for stopping by my diary...it's pretty bad when the only drama is a gall bladder removal. LOL I need some different drama, if yanno what I mean. Maybe a romance or something. No, my parents weren't missionaries, originally from Holland, our family moved to a few countries. My father could speak 5 languages and worked in economic trade which brought us to Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, Hong Kong and Trinidad before Canada. I remember nets over our beds in Trinidad to keep the bugs out. Once my sister took her wooden shoes out of the closet and when she clunked them on the ground, a tarantula hopped out onto her lap. My mom was petrified but concealed her terror, took her apron off and said to Margot "oh, what do we have here...let's just bring this fellow outside shall we?" And she wrapped the tarantula in her apron and shook it outside. Another time she reached into our bedroom to turn the light on and her hand felt something hairy and it was another tarantula. We buried mom in the backyard. JOKING!!! She's alive and well and we love her dearly. In Zimbabwe the houses had low windows, and she battled wild dogs and thieves, and in Hong Kong she lost my father at sea during a storm while sailing. After she spent a day and night in angst, the coast guard found and rescued him.

It must be such an experience for you over there. Thanks for telling me about your blog, I'll definitely have a look. You will find a lot of support here. I hope in no time at all, lots and lots of people are telling you how ill you look. LOL Imagine that!

Well, tonight my son and I were awoken to a very loud bang at 2:00 a.m. We investigated and found a large board in our shelving in the basement had fallen. My poor son with the vivid imagination thought it was my other son falling through the floor from the upstairs bedroom. Now I'm wide awake and can't fall back to sleep, so I'm going to look at your blog right now!:)

Talk to you next time! Oh! I have twin 18 year old sons. I read you have twin girls. Something else we have in common.
 
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