Skimmed Milk or Full Cream?

“@weightloss9ja, skimmed milk doesn’t work, I have been taking it since last year and I have still not lost any weight, why?……Whao! back up! Who said skimmed milk will help you lose weight?

Theres is a lot of debate as to which milk is better “skimmed” or “whole”, some researchers have argued that whole milk is better than the skimmed version based on some scientific “abracadabra”. But I do know that skimmed milk helped a lot in the initial stage of my weightloss.  In all honesty, Skimmed milk doesn’t have any ingredient that directly contributes to weight loss but il take it over whole milk when it comes to dieting.  I swapped all my full cream powdered milk for marvel skimmed milk and my cornflakes for kspecial and weetabix, and I watched the number on my weight scale go down.

 Skimmed milk has less calories and almost no fat as compared to full cream milk and it contains more protein which makes sense when you are trying to cut down calories. if you consume less calories than you should, you will lose weight, Cutting your calories intake gradually will lead to weightloss and subtle changes like this will go way and you won’t even know you are on a diet.

The only problem I had with it was its taste, but there are different brands with different taste, even dano now has its skimmed powered version or you could go for the liquid fresh skimmed milk. my new favourite is the "Emborg"

fresh skimmed milk in the picture, you could try out different brand and find one you are comfortable with

More importantly is what you take with it, you can’t pour a cup of skimmed milk into a bowl of double coated frosties and expect to lose weight, and you also have to make subtle cereal changes. Im a kspecial fan, you could go for whole wheat cereal if you like, just eat healthy

Did make sense? Tell me what you think

Lose Weight by Eating your Meat First!

Remember how we used to get flogged for eating the meat before finish our food, I got alot of lashes for that one, but Guess what?! I just discovered how that habit can help with weightloss, its another trick for the weightloss trick book, and I thought I will tell you guys about it. Have you noticed how your meat or fish or whatever garnishing you put on your plate determines the extent to which you eat and what quantity. Most times it’s the anticipation of the turkey and the fact that we want to save the best for the last that keeps you eating long after we passed our filled up point. It has to become a culture for us Nigerians to eat our meat or chicken last , we drag the “dodo” or egg and make sure we finish it with rice and then congratulate stomach and mouth for the effort it put into eating by eating the meat last.

Since most times, in our subconscious, the end of the garnishing means end of food, it means we can cheat our brains into believing we have finished eating by ensuring the meat goes early and the dodo disappears before the rice finishes. so try this for a while and see if it works, eat your meat as soon as you start to eat your food and try not to stretch it out, the idea is to ensure all the garnishing is gone before the food itself. It makes it boring.

Trust me guys, this trick works!

Try it and tell me what you think!

Cheat Your Brain and Lose weight! BE SMART!

Don’t take sugar

Don’t take soda

Don’t eat past 7:00pm

Don’t eat more than a fist full of food…blah…blah…blah…blah

The list is endless, It’s almost like they are asking us blind our eyes and padlock our mouths just so we lose weight.

Losing an enormous amount of weight, I have figured out ways we can cheat our brain, keep the bad habit and still lose weight. First, I’m a drink person, and you all know that one of the rules to lose weight is cutting out the most drinks right?. Think of it this way, what if you don’t have to cut out the drinks? Do I have your attention yet? What if all you had to do is be smart?

The typical way we take our drink/bereavage is with the food right? One spoon, one gulp- atleast that’s how I’ve seen most Nigerians people do it. I’m not about to tell you not to take that coke - which is the right thing to do-for the sake of those who haven’t mastered the act of discipline, I’m going to tell you a trick…

When setting your table of soda and food, include water to the mix, or if you want to have tea with that bread, have a bottle of water close by. here is the trick, if you really must take a drink with your meal, make it your goal to finish the drink before you reach half of your plate or better still drink the tea or coke before you even start eating and drink the water if you still want to, The reason for this is simple. I have said, countless times, that calorie reduction is a easy way to weight loss, by finishing your drink before your food, you will realize that finishing that food will be a problem, there wouldn’t be that much space left in your stomach. By this you have killed two birds with one stone. First, you have satisfied your unhealthy hunger for a drink and you have reduced the amount of food you’ve eaten

Lets do a little maths, assuming on a regular you have a bottle of coke(150 calories) with a plate(1 cup) of white rice and stew(about 300 calories) on the average that’s about 450calories right? Following my trick, you would finish your coke first(150 calories) and about half your rice(150 calories) you have just saved 150 calories, following this trend, you will definitely lose weight

Don’t get too happy, in the end, you will still have to cut out the habit if you want to lose all of that weight, you can’t trick your brain for too long, it will catch on!. This trick will help at your early weight loss stage.

Tell me what you think, leave a comment

9 Secrets to a Flat Tummy

Following my last post, these are your first steps to getting a flat tummy

     

1) Try not to eat until you tummy is pushing out: we can already the food, Eating till we can see the shape of the food is outlined in your stomach is definitely not the way. Have you noticed your belly is usually flat when you get out of bed in the mornings or when you havent eaten all day. if you try to maintain a belly shape, its only a matter of time before your belly actually assumes the shape.

2)   Replace "WHITE" with "BROWN": this is the first time in a world of racial discrimination that it is generally accepted that "Brown" is better than "white". Here in 9ja, most of our food is full of carbs hence our large and proud bellys. White bread, white rice, flour spaghetti, garri, yam e.t.c are all major culprit in belly fat. While it is almost difficult to eliminate entirely the consumption of these food type, i advice you reduce it, replace it with the healthier version and sometimes alternate. Thankfully we now have brown rice, whole grain spaghetti, whole grain bread, and wheat swallow in Nigeria

3)    Say no to Gas: all gassy/frizzy drinks(coke, fanta, lacasera, etc) contain carbonated water which is directly linked with bloated stomach. Instead, drink water flavored with lemon, lime, or cucumber. Or just reduce the number of fizzy drinks you consume each day and watch your belly deflate.

4)    A little less salt: Salt will not stop weight loss, but it can stall it. Sodium makes your body retain water. When you eat too much salt, you may see the scale go up a few pounds. Conversely, when you significantly reduce salt intake, you'll lose a few pounds as your body expels the water it was retaining. The weight you lose, however, is regained once you resume eating foods with salt. 
  salt really has no direct link to fat loss, however, the water retention in the body making you look bloated. with a consistent consumption of salt, you will eventually be bloated

5)     No alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol can cause your body to burn off 36 percent less fat, lead your body to store more fat from food, and inhibit hormones that help your body burn fat and create muscle. Another vice that contributes to belly fat is smoking. With each extra cigarette you smoke, you are at increased risk of storing abdominal fat as opposed to thigh or hip fat

6)  Eat More Protein. Protein has a higher thermic effect than other foods: your body burns more energy processing proteins than it does processing carbs and fat. That's why high protein diets work great at burning your belly fat.

7)    Eat Healthy: if you eat junk food all day, you won't lose your belly fat. Try eating healthy. Example of healthy food

Proteins. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, turkey, chicken, milk, beans …

Veggies. Spinach, broccoli, salad, cabbage, pumpkin leaf, garlic, onion, carrot…

Fruits. Banana, orange, apple, pineapple, peers, berries, mango, ...

Fats. Olive oil, fish oil, nuts(groundut, almonds, kolanuts etc)…

Carbs. Brown rice, oats, whole grain pasta, whole …

8)    Exercise: first understand that you cant spot reduce, meaning you cant target a particular spot on your body to lose fat, you can only target to build muscles. So, to lose that layer of belly fat, you have to exercise your entire body. A simple brisk walking, or jogging or skipping will do the trick. I know it is hard to exercise in our 9ja centric environment, but I have found a way to sneak exercise in.......click to find out how

9)    Suck it in: This is perhaps the easiest and most looked over secret. The surest way to get that flat tummy sharp sharp! You can even try this now

     Always stand straight, Suck in your stomach so your belly button is drawn towards your spine. While your stomach is sucked in, do not hold your breath just keep breathing normally. You will know that you are doing this properly when you begin to feel a minor burning sensation in the deep stomach

Do this as often as you walk; it is the way I got my belly flat. So get busy guys!

Dont forget to leave a comment...

"Sit up" is not the Way!

 It was a long time ago the big tummies was a sign of good living, now, its just a sign of gluttony and lack of exercise and while the first reaction to reduce belly fat is usually to sit on a mat and start the forceful and almost impossible act of pulling yourself up to a sitting position, hoping that in a couple of months you will be showing your abs...wash!  not gon happen. Its like trying to cure a headache with an anti-fungal cream...

Before you jump on your mat, and ask Tolu to hold your legs please understand that Sit ups or crunches DONT burn fat, they only define your muscles. So whats the point of having a defined muscle tone if there will be a layer of fat covering it? you have to first lose the fat covering your stomach muscle before you begin to see any results for the exercise you do and especially since after we do the 200sit ups, we celebrate with 3packs on noodles and wonder why the flat tummy is playing hide and seek.

flat belly is the "in" thing and to me, it makes sense because no matter your size, your stomach size is a major determining factor of how good you look in what you wear. if you have a clearly defend waistline, regardless of how big you are, you are definitely hot! Besides, i have come to realize that the size of your stomach is directly related to the amount of folds you have on your back which is the thin line between "fab" and "flabby". Everyone knows this, the problem however is how to get the elusive abs.

while i am not  condemning all abdominal exercises(sit-ups, Crunches, reverse crunches, bicycles etc), it shouldnt be your first step, especially if you have a large blanket of fat covering your stomach. Your first step is to get rid of that blanket! So I am going to let you in on some secrets to getting your belly flat....click here!!!

Dont forget to leave a comment

1

lose that holiday weight!

Ahn ahn, rice, dodo, efo, iyan...omo! I declare today a ‘weightloss holiday’ Tomorrow, I will watch my weight!

Just when you're finally getting your weight under control, boom! It's the holidays, and food is everywhere. I can never understand the thing with Nigerians and rice, it’s almost like if there is no rice, the party hasn’t started. I fear that at this rate, its only a matter of before chickens become extinct!

Oh the birthdays, house parties, events, clubbing and do not forget, the owanbe’s, how on earth are we supposed to watch our weight when everyone seems to be getting married in December?

Fear not guys, for I will not sit here and tell you to hold your breath through the holidays to avert temptation but rather to fall into temptation with dignity! Instead of eating 10pieces of fried meat like you normally do during the holidays, try eating 5 instead or even better 2 and walk away, at least you ate meat right? Another tip to minimizing the weight gain during the party season is ‘never arrive at the party hungry” eat before you leave your house, that way, you can reduce the over-indulgence at the party buffet

The biggest problem when trying to lose holiday weight is that the holiday routine becomes “normal.” In other words, you continue buying the ice cream and cake long after zenith bank has removed its Christmas decoration. While it’s okay to add a little weight during the holidays, do not forget to get it off immediately after the holidays. Don’t be found 20days after the holidays still carrying that weight around, if not, you’ll just keep piling on the weight. The holiday is over, let it be over with your mouth and belly too and work on getting back to your pre-holiday weight

Did you pick up an habit during the holidays? Drop it!, do you now have to take a bottle of coke after every meal? Stop it!  or do you still have the chocolates your cousin from canada brought back home for the holidays? Give it out! While you are at it, Cut out the late night eating too…

Stop over eating. First cut out the junk, remember that the holiday is over, next is to try to reduce the amount of food on your plate each time you eat, try not to eat until your belly is swollen. Instead of sitting around feeling stuffed and uncomfortable after a big meal, get up and walk around.

 Drink lots of water.  The importance of water cannot be over-emphasized. Although, water is not associated with direct weightloss, it still has an important role to play in metabolism and portion control  Drink a full 8-oz glass of water when you first get up in the morning, before every meal, and before you go to bed at night.  Another little trick is to take a drink of water between every bite of food.  All of this will help you to eat less and improve your digestion too. Also try lacing your water with lime incase drinking that much water get to boring. Say goodbye to the alcohol for a while please

Exercise! I know that right after the holidays is work work work! So there is really no time to exercise, but there are a couple of exercise you do even while you are work!: pull your seat back and squat even while you are working or maintain a good sitting posture, Sit up straight, and breathe, Try Pulling in your belly. Hold for 8-10 seconds, and repeat several times. Stretch your upper body as far as you can. Try walking around during your break time. But if you can make out time, take advantage of this and lose that holiday weight

The problem with holiday weight gain is that people don’t remember to lose it afterwards. The key is to get back to your old, successful eating routine immediately.

Don't forget to leave a comment...

The wrong way to lose weight (Part 1)

2:00pm….3 more hours, 2:45pm….2hrs 15mins to go, arrrghhhh! something is wrong with the clock!

 It had become a daily painful habit to count down till I allow myself to eat. The wrong thought the being overweight was brought on by overeating caused me to cut down my food intake and painfully rearrange my eating habit. First, I cut out the late-night munching, then reduced my daily meals from 3 to 2 and began to take long walks for exercise.  It wasn’t long before I began to get the “are you sick” comments from people, which only meant whatever I was doing was working. Taking a step further, I started to eat just once daily and my weight fell off rapidly. The best part was the worried look on my mother’s face which only reinforced my anorexic mission and reduced my food intake to naught and yes, the weight kept falling.

However, my joy was short lived, it got to the point I was eating almost nothing but wasn’t losing weight as fast as I should. As the days dragged on and my starving much more serious, my daily thought and nightly dreams became dominated by food and day after day, I would fight the urge to eat in the hopes of losing more weight but still, the number on the scale till did not drop fast enough. After reaching a certain weight milestone, I decided to take a break and eat a little. I gained 5pounds(10kg) within a week and had to starve myself for two months to get it off! . It wasn’t fun anymore; I was starving to death and the weight scale seemed stuck. Something was definitely wrong because the less you eat, the more you lose the weight right? Wrong….

 I figured out after a lot of research that I had been going about it the wrong way and had succeeded in killing my metabolism which only injured my quest to lose weight. I’ll tell you how it works, but first you have to understand the terms in simple “English”

Metabolism: the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy

BMR: Basal Metabolic Rate; The number of calories it would take just to lie in bed all day.

 it represents the amount of energy, usually measured in calories, that your body must burn to keep itself alive while you are at rest and not digesting any food. This varies for different people and could also depend on

Body size and composition: Overweight people are more likely to have a faster metabolic rate — not a slower one.

Sex: Men burn more calories than women of the same age

Age: The older you get, the less calories you burn

It is important to understand that  Even when you're at rest, your body needs energy for functions such as breathing, circulating blood and repairing cells meaning that every single thing you do — from breathing to eating to sleeping — burns calories

That being said, my point is the human brain's first priority is survival, meaning that if you skip meals, your brain receives the starvation signal and hence conserves whatever little food you eat, so instead of burning calories, your body is saving calories and the way it does this is by slowing down your metabolism.

Inotherwords, "Your body is trying to protect you from starvation. Once you start eating normally again, you have a metabolic rebound, and your body tries to hold on to every calorie you eat."

While starving myself, over time, my body adapted to my lifestyle and built a tolerance. Its no wonder I wasn’t losing any weight.

After many months of falling face down on my weight loss goals, i finally have a solution...........

To prevent metabolic rebound, set a realistic goal of losing weight at a rate of about one pound(0.5kg) a week. Remember that one pound of fat is equal to about 3,500 calories, and you need to cut that amount from your diet — or burn it off through exercise — to lose one pound. "That means if you cut back on 500 calories each day, you can lose that 1 pound(0.5kg) a week without shocking your metabolism,"

 Starving actually has the opposite effect over time............

Don't forget to leave a comment...