Damola lost 74.9 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Damola lost 74.9 pounds. Doctors advised that she lose weight after a serious medical wakeup call. She used what she’d learned about nutrition over the years and her love for dancing and being active to create her own weight release plan. Check out her journey.

My main motivation to lose weight was after suffering from severe Silent Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder [more info on GERD]. At the time, I was strongly advised by my doctors to lose weight before they could even try to figure out what was wrong with me. This was after having 3 different endoscopes.

I  have lost about 34kg in total (74.9 pounds). I was weighing 106kg and now I am weighing approx 72kg. I came from wearing a size 18/20 to wearing a size 6/8. For the first time in years, I am within the normal weight range for the BMI at 5 feet 8 inches tall. I have never been happier. My transformation took place under 9 months. I made progress while regularly wanting to give up. Thankfully, I didn’t!

I achieved weight loss through healthier eating patterns and dance aerobics. I continue to keep fit through being generally active and eating right. I love to dance, to swim and I especially like HIIT workouts. I’m the girl at the church or the party dancing for 5 hours non-stop.  I’ve also been nicknamed “IJOLABI” for this, lol. It’s a Nigerian yoruba word meaning “we gave birth to dance itself”. I never became a gym addict but I did dance and aerobics classes with my personal instructor, who is a trained official of the Nigerian Police Force, at least 3 times a week.

I lost weight by creating my own diet plan from what I’d learned about nutrition over the years. I  basically cut out a lot of junk food, sugary food and deep fried foods. I switched to creating healthier versions of my meals. That meant using a grill or airfryer to recreate the taste of fried food without a single drop of oil in it. I also began having veggies alongside most of my meals to make them more filling. I also ate healthy baked foods as treats most of the time, like banana bread made with oats, banana, honey, eggs and coconut oil (no refined sugar or dairy). Above all, I learned to strike a balance and have treats in moderation, hence the occasional waffles and ice cream, lol.

My advice to anyone in this struggle: TRUST THE PROCESS, IT PAYS OFF EVENTUALLY! Today, I have fully dedicated all my time to helping others in this struggle. We are living our dreams one meal at a time.

Instagram: @askdamz