Exercise: No Pain, No Gain.

      The benefits of exercise can never be over emphasized. Anyone who plans to attain healthy weight loss must include an exercise regimen of some sort. Regular exercise not only aids weight loss, it also promotes heart health, prevents disease, improves flexibility and balance, enhances physical strength and promotes mental awareness.
           Exercise also improves emotional health as it releases endorphins, which are "feel good " chemicals, in your brain. this helps you feel energized and renewed.  I can attest to this because while on my weight loss program, I was also preparing for my bar exams. Exercising everyday helped me keep a clear head and contributed in  keeping anxiety away. It helped me maintain a "can do" attitude and I felt like I could take on the world.

        Jogging to the gym every morning gave me an amazing feeling of freedom and accomplishment and a wonderful sense of mental well being. Exercise became fun for me and that was another reason why I was able to reach my goal.

       I know that fitting an exercise regimen into your busy schedule is not really easy but you have to try. To lose weight, you need at least 120 minues of aerobic activity every week. Aerobic exercises include walking, jogging, running, swimming, cycling etc.

      Join a gym if you can but if not, you can take walks around your neighborhood or climb the stairs at work. Just do whatever you can to be active. You can start with 10 minute strolls and slowly increase your pace and the time spent. You can also do muscle toning exercises like sit-ups,squats etc.

             Let me assure you that doing sit-ups alone will not get rid of your bulging stomach. That bulging stomach is a sign that your stomach muscles have been covered by a layer of fat. You need to first of all burn that fat with aerobic exercise before sit-ups can work on toning your muscles.

          Also, don't think you can eat as much as you like and then exercise for one hour and it's all good. Weight loss is mostly about what you eat. Exercise aids the weight loss process but it's not the major determining factor.
         On that note, please ensure that you find an exercise regimen that works for you today. Nothing good comes easy so you must put in the work to lose the weight. As an old gym instructor of mine used to say, "No Pain, No Gain". Take care.


                                                                     Love Always...
                                                                              Jay...

Don't Starve Yourself!

      

                
          It would seem that the logical thing to do when you want to lose weight is to starve yourself right? Wrong! Starving yourself might lead to temporary weight loss but you'll be miserable and you'll gain it all back and quickly. I learnt this lesson the hard way.
    
                      On one of my unsuccessful weight loss attempts, I thought that starving was the way to go. I lost weight quite alright but I ended up with such an appetite that I gained back all the weight I lost and some more too.
     
                     I was always hungry and whenever it was time for me to finally eat, I would devour the food like a lion. This was why when I stopped the diet, all the weight I had lost came back on.
                 
           Starving yourself is counter-productive to weight loss attempts. When you starve yourself, your body sends a message to your brain that you're in starvation mode. Then both of them gang up on you and prevent you from losing weight and even if you do, they'll make the process painfully slow.
               
                

           Weight loss experts advise that to optimize weight loss, you should eat 3 healthy medium sized meals a day and 2 healthy snacks. Eating more frequently speeds up your metabolism and makes you burn the fat faster.
                
           Also, with regular meals spread out this way, you're less likely to get hungry and less likely to over eat. The emphasis however, is on healthy meals in medium sized portions. If you eat 5 enormous meals a day, you're on your own. Lol.
                 
              The key to achieving your goal is in enjoying as much of the journey as you can. Losing weight is challenging but there's no need for you to be miserable while doing it so don't starve yourself! I'll be seeing you...

                                                                       Love Always...
                                                                              Jay...

It's Just Food!!!

   

         Now we're getting to the scary part. Lol. You didn't exactly expect to lose weight while still eating a whole bucket of ice cream did you? There's no healthy way to lose weight that doesn't involve re-evaluating your food choices. The most essential way to drop the kilos quick is to adjust your diet.

        The day before I began my fitness program, I decided I was going to "celebrate". Kinda like what some men do at Bachelor parties. It was the last time I was going to be able to eat as I liked for a while and I was determined to savor it. Just before I set out to buy the pack of shortbread biscuits I planned to eat all alone, it sunk into my head that I was sending a very wrong message to my body. I was telling my body that it was about to go into suffering and deprivation.

        The thing about the human body is that it doesn't like to be deprived. This is why it's not easy to lose weight in the first place.Your body realizes what you're trying to do and it struggles to keep the fat. I knew that if I ate that pack of shortbread that day, I wouldn't reach my goal because my body would have freed itself from the suffering and deprivation I made it believe it was under.

       That mentality would have made it very diffcult for me to succeed. It would have sapped my willpower and weakened my determination.The human mind is a powerful thing and if not properly programmed, it would stand in your way to success.

        Instead of buying shortbread that day, I stayed at home and sunk it into my head that my weight loss program wasn't a punishment, rather it would be of tremendous benefit to me. I convinced myself that the days would be just like regular days. The most important thing I told myself that day was that "It's Just Food!"

       Think about it, if you don't eat a doughnut in two months, will you die? NO! Because it's just food! We give food too much control over us and the fact is that we're the ones in control. This realization gave me immense strength. It was the reason why I could watch my friends eating whatever they wanted without as much as a flinch.  It's the reason why I can turn down soft drinks and why I can now do without shortbread. It's the reason why I achieved my weight loss goal and why I enjoyed every minute of it.  

      If you want to succeed on this journey, you need to realize that food is just food. You are supposed to eat to live not live to eat. You can do without those fattening foods. They don't control you. You're the one in charge. Food has no mind. It is inanimate.The ice cream can not call your name and that doughnut can not force itself into your mouth. You have been given the power of choice so take charge and realize that " It is Just Food!" Stay strong.

 

                                                                                 Love Always...

                                                                                        Jay...

Fail To Plan, Plan To Fail

        A goal without a plan is just a wish. The same is true of a weight loss goal. If you're going to succeed in your quest to lose weight, you must have a plan.  Before I embarked on my weight loss journey, I spent about three weeks planning. I decided on my goal size, mapped out  my exercise schedule and my meal times among other things. I made sure that I was mentally and physically prepared for the task ahead and this was a major factor in my success.
       You'll need a weight loss plan too. How many kilos do you want to lose? What time frame do you have in mind? When will you be able to exercise ? You need to be realistic in setting your goal so you don't get frustrated. You didn't put on all that weight overnight so don't expect it to disappear suddenly.
       In deciding your goal size, I suggest you find someone who is a much slimmer version of your specific body shape and keep a picture of that person. This will give you a clearer image of what you're aiming towards. There are three main body shapes: pear, apple and hourglass.

         

The pear shaped person is significantly bigger on the bottom than they are on top for example, Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez. I am pear shaped and of average height so Beyonce was a much better model for me . A pear shaped person who is not as tall as Beyonce can use J.Lo as a model.

      

The apple shaped person is bigger on top than they are on the bottom and they tend to gather weight around the mid-section and upper body. Jennifer Hudson would be a suitable model for this body type.

  

 People with the hourglass shape are equally endowed both on the bottom and on top. For example, if On Air Personality ToolzO( pictured below) wanted to lose weight, Kim Kardashian would be a suitable model for her because they both fall into the hourglass category.
                                               

            

Make no mistake though, this is not to make you compare your body with another's and try to be like them. You are unique. There is no other body exactly like yours in the whole world. What you are going to do is create a better, slimmer version of yourself not become a mimic of someone else.

They are just symbols to help you envision the destination you have in mind.
So, that being said, if you don't have a plan, now's the time to make one. Take your time because the more detailed your plan is, the stronger the chances are that you'll stick to it. Remember, he who fails to plan, plans to fail. I hope you found this helpful. Until next time.

                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                              Love Always...
                                                                                                                  Jay...

 

Where There's a Will There's a Way

       The most important attribute you'll need when you want to lose weight is determination. Weight loss is no easy task and you have to make up your mind to run the race to the end no matter the obstacles or distractions. Like I said earlier, I tried to lose weight a number of times but I didn't succeed until my mind was firmly made up.                    
       The major challenge you'll face  will be discouragement from the people close to you. Most of them actually mean well but even well meaning comments can count as distractions. When I embarked on my weight loss journey, people said all sorts of things. " You won't be pretty anymore", "You're not meant to be slim", " Your bum will go flat" and so on.
      I was very frightened by their predictions  but I was determined to press on and hope for the best outcome and I didn't regret my decision. Not only did my looks improve, my figure became even better and all the naysayers became believers. If you're going to do anything worthwhile in life, sometimes you'll have to walk alone. Your belief in yourself  and your abilities is very important.
     As you embark on this journey, there will be obstacles and many times you'll feel like giving up but you have to maintain your focus. I had times like that too but I kept my eye on the prize. I reminded myself of all I stood to gain from reaching my goal. Better fitting clothes, increased confidence and renewed physical and mental strength.
     To further help me in those times, I kept pictures of people who had lost a remarkable amount of weight. People who were much bigger than me and became much slimmer than me. I also read their stories and drew inspiration from them. I suggest you do so too. Examples are: Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks and Star Jones to mention a few. Just google "Remarkable weight loss stories" and you'll get a wealth of information. This is just to encourage you and assure you that if they did it, you can too.
       On that note, I implore you to be strong and to be determined. You will reach your goal, for where there's a will, there's a way.

                                                                                                                              Love Always...

                                                                                                                               Jay...
      

Fat Is The Enemy!!!

         My struggle with my weight began at a young age.I was born into a big family and I've made peace with the fact that I'll always be relatively big. I'm not an advocate of being bone thin. I love my curves and I love having flesh. But flesh does not translate to excess fat.
        I developed my bad eating habits at childhood as I'm sure did most of us. I have a sweet tooth, absolutely love biscuits and the largely carbohydrate Nigerian diet does not help matters. The real problem started when I was in Secondary School. I went to a military school and every term was tasking. We were also fed very little when  I first got in so whenever we went on holiday, I'd overeat cos I knew good food was a luxury I wouldn't be able to afford  in school.
       This all worked well and fine for me when I was a junior because I was regularly subjected to rigorous activities so all the weight would come off within 2 weeks of resumption. However, when I became a senior, there was no one to bug me  so the weight began to pile on . One fateful summer , my mum took a long trip and it was junk galore for my older brother and I. The consequences  were enormous. By the time my mum got back, I had put on so much weight that she told me " Better do something about this,I won't beg anyone to marry you o". And so the struggle began.
      After that, I tried diet  after diet to no avail. I lost a little weight along the line but I ended up gaining it back with interest. Eventually, I gave up. I told myself that I didn't mind being overweight and with this rationalization, I abandoned my quest.
      A few years later, my aunt came to live with us. She was obese and she was battling diabetes, cancer and hypertension. She  died in my room, on my bed. She was one of the most amazing people  I'd ever known and fat killed her.
      That was a major turning point for me. I decided that fat was not going to get the better of me. I was gonna keep fighting it and I was gonna win. I lost a huge chunk of weight while in Uni and I lost even more in law school. Today, I'm slimmer than I've ever been, I look younger than I did at 18 and I'm much healthier.
       When  I posted my before and after pictures, I had people asking me how I did it. I gave as much advice as I could but it didn't feel like it was enough. Then I made the decision to start this blog. Through this medium, I can narrate my journey, the ups and downs and explain what helped me lose weight and what didn't. I can also explain weight loss from a Nigerian perspective while on a diet of Nigerian food. I'm not a fitness expert and different things work for different people but I hope  that what worked for me will work for you too.
       That being said, I hope we have a fruitful journey with many success stories. This is not an attempt to make you thin, it's an attempt to help you stay healthy. Fat is the enemy! Let's fight it together. God bless you all.

                                                                                                                                                               Love Always...
                                                                                                                                                                Jay...