Hello 9jafoodie Nation !
Okay, so you have seen Biola’s story (Whoop! over 30lbs since starting LIN), Olayinka’s story (whoop whoop! another 30lbs loss) and Rosemary’s story (whoopy!! over 20lbs lost on LIN) . Today’s feature is a story that I love so very much, it brings a new perspective to why people gain weight. A perspective that is very difficult to accept or even admit as being real for most Nigerians; overeating as a form of eating disorder. Tomi speaks today about her emotional eating disorder and how she has been able to change things for good.

I hope you read her story with an open mind and understand why it’s extremely important for people to have the right tool and environment to be successful with weight loss. If you know someone who is trying to lose weight, try as much as you can to encourage them and equip them with the right tools. For people who are used to overeating, losing weight isn’t as easy as it seem; emotional overeaters need the right environment and great easy tool like Lose IT Nigerian which allows them to understand the implication of every decision on their health and weight.

Read and share Tomi’s story, you never know who you will be helping.

The Interview

Tell us a little about yourself

My name is Tomi, I live  Canada and I’m a Research Associate and Data analyst with a Masters of Public Health degree. I am an adventurous foodie.

Tell us about the journey that brought you this far. Did you always struggle with your weight or is it a result of a life event

I stress eat a lot and developed a food/eating disorder (some people don’t consider it a food disorder though), binge eating. However, it was never very obvious and I somehow managed to keep it at bay. In 2012, I experienced a major life changing traumatic event and managed to put on so much weight that I ballooned to about 85 kg from about 68 to 70 kg.

I was working at one of the more prominent banks in Nigeria (2013), and I always attributed my constant eating to one thing or another . At some point I had a boss who was into healthy eating and fitness, she gave me a boost and some practical help to begin the journey. At the beginning of 2014, I had lost more than 10 kg, and by April I was about 63-65 Kg. I thought I had finally dealt with my “food” issue.  I moved to Canada in 2014 and this is where the story gets interesting. When I moved, I weighed between 60 and 62 Kg, and then December 2014, I experienced another emotional event which triggered a variety of issues and pain and so my “food issues” began again in full force. The weight gain was gradual and by December 2015, I was close to 80Kg once again. I’ve struggled not really with my weight, but more with an eating disorder and food addiction (this is a real thing) which is triggered by trauma.

What types of diets did you try in the past? How did you find them

I’ve never been a fan of diets, I love food. I’ve also found that diets don’t last, but changing your lifestyle and general habits will take you closer to your goal.

How would you say your diet needs are different as a Nigerian

Nigerian foods are such that not a lot of non-Nigerians are familiar with the ingredients or even the cooking process, compared to a general knowledge of say Italian, Mexican or Mediterranean cuisine. Thus, living outside Nigeria means access to Nigerian food may be difficult, depending on where you are. However, personally, I haven’t actually faced this issue as I eat pretty much everything (except sushi, and rare steak; I just can’t)

Do you think it’s possible to lose weight on a Nigerian diet

Yes it is. Moderation and balance are key.

What has been your experience on the Lose It Nigerian (LIN) weightloss Program

I absolutely love LIN. Being able to eat efo riro and efo elegusi without feeling like i”ll add 5 kg from it is awesome. In addition, there are so many new recipes and it’s just the best thing ever, honestly. I’m currently redoing the 21 day challenge, and it’s great that I can go back and take some of these challenges and just make them my own, or simply create my own plan following the book, or look for healthier ways to make something, oftentimes using tips from the book.

What is the one advice you have for anyone on the weight loss journey.

• If at first you don’t succeed. Literally dust yourself up and start again.
• Don’t give up. Don’t run away from strength training, don’t listen to others try to discourage you
• Dont’ feel ashamed if you have an eating disorder, embrace who you are and fight for your body. Eventually, you’ll win.

Ready to be a success story ? Join LIN and see what you can achieve before the year is over!

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Frequently asked questions about buying the plan outside Nigeria:

• Can I pay with a credit card? yes, simply click the dollar “Join Now” button below and select pay with credit or debit button (grey button) toward the bottom of the page OR at ejunkie.com/9jafoodie
• Is this a monthly subscription? absolutely not! this is a one time purchase. You get full access to the book as well as all the menus, challenges and extras
• Is this real? it seems too good to be true. Yes it is, it absolutely is. You can check our more success stories Here , Here and Here

Frequently asked questions about buying the plan in Nigeria:

• Can I pay for my weightloss plan via internet transfer ? Yes. Simply email us your name after paying, we will confirm with our bank and send your book.
• Do I need to pay thorough a teller? Both teller and online transfer work
• Is this a monthly Payment? No, when you buy the book you get access to all of it. There are no other costs.
• Where do I pay to : Ronke Shakirat Adeyemi – GTBank – 011-5188-520 then email  [email protected] stating your transfer name once transfer is complete
• How Do I know this is not a scam : I have worked on building this blog for over 5 years and worked with most of the biggest food brands in Nigeria. My reputation is of utmost importance to me, I would never scam anyone. I went to school in order to help people lose weight and my book and weightloss program is a result of that. You can read more about my personal journey HERE and HERE