Breakfast was usually simple. Boiled eggs with sautéed vegetables. Sometimes moi moi with a small portion of pap. On days I wanted bread, I kept it to one slice and paired it with eggs or avocado.

Lunch was where I made the biggest changes. Instead of a full plate of rice, I did a small portion of rice with lots of stew and protein. Chicken, fish, or turkey always came first. If it was swallow, I reduced the portion and loaded up on soup. Okra, efo, ogbono, vegetable soup. The soup did the heavy lifting, not the swallow.

Dinner was lighter. Grilled fish with vegetables. Chicken pepper soup. Leftover soup without swallow. Sometimes just fruits and nuts if I wasn’t that hungry.

I also cut back on sugary drinks and replaced them with water or zobo without sugar. I didn’t ban snacks, but I became more intentional. Groundnuts, fruits, yoghurt instead of pastries every day.

Was it perfect? No. I still ate out. I still enjoyed jollof at parties. But I stopped eating like every meal was my last chance.

Over time, the weight came off. Slowly, consistently. 20lbs down without feeling deprived or miserable.

This experience taught me that weight loss doesn’t have to mean punishment. You can enjoy Nigerian food and still make progress. You just have to be honest about your portions and patient with your body.

If you’re trying to lose weight in Nigeria, sustainability matters more than suffering.