Should I say I haven’t known where to start this my weight loss waka (journey)? In all honesty, I just have not been ready to put in the work. How can I not eat what I like, in the quantity I like when I am sad, hurting, confused and/or angry? I need the food to cheer me up naaa. Bloody lie! Food isn’t the answer Mrs X. (Wow.. the answer had better be as delicious as my own cuisine o).

Anyway, It’s August 1, and I have decided to start afresh. I can still look back in December, and be proud of me if I start working at a new me now. I have decided to eat cleaner, exercise, pray about my future more, complain less, and take time to listen for God’s voice in the midst of my confusion and desperation.

To kick off my weight loss, there are some things I need to remember, and I will share them with you, in case you (yes you!) wish to go on this journey with me.

1. Nothing good comes from dreaming, fantasizing, and not working. Proverbs 12:11 tells me that those who chase fantasies have no sense. Choi!
2. As the King’s daughter, I am supposed to pay attention to what I eat, drink, and what I do. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says that whatever I eat, drink or do, should all be to God’s glory. Hmmm….WWJD (What will Jesus do?)
3. In my paying attention to what I eat in order to lose weight, there are some basic numbers I need to know. I should know how many calories to be eating, and how many to be burning.

I have found that 1 pound of fat= 3500 calories approximately. What this means for me is that if I eat 3500 calories more than I burn, I will gain 1 pound. (For you my kg people, 1kg=2.2pounds)

Based on my Basic Metabolic Rate(BMR), I know that living a life with no exercise, I burn about 2000 calories daily (There are free BMR calculators online). To maintain my current weight, I need to multiply my BMR by my activity factor to know how many calories to be eating. (This factor is 1.2 for sedentary living). Therefore, I should be eating about 2400 calories to maintain my weight. You think it’s a lot abi. Ok o. Just wait and see. 3 slices of bread, two eggs, hot chocolate come to almost 800 calories. A bag of plantain chips is 250 calories. One is not enough abeg, so let’s say 2. That’s 500 calories. Lunch is White rice, stew, chicken and dodo, and how could I forget coke! That meal on it’s own in the quantity I like is over 1000 calories. Calories don finish before dinner and my “post Mr.X’s bedtime” snack be dat o 🙁 The struggle is real.

Back to all my mathematical speech and formula (chei…I am smart sha. How come I didn’t ever get an A+ in math???), If I wish to lose 10 pounds a month, I am saying I want to let go of 35000 calories. What do I then have to do to burn this humongous amount of calories????

I need to drastically reduce what I eat, I also need to take exercise seriously. If I have 35000 calories to burn in a month, this means I have to burn 35000/30= 1167 calories daily. Ha! how now????Na to dey drink water dey go be dat o (All I can consume is water).

The only ways to burn anything close, are through an intentionally active lifestyle, and through carefully selecting what I eat, measuring, and controlling my portions. If I cut 800 calories out of my diet, and dance everyday for an hour, I will burn the elusive 1167 calories. Ok now! let’s go there.

I know it’s all easier said than done, but i think I am ready to do this. It is time to stop pitying myself, and start changing things I don’t like in my life, one thing at a time! 🙂 This month, I put my weight in next highest priority after rekindling my love life with my heavenly father.

All through this month, I will remember Proverbs 14:23 which says ” All hard work brings a profit (weight loss), but mere talk leads only to poverty ( weight gain, and poor health).

It is time to deliberately start working at living the life I love, no matter my location or circumstances. My morning has come. Still I rise! 🙂 🙂 🙂