My Waisted Journey

My name is Florence married to a loving husband, mother of 3 lovely kids and a loser!  I decided to venture into blogging seeing that my weight loss has inspired people to take control of their lives and tussle it back from unhealthy lifestyles and to turn to be the change they need.

slender me in 2008

In my 20s, I had a slim figure but as I got older and life grew busier, I slowly put on “happily married” pounds! :) But I just honestly had no idea how to really lose weight. My pants were getting snug and my “loose jeans” had become “skinny jeans”, but didn’t think I was almost obese. No clothe fits me (may be in my head) and could rarely find good trendy clothes my size. Then I became depressed (for years), obesity induced! I have always had a carefree life but as weight crawling in I was stressed, grumpy and bickering, sad and sulky. I go to bed feeling bad and wake up feeling bad just name it though I couldn’t tell certainly I was depressed.

I needed some relief, a bit of the “me” I used to know but couldn’t even figure out anymore. I needed my “back new life” (carefree) like a late friend used to describe me, my joy, euphoria and freedom. I wanted it all back but just didn’t know how to get back the old me.

You see, I was at my biggest UK size 20, bulging tummy (looked 6 months pregnant), big cheeks, big boobs, huge thigh, the stereotypical "orobo" with “aka Christian mother” (flabby arms). A former colleague tormented my life with “madam is pregnant” he thought I was pregnant! Well I don’t blame him because i was always looking tired and “dragged my feet” in my duties plus the big tummy. Anyways I was FAT. I was active up to a limit that is if walking from my bedroom to my fridge for leftover food or whatever I can lay my hands on meant activity just satisfy my hunger binge. I was LAZY but when it comes to food, I don’t have problem cooking them, not prep o! I was the female version of “Chidi afo nri” (glutton) mixed with “kama o ga dolu n’ite ka o dolu na afo” (no leftover food; all must be eaten).

 

I had lost interest in partying, going out, and everyone who truly wanted to see me was invited to come meet me at home as I couldn’t drag myself away from my bed (yeah I’m always in bed LOL) long enough to go out visiting. I avoided photo shoots like a disease because to me it’s an evidence of my situation but if I had to, I it must be from my chest up. I stopped taking care myself and making up only few times when I’m in the mood. I decided I had enough and it was time to change my life; I needed something that would help me get back on track, boost my energy and finally lose weight without looking deprived and hungry.

  

In august 2013, I registered with a gym and started workouts and by December, the weight still won’t bulge! (bad diet + exercise = no result). 

I was unhappy and frustrated of not seeing any result then stumble on a friend, Maria in church (thank God for that day). My eyes popped out of it sockets as my jaw dropped on the floor in “disbelief”! She has lost major weight! Someone who used to be a size UK 26 now 12! We got into a discussion and she told me what she did to have sure amazing bod. No fad diets or pills just healthy eating and exercises. “Hmmm! if she can do it, I can” I pondered as I went home that day. That encounter motivated to do some about my diet.

I started the “dieting” but not watching calories LOL! Do I know what is calorie let alone know what caloric allowance is or calorie dense food? I really had no concept of the role that calories played in weight loss, maintenance or weight gain. In March 2014 and voila! I came across a comment on a picture post by Maria on Facebook, a picture of before and after weight loss of her elder sister, Ifunanya. It was amaze ball! She was way way bigger than Maria was! In fact I had to pick up my eyeballs from the floor because it over popped! (lol). In that picture post, Ifunanya dropped a very long comment on how she achieved such a slender figure. It was there I came across what is “calorie” “caloric allowance” “weight loss app” “healthy eating”. This was my major motivation. I took it up from there, researched online on how to go about losing weight the healthy way.  

I search and discovered several websites and apps (that I’m addicted to now) that help you track calories and exercise to gradually lose about one pound/week. In addition to weighing, measuring and tracking food calories for the first time, I also began exercising regularly, 6 times a week. I started eating right, the first two weeks was difficult but I pulled through. I didn’t lose quickly as expected but I was determined as the images of the amazing bod of Maria and Ifunanya keep flashing in my head, they kept me going and of course my elder sister had her impact on me as she made me register for gym the first time that fateful day she chatted me up to make Ankara dresses for her and finding she has lost weight too…  And my kids and husband were just too much! My husband was in full-throttle support financially and morally, my kids kept me going and reminding me “did you go to the gym today” “did you exercise”  even on my ‘rest day’ they sometimes join me in my aerobics workout at home; they spur me on. 

I was never a veggie fan but I started eating them more as well as fruits. When you hear or read about “dieting” or “eating healthy” while maintain the daily caloric allowance, what comes in mind is tasteless and boring meals but naa! Eating healthy brought the foodie in me! I prepare our Nigerian meals and other food in a healthy way; low in calories but not in taste. When I found out I had lost 17kg at the end of week 8 I felt inspired and encouraged to go on. I left bad dieting behind for good and embraced a healthy lifestyle that made me look and feel better in my 30’s than I did in my 20’s. I revved up my workouts, I included swimming (in fact I perfected my swimming in the process), Aerobics and walking from home to the gym (as it was close) even walk short distance to close by places rather than take a car (my hubby actually pushed me to walking more, oh sweet him!), and of course strength workouts. And yeah! There are definitely those days that I just want to eat whatever I want and forget to track (what I'm eating) and I do eat whatever!  It’s important to indulge somestimes. Otherwise you will go crazy.  If I overindulge on any day or even over the weekend, I do my best to shake it off!  

Cutting the long story short, in 12 weeks I have lost 30kg, from a size 20 to size 14 (healthy + exercise = fantabulous result). I must say I have become very energetic, triple confidence and more "photo crazy" I can’t seem to pass off on any opportunity to take some photos, looking forward to go out to show off my amazing bod (LOL),  comfortable and feel sexy instead of self-conscious and might I say, more sexier than ever!

One of the most significant changes I have made is consistent leading a healthy lifestyle. Losing massive kgs feels great, but it takes persistence to maintain the amazing bod! So far, I have lost 34kg 36kg and Uk size 12/10 10 10/8 weighing 77kg 75kg 74.8kg. My weight drop still continues...

Kai! This my “waisted” story long sha LOL. I hope you find something useful, perhaps some motivation/inspiration or simply a kindred spirit. Whatever you grasp from Florence’s Weigh, I hope it helps you in your WAISTED journey 

Blogging is my part-time job. Blogging; to share my “waisted” journey and my loving yet moderate relationship with food through lots of healthy recipes; to arm individuals with current, reliable and practical information on health, fitness, weight loss as well as beauty and pop culture to boot.

PS. Apologies in advance for excessive mentions of fitspiration, the gym, dresses, my motivators, fitterati and occasional gbagauns (LOL).

Thank you for reading my personal weight loss journey.

Stay safe    Stay blessed     stay fit    stay awesome