I changed my lifestyle to gain weight- Wasike

In 2014, Abdu Wasike, weighed about 65 kilogrammes. He was so small that from time to time, his friends made fun of his size.
“They said I was so small and that the wind would easily blow me away,” he recalls.

It was after sharing his ordeal with a friend that he was advised to change his lifestyle to become healthier and add some weight. “I was specifically told to start lifting weights in order to build some muscles,” he says.

Days later, Wasike embarked on a journey of exercising as well as being careful about what he ate, in what portions and the times he ate. He started running on a daily basis from 6am to 7.30am. Wasike also enrolled for gym training during his free time.

“There are different kinds of exercises one can do at the gym. There is weight-lifting, pushups, aerobics, squats and running on the treadmill, among others. The instructor was very helpful in ensuring that I was doing the right exercises,” he says.

Like many people who exercise, there were times Wasike thought of stopping. “This was especially after getting exhausted and feeling pain all over my body. During such times, I swore never to work out,”
However, his instructor encouraged him to be persistent and not to give up.

Change of eating habits
Wasike stopped eating chips and generally all other fast foods. For breakfast, he ate katogo (a mixture of matooke (bananas) and soup) accompanied with a cup of tea.
For lunch, he prefers to eat an all-inclusive meal comprising beans, posho, matooke and rice. Lastly, during evening hours, he opts for light snacks comprising mainly fruits such as bananas and watermelon.
“This is a diet routine I have maintained to date,” he says.

He does not drink alcohol but rather enjoys taking a lot of water and juice.
Today, there is a noticeable change in his body. “I have no doubt gained some weight and acquired muscles. The ‘wind blowing’ jokes have stopped,” he says, laughing.
Wasike currently weighs about 80 kilogrammes and admits that he feels fit and much happier.

Why he posts his workouts on social media
On some occasions, Wasike posts pictures of his workout sessions on social media, precisely Facebook. This has, however, rubbed some people the wrong way.

“They say I only do this as a way of showing off, which is not my intention,” he says, adding, “I post my workouts on social media as a way of motivating other people to also work out and stay fit. When you put your mind to something and stay disciplined, you can achieve anything just like I did.”

Although currently his busy work schedule does not allow him enough time to exercise as often, he still squeezes in a workout when he is free. Nowadays, he jogs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and goes to the gym when he gets some free time.

Advise
Abdu Wasike says: “There were times in the past I would go to the gym and immediately get discouraged after noticing that other people were fitter than me. I wondered if it was possible to get the same body,” he says, adding, “But with consistence and discipline, I have achieved what I wanted.”
He also advises individuals to work together with instructors for accountability purposes.