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.

HOW TO WOO A LADY IN THE 21ST CENTURY By Adesuwa Iluobe

I am back again! (and the crowd goes wild). Yes, remember me? Okay so you don’t, but you remember that infamous post – How to get a man in the 21^st century? Ah ha! Got you! If you have not read that post, do not be a slacker, read it HERE . Yes, so after that post generated a lot of heat (and of course it provided guidance to a lot of ladies out there) some guys have asked me to flip the coin. That is exactly what this post is all about.

Source: www.ericrobersonmusic.com

A lot of guys bemoan how difficult it is to get a decent lady these days. They say it is difficult and is like searching for diamond in a hay sack. Phew! All this whining makes me wonder “who are these guys listening to? Listen to me -

Now, kindly follow the tips below and you would looking for me in no distant future.

1.      MAKE MONEY FIRST – I am talking about tons of it. What you men do not

know is that some ladies already believe that along the way there would be cheating, mess-ups would happen, lies, etc., only money heals these things. Only money. Once there is money you can junket the whole world for all we care. What is this nonsense some guys say these days? That you are looking for a woman to build and toil with you? Is that in the Bible? Who gave the Proverbs 31 woman land, or machine or resources to work? Her man of course! Those things are not purchased with sand but money!  Stop kidding yourself in premature relationships. Biko, get off your ass and look for money. Thank you.

2.      2. LADIES WANT TO HEAR ALL THE NICE THINGS – Life is hard already, I do not understand why a simple date has to be serious? Those talks

about career, dreams, aspirations, wanting to really know her…Please life is not that serious. When she has not been told enough that she is beautiful? (A wise woman recently said her beauty is an asset), get creative there are a billion ways to extol her physique.  How about the cars you have? Your house and the money you earn? What is your networth? What have you bought for her or what can buy or do for her? People are marrying in two weeks and you are there appraising a woman like she is a specie in a Biology lab for donkey years.  Odiegwu. You are not ready.

3.      STOP GOING AFTER LADIES WHO ARE THEMSELVES – Yes I said so. Please stop all that drama. Stop it please! Haba! You want a woman who:

·         Is homely

·         Not make-up reliant

·         Comfortable in her natural hair

·         Is down to earth and is comfortable in her own self

·          Does not give two hoots about what you think about her

·         Who would order eba over chicken and fried any day and lick her plate, no forming

·         Bla! Bla! Bla!

The list is long.  Please guys such ladies are going extinct, especially as you guys ain't yourselves all the time. Mgbeke no dey reign again you never hear? We ladies do not like stress plus we want to be at our best at the same time. Support this cause, please?

Homely woman kwa? Homely is not romantic or sexy joor. Please go for the opposite. Make up is very important, infact she should sleep in it. Natural hair is such a bore. Who started that movement anyway? If she is phoney that is a huge plus because she would represent you excellently anywhere.

4.      INSIST ON WIFELY DUTIES – Guys, guys, guys, why would you wait till your umpteenth date to let her know that she needs to be available to clean, cook and take care of your every need? This should be your opening line! Ladies like to plan ahead and prevent mishaps. Such surprises are not welcome, so why wait? We ladies like you men all confident and focused. Not some confused bunch of bonzos who aint sure of what they want. I cannot emphasize this enough. When you feel like your liver is failing you in this area, just tell yourself – “ I am the man”.

5.      SEX IS IMPORTANT – You know this, so I will not dwell on this issue. If she loves you she will give you some always. If she isn’t do your research, one Johnny somewhere may just be moving your cheese. Yes. (stop gaping and get to work).

6.      AN IDLE LADY IS YOUR BEST BET (Who needs an ambitious lady these days?) – One guy was telling me how his girlfriend no longer has time for him because she is always busy at work. I just could not imagine the extent of his ignorance. Guys do not crucify me yet, I am on your side. Really, why date a woman who has a job or handwork in the first place? One secret I must let out is that women do not enjoy work or fending for themselves. At some point a woman must choose between her job/handiwork and her man. Whilst making that decision the only consideration she should have in the equation is your well being. You are that important. Do you know how hard it is to find a man these days? Take a look around you bro, if you ain’t feeling like a champ by now am sorry you are a loser.

I will stop here for now. Wait were you expecting that I would give you all my tips? That’s bad market. Try these ones first and if you indeed get a decent lady, it means you did not apply these farcicial tips to your lives.

Cheers!

P.S – Now that you get my drift, read again and DO NOT apply the above tips!

Please share your own "tips" in the comment box, do not be an Island! Thank you. 

STARTING OUT (PART 1)

** If you missed my first post on this series please click HERE **

A lot of times people tell me they do not have time to go to the gym or time to work out.  Those who have time for it claim that getting a gym membership is too expensive. But the truth is that people are always looking for an easy way out of their situation. But as for this situation called obesity, THERE IS NO SHORTCUT. Did I disappoint you?  Sorry hun, you gotta work for that body you want!

I know that starting on a weight-loss journey can be daunting especially if you have no idea what to do. But honestly, you don’t need to know everything else you will be overwhelmed sooner than you can imagine. You do not always need a gym to workout. In fact, I know a lot of people who have lost tons of weight without stepping foot inside a gym. So what is your excuse? You have kids and you are also a working mother? I also know lots of working mothers that workout more than I do. Most of them wake up 30-40mins earlier than their kids just to get it done.  It’s called sacrifice and If they can, you can too.

There are so many exercises you can do right in your sitting room as you watch TV (instead of mindlessly nibbling on that chips/crisps/popcorn), exercises you can do on the bed 15mins mins before you sleep, quick workouts you can do before you jump in the shower or while you are waiting for your meal to get done.  If it is really important to you, you will take every opportunity you have to throw in a quick workout. No matter how short it is, it all adds up eventually.

 I didn’t start with a gym myself. In my previous post I mentioned that I started out brisk-walking 45mins to an hour. This later progressed to walking 5km 3 days a week and now I walk-run 10-12km

My first walk/run this year: 12km

on Saturdays as part of my weekly routine. I signed up for a 100KM challenge in December 2015 for the fun of it (I actually doubted I could do it) but I surprised myself and ended up doing about 129KM for the month!  Oh boy, and I am terrible at running so do not think you need to be perfect at these things. Most times I do a walk-run but hey, what matters most is that I am moving. That’s all.

In this piece I want to share some simple workouts you can start with and in part 2 next week I will share tips on how to I make better food choices that have worked for me. Don’t forget to let me know topics you would like to see me address regarding my weight-loss journey that might help you

THE BEGINNER’S WORKOUT

1.      WALKING – Just walk. As simple as this may sound yet it is very effective. If you are very new to working out, then this is your best bet! Walking is a natural and effective way to get the heart rate up.

Start off by walking just 30mins a day then increase your pace and duration over time. You can incorporate walking  in your daily routin by either ditching the cab or parking your car a few kilometers away from your destination and walking the rest of the way. Bad weather? i have you covered. You can walk indoors too. There are many videos online that can guide you. (see links below) 

The beauty of walking is that it can be done anywhere and no equipment required! All you need for this party is a good pair of trainers and your feet. lol. On the average , walking at a moderate pace burns 25--300 calories per hour. 

2.   SKIPPING -A lot of us probably played the skipping game while growing up but this exercise is no child’s play as it is one good cardio exercise that targets every part of the body. Again no gym is required and all you need is a rope and your legs! There are so many skipping challenges you can find online. I for example, challenge myself to complete 1,000 jumps in 30mins. Wanna try? lol

3.    DANCING -Whether you like to jump or jive, tap or tango, shake your belly or your booty, dancing is one of the most enjoyable ways to get some exercise. Regular dancing is great for losing weight, maintaining strong bones, improving posture and muscle strength, increasing balance and co-ordination, and beating stress. One of the best things about dancing is that while you're having fun moving to music, you are burning calories! All you need is a line-up of great upbeat music (not blues please lol), your dancing shoes or trainers and your body.  A 30-45mins dance session will definitely get you drenched!

4.    STAIR CLIMBING -Got stairs in your house or work place? Climb it! This is another great exercise I use as part of a circuit routine if I am doing a home workout. You can run or simply walk up and down the stairs for 25-30mins every day. Trust me, that heart rate will be going off the roof by the time you are half way done! There are so many workouts you can do with the stairs (triceps dip for arms, calf raises, jump-box, lunges etc) Also, opt for the stairs instead of the elevator next time

5.  SWIMMING -This is a great workout too. Unfortunately, I do not swim because I am hydrophobic. If you are not, then this will be a good for losing weight fast. People afraid of water like me can opt to aqua-jog. This simply means walking in the water with your feet touching the pool floor if you do not have the blue belt on. With the belt on, you can walk the length and breadth of the pool without your feet touch. The resistance the water gives your legs makes for a great workout. I have tried it a couple of times and I was SORE for days.

My 100 Circuit

“Oh ella I am not a beginner and I still want something I can do at home” I heard you. There are thousands of workouts online (no you tube needed so don’t complain about your data yet lol) You can try out one of my favorite home workout.  I call it ‘The 100 circuit’ and it will get your heart racing! The internet and social media is going crazy now with the fit life so there are millions free workout posts online. If you are ok with going on You-tube, I will recommend the following favorites of mine- 

• Jillian Michaels
• Lesllie Sansone
• Fitness Blender
• Palva Perfectleanbody

Remember, whether you are a beginner or at the intermediary level, the idea is to simply get moving frequently, establish a daily or weekly routine and build pace and confidence. It will also help if you add at least five minutes of easy stretch exercises at the end of your session.

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

FIRST, MY STORY...

New year, new things….

A year ago I never imagined I would be doing what I am doing now, let alone be writing about it.  A year ago I never thought I would get to a point where i would become passionate about living healthy or helping someone else become healthy.  Ha! Who would have thought? My weight-loss journey has been a very long and emotional one and writing about it means sharing a sensitive part of me with the world.  Shortly I will share how I came around to starting my weight-loss process but first of all let me explain why I have decided to blog about it.

The past few months a lot of people, especially ladies, ask me so many weight-loss related questions and in trying to answer them the best way I can, I realize that a lot of them are clueless, ignorant or have simply soaked up in myths about weight-loss. Sometimes I find it difficult to reach out to everyone who sends in their questions because of my tight schedule. So I decided to create a section on this blog which I will use to cover a broad range of topics regarding weight-loss. I do realize I will be putting myself in the spotlight by doing this but having given it a good thought, I decided it is best to share what I do with other women who are struggling with their weight especially in Nigeria. I still have a long way to go but I have also come a long way and I believe my experiences so far will help someone decide to hop on this fit wagon or help someone struggling with their journey.

I will like to emphatically state that I am NOT a nutritionist, weight-loss expert or professional health coach or trainer. Whatever I share over time will strictly be what I do that works for me. It can be used as a guide especially for people who are just starting out ; but I encourage everyone to do their own research and find what works for them because everyone is different.  I intend to share recipes of healthy meals (Nigerian foods especially) that I make, my workout routines, how I stay motivated and generally any other things that comes with my journey.  if there are any other aspects of weight-loss anyone is interested in seeing me discuss, please drop your comments below or send me a message directly and I will try to be as honest as possible

so here’s my story:

THE BEGINNING - I grew up as the chubby kid, chubby friend, chubby

R: Me in 2012 during my NYSC,  L: Me in Dec 2015

schoolmate…wait, who am I kidding? I was FAT! Lol.  I was constantly taunted about my weight and to make matters worse I was blessed with big hips and a generous behind. It was called baby fat as a kid and all the adults then said “she will outgrow it” Well I didn’t. Fast forward to when I had to stay at home for a year waiting to get into the university and the baby fat graduated to obesity. This time around people said “not everyone is meant to be slim” At 17 years I weighed about 75kg and by the time I finished university at 23 years I weighed over 100kg! I am barely 5ft 3" so you can imagine how all that weight made me look like - ROUND

Don’t get it wrong, I did try so many times to lose weight (especially trying fad diets and taking all manner of pills or concoctions) but somehow I piled it on again and I gave up so easily when I wasn’t seeing results fast.

MY EYE OPENER- In June 2014, after series of tests in the UK I was diagnosed with poly-cystic ovarian syndrome popularly called PCOS That was the first time I was hearing about it and I was truly afraid. Thankfully I was told it wasn’t cancerous or deadly but it messes up with a woman’s hormones. Sadly, one of the side effects of PCOS is USUAL WEIGHT GAIN and guess what? There is NO CURE for it. However, I was told that it could only be managed by losing weight. Hello???? How can I lose weight when the damn thing makes me gain weight? Of course this means that any effort to lose weight will be fought and I will have to put in twice the effort a normal person puts in. Phew! Was I ready for this stress? I took about two weeks to think about this and I eventually decided to try it out.

I began my weight loss journey in July 2014 weighing over 125kg and with a BMI of 49 screaming OBESITY. I decided I wanted a faster method so I went with the Cambridge diet –just another sophisticated fad diet if you ask me. This diet involves not eating any regular food but their shakes and soup. I really don’t know how I survived the 2months I signed up for but I managed to and lost a whooping 18kg in just those 9weeks! Yea the feeling of victory was good and I was beginning to love the new me. But it was short lived.

In September 2014 I lost my dad suddenly. That loss was unbearable and I was in a huge shock. I became depressed and by March 2015 I had automatically gained nearly all the weight back (about 13-15kg) 

GETTING IT RIGHT- April 2015 I decided to start all over again but this time the right way. I began to read about the best and effective way to shed weight without gaining it back. I wanted something sustainable. My research told me it was exercise and eating healthy! Of course I thought that meant not eating certain foods but I was wrong. I realized I could eat ANYTHING and still get results. I saw people on social media (Instagram doing it and I wanted to do it badly too).  I started out by jogging for about 45mins – an hour, 4-5 days a week then later registered in a gym. I later discovered the benefits of weight lifting and I incorporated that into my routine. NO, weight training doesn’t make a woman look like a man (topic for another day lol). 

My workout now includes cardio and weight training 5-6 days a week.  I changed my method of cooking and way of eating- I eat small portions, I eat less processed foods, use little or no oil to cook even my soups or stew, avoided simple carbs, eat more complex carbs, lean protein, vegetables and tons of water!  Like the popular sayings – WEIGHT LOSS IS 70% WHAT YOU EAT AND 30% WORKOUT and ABS ARE MADE IN THE KITCHEN.

PROGRESS- so far I have lost over 29kg bringing my weight to 95kg. I know PCOS slows down my progress but I am still happy with how far I have come. I have another 20kg to go but I will be taking it one day at a time.

CURRENT PROGRESS- 125kg Versus 95kg

I want someone reading this who has lost hope about losing weight to know that it is still possible!

I want women to realize that there is no magic about weight-loss, you simply need to put in work and get results!

I want someone to know that you can enjoy yourself and still lose weight. No need for the strenuous restrictions we hear about.

Is it easy? NO. but is it doable? YES! Will it be worth it? Oh YES!!

**P.S- you can follow my journey on Instagram for daily motivation, my daily workout routines, meals  and struggles (@ella_az) 

ELLA