Eating Right Series....Breakfast

If you are always trying to lose some weight like me, you would have tried to starve yourself sometimes, skip breakfast and do a lot of crash diets. Well, if you have never, that's good because i have been there and it is a horrible experience.

Crash diets are so exhausting and frustrating and dangerous. I remember doing the liquid diet, oh and there was the 7 day fruit cleanse. Then a friend asked me to try the pepper diet. Someday i will talk about all these diets.

In light of all these, we are introducing a new series we will be running on this blog tagged "Eating Right". Samsoona and Aqua will also share their tips and ideas on different ways of eating right on other days. So let's get into it...

Breakfast:

Yes we all know it's the most important meal of the day and it is advisable to eat in the mornings for good health and weight loss BUT how many of us actually find the time. I know i used to be guilty of skipping breakfast.
It's hard especially weekdays when you have to rush to work, settle down and before you know it, it's 11am and almost lunch time, so you eye that biscuit on your colleague's table, eat some and indulge in a heavy lunch...Oops that was me.

Now, i never skip breakfast. I know i am preaching to the choir if i go on about the usual benefits of breakfast so i will speak on my personal experience.
On days i skip breakfast, i eat much more and burn less. By the time it's lunch, my body has gone into starvation mode and i eat so much more so as to fuel it. Normally, i restrict my lunch to 500 calories but days i skip breakfast, i kid you not, i sometimes eat up to 900 calories (shameful!).

I have adjusted my routine to ensure i eat breakfast so now i work out early mornings. I am up by 5:40am, get to the gym for my 6am workout, finish by 7am, and ensure i eat before i leave for work at 7:45am. I know it's easier for me because the gym is currently in my apartment but that's changing soon so i will definitely have to figure out a new routine.

It's hard to sometimes figure out what to eat so i will share with you guys some of the meals i alternate for breakfast

1. OatMeal: Variety Flavour.

I love oatmeal. Not only because it is very filling and only 130 calories per satchet, but it is healthy and nutritious. My fave flavour is the Apple and Cinnamon.

2. Kelloggs Variety cereal pack. (140 calories with skimmed milk)




I randomly pick anyone and eat with a piece of fruit (mostly watermelon or banana)

3. Fried eggs: (180 calories) It takes less than 5 minutes, i always have a bowl with sliced tomatoes, onions and mixed peppers in the fridge, as it always come in handy for quick meals. I used to hate eating only eggs but it's actually nice. Especially when i drink a glass of Cranberry juice(40 cals) with it... my urinary tract thanks me.

4. Two slices of Wholegrain toast with one tsp of butter snd a slice of chicken (320 calories) (this is usually for mondays or tuesdays due to weekend chicken left overs and those are the days my gym classes are intense so i can afford more calories)

5. Moin Moin: (250 calories) (Local Nigerian delicacy) I make moin moin sometimes over the weekend as it's made from beans so very healthy or i just buy take out from restaurants whenever i am in Nigeria. Perfect Saturday morning breakfast

(Do note that this is not a complete list and there are other foods that you can eat for breakfast)

So those are some breakfast meal ideas. According to Nutritionists and Fitness experts, It is advisable to eat breakfast in the first 30 minutes of waking up, except you go to the gym as soon as you are up (which i do).

Got any tips to share? spill in the comments.....

P:s- If you are on twitter, follow @fitnessleak they tweet really helpful tips and info

Keeping Track.......

One important thing I have learnt on this journey is the power of keeping track of your food and exercises. Most times we consume meals, snacks, water, anything by mentally tracking the calories and this contributes to over shooting our desired daily calorie limit. Currently, my target is 1,200calories a day. I have realized that days I don’t use my tracker, I go over my limit by 100-200 calories. So what do I use? “My Fitness Pal”

I have tried at least 6 types of apps/sites from Startyourdiet.com to calorie counter, to fatsecrets, some paid for, some free but the best type is MyFitnessPal which is completely free. Not only does it recommend the right amount of calories for you to consume daily for your target goal, it keeps track of it all for you.
What makes this stand out? I have 3 great reasons

1. It has a BB app
2. It has an iPad app
3. The most important of all, it contains calories for the most common West African foods.

I have no excuse not to enter anything I consume at any time of the day.
I always had a hard time getting calories for my jollof rice, egusi, eba, etc. My fitness journey is not a crash diet type. I am developing a sustainable healthy lifestyle so I eat what I normally eat, only in a more controlled way.

I was excited when one day I randomly typed in Jollof rice into the database and voila! I got results. Did for my other Nigerian foods and they were there. Knowing the calories have helped me manage my meals better and eat more healthy options.
So rule no 1 in losing weight and staying healthy, keep track of EVERY thing that you consume, yes that includes the piece of biscuit you absent-mindedly eat from the break room at work.

In happy news, I look skinnier and I am a step closer to my goal. Today was my weigh in and my scale made me happy, yes I am 2.2kg down from my last weigh in 3 weeks ago. I know I can do better but I am still excited because I didn’t starve, or deprive myself. I ate responsibly and in a more healthy way.

So i wore a top to work today and realised the fit was really loose. I found a picture i took in August where i wore the same top.

Enjoy my before and pictures

August



Today



Today



I once read somewhere that you increase your chances of losing weight when you keep a food journal. I totally agree. Try it :)

Spinning

For the first time in two weeks. I worked out last night. It took everything in me for me to show up at the gym. I came up with so many different excuses why I should postpone my workout until Friday. Then I looked at my gym schedule and noticed there was a spinning class, My favorite exercise to do is spinning. Spinning class almost always kicks my ass. In a nutshell, spinning is basically intense indoor cycling that simulates different outdoor terrains. It is usually done in a group class environment, with awesome music. There are 6 different spinning instructors at my gym, so I can even spin everyday and never get bored because each one of 'em have different styles and most importantly different music.

Spinning workouts cater to individuals of all ages and skill levels so regardless of where you’re currently at with your program, there will be a spinning workout for you. The instructor takes the class on a ride that includes all types of terrains from flat roads, to climbing up a steep hill, to riding on rugged roads. If you are the type of person who doesn't care for traditional exercise classes, this form of exercise is perfect for you. One of the many benefits of spinning is you will always feel like you're keeping up with the class because everyone finishes at the same time.

The special spinning bicycle that you pedal has a weighted flywheel in the front and makes you feel more like you're riding on a real bicycle.

So if you have spinning classes at your gym, try it out, you never know, you just might like it. Make sure you take water and a small towel to class.

.....Introduction.....

SAMSOONA

My family had this running joke when I was little, if it were windy outside they’d say “Uh oh let’s get Samsoona inside before we lose her forever” or if someone was looking for me they’d say “Maybe the wind took her away”. I was a stick then I went through puberty and everything changed. I’ve always been curvy after puberty and I love it, I wouldn’t trade my curves for anything but I’ve come to the point where I’m uncomfortable with my weight and seriously want to do something about it. People think if you can still shop at “normal” shops your weight is not a problem, that is far from the truth and honestly my body is great at camouflaging the excess weight because of certain abundant body parts. Just because people aren’t running around calling you a fat, pregnant hippopotamus does not mean you’re healthy, and at the end of the day health is one of the most important things to stay on top of. There’s so much in life that we do not have any control over, a lot things have happened to me in the past year that I was unable to act against , so now everything that I do have power over that I’m not happy with I will change. This journey is not to impress anyone, or to fit into some kind of warped image of beauty, this journey is my first of many to embrace the person I am, be comfortable in my skin and work towards the person I want to be. This is my journey to lose weight, become fit and tone while still remaining curvy, I hope this stirs someone out there to start their own journey, whatever it maybe.

AQUA

Like most people, at the beginning of the year, my New Year's Resolution was to get fit and healthy. As with most things, I started out strong and as time went on, my enthusiasm began to wane. I didn't stop completely, but i was no longer committed. Then I recharged again at the beginning of the summer and was doing pretty well until about two weeks ago. So now it's time to recharge again. They say it's doesn't matter how many times you fall down, what matters is that you get up and climb again. This time it's a little different, I've decided to get up and climb again in front everyone. I am hoping this will keep me accountable because I know there are people out there watching me and hopefully supporting my journey. I will post entries about my workouts, nutrition, setbacks, tips, videos, pictures, and everything in between. So the journey begins, and with the support these two lovely ladies and everyone else, I hope to reach my destination. Please feel free to drop comments and tips.

REBIRTH

From the Atkins, to the Lemon, to the Beach body, to the low-calorie, you name it! Been there, done that, lost the few pounds which i gained back as soon as i stopped. I am not knocking off crash diets, but I have realized that they are temporary fixes and if I truly want to be happy and content with my body, I need to maintain a healthy lifestyle of good eating habits and exercises. It’s time to finally get to my desired goal and to do this, I need to be accountable. My goal is to be a UK size 10-12 with my curves in the right places (i don't wanna lose my D girls)so join me as I embark on this journey to my fitness rebirth with two of my friends.

We will be sharing our programs, stories, recipes, exercises, lifestyle changes, habits, and all that works for us on this journey. It won't be easy but we know it will be worth it.

Feel free to drop any advice or comments. We want you to be a part also.

Welcome, to our Fitness Rebirth.