© KINGSLEY @ CR8 MOMENTS LDN; SUPPLIEDWeight-related issues nearly killed Oyinkansola - until she took charge of her health and lost over half her body weight.
After a traumatic health scare, Oyinkansola Oladitan, 30, an entrepreneur from London, shed half her body weight - and found inner strength she didn't know she had.
For as long as I can remember, I was obsessed with food. While I was a chubby kid, my parents tried to keep me active with tennis and swimming - I was just never into it. At age 13, I left Lagos, Nigeria, without my parents to go to boarding school in Kent, and things went from bad to worse.
I'd eat a full meal in the dining hall and then make my own microwave noodles and load them up with hot sauce every single day. I was self-conscious about my size, so I avoided sport at all costs.
I started school a size 14 - five years later, I was at least a size 22. On top of that, I'd battled with a stomach ulcer since I was eight years old.
Countless doctors had told me the same thing: I needed to lose weight, cut out spicy and acidic foods and take probiotics and medication to reduce my stomach acid. I'd usually do it until I felt better, and then give up. The stomach pain would return, but I didn't care - after a binge, I'd go to bed and sleep through the worst of it, then start all over again.
I was the enemy of progress
I'd tried to lose weight so many times. My parents, still based in Lagos, did everything they could to help - they paid for nutritionists, trainers, and even hypnotherapy. But I'd eat in secret and lie about how much I was eating.
This continued when I went to university in London to study maths. In August 2013, when I was 23, after four days of excruciating stomach pain, I was rushed to hospital, where doctors diagnosed gastroenteritis.
Shortly after, I had surgery to repair my oesophagus and stomach lining, which had started to disintegrate due to years of acid build-up caused by my diet. When I Ieft hospital two weeks later, I weighed 211/2st. Years of abusing my body had nearly killed me - and I didn't want to die.
With the help of a therapist, I became less dependent on food. I was referred to a nutritionist, who taught me about portion control and what foods I should be eating.
Here's what I eat in a day
- Breakfast: A bowl of oats with a chopped banana for sweetness or a bowl of lacto-free yoghurt, chia seeds and bananas for sweetness
- Snack: Home made kale chips or oatcakes
- Lunch: A loaded salad - I love smoked salmon flakes with a mixed leaf salad, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and a slight drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar.
- Pre-workout: Banana
- Post-workout: Protein shake
- Dinner: Bulgar wheat or a baked potato with grilled chicken or salmon and broccoli.
Three months after I was discharged, I had the all-clear to start exercising
I began going for short walks locally. In November 2013, I joined the gym and hired a PT. That first session was tough, but I leaned into that feeling - I was doing the work and it felt good.
I did 45-minute HIIT-style sessions four times a week and made sure I still got 10,000 steps in, too. I lost 5st in the first six months, and by early 2016, I weighed 10st 12lb - half my original body weight.
Exercise and a balanced diet helped me manage my stomach issues. I take vitamins and probiotics, but no medication. I haven't had any ulcer-related issues since having surgery and I no longer have stomach pain.
When gyms closed in March 2020, I signed on to Ciara Madden's live HIIT and strength classes. Her daily workouts were a lifeline during lockdown, and I've stuck with them since. I work out four to six days a week now - I love the variety of sessions. I can't believe how much I've changed since having surgery.
Prioritising my health has given me a sense of self-worth that I never had before
When you do something like lose half your body weight, any goal - whether it's fitness or career-related - feels achievable. Nothing seems impossible any more.
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