How I turned my life around
I am your Head Wellness Coach, Ikepo Amanda Osawaye, over 50 years old and I’ve been overweight all my life. I’ve been through several cycles of different diets since the age of 15. I’d lost the weight, but I never could keep it off.
In 2012, I had a wake-up call.
My blood pressure was getting out of control. I had just lost my brother to heart attack at 50 and I was beginning to gain weight again. I went off my workout routine and into depression. My cardiologist warned me against returning to him if I wasn’t ready to make more responsible choices. The fact was that my heart was carrying a bag of cement and it was severely overworked.
I heeded his warning and didn’t return till I lost a lot of the extra weight. I can vividly remember the look on his face when we finally reconnected. He was surprised.
Over the past 8 years, I have remained consistent with my weight loss journey, changed my lifestyle, in honour of my late brother, Femi Ayoade.
I’ve since started traveling more and enjoying the outdoors.
I’ve stopped watching TV and completely cut off the series I used to follow.
Instead, I’ve redirected that time to healthier activities; walking, hiking, running, fitness camps...
I still don't watch TV.
In January 2017, I went on my first main cruise for a week. It was a cruise marathon to 6 Carribean islands, where I ran 6 half marathons and 10km. I truly never thought I’d have it in me to do something like that.
Overall, it's been a bumpy ride, but being accountable has helped me. A few other elements that have contributed to my successful fitness journey are;
Joining support groups.
Maintaining friendships with people who are passionate about healthy living
Participating in challenges on Fitbit with my friends
Walking a minimum of 10,000 steps, 5 days a week
Carrying weights and engaging in strength training
Spinning, cycling
Boxing and body pump
and so much more
Overtime, I’ve noticed that I love high intensity workouts and walking for me is an opportunity for me to pray and relax.
When it comes to where I get my motivation, I’d say two major things are contributing factors:
My family: I’m motivated by my family, most especially my daughter who keeps encouraging me in both words and actions. She lost over 30 pounds on her weight loss journey and it makes me so proud, as a mother, to see my daughter also embracing wellness.
My Why: My health. When I started out in May 2012, I weighed 288 pounds. Today, I weigh 159 pounds.
My height: 160cm, which is about 5 ft 3"
My goal is 150 pounds.
When I look back at all the investment I’ve made, I’m happy to see the transformation and how I’ve tweaked the process over the years. My first initial transformation took 3yrs when i hit my first 100 pound loss milestone in July 2015. Then I lost another 17 pounds in 2016 and total of 117 pounds by April 2016. Then, I slipped a bit gained a some back when I went on my adventure and cruises round the world. I couldn't keep to my usual routine. I finally got back on track and since March 2018, I’ve never looked back. One thing I’ve learnt is that healthy living is a lifestyle and it’s important to not only be accountable, but also to be involved in support groups.
You need support!
Get into group fitness or get a fitness buddy that will motivate you when you're “not feeling it”. This will really help you, especially if you have a lot of weight that you’d like to lose. For me, I gain weight easily, but lose it slowly.
My Healthy Bunch support group has been there to help through my highs and lows.
You should join one of our monthly challenges.
