Pelumi Aikins shares her inspiring weightloss story
Pelumi Aikins is a true success story and she should be applauded for her transformation. She has lost a lot of weight and this is so inspiring. Engage Africa Foundation decided to email Pelumi some questions so that we could learn how she worked towards achieving her goal. We would like to thank Pelumi for doing this interview. We hope through this, others will be motivated to make healthy lifestyle changes.
Please tell us about yourself
My name is Pelumi Aikins and I am a new mom to an energetic 11-month-old baby boy. When I am not taking care of my baby, I love reading, DIY (crochet and craft) and/or chilling on my couch watching some of my favorite shows.
What made you decide to make a change to your health and lose weight?
During my pregnancy, I gained about 50 plus pounds. Knowing some of the health risks of being obese, I decided after the birth of my baby to lose all the baby fat I gained and also get to the right body weight based on BMI (Body Mass Index).
How much do you weigh now and how much have u lost?
I am 158lbs now and I have lost close to 40 pounds since I started.
Did you ever feel like giving up? What kept you motivated when you were down?
Yes I do every day. It is a constant battle.
Before my weight loss program, I wrote down three reasons why I wanted to lose weight and when I feel like I have no motivation to work out those reasons keep me motivated. Also I joined an online weight loss program (April Laugh Fitness), which keeps me accountable because I have to document my daily food intake, my exercise and also share some of my struggles during the day. That helps because there are people just like me having the same struggles and we encourage each other with tips and ideas on how to stay motivated.
What food habits have helped you lose weight?
There are a lot of recommendations online but these have worked for me:
- Drinking water is key because it helps keep me full through out the day. I drink 8 to 16 cups a day.
- Having my food prepared during the weekend for the week also helps because I don’t have to think about what to eat.
- Counting calories for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks makes me mindful of how much calories I put into my mouth. Knowing my calorie intake also helps especially when I go out to eat
- Eating 5 small meals everyday and having my dinner before 7pm
When it comes to eating healthy and exercising, what are your recommendations?
My recommendations on food would be eating whole grain like oatmeal, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and also fruits and vegetable. With exercise, I would say start small. I started walking in my neighborhood and I found home exercises online on platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest. I don’t have any specific exercise regimens, I just find something that keeps my heart rate up like skipping, jumping jacks, push-ups, crunches, combine them all together and I get sweating.
How can people connect with you?
People can connect on Instagram: @revampiece and twitter: @peaikins and my webpage: https://revampiece.wordpress.com/
Thank you!
About the author:
Seyi Bamidele is the Assistant Hitting Home Series Manager. She is a Biochemistry graduate from Lagos, Nigeria. She is passionate about preventive medicine and hopes to make meaningful contributions concerning public health issues in Africa.