Every other week, I bring in a Squaddie with amazing results to come speak to the current squaddies in a bid to motivate them.
This story of Ihuoma is not your regular weight loss story, it’s that of doggedness, patience and grit… Ihuoma was in to motivate the squad sometime ago and it was such a blast!
Here are talking points from Ihuoma’s story.
We’d be doing this in exactly the Q & A format btw my squaddies and Jennifer. Let’s dive in!
Squaddies: Tell us about your weight loss journey?
Ihuoma: I was with Coach E sometime in 2016. And with rigorous effort I lost about 10kg in 4 weeks.
I worked out morning and evening with little food + stress of work and school
So you can understand why the result was drastic!
She urged me to stay till I was disciplined enough, but I insisted I could manage on my own.
Sadly, I fell by the way side and I was too ashamed to come back. So things got out of hand.
Then on 26th of April 2019, I had a surgery and during my risk assessment, all my vitals were checked. I was weighing 110kg at the time and for my young age, the doctor said it was too much..!
At the time also I had issue with clothes, having to change my wardrobe 3-4 times a year. I looked round and ugly, fat even swallowed my neck sef
One morning I was dressing for work and my clothes couldn’t fit as I had imagined it in my head. I broke down and cried, if not that I had something doing at work, I would have just sat at home and cried.
So I decided to to lose weight on my own, this was after the surgery and it wasn’t swift at all. I was frustrated and was hardly seeing changes.
Like from May till June, I lost just about 2kg. So I came down to around 108kg. I realised I couldn’t do it on my own and then I decided to go back to Coach E.
Those 12 weeks were HARDDDD… I struggled much, it was like I was been weaned off carbs. I more or less fainted! Like I was eating just fruits, vegetables, oatmeal and bran flakes..
I lost 6kg in the first 3 weeks and then my scale didn’t move for 7 weeks. One thing I realised though was that I am ONLY IN COMPETITION WITH MYSELF, SO I STAYED CONSISTENT AND I DID NOT QUIT and almost a year later I am rocking my 80kg body
My journey may have been slow, that’s because I had my share of setbacks… But I didn’t let it hold me back!
Squaddie: Wow! That’s amazing Ihuoma. Thanks for sharing. How did you cope with picking small small nonsense to eat. I realise I’ve been able to control unhealthy food but picking has refused to leave me alone
Ihuoma: I suggest you keep yourself actively busy.. I feel it’s mostly when you are idle that you feel like eating more. And surround yourself with healthy snacks so that even when you feel the need to munch, you pick someting healthy.
Squaddie: How do you deal with food that are your weakness, especially with portion control?
Ihuoma: Make it scarce! Any food that is a weakness, I stay far away from it even if it’s ok to eat it and it’s even in my nutrition plan.
Mine used to be noodles. Some people are team rice and bread majorly… I suggest you don’t even eat bread/rice at all, even if it’s on your nutrition plan. Do not eat it until you consider yourself strong enough to fight the temptation… That is how I survived with noodles.
Confessions also works. Please take it seriously, the spiritual controls the physical. I understand how hard it has been for me to get to where I am…. so I consciously fight food temptations with confessions and declarations by saying it as many times as possible in a day… It works for me 90% of the time.
We can do hard things through Christ who strengthens US
Squaddies: Ihu, tell us the injection you take that turned you to an exercise machine. We need it please. How do you keep the ginger to workout?
Ihuoma: My dear, I have a clear picture of what I want to look like ni ooo. That is my motivation and I know I can’t achieve my size 10 or 75kg on the bed…. I have to hustle for it.
I have tried teas and weight loss tablets before,they didn’t work for me… so I am done trying. I just try to l stay consistent with healthy living.
I ALWAYS WORK OUT in the morning… no matter how short. If it’s just 10mins I have, I make it intense! We have control over our mornings, as evenings are not certain. So I don’t put off working out to evening cause I know I will then most likely not do it.
Other thing I do include taking long walks, using stairs instead of escalators and elevators, etc. So, it’s all about being very CONSCIOUS OF YOUR ACTIONS.
Squaddie: My problem is with exercising, to say I am not a morning person is an understatement (unless I have a flight to catch) so evening is usually the best time for me but like you said, evenings are not guaranteed. I would like to know how to push through this?
Ihuoma: It’s called “MAKING CONSCIOUS EFFORT” Nothing is convenient for anyone but we all have the power to make choices. The same way you have considered getting up early to catch a flight…. apply the same attitude to your workout. We all make time for what is important to us, since I know evenings are not certain for me; I make judicious use of my mornings.
And I hate carrying last hence I joined the group class; even if I don’t want to workout, by the time all them ladies are just uploading workout pictures, I respect my old age and move my ass, that helped a lot too.
Squaddie: Thank you Ihuoma, I know very soon I will also share my story. I’m the fainting & weary type and I get sick sometimes, how do I navigate the need to recuperate and still work out?
Ihuoma: Stay strong but just listen to your body. There is difference between laziness and ill health. If you are ill, please take time to rest. If it’s laziness, cast and bind. Think about your goal and be motivated. When I am sick, I rest but when I am lazy, either I conquer the laziness or I let it win. The choice is always yours.
Squaddies: Thank you so much Ihuoma!!!! God bless you!
The end!!!
Real DROP MIC moment, well done Ihuoma!!!
Super Proud of You!
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