NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS....Do you make them?...How important are they?

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The New Year is slowly coming, and with the holiday season already upon us many of us are indulging in retrospection and re-evaluating some of their life choices. New Year’s resolutions are the perfect opportunity for most people to start making the changes they would like to see in the new year. I should point out that while I am not a huge fan of making "new year resolutions" (i rarely succeed in keeping them lol), I am a big fan creating goals for myself especially at the start of the year. I guess its about the same thing right? 

What is a resolution?

Simply put, it is a FIRM decision to do or not to something. It becomes a new year resolution when you resolve to do it from the start of the year. New year resolutions aren’t a new phenomenon. In the early days, the Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts while the Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named. Irrespective of the origins, we can all agree that the idea behind making new year resolutions is to reflect upon self-improvement annually.

HOW DO WE MAKE RESOLUTIONS?

I once saw a quote which said “Your goals aren’t really your goals …until you make a plan and work hard to make them happen” and to me this sums up how to make a resolution. To make these resolutions, it is key to employ the tool of goal-setting. This will help in making those important decisions and sticking to them.

Goal setting I believe is a powerful process for thinking about your BIG PICTURE, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this into reality. The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that can, so easily, lead you astray.

HOW DO WE KEEP RESOLUTIONS?

1.      FIGURE OUT YOUR GOALS

First, it is important to carefully consider what you want to achieve and commit to them. Make SMART goals and by this I mean (S)pecific, (M)easurable, (A)ttainable, (R)elevant and (T)ime-bound goals that motivate you.. Then plan the steps you must take to realize your goal, and cross off each one as you work through them.

Here’s a classic example of a SMART goal: if your goal is to lose 10kg of weight in four months, you could write: – I will go to the gym three times per week. – I will eat 500 fewer calories each day. – I will eat junk food and sweets only once a week. – I will drink fizzy drinks once in two weeks. – I will walk for 45 minutes every day.

Now that’s a specific plan or a roadmap that will lead you to your desired destination and achieving your goal.

In a nut-shell:

·         Identify the large-scale goals

·         Break down into smaller targets or sub-goals

·         Start working on them.

2.      WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS

A research carried out in Harvard University showed that those who took time to write down their

goals achieved their goals 10 times more than those who didn’t.

This tells you that writing down your goals increases your chances of realising them and to me writing them down makes them feel tangible.

If you can’t find a paper, you could write the answers in a note on your phone or laptop. But, I would recommend using a paper. Personally, I have my fitness goals for example, written on sticky notes pasted on my fridge and bedroom wall so I can see them every day, but I have also written my short-term goals in my phone.

3.      MAKE YOUR GOALS SPECIFIC

It is not enough to write goals down but it is very important that make them as specific as possible. For instance, “I want to lose 10kg of fat,” is hugely different from “I want to lose 10kg of fat in the next four months.” The second is specific and gives you a deadline that will push you to take action

4.      GIVE DEADLINES

Have a structured deadline to meet your target but make sure these deadlines are somehow realistic. You can’t say you want to lose 10kg in 2weeks (this used to be me before lol) but that is almost impossible and unrealistic. What is ideal is for you to give yourself a deadline that is challenging enough to push you and motivate you to take action, without being extremely tough to achieve.

Here I am using example of my weight loss because I feel and know that a lot of people can relate to that. Being obese was something I struggled with for as long as I can remember and from my experience i know that a lot of women have this same struggle. Having set goals and accomplishing most of them in this area makes it easier for me to discuss.  I later came to understand that  I struggled to lose weight basically because I  didn't plan properly. I had the big picture but forgot to create a realistic path to that picture. So for example I will say i want to lose 20kg and after a month  I would manage to lose just 3kg and  I found myself depressed . I usually gave up and ate even more . Was it possible to lose 20kg in a month? Did I get to that weight in one month? Of course not . So why did I think I would lose such a ridiculous amount of weight in such a short time ? My mentality was all messed up . The moment I understood this and started making more realistic plans, I started winning!

SUPPORT SYSTEMS

Whatever your vision, goals, big picture is, you need an adequate support system to help you. Don't forget that no man is an island on his own. You need people. No one can get successful all by him/herself. Success is achieved by joining forces with people on the same wave length as you. Negative people can be toxic and put a damper on your vision. Therefore, you only want to surround yourself with like-minded people.   I can’t tell you enough how much this has made a difference in my life. Take my fitness journey for example, when I first decided to lose weight, a lot of people around me didn’t understand why I would decide to lift weights, or workout twice a day. Some days I felt bad about sharing my journey on social media because of the negativity. But all that stopped the moment I found other people who understood my vision. Now I have managed to build a community with like-minded people and we all encourage each other when we lack the motivation to keep going.

Here the question should be- Are the people around me supporting my vision 100% or am I constantly defending my worth and your ability?

It can be difficult pursing a dream of yours if someone was constantly telling you that it will never be as big as you think, or it won’t last forever. It is very discouraging; trust me, I know. Therefore making the choice to only have people around you who support your vision will be the smartest decision you will make in 2017.

Here are other ways of building a good support system :

·         Connect with those who have more knowledge in your area of interest -trust me you will need their input!

·         Find people who do not just talk to you but LISTEN to your ideas and concerns.

·         Let your words and mind be positive at all times.

MEASURING YOUR SUCCESS AND CELEBRATING YOURSELF

DO NOT live up to someone else’s idea of success. Your accomplishments and successes are yours, not theirs. And you should to measure success by your own standard.

You are the one who decides exactly what it means to be successful in any area of your life.  The time to make that decision is during the goal setting process. Doing so will allow you to identify and celebrate each personal success along the way.

Remember the sub-goals? This is why we make them. Accomplishing each of your sub-goals should be the standard for measuring your progress. And for each sub-goal you accomplish , sit back , breathe and pat yourself on the back!

I originally set out to lose 20kg in one year (large-scale goal) but I decided that I will start by losing 3-4kg every month (sub-goal). And each time I hit my monthly target , I rewarded myself with a nice dress, or lovely workout outfit! As small as that was, it worked. Looking forward to something at the end of each month kept me going. I managed to surpass my large-scale goal and went on to lose 35kg. At the moment I have moved my target to 50kg and I will be using the same method to achieve what is left of my goals.

I must point out that if your goal is fitness related, try not to reward yourself with food. You will only end up sabotaging your efforts. Whatever your goal is, reward each step you accomplish with something fun and meaningful. Eg. Spa day, a nice dress or shoe, a trip to a new place, ticket to a nice show  or the movie etc.

NEW YEAR RESOLUTION IDEAS

Here are 20 resolutions that are common and popular. Feel free to adopt any of them :

1.      Get in shape and lose weight

2.      Become more active

3.      Stop procrastinating

4.      Learn a skill

5.      Earn more money

6.      Save more money

7.      Get out of debt

8.      Read more books

9.      Watch less TV and spend less time on social media

10.  Find a significant other

11.  Learn a new language

12.  Travel more

13.  Get over an ex

14.  Turning a hobby into a career

15.  Controlling anger

16.  Become more social

17.  Spend more time with loved ones

18.  Start writing a book or keep a journal

19.  Become more tolerant

20.  Spend more time with God

MY NO GRAIN, NO SWEET CHALLENGE- 21 DAYS

The past few weeks i have been on an eating spree and its about time i call myself to order. Considering i have indulged in a lot of grains and high sweets, i figured this challenge will be perfect to reset my system.

Please note that i am not a nutritionist, just a girl who is passionate about losing weight and becoming healthy. My meals are based on my personal research so i advice you consult with your doctor or nutritionist before embarking on this challenge with me. However i assure you that there are so many health benefits associated with eliminating grains and processed sugar from your diet. Google is your friend. :)


Now to the challenge!

DO NOT EAT THE FOLLOWING 

STARCH IN ALL FORMS- This includes rice, pasta, noodles(except plant noodles like the bare naked noodles or zero noodles) yam, semolina, poundo yam, wheat, sweet potatoes, irish potatoes, french fries,potato crisps, all breads including tortilla wraps and pitta bread etc.

GRAINS- Oats, muesli, granola, all types of breakfast cereals, rice, beans, quinoa, bulgur, couccous, corn, millet, barley, rye, spelt, sorghum,wheat, wild rice,  anything with "low carb" written on it , all types of flour etc

SUGAR- All soda or soft drinks (including coke zero or diet coke/pepsi), sports drinks, juice in cartons, all liquids in a can with artificial sweetener and preservatives, cakes and all forms of pastries, ice cream etc

MARGARINE - Not same as butter but an industrial imitation of it. E.g Blue band

ALCOHOL- All forms of beer, spirits,wine etc




WHAT IS ALLOWED? 

Protein: Whole eggs (boiled , fried or omelettes) ,  fatty fish ( Mackerel, salmon, sardines, catfish, herring etc) , sea food (mussels, lobsters, oysters, shrimps etc) , all types of meat (pork, beef, chicken,turkey, bacon sausages etc)

Healthy fats: Virgin Coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, palm oil, ghee, *butter, avocado, olives, cheese, seeds (flaxseed,sesame seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds etc) , mayonnaise.

*Butter in Nigeria include these brands-  President, kerrygold, Lupark, Anchor, Oldenburger. If this is too expensive, stick to coconut/olive oil.

Vegetables : I will be sticking mostly to vegetables that grow above the ground however feel free to eat whatever vegetables you fancy.  They include - lettuce, spinach, Ugu (pumplin leaves) Nigerian green (note that this is not same as spinach), ewedu, mint leaves, parsley,  okro, water-leaf, ukazi,scent leaf, curry leaf, zucchini, cucumber, all types of cabbage, mushrooms, pointy pepper, scotch bonnet, onions asparagus , brussels sprouts , green pepper, cauliflower etc

WATER - Still, sparkling or lemon/lime infused water. 3-4 litres a day

TEAS/COFFEE- Green tea, herbal teas, black coffee, raw cocoa ONLY. No hot chocolate please.



EAT THE FOLLOWING IN MODERATION 

• Nuts
• Sweetener or stevia, agave nectar
• Dairy such as animal milk and greek yoghurt
• Fruits : Personally i wont be having any fruits during this challenge because i consider them high in sugar even though natural. However, you are free to have them in moderation and before 4pm. 
• Dark chocolate (70-90% cocoa) 

SAMPLE MEAL PLAN

	BREAKFAST	LUNCH	DINNER
DAY 1	3 Eggs (boiled or fried) with a cup of green tea/ coffee/almond milk	Grilled or fried chicken with salad OR Vegetable soup with lots of fish and meat ONLY (no swallow)	Fried or grilled fish with sauteed green beans   OR A lettuce wrap
DAY 2	2 Sausages, 2 eggs + green tea/coffee OR Smoothie	Avocado salad	Fish/goat meat pepper soup OR Chicken Stir fry (*Make enough for 2 days)
DAY 3	½ Avocado and vegetable omelette OR  Chia seed pudding	Left over of your fish pepper soup OR chicken stir fry OR grilled chicken	Shrimp salad OR zero noodles/zuchinni noodles and meatballs OR Cauliflower rice OR Seafood okra (no swallow)

*in-between you can snack on some nuts or low carb fruits or vegetables *Aim for a minimum of 2-3 litres of water daily

This is just a small guide and not mandatory you follow it. I advise everyone to get creative in the kitchen and you will be shocked how much you won't miss those heavy carbs!

For nursing mothers who want to join this challenge, you are advised to increase your fruit intake to ensure you are getting enough carbs that you need but please consult your doctor/nutritionist first.  

By the end the 21 days, you would have formed a healthy eating habit, trained your taste buds to dislike sugar and lost 3-6kg but only if you are faithful to the plan!  Also , do not forget to exercise at least 30mins a day for maximum effect.

.** Please ensure you weigh yourself at the start and once every week during the challenge. Take measurements of different parts of your body too to keep track of your progress. 

** You can follow my journey on instagram (@ella_az) for daily motivation, meal ideas, and how i deal with my struggles

TUMMY FAT? LETS LOSE IT!!

I swear i didn't abandon this blog or writing generally. Between pursuing a PhD, trying to lose weight and dealing with so many other things, let’s just say life has been happening! I promise to write as often as i can especially as regards weight-loss because from the number of messages i receive everyday it is loudly obvious that a lot of women are dealing with this issue called OBESITY

Today i have chosen to discuss one popular question I am asked over and over again - " HOW DID YOU LOOSE YOUR TUMMY FAT?" and "WHAT EXERCISES DID YOU DO TO MAKE YOUR TUMMY FLAT"  Since i get that question a lot, I figured I might as well do a post on it and share what has worked for me.

MY PROGRESS BETWEEN JUNE 2015- MAY 2016 : You can only make a difference if you are dedicated

First of all, it will be very misleading for me to say I have a flat stomach. No that's not true. Yes it's way better than it used to be like a year ago but It's very far from being FLAT. I still have love handles and I have some lose skin which is expected so it doesn't bother me.

That said, belly fat is usually estimated by measuring the circumference around your waist. This can easily be done at home with a simple tape measure. Anything above 40 inches (102 cm) in men and 35 inches (88 cm) in women, is known as abdominal obesity. At the start of my weight-loss journey my tummy measured around 47-48cm. Yes it was that bad. So far i have lost about 14cm and my tummy is today to 34cm.(on a good day when i am not bloated from my period)

What Did I Do?

Here are 3 major tips that worked for me:

EAT LESS SUGAR- In fact, avoid sugar like a plague especially those in beverages. Diet coke, diet sprite, diet anything is crap. it's all refined sugar and once you keep feeding your body with these refined sugar, the liver gets flooded with fructose, and is forced to turn it all into fat.  This in turn leads to belly fat and may even cause insulin resistance. Armed with this information, i made a decision to eliminate sugary drinks from my diet. i make sure i read the nutritional label of everything before buying to be sure it is not loaded with unwanted sugar.

EAT MORE PROTEIN AND VEGETABLES- I came to understand that Protein is the most important macronutrient when it comes to losing weight. It has been shown to reduce cravings by 60%, boost metabolism by 80-100 calories per day and help you eat up to 441 fewer calories per day. If reducing belly fat is your goal, then you should consider increasing your intake of this class of food. i made an effort to increase my consumption of eggs, meat, poultry, seafood and plant based dairy products. if you struggle to eat more protein then you might want to consider adding some whey protein shakes to your diet especially if you lift weight like i do. Also, eating fibre rich vegetable will help improve your metabolism and keep you fuller for long. This is why i ensure that nearly all my meals have a good portion of veggies on the side.

CUT THE CARBS OUT!-  I really wish i could drum it into people's ear that fat isn't the enemy, CARB is!  it is the number one enemy of weight-loss. Over 20 randomized controlled trials have now shown that low-carb diets lead to 2-3 times more weight loss than low-fat diets. Just avoiding the refined carbs (white breads, pastas, etc) will make a lot of difference in your body especially if you keep your protein high. However, if you need to then consider dropping your carbs down to 50 grams per day if you want to lose that tummy fat faster. This will put your body into ketosis, killing your appetite and making your body start burning primarily fats for fuel. (currently i keep my carb intake at 15-20g perday)

TRACK WHAT YOU EAT- A lot of people have no clue what they are eating and tend to either

SOURCE: www.popsugar.com

underestimate or overestimate. I think it is absolutely necessary for anyone who wants to improve his or her diet to track their foods. This doesn't necessarily mean that you have to measure or weigh food for the rest of your life but doing that every now and then helps you know areas you need to improve on. There are loads of apps online that can help with this.

DRINK ONLY WATER- yes! just water. Nothing more. No need to talk about the benefits of water. you can't drink simple water? then try drinking the carbonated one or make fruit infused water or just infuse with lemon. I aim for 3-4 litres on a very good day.

For exercise I began with simple cardio - brisk walking for an hour in the mornings 5-6 days a week. I later graduated to jogging and climbing hills. Much later I incorporated weight lifting to my routine. At the moment I am doing more of cardio to shift the stubborn fat. I need to point out that you cannot target an area of the body for weight-loss and there is no amount of sit ups or crunches that can make your tummy disappear. Especially if you continue to eat crap! I incorporate abdominal and core workouts into my routine on some days but that only helps to tighten the muscles/walls of the stomach and improve your core, not shrink it.

For me the formula for a flat tummy is less carb+ less refined sugar +more water +cardio + consistency +dedication. This is what has worked and still works for me

** This post is solely based on my personal experience. 

You can follow my journey on instagram (@ella_az) for daily motivation, meal ideas, and how i deal with my struggles.  

Thou Art my HeArtBreak

I’m typing this with utmost sadness and regret. So many things have been going wrong in a while but I try to turn the other way. Just last night, I got the biggest heartbreak of 2016. More heartbreaking than the news of non-payment of N5000 to unemployed Nigerian youths.

TRUE ARTS IS DYING.

If you’re in doubt, look around you. I was talking to an 11yr old girl yesterday and she wanted to ask me some questions and she started running the names of some of their literature books to me and I was like WHAT??? Are those literature books or Blogposts?

For crying out loud, even though I was a Science student, I loved the Arts. I may not have studied Literature but I’m certain I’ve dabbled into more books than a lot of Literature students. If you’re wondering why I didn’t study the Arts, you can go ask my science loving dad.

I know we grew up reading books like Bottled Leopard, Eze goes to School, Without A Sliver-spoon, Things Fall Apart to mention a few African literary works and some foreign works like Animal Farm (George Orwell) ,Oliver Twist, A tale of 2 cities (Charles Dickens),Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare and for a few of us, Lord of the Flies. (William Golding or Goldsmith or something like that) etc.

But here I am asking a secondary school student what literature they read at school and the only one she’s heard a little about is Oliver Twist (she didn’t even know the author’s name). Can you imagine? No Animal Farm! She’s now asking me if I’ve read “A Woman in her Prime.” I mean, what the hell is that? Sounds like d title of a Blogpost or an article. She also called some other books that I did well to forget their names as she reeled them off. Is that a Travesty or what?

What I can say is that Art is dying and technology has finally won. Now we can barely flip books unless they have remote controls. We read everything now off screens. computers and phone screens are the order and now we know folks don’t read books anymore unless they’re in soft copy. Maybe this is the time to stop printing books which ultimately means fewer trees would be cut down and that’s good news for Leonardo di Caprio and his super group of ecological activists and also means more food for herbivores and this includes those sanctimonious vegetarians.

It is evident everywhere! Even in entertainment, who does artfully creative stuffs anymore? They’re towing the paths of Dinosaurs. In movies, they’re more special effects than Art and in music… Total write off. Just butts, breasts, beats and beats and more Beats by Dre.

For a lover of Art, I’m really miffed. That is how this world got to this point of madness. You can’t just expect to do away with something as pure as true Art and not get so much of this madness, do you? You just don’t!

Signing out, Artfully yours!

Samuel

FINDING "WHY"

If there is one question I am asked daily, it is – HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED?

Honest answer? There is no set answer! it’s all up to you.   Here’s what works for me -I try to keep my GOALS at the front burner of my mind constantly. This, I believe, is the first step to staying on track and even when I stray, it’s never for too long. [Of course no one stays on top of their game 100% of the time. Na winch? Lol] I just know what I want and keep my mind focused on getting it. To reach those goals I know that I have to train hard and keep my meals in check also.

It’s ok to have those picture perfect fitspiration on social media who you look up to but it is equally important to realise that you have to be your own biggest motivation. Having role models is not enough because you simply cannot succeed by wishing or wanting to be someone else.

You have to want to be the best version of yourself all for yourself and no one else. And I mean want it very bad. It is your motivation that births the discipline you need for this journey. Both will work hand in hand to make you wake up an hour earlier to get that workout done or choose to eat a bowl of salad when all you really want is a nice hot plate of jollof rice or warm pizza.  Ugggghh! I know how hard that is but GOALS. The fact that you are not where you want to be should be your motivation.  Is that bottle of chilled coke worth the extra sugar? Is that late night nkwobi/suya/alcohol worth the damage it will do to your waistline in the long run? 

One day i want my hip to measure at 40inches... One goal that keeps me going! 

It is important to find a reason(s) why you are doing this. The "WHY" plays a huge role in how hard you push yourself. For me, I put in work every day because I want to be healthy for my unborn kids; I want to desperately prove first to myself that I can do anything I set my heart to do, then to everyone who said to me that I cannot do this; to prove that anyone can make time for what is important to them.

What is your reason? Find then, hold on to it and let it propel you towards your goals because the best project you will ever work on is YOURSELF.

Next article I will share how I set my goals and stick to them but for now have a productive week! 

Love always,  Xx


P.S - If you need extra motivation, follow my journey on instagram [@ella_az] for my workout rountines, meal ideas and struggles. 

***DISCLAIMER: I am not a fitness expert. i am only writing based on personal experience.

HONEY, WHAT IF YOU FLY?

Hey beautiful people! How are we all doing with our decision to become healthy? Good so far? Difficult? Oh no! you fell off track after a few days? Hey it’s alright. You are human and its ok to stumble sometimes. What matters is that you are willing to admit you messed up and hop right back on the fit wagon! Yes, that wagon is always waiting.

This piece will be about those things that hold us back from taking the right step

forward.  Those inner demons that won’t let us be great. I fought them too (I still do sometimes) so I know they exist. 

Maybe the thing you are most scared of is what you should be doing.

For many years I was reluctant and scared of losing weight. Why? Because I was afraid. Afraid of failing yet again, afraid of quitting again once I didn’t see the kind of result I was expecting, afraid of embarrassing myself before everyone. I was so used to quitting and I didn’t believe I could stick to something for so long especially something that involved gradual progress.  I preferred the quick fixes (fad diets) that gave me quick results but of course they often took me back to square one. 

I was finally sick and tired of being sick and tired

I was tired of being uncomfortable;

I was tired of having limited choice of clothes;

I was tired of living with low self-esteem;

I was tired of being breathless from doing simple things like walking or climbing a few stairs;

I was tired I hating the body I was in;

I was tired of blaming everything else but myself for my problem;

I was tired of trying and quitting;

I was simply tired!  

I eventually picked up courage to give it a go again and this time I made up my mind it would be different (even though I didn’t believe in myself) and here I am several months later still sticking to it. (yay!)

My journey has not been perfect. Far from it.  I have hit plateaus often and I fall off track sometimes (hey I am human! Lol) but I am still here fighting. Fighting all those excuses I make up in my head all th time to make me give up. Fighting the inner demons that tell me I will quit soon or that I cannot lose all the weight I set out to lose. Ha! Trust me it is a daily battle.

So what if you started already but fell off track for a few days? Does that make you a quitter or a failure? NO! it is all part of the growing process. Its ok to struggle but your determination to rise above it is what counts. These struggles make us better and stronger each day. “oh Ella, what if I can’t do it at all?” Honey that’s a beautiful lie. How would you know if you never tried?! Imagine if the caterpillar gave up not knowing it had the potential to become a butterfly? It would have been such a huge waste.

What if you really fly? Yes you can! Don’t let fear hold you back like it did to me for many years. Don’t let fear crush your dream to live a fulfilled life.  It’s a mind game and there will always be so many “what ifs” but you begin to truly live the moment you choose to take a chance with yourself and see where your strength takes you.

Change is scary I agree, but fear of the unknown is even more scary. We would never know how beautiful and awesome life could be if we continued to live in fear. You deserve much more than you are letting yourself get. Step out of your comfort zone today and take a step towards being healthy.  Make up your mind today to change, make better food choice and get active for just 15-20 mins a day. These baby steps all add up and six months from now you will be glad you did!

One healthy meal at a time, one workout at a time, one kilo at a time! Let’s go!

Don't forget to follow my journey on Instagram (@ella_az) for daily motivation, my workout routines, meal ideas and struggles. 

STARTING OUT (PART 2): EAT REAL FOOD, LOSE WEIGHT!

Did you know that contrary to most views that you need to eat well to lose weight? Yes you do! In fact, it is advised that we eat 5-6 small meals daily in order to lose weight. Like most people, I used to think that food made people fat and that losing weight meant starving or eating almost nothing or even cutting off a particular class of food (especially carbohydrate). But I was wrong. From my experience so far in this journey I realize there absolutely no need for any of these.

Starving or skipping meals means you are depriving your body of the nutrients it needs to function properly and replace worn tissues.  You also risk developing an unhealthy relationship with food because you are likely to binge unhealthily when you resume eating.  Yes, you will lose weight (water weight) but I promise you that you will gain it all back once you start eating those foods again.

Food is a very important part of weight-loss but it is equally important that you eat in

MODERATION. You cannot stuff you face with food, especially bad food, and expect to lose weight.  Yes, exercise is great but if you work out intensively for 2 hours a day and spend the remaining 22 hours eating crap, you won’t lose weight. It is as simple as that.  It is important that you eat the right kind of food, the right quantity and at the right time too. I eat nearly everything but in small potions.

To get this right, you need to start considering your food portions especially the ratio of your carb to your protein and vegetables. Some people do this by counting macros of fats, protein and carbohydrates (Click HERE to learn more). This is actually great because you know exactly what you are eating but I don’t. Mostly because I am too lazy. So I simply use the plate measurement style to check what I eat. This is dividing my plate into four for most meals, half goes to vegetables, one-fourth goes to protein and the other one-fourth goes to carbs.   I try to make sure my carbohydrate isn’t more than a fistful.

what your plate should look like

For beginners who wish to go with this method, I will suggest you start by swapping your current eating plate for a smaller one, a saucer preferably, until you are in better control.  PLEASE AVOID SECOND HELPINGS! It is those extra helpings that get us those belly pouches. Lol. so do your best to avoid it.  To feel fuller and avoid eating so much, try the following tips:

• Drink a glass or 2 of water before meals
• Eat slowly and chew each spoonful thoroughly. Stretch it to up to 15-20 mins if possible
• Never eat while watching television
• Drink another glass of water after eating
• After you dish your meal, pack up the remnant in a container and store away asap

I understand that people are skeptical or even afraid of carbohydrates but you cannot afford to cut that off completely. It provides you with energy to work out and do basic everyday activities. What I have done is to swap white carbs, which I believe isn’t very great for the body, for brown carbs that are richer in fiber. Find heathier alternatives to satisfy your sweet/sugar cravings too.

MY ALTERNATIVES

Here is a list of alternatives I use for some popular carbs

WHITE RICE – Bulgur wheat, brown rice, (ofada rice will do too) couscous

WHITE BREAD- Whole wheat or whole meal bread, oatmeal bread

GARRI-  Oat meal, unripe plantain flour, whole wheat flour

IRISH POTATOES- Sweet potatoes, parsnips

Below are some of my meals. 

Jollof rice, plantain, chiken and veggies

Noodle stir fry

Brown rice, stewed gizzard and steamed veggies

A good cure for a sweet craving

Basmati rice, steamed veggies and lamb ribs in oiless stew 

creamy oats, coconut and chia seeds. Ideal for breakfast!

Bulgur stir fry. ideal for lunch or dinner

Quit thinking that eating will make you fat. You need to eat the right foods and cook them in a healthy way. I have lost almost 30kg eating healthy, You can too!

Same Top, 7 months difference!

Don't forget to follow my journey on instagram (@ella_az) for daily motivation, meal ideas and my struggles.


***DISCLAIMER: I am not a nutritionist or fitness expert. i am only writing based on personal experience.