20,000 Steps To Fitness

    The clouds gather above me and whisper oddly about my fears, I glance up and just shake my head. The second load of washing is ready, spinned and almost dry. And as I peg them down on the wire lines, a large lump of ice cold rain crashes on my tummy. Yes my tummy, it was odd but real and a bit scary. It didnt hit my head first but the most pronounced part of me, a combination of bloated stomach and the truth. Months of fizzy drinks, since the COVID-19 Pandemic started has expanded my waist line. I tried the waist trainer challenge and it worked for awhile. Until I stopped and watched my midsection return to it's original shape. I should have fought the urge to have that second drink, the urge to sip on the fourth and fifth. Now I am quickly depleted and angry at myself.

    The 10,000 steps challenge cannot save me, I am way past that threshold. Only hard consistent 20,000 steps challenge can allow my body to snatch back into place. 

    The home video that made me start this mental journey, first broke me. My bloated stomach was the star of the show and phone calls from the U.K., Australia, Sweden, Wisconsin and Texas shattered my heart. I did not know what all the fuss was about until I watched it. First I despised my little brother for cataloguing me at my heaviest weight. Then I hated myself for having about eight bottles of fizzy drinks that day alone. 

What was I to do? A lot apparently. So I decided to do something about it, I put on my jogging shoes and walked far and wide and struggled to make it to 15,000 steps. The dust, smoke and me dodging Okada riders discouraged me. And then family members called to tell me about people jogging and dropping dead and been hit by commercial buses and Okada riders. You just can't win in this cruel world. So I decided a sane, safer alternative would suffice. I will complete it all in the safety of my home and make my daily goals 20,000 Steps To Fitness. Here we go.....

  So this is the beginning, the start of me returning to my youthful vibrant self. It is very hard to balance working out and completing other daily goals. The first thing I do is write a Commitment goal email to my siblings, with a plan to update them on my weekly progress report. 

  Did I mention that I bought two waist trainers and a corset. The corset is 26 inches, so that is my goal. Even I am laughing, but it's better than nothing.

 Everything is a mess, work has forever changed and relationships are on hold. The only sanity I have is that I am still hanging out with my ladies. Yes we have to be blasted by chemicals that kill the COVID-19 virus and wear a nose mask and constantly use hand sanitizers. But it's so worth it when we sit to eat and laugh over drinks.

 Spotting Celine waiting in her bespoke nose mask made me shriek for joy, I jumped into her arms and hugged my good friend. We rock each other and then without breaking the hug, we separate and watch each other's face. Celine flew in to Nigeria from France to see us ladies and lockdown caught her. She had to Quarantine for 14 days and take the very expensive COVID-19 test. Thank God she was negative, she is lodged in our favorite hotel that has the best jumbo prawns in Lagos. 

"Where is Nnonye?", Celine asked pulling me towards our table.

"Almost here, I thought we were going up for the buffet?", I protest.

"We can but we won't get these", she said pointing at the jumbo prawns heading our way.

"My dear, gbagbe buffet. I want me some jumbo prawns". I declare as my mouth waters.

  A lady approaches us and is a little too forward, trust Celine to stop the intruder.

It took me a minute to realize who it was as I watch Nnonye wobble in and then we both leave our mouth ajar, she has gained so much weight I almost didn't recognize her.

"Babes I know, I've eaten so much and binged on everything from tozo to any grilled meat, fish, you name it".

Nnonye tried to pacify us and failed, Celine and I both had nothing to say about it.

"Ade abeg you self add weight, don't even go there", she said trying to go all defensive.

 That pissed Celine off and she drags herself off her chair and grabs Nnoye's hand, as she tries and fails to lift her off her own chair.

"Oyaya stand up let us see who is bigger between the two of us", Celine declared.

 I could not in a million years believe Nonye could ever get bigger than Celine, yet here we are.

"My dear I am in trouble and always so hungry, my rent is due. I'm not earning money and they are even threatening another lockdown", Nnonye finally adds.

 Nnonye was close to tears, then stops and looks at me sideways.

"What are you wearing? A bulletproof vest?", Nnonye adds.

    I laugh so hard I had to stand up so the waist trainer would not snap open.

"Waist Trainers", I add between laughter.

"My dear did you get it on Instagram or Isale Eko?"

"Isale Eko for the 25 boning waist Trainers, but my 25 boning corset was from Instagram", i add proudly.

"Ade I've never seen you with big tummy before", Nnoye adds wiping tears from laughing so hard at us.

"It's the fizzy drinks, Ade you are addicted to those sugar and carbonated drinks", Celine scolds me.

"I agree", I say with no energy to argue. It was the bitter truth, I remember watching a YouTube video of a guy that fizzy drinks added one inch a day to his waistline. And that's for a month, my fizzy drink addiction intensified from March 2020 to January 2021. 

  My weightloss journey and 20,000 steps daily goals challenge started on the 3rd of January 2020. It would be a long road to recovery but one so worth it. My smaller size clothing are waiting and my healthy and more active self cannot wait.

 Nnonye sighed hard and long and massaged her forehead as she tries to contemplate what to say.

"So what now?", Nnonye adds.

"A 20,000  step daily challenge", I add and raise my cup of green tea.

"Every day, that one go hard oooo". Nnonye argues.

"It's a projected goal", I defend my creed and new found vision.

"For how long?", Celine asks as she starts to rip her jumbo prawns to shreds.

"A three month challenge at first, then we would see from there", I say.

"For us ladies?", Nnonye asks.

"Yep, we can all get back in shape and with the shift in the way jobs are now mostly done remotely. Do we have a choice?"

 Nnonye and Celine ponder on my statement and then nod their heads.

"We cant afford to add anymore weight", I declare as I sit at the edge of my seat and try to breathe properly. Damn these waist trainers, they are mega uncomfortable and the bottom edges are digging into my skin.

"Let the challenge begin", Nnonye adds.

 We all raise of glasses and accept our new weight loss journey.

"Happy New Year Everyone 🎉🥳🎉🥳"

**"ADE'S JOURNAL", Season 5, Episode 1**
*"ADE'S JOURNAL", 1, COPYRIGHT 2021*

**BUSOLA ELEGBEDE, COPYRIGHT 2021**