I am still very excited about the feedback I’m getting from my blog, I hit 3000 views, super exciting and can’t wait to see how far this goes. I had many people asking how I and Sarah did it. They want more specifics.

I want to give a simplified answer but that doesn’t mean that the process is easy and smooth, they say that weight loss is 70% Nutrition, 30% Fitness and I try to do both in almost similar proportions. In addition, I personally cook most of my meals and the house help at home has also learned how I make my food, bringing in the much-needed support when need be.

So you probably wondering what I eat, it’s simple I avoid carbohydrates, fatty meat, deep fried food, sodas, cakes and high in sugar fruit juices. Instead, I eat whole foods in the following categories:

Vegetables: Broccoli (my favorite), green beans, zucchini, cucumber, lettuce, carrots, cabbage etc. (I prefer to steam my vegetables they taste better that way and still keep their nutrients)

Protein: Chicken (no skin), tilapia fish, tuna, lean beef, eggs

Good fats: Avocado, Olive oil, coconut oil, chia seeds, cheese

Whole grains: oats, whole wheat bread, brown rice, quinoa, butternut squash, sweet potatoes

Fruits: apples, oranges, pineapples, bananas, watermelon

Portions are very important:

• Protein = the size of the palm of your hand
• Whole grains: small handful, ½ cup
• Vegetable: as much as you want
• Fruits: 1 piece or a small handful

So whenever you’re planning to prepare your meals or are on a buffet, at the grocery store make your food choices within the categories mentioned above and you’ll see a difference in the way your clothes fit, your energy and eventually the weighing scale. Oh also drink lots and lots of water at least 1.5 liters of water every day if you find this difficult get a nice water bottle don’t be afraid to walk around with it. Let it be part of your accessories and add slices of lemon to give it a good taste.

I did mention earlier that I started a challenge that requires me to follow a very strict diet, I can’t say that it has been 100% clean, but I try my very best to stick to the diet and I’ve seen more progress than failure; my clothes are much looser, my endurance has improved though my coping level with the food change is still a struggle. I tend to binge eat when I decide to have a cheat meal but there’s definitely a limit to how much I can cheat on my diet and I always get back to eating as clean as possible.

Like I said weight loss is 70% Nutrition and 30% Fitness, I have really come to enjoy working out and I look forward to going to the gym and if I miss more than two times a week I start to feel strange, I do different types of exercises: a combination of strength training and cardio mostly high-intensity-interval-training.

Since I’m no expert I will give definitions of some of the types of exercises mentioned.

Strength training is a type of physical exercise specializing in the use of resistance to induce muscular contraction which builds the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal. Source- From Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strength_training

HIIT (High-intensity interval training): is a training technique in which you give all-out, one hundred percent effort through quick, intense bursts of exercise, followed by short, sometimes active, recovery periods. Source – Amy Schlinger (12/11/2013) HIIT Workout: What It Is and Why It Works. http://dailyburn.com/life/fitness/high-intensity-hiit-workout/

I got introduced to weight training at WAKA FITNESS and I grew to love it, I feel that it empowers me in a way. It’s not as boring as cardio; I hate cardio, the thought of running or cycling for more than 20 minutes exhausts me and stresses me and that’s why I enjoy HIIT. This kind of training is much shorter and more effective. For example, you can cycle for 15 minutes in intervals, you sprint for 15 seconds and rest for 45 seconds and repeat between 8 to 12 times depending your fitness level. In those 15 minutes, you’ll burn more calories than someone who’s cycling for an hour at a moderate pace.

Then with strength training you basically lift weights; there’s a myth especially for ladies that if you lift weights you will get bulky and very muscular but that’s not true it’s actually very beneficial and efficient for weight loss, because by doing strength training you build muscle and burn fat and it also boosts your metabolism.

To begin weight training you need a lot of guidance in terms of how to do exercises right, it’s important to do it correctly otherwise you can injure yourself or not get the desired results. It is therefore, it is advisable to get a trainer or join a class that involves some strength training and from there you can learn. I also benefit from having a trainer every so often to get an extra push and to learn new exercises. Our current trainer is called Regis from whom I learn something new every day and he pushes us to do things I would never have done om my own.

If you are new to the gym it is advisable to get a trainer or join a class where you will get the required support. YouTube also has all the exercises explained and demonstrated. I believe people enjoy different things like I failed to enjoy long periods of cardio running in particular, whereas Sarah aka Princess loves to run and that works for her and I love strength training but we both know that a combination of both is important. So I do the rowing machine, the stationary bike and she also makes time for strength training.

I hope the information in this post can give you some of the answers, the results from diet and exercise can be slow, so don’t give up after 2-4 weeks. It takes time and consistency to actually see long-term results and eventually exercise and healthy practices become part of your normal routine. At the end of the day, it has to become a lifestyle otherwise, it’s easy to get back to the person you’re running away from. I for sure know that I have to work out and eat clean not just as a challenge or for a short period but to maintain a long-term healthy lifestyle.