What this is all about
«Topim Zhir» is a popular women's weight-loss marathon that came out of Kazakhstan. It ran in streams ("seasons"): for a few weeks you joined a group, got daily assignments — a workout and a meal plan — and moved toward your result alongside hundreds of other women. The format stood on three pillars: home workouts, planned nutrition and a community with challenges and prizes. According to the organizers, hundreds of thousands of participants went through the marathon. The exact numbers come from the authors themselves and are hard to verify from the outside, so treat them as marketing. But the marathon really was hugely popular, and an active women's community formed around it — and that community is largely what kept people motivated.
ademi is, in essence, the same approach, but moved into a full-fledged app. The same home workouts, nutrition tailored to your calorie target and support — only now there's no being tied to a specific stream in a messenger: everything lives in the app, is available anytime and works in Russian and Kazakh. In short, this isn't really a "who's better" debate, but "the old marathon format versus a modern app."
How «Topim Zhir» worked
The marathon ran mainly through a messenger and a learning platform: you got access to a stream, and then every day there was a new assignment. It was a well-thought-out system, and for many people it genuinely helped them pull themselves together and lose weight in a month.
- Daily workouts — at-home routines, often alternating strength training and yoga, 30–40 minutes each.
- Planned nutrition — a menu with exact gram amounts, so you didn't have to count everything yourself.
- Expert talks — psychology, motivation, breakdowns of habits.
- Challenges with prizes — game-like mechanics to help you reach the finish and not give up.
- Stream chat — support from coaches and other participants.
How ademi is different
The main difference is in access and convenience. «Topim Zhir» worked in streams: miss the start and you wait for the next one. ademi, on the other hand, is an app that's always at hand: workouts, the menu and a chat with a coach are available right away, and the first week is free. Add in the Kazakh language, a menu built around local products and a price in tenge, and you get a more "seamless" version of the same idea. Essentially you get the familiar logic of a marathon, but without depending on a messenger schedule.
Does the marathon format even work
Yes — and not out of thin air. At the core of both «Topim Zhir» and ademi are two things whose effectiveness is well studied: daily self-monitoring of food and activity, and a structured program of workouts plus nutrition. This isn't marketing — it's what research confirms. The marathon just packages these simple principles into a convenient format: you don't have to build the program and count your diet yourself — that's already been done for you, and your job is simply to follow the plan and check off what you complete. And that's both the strength and the weakness of the format: while you're inside the stream, discipline almost holds itself, but the moment the stream ends, you have to carry the habit forward on your own.
The second pillar is the very idea of a structured "movement plus nutrition" program. Long-term observations of such programs show that the effect isn't a one-off — it persists for years, as long as a person holds on to the habits. That's exactly why the "workouts + menu + guidance" format is so durable.
A marathon is good not because of magic, but because it makes you do simple, right things every single day.
«Topim Zhir» and ademi: a table
Let's gather the differences in one place. Keep in mind that prices for programs like these depend on promotions and change over time, so always check the current figures before you pay.
| «Topim Zhir» | ademi | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | stream in a messenger | app, always with you |
| Access | during the stream | anytime |
| Language | Russian | Kazakh + Russian |
| Free trial | none | first week |
| Nutrition | menu by grams | menu to a calorie target |
| Support | coach and chat | trainer + group |
| Device | phone, messenger | iOS/Android app |
Any marathon gives results faster when paired with ordinary walking. Keep 7,000–10,000 steps a day — and your workouts will land on a solid base. It's the cheapest way to speed up your progress.
What to choose now
If you remember «Topim Zhir» and the format itself clicked for you — daily assignments, nutrition, support — then the most logical move is to take the modern version of that idea. ademi gives you the same marathon logic, but more conveniently: no waiting for a stream to start, with a free first week, in Kazakh and Russian, with a coach in the app. Getting started couldn't be simpler — you turn on the free week and try it. But if it's important to you to go back to the old «Topim Zhir» format specifically, it's worth keeping in mind that stream marathons in messengers are gradually giving way to apps: that's more convenient and more stable. So for most people the choice between an "old-school" stream and an app comes down in favor of the app.
What to keep in mind
Let's be honest: weight-loss marathons have their pitfalls. Sometimes the menu turns out too strict, and it's hard and hungry to stick with — especially if the calories are set too low. So don't chase quick lost kilograms at any cost: a sustainable pace is roughly 0.5–1 kg a week, and overly harsh restrictions lead to a breakdown more often than to results. Any program is just a tool: it works as long as you actually live by it, not just pay for access. Another quirk of the old stream marathons was that access to the materials often closed after the stream ended, and you couldn't go back to the workouts later. With an app it's easier: the content stays at hand for as long as your subscription is active, and you can train at your own pace.
- «Topim Zhir» is a well-known women's stream marathon: daily workouts, nutrition and a community with challenges.
- ademi is the same approach as an app: always available, first week free, Kazakh and Russian languages.
- The format works thanks to self-monitoring and the "movement plus nutrition" structure — research confirms this.
- ademi's main advantage over the old stream format is convenience, access anytime and a free start.
- Don't pick too strict a menu, and add daily walking — that way your result will be more lasting.
Frequently asked questions
Are «Topim Zhir» and ademi the same thing?
It's a very close approach: home workouts, nutrition and support. ademi is a modern version of that kind of marathon in app form, with access anytime and a free first week.
How long does the program last?
A classic stream is about 4 weeks. In ademi you go in monthly cycles, but without waiting for a specific stream to start: you can begin right away.
Do you need any equipment?
No, the workouts are designed for home and your own bodyweight. At most a mat and a bit of free space.
Can you lose weight in a month?
It's realistic to drop a few kilograms, but a healthy pace is around 0.5–1 kg a week. No honest program can guarantee a specific number: it all depends on your starting weight, your nutrition and how regularly you train.
Is there a free period?
ademi gives you the first week free — that's enough to figure out whether this format is for you before you pay.
How to try ademi
If the marathon format feels right for you — start with the free week at ademi.fit and simply go through the first workouts. And to hold on to your result and not slide back, count your steps in the free Qozgal app: workouts burn and build, while daily walking locks the result in and keeps it from slipping backward. That combination — a program at home plus steps every day — works more reliably than any standalone marathon on its own.
Sources
- Burke L. et al. Self-monitoring in weight loss: a systematic review. J. Am. Diet. Assoc., 2011. Burke et al., 2011
- Diabetes Prevention Program, 10-year follow-up. The Lancet, 2009. DPP, Lancet, 2009
- Schoeppe S. et al. Efficacy of apps for diet and physical activity. IJBNPA, 2016. Schoeppe et al., 2016
- Paluch A. et al. Daily steps and all-cause mortality. Lancet Public Health, 2022. Paluch et al., 2022
- Official ademi website — program, plan, free week. ademi.fit
Count your steps with Qozgal
A free app that counts your steps, keeps your streak and motivates you to walk every day.