Maintaining the Equlibrum Between You & the Pounds! Here are 10 Tips for Fight the Bulge

May 2nd 2013. In the hot, bustling terminal of the Muritala Mohammed International Airport, relief and exhilaration flooded over me. Relief that I would not be saddled with the aggravating task of clearing my four suitcases, and exhilaration that I was, well, home. I had been away for a decade, and “nothing was the same,” people said. However, it all felt strangely familiar – passengers on the Delta flight handing out concussions while retrieving luggage, same culprits rushing to disembark the aircraft only to queue in an immigration line moving at a snail’s pace, and the heat, oh the glorious heat – like I had been away for ten days and not ten years.

I spent the car ride multi-tasking: engaging in lively banter, taking in the sights, and mentally prioritizing all the delicious meals I needed to try. My mind raced with ideas of what to eat, when to eat, where to eat, who to eat with. I did not visit Lagos for its cuisine, but I was determined to give my taste buds a meaningful, cultural experience.

Everyone had warned me about drastic weight gain. I had no plans of returning to Atlanta looking as though I had eaten my mum and sister in a single meal. I recall my baby sister’s words, while half-hugging me goodbye at the Atlanta airport: “Two things, Rexie. Come back smaller, and come back with a boyfriend!” Right. As though Lagos were a grocery store where in addition to healthy foods, you could purchase men according to taste, size, expiry date and price.

Anyway, I decided to handle these “first world problems” like any smart, adventurous person would: take two weeks to go H.A.M, revert to healthy eating after two-week binge and exercise. My H.A.M. period lasted more than two weeks, I got frustrated locating and PAYING for healthy substitutions, my fitness level suffered some and I returned to Zee in Atlanta about 7lbs heavier. As for the boyfriend demand? Well…

So I’m back in my zone now, 4lbs lighter, reminiscing about my best summer so far and finally being able to relate to the struggle that is staying in shape in good ol’ Gidi. I did not lose weight in Lagos but I did learn exactly what it takes to keep the pounds at bay. And because I’m so generous, here are some tips on how to best maintain your “equilibrium.”

The Oil
Seriously. A LADLE of oil to fry eggs? One TABLESPOON of oil has 120 calories. A ladle is at least five tablespoons. 600 calories. We haven’t even factored in the bread, and you’re already over a quarter of your daily caloric intake (based on the average 2,000 calorie diet). Use cooking spray or one tablespoon of oil (olive oil preferably). You don’t need a ladle of oil for stew either. As for palm oil, stay away from it as much as you possibly can. If you must, use a little quantity. Your egusi isn’t necessarily tastier because it’s red. Half of the fat from palm oil is saturated fat, which raises cholesterol levels and increase one’s risk of heart disease and stroke.

That Rice & Eba life
The average Nigerian diet contains carbs that could make even an Italian stop in his tracks. Yam for breakfast. Rice for lunch. “Swallow” for dinner. Go easy on carbohydrates! Eat cereals (Weetabix is a great choice), oatmeal, omelets, fruits, yogurt for breakfast. You can combine them of course. Remember other lunch/dinner options exist! Sweet potatoes, boiled/roasted plantains, beans, and moin moin, brown rice, lentils, quinoa, whole wheat pasta and more! Did you know you could make cauliflower rice? It is delicious! If you’re going to eat white rice/eba/pounded yam, do it in moderation, will you?

Empty Calories
From Chapman to beer to Shayo (a term I really despise), the Nigerian diet is rife with liquid calories. Chapman at Sky lounge? Check. “Mineral” or beer at the bukka joint? Check. Rosé at Rhapsody? Check. Call me crazy but, drinks are a waste of calories. If anyone ever asked me one of the secrets to losing or maintaining my weight, I’d tell them it was cutting out those empty calories. Why waste the 250 calories on Sprite? Why consume an extra 250 calories? Surely, one must “shayo” every now and then. Drink responsibly. Some of you do it much too often. Even healthy juices should be taken in moderation because they contain a lot of sugar. Water is your friend. Love it. Drink it often.

Schedule Cheat Days/meals
A cheat day is a designated day where one strays from their normal eating habits. I love me some cheat days. Sometimes I cheat throughout the day, in tiny quantities or have one EPIC meal that lasts me the entire day. Cheat days are beneficial because they work as a “reward” for strictly adhering to a meal plan. They shock the body out of routine, preventing a plateau and boosting metabolism. Notice I said “strictly adhering.” If you haven’t been eating right, do not schedule a cheat day. You do not deserve it. How often should one have a cheat day? I’m no expert but I’d say if you’re just beginning the switch to a healthier lifestyle, have a cheat day every two to three weeks. A cheat meal once a week should suffice. But don’t push it. I find that as you get more accustomed to your new lifestyle, the tendency to ‘cheat’ reduces.

Ask. Research. Say NO
Don’t be afraid to ask questions! I would often ask friends and colleagues where to buy certain foods. Some colleagues, would say, “Americana! You better act like us!” Go online and do your own research. Everyone’s journey is different. Don’t be afraid to make take those steps towards a healthier (even smaller) you, and substitute those ingredients, if you can!!! I’m yet to find someone who thinks white and wheat pasta taste different. And yes, I know we are generally resistant to change but you might find you like it. Hey! Obama is President of America and okadas have been banned, which is neither here nor there but I’m sure you get the point. Change happens. Get with it.
Be prepared to say no to unhealthy choices. Your career requires you to exercise good judgment and control? Oops. Weight management isn’t any different. Losing weight was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done because not only did I witness the will power behind something as inconsequential as eating, I saw the difference little decisions made.

Work it out
Walking from your car to the office building is not exercise and neither is walking up a flight of stairs. You need to engage in physical activities that would burn calories and keep you fit. Go for a run or fast paced walk (please grab a partner!). Gym memberships in Lagos cost a left kidney but that’s no excuse. You can do workouts in your own home, with no equipment! Jumping jacks, squats, push-ups, lunges, wall sits, planks, Russian twists, sit ups…the list is endless. If have access to hand weights, use them! I did everything: 5am weekday workouts, evening treadmill runs, instructing Saturday classes and Lekki bridge routines. If you can afford a membership at your local gym, go ahead *winces*

Sodium, Sodium, Sodium
I’ll keep this short and sweet. Maggi, Salt and Knorr all contain high levels of sodium. If your sodium intake is high, your kidneys try to balance out the excess sodium surrounding your cells by cutting back on releasing water into your urine. This leads to water retention. Water retention equals weight gain. Knorr and Maggi contain MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), a controversial additive which is said to trigger headache and other symptoms in some people. I would love to say I don’t use Knorr/Maggi but that would constitute sin and I’m really trying to get to Heaven. Go easy on the sodium and spice up your food instead! It helps boost your metabolism. Use herbs (thyme, rosemary, garlic, oregano, curry) to bring out flavor food.

Put Away That Fryer
We can FRY food sha! Fried food = calories. It is really that simple! Use your oven! After boiling chicken, I stick it in the oven until crispy. Tastes just like fried chicken, with fewer calories. I also “fry” my plantain and potatoes in the oven. Save those “fried food” calories for when you really need them.

Protein, Fruits and Vegetables
We love red meat. They taste so delicious in soup! Goat meat is a good substitute for beef since it has considerably less calories. If you must eat red meat: eat responsibly. I personally don’t eat much beef but I would say living in Lagos increased my red meat intake some. I usually opt for turkey, gizzards, chicken or hen. As for the other types of meat, kpomo has no caloric value and Shaki (tripe) and cowleg are low calorie. Seafood is a great source of protein. This brings me to the next topic: fruits and vegetables. Eat them! Make them a part of your regular diet. Apples, oranges, mangoes, pineapples, grapes, spinach, avocado, cabbage, bitter leaf, carrots, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower to name a few. Use fruits to stave off hunger between meals. Steam or sauté vegetables –they should be a main part of your meal. Fruits and vegetables contain high amounts of fiber, vitamins and minerals which help in maintaining a healthy weight.

Snacks
You’re a little hungry but it’s not lunch time yet, what do you grab? The average Nigerian snack is unhealthy, period. From plantain chips to chin chin, the struggle is real. They are SO high in calories. Keep your unhealthy snacking to a minimum (hey cheat day!), and choose alternatives like fruits, granola bars, special K crisps, almonds, vegetables and yogurt. A friend of mine eats a boiled egg for snack. It raised my eyebrow some, but I can tell you it’s much better than that doughnut you just finished. The day is coming when we’ll have a wide variety of healthier, more affordable snacks. Until then, you’ve got to improvise, and get creative!

And just as a bonus: Having friends/family just as (or more dedicated) to staying in shape/eating well helps! Use them as a support system; make them accountability partners. Allow them to motivate and “snatch” you (literally, in some cases) when you’re getting out of control. Remember you have to put in some kind of effort to achieve a result. Not rocket science? Yeah, I didn’t think so either.

Thank you for very much for reading. Wedding Saturday is upon us. I’m off to daydream about small chops. You should too.
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Didi is a twenty something female living in Atlanta. She recently returned from Lagos after a 4 month stint where she experienced some degree of culture shock having been away for 10 years. She chronicles her fitness journey on her blog, Muffin Tops and Love Handles. She shared her weight loss story on BellaNaija {click here to read}. Follow her on Twitter: @Rexie_A.