Dr Ireti Adegbite

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Dr Ireti Adegbite

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I help busy women who are struggling to lose weight achieve lasting weight loss and better health.

23/10/2026

WHAT DOES SUSTAINABLE WEIGHT LOSS ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE?

I sometimes think about the women who have told themselves, “This time, I’m going to lose this weight and keep it off.”

They start well.

They change their meals. They begin exercising. They try to be more disciplined.

And perhaps the weight starts coming off.

Then real life happens.

Work becomes overwhelming. The children need more attention. Sleep suffers. There’s hardly time to prepare meals. The routine that worked so well suddenly becomes difficult to maintain.

Before long, old habits return, and the weight starts coming back.

And the woman begins to wonder, “Why can’t I just keep this up?”

But I think we need to ask a different question.

Was the plan designed for her real life, or only for the days when everything went well?

Because sustainable weight loss, to me, is not about finding a plan you can follow perfectly for a few weeks.

It’s about building habits you can return to, even when life gets messy.

It looks like learning to put together balanced meals using the foods your family already eats.

It looks like finding ways to move your body that fit your schedule, rather than feeling that exercise only counts when you have an entire hour.

It looks like having a simpler option for those days when you’re too busy to cook an elaborate meal.

It looks like recognising when stress, poor sleep or constant rushing is making healthy choices harder.

And perhaps most importantly, it looks like knowing what to do when you have an off day instead of deciding you’ve ruined everything.

Research on weight management reminds us that maintaining weight loss can be challenging, and continued healthy habits and support can make a difference.

That’s why I don’t want women to focus only on how quickly they can lose weight.

I want them to ask, “Can I live this way? Can I maintain these habits when work is demanding, family needs me and life is far from perfect?”

Because the goal is not just to reach a particular number on the scale.

It’s to build a healthier lifestyle that helps you get there and gives you a realistic way to stay there.

Remember, you don’t have to do everything perfectly to make progress. 🌱

What is one healthy habit you want to keep practising, even when life gets busy?

20/10/2026

WHY DO YOU GET SO HUNGRY AT NIGHT, EVEN THOUGH YOU’VE BEEN EATING?

Have you ever had one of those days when you feel you’ve been eating, yet by evening, you’re searching the kitchen for something else to eat?

You have dinner, but you’re still looking for a snack.

You eat the snack, but somehow, you’re not satisfied.

And then you start wondering, “Why am I always hungry? Is this why I’m not losing weight?”

I think we need to look at this a little differently.

Eating something throughout the day doesn’t always mean you’ve eaten enough to keep you satisfied.

Here are a few things I’d want you to check.

1. Are you eating too little during the day?

Perhaps you’re rushing from one responsibility to another, skipping meals or eating very little because you want to lose weight.

By evening, your hunger may have caught up with you.

2. Are your meals satisfying enough?

If your meals consist mostly of rice, bread, garri or another staple, with little protein or fibre, you may find yourself getting hungry sooner.

Try combining your usual staples with foods such as beans, fish, eggs, vegetables or other protein and fibre sources that suit your needs.

3. Are you going too long without eating?

If your schedule means you barely eat until late afternoon, it may help to plan a proper lunch or a satisfying snack before you become extremely hungry.

4. How have you been sleeping?

Poor sleep can make hunger and food choices harder to manage for some people. Stress and emotional exhaustion can also influence how and why we eat.

So, what can you do today?

Before changing your dinner portion, look at what you ate earlier.

Have you eaten enough? Were your meals satisfying? Have you been ignoring your hunger because you’re busy?

You don’t necessarily need to eat less. You may need to nourish yourself better and create a more consistent eating pattern.

This is why I believe sustainable weight loss goes beyond simply telling a woman to reduce her portions. We need to understand what is happening in her daily life and help her build habits that work in reality.

One important note: if your hunger is persistently unusual or intense despite eating adequately, especially alongside other symptoms, speak with a healthcare professional.

If this is a reminder you needed today, save it for later. Be kind to yourself as you learn what works for your body.

13/10/2026

BEFORE YOU REDUCE YOUR PORTION, ASK YOURSELF THESE 4 QUESTIONS.

I know how tempting it can be.

You step on the scale, and the number hasn’t moved the way you hoped.

You start thinking, “Maybe I’m eating too much. Let me reduce my portions.”

So you take less rice.

You skip that extra piece of yam.

You try to eat as little as possible.

But later, you’re hungry again. You start looking for snacks, picking at food in the kitchen, or eating much more than you intended in the evening.

And then comes the frustration.

But what if, before reducing your portion, you paused to ask yourself four questions?

1️⃣ AM I ACTUALLY EATING TOO MUCH, OR AM I JUST AFRAID OF EATING TOO MUCH?

Sometimes, we become so focused on losing weight that we start treating every satisfying meal as a problem.

The goal isn’t to eat as little as possible. It’s to find an amount that supports your goals while nourishing your body.

2️⃣ WHAT IS ON MY PLATE?

Is your meal mostly rice, garri, yam or another starchy food, with very little protein, vegetables or other sources of fibre?

The balance of your meal can influence how satisfied you feel afterwards.

Sometimes, improving the composition of a meal is more helpful than simply making the whole meal smaller.

3️⃣ AM I STILL HUNGRY AFTER EATING?

Notice your hunger and fullness.

Are you comfortably satisfied, still physically hungry, or eating beyond fullness because you’re distracted or eating automatically?

You don’t have to get this perfect. You’re learning to understand your body’s signals.

4️⃣ WILL THIS PORTION KEEP ME SATISFIED, OR WILL I BE STRUGGLING WITH HUNGER LATER?

If reducing your meal leaves you constantly hungry, thinking about food all day or overeating later, your approach may need adjusting.

A weight-loss plan should not leave you fighting hunger from morning till night.

Here’s what I want you to remember:

Weight loss isn’t simply about making every meal smaller. It’s about learning how to eat in a way that supports your goals and fits your life.

Sometimes, you may need a smaller portion. Other times, you may need a better-balanced meal, more mindful eating or a more consistent eating pattern.

The important thing is to understand what you need rather than automatically cutting back.

Which of these four questions do you think you need to ask yourself more often?

08/10/2026

WHAT DOES A HEALTHY DAY LOOK LIKE WHEN LIFE IS COMPLETELY CHAOTIC?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot because sometimes we talk about healthy living as though every day should go according to plan.

You exercise.

You eat your balanced meals.

You drink enough water.

You get your steps in.

You sleep early.

Lovely.

But then real life happens………..

Work takes longer than expected.

The children need you.

Traffic is terrible.

Someone is unwell.

You get home exhausted.

And suddenly, the healthy routine you planned for the day is nowhere to be found.

I see this with busy women all the time.

And sometimes we fall into this thinking:

“If I can’t do everything, I might as well do nothing.”

But what if, on those really chaotic days, you simply aimed for your minimum healthy day?

Not your perfect day.

Just the basics that keep you connected to your health.

🥗 Eat properly.
Your meal may be simple, but try not to spend the whole day running on tea, biscuits and whatever you can grab. Make sure it’s balanced (carbs, protein, & vegetables).

💧 Drink some water.
Keep your bottle close and remember to drink.

🚶🏽‍♀️ Move a little.
You may not have time for your usual workout, but you can still walk, take the stairs or move around during the day.

🧘🏽‍♀️ Create a little breathing space.
Five or ten quiet minutes to pray, sit quietly, shower or simply step away from your phone can make a difference.

😴 Protect your night.
Don’t use bedtime to compensate for everything you couldn’t finish during the day. Some things can wait.

And this connects to my last post about when your body is tired but your mind won’t switch off.

Sometimes our health doesn’t need another demanding routine.

It needs a routine that can bend without breaking when life gets busy.

Because if your weight-loss plan only works when life is calm, what happens when life gets chaotic?

So on your next difficult day, don’t ask:

“How do I do everything?”

Ask:

“What are the few things I can still do today to take care of myself?”

That is what sustainable health looks like to me.

What is one healthy habit you try not to completely abandon, even on your busiest days?

07/10/2026

WHEN YOUR BODY IS TIRED BUT YOUR MIND WON’T SWITCH OFF

Sometimes, the struggle with weight loss isn’t only about food or exercise.

Sleep comes up too.

I’ve noticed that some of the women I work with are genuinely trying to make healthier choices, but they’re also struggling to sleep well.

And when we talk about what happens at night, I often hear something like:

“Doctor, my body is tired, but my mind just won’t switch off.”

They get into bed and suddenly remember everything they didn’t finish during the day.

An email they didn’t respond to.

Something they need to do tomorrow.

A conversation from earlier in the day.

Something concerning the children.

A deadline.

A problem they still need to solve.

And before they know it, they’re thinking about ten different things at once.

I think this happens to many busy women because we spend the whole day doing without giving our minds much opportunity to slow down.

So when everything finally becomes quiet at night, all the thoughts we’ve been postponing during the day suddenly have room to speak.

There’s a reason this can happen.

When we’re stressed or mentally preoccupied, the brain can remain in a more alert state, making it harder to transition into sleep—even when the body feels physically tired.

So sometimes, telling yourself, “Just sleep!” doesn’t really help.

The goal may be to give your mind a chance to transition from doing and solving to resting.

Here are a few simple things you can try:

✍🏽 Give your brain somewhere to put tomorrow’s problems.

Before bed, write down the things you need to remember or deal with tomorrow. You don’t have to solve them tonight. Just get them out of your head and onto paper.

🧘🏽‍♀️ Create a little space between your day and your bedtime.

Try not to move straight from work, chores or intense conversations into bed.

Give yourself 20–30 minutes to slow down.

Take a shower.

Read something calming.

Pray.

Stretch gently.

Or simply sit quietly for a few minutes.

😴 Don’t turn sleep into another task you have to get right.

If you’re lying there thinking, “I must sleep now. I only have five hours left,” you may end up becoming even more worried about not sleeping.

Try to take the pressure off.

And if your mind wanders, gently bring yourself back rather than fighting with every thought.

🌿 Look at your whole day—not just your bedtime.

If this happens regularly, ask yourself:

How much mental load am I carrying?

When does my work actually stop?

Do I ever have time to pause during the day?

Am I constantly moving from one responsibility to another?

Sometimes, improving sleep means looking at the life we are living during the day, not just what we do when we get into bed.

And this is something I think we sometimes miss when we talk about health.

Health isn’t only about what we eat or how much we exercise.

It is also about how we live.

How we recover.

How we manage stress.

And whether our lifestyle gives our bodies and minds enough opportunity to rest.

So tonight, instead of only asking yourself:

“How can I make myself sleep?”

Maybe ask:

“What is keeping my mind in work or worry mode long after my day has ended?”

That question may give you a very different place to start.

Do you find that your mind becomes busiest at night, just when you’re finally ready to sleep?

02/10/2026

WHAT IF “IT RUNS IN MY FAMILY” ISN’T THE END OF THE STORY?

I remember how, as we grew older, we started becoming more aware of the health problems in our families.

Maybe your mum had high blood pressure.

Your dad had diabetes.

Your grandmother had a stroke.

Maybe you watched one of your parents struggle with an illness for years.

Or perhaps you lost a parent much earlier than you expected.

And somewhere along the way, you may have quietly started thinking…

“This runs in my family. Maybe it will happen to me too.”

But I’ve been thinking about this differently.

What if knowing your family history isn’t something that should make you fearful?

What if it could actually make you more intentional about your health?

Because having a family history of a disease can increase your risk, but it does not automatically mean you will develop that disease. Our genes are important, but they are not the only part of the story.

There is so much we can influence through the way we live, the choices we make, the environments we create for ourselves, and the preventive care we receive.

And this is one area of health that I find fascinating.

Our environment and behaviours can influence how some of our genes function. That is part of what we mean when we talk about epigenetics.

I’m not saying we can simply “switch off” every disease gene by eating well or exercising.

It’s much more complicated than that.

But I do think there is something powerful about understanding that your family history is information—not a life sentence.

If diabetes runs in your family, perhaps that is a reason to pay more attention to your food, movement, weight, sleep and blood sugar.

If hypertension runs in your family, perhaps it is a reason to know your numbers and be intentional about the things you can influence.

If heart disease runs in your family, perhaps you don’t wait until something happens before you start taking your health seriously.

You can change the narrative.

Not by pretending your family history doesn’t matter.

But by knowing it, learning from it, and deciding to act earlier.

Sometimes prevention begins with a very simple thought:

“I have seen what happened to them. What can I start doing differently now?”

That question can change the way you look at your health.

And perhaps that is the bigger conversation I want us to have.

Not “Will this happen to me too?”

But:

“What can I do differently with the information I have?”

💭 Do you think “it runs in my family” should make us fearful—or make us more intentional about how we live?

01/10/2026

WHY IS IT SO EASY TO WANT ANOTHER DOUGHNUT… EVEN AFTER YOU’VE JUST EATEN ONE? 🍩

Have you ever noticed this?

You eat one doughnut and think,

“Hmm… I could actually have another one.”

And before you know it, two have become three.

It’s not necessarily because you are “greedy” or have no self-control.

Sometimes, the food itself makes it very easy to consume a lot of energy.

Here’s something interesting.

1 gram of fat gives us about 9 calories.

Protein and carbohydrate give about 4 calories per gram.

So gram for gram, fat contains more than twice the energy of protein or carbohydrate.

And many foods that are high in fat are also very energy-dense and highly palatable.

Think about doughnuts, pastries, fried foods, cakes and many other foods we can easily eat several portions of without feeling like we’ve eaten very much.

Research suggests that the high energy density of many high-fat foods can make passive overconsumption easier.

But please don’t misunderstand me.

I am not saying fat is bad.

Your body needs fat.

But the type of fat we eat matters too. As well as the amount, and the foods it comes from.

Fat is energy-dense, so even healthier sources can contribute a significant amount of energy when eaten in large amounts.

We need dietary fat for important functions, including absorbing fat-soluble vitamins and providing essential fatty acids.

The lesson is about how much energy can be packed into a small amount of food—and how easy it can be to eat more than we intended.

This is one reason I don’t believe weight loss should simply be about telling a woman:

“Just eat less.”

I want her to understand why certain foods may make eating less difficult.

Because when you understand your food, you can start making better choices without feeling like you’re constantly fighting yourself.

So the next time you find yourself reaching for “just one more”…

Pause and ask:

“Is this food actually satisfying me, or is it simply very easy to keep eating?”

That little question can change the way you look at food.

Have you ever started eating a food intending to have just one portion, only to find yourself wanting more almost immediately?

Tell me the food! 👇🏽

29/09/2026

DID YOU KNOW THAT BEING “OVERWEIGHT” AND HAVING TOO MUCH BODY FAT ARE NOT EXACTLY THE SAME THING?

This is something I wish more women knew.

Imagine two women who both weigh 75 kg.

One may have more muscle and less body fat.

The other may have considerably more body fat and less muscle.

Same weight.

Very different body composition.

And then there is the other side of the picture…

A woman may have a BMI that falls within the “normal” range, look slim, and still have a relatively high percentage of body fat.

So when we step on the scale and see one number, we’re really only seeing total body weight.

We don’t know from that number alone:

How much is fat?

How much is muscle and other lean tissue?

And where is that fat stored?

And these things matter.

Research on what is sometimes called “normal-weight obesity” has found that people with a normal BMI but higher body-fat levels can have increased cardiometabolic risk compared with people who have a normal BMI and lower body-fat levels.

This is one reason I don’t like looking at weight in isolation.

The scale is useful.

It’s inexpensive, readily available and easy to track.

But the scale doesn’t tell the whole body-composition story.

There are ways of estimating body composition.

One of the more accessible ones is bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). You may have seen those scales or machines that estimate body-fat percentage, fat mass and lean mass.

Skinfold measurements using calipers are another option and are sometimes used by trained fitness professionals to track changes in body composition.

Neither method is perfect, and BIA readings can be influenced by the device and measurement conditions, so I wouldn’t get hung up on one reading.

What matters more to me is understanding the trend and the bigger picture.

So the next time you tell yourself,

“I just need to lose weight,”

I want you to pause and ask:

“Lose what?”

If we’re losing weight, are we mainly losing excess fat while preserving as much lean tissue as possible?

And where is the fat being stored?

Because for me, sustainable weight management isn’t simply about making the number on the scale smaller.

It’s about improving body composition and health—not just chasing a lower number.

Have you ever had your body-fat percentage or body composition checked, or have you always relied mainly on the scale?

I’d love to know.

28/09/2026

YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CHANGE WHAT HAPPENED. BUT YOU CAN CHANGE WHAT YOU DO WITH IT.

As women, we go through things.

Disappointments.
Difficult relationships.
Family responsibilities.
Things people say or do that hurt us.
Plans that don’t work out.
Situations we wish we could change.

And sometimes, without even realising it, we begin to carry these experiences everywhere we go.

We replay conversations in our heads.
We blame people for how we feel.
We keep resentment for years.
We suppress what we really want to say.
We worry about things we cannot control.
We keep saying, “This is just how my life is.”

But here is something worth thinking about:

The situation is one thing. How we respond to the situation is another.

This doesn’t mean pretending that what happened didn’t hurt.

It doesn’t mean accepting everything.

And it certainly doesn’t mean blaming yourself for things that were not your fault.

It means asking yourself:

“What is this situation asking me to do differently?”

Maybe I need to communicate instead of keeping everything inside.

Maybe I need to stop trying to control what I cannot control.

Maybe I need to forgive—not necessarily because what happened was okay, but because I don’t want to keep carrying it.

Maybe I need to set a boundary.

Maybe I need to ask for help.

Maybe I need to stop constantly putting everyone else’s needs before my own.

Maybe I need to change the story I keep telling myself about what happened.

Because sometimes, protecting our emotional and mental wellbeing isn’t about changing the people around us.

Sometimes, it starts with changing the way we respond.

We may not have power over everything that happens in our lives.

But we have more power than we sometimes realise over what we do next.

And that is worth paying attention to.

What is one response pattern in your life that you think may need to change?

24/09/2026

TO THE WOMAN WHO IS CARRYING TOO MUCH

Sometimes I think we women become so good at carrying things that we don’t even realise how heavy the load has become.

Work.

Children.

Home.

Marriage.

Family responsibilities.

Trying to be there for everyone.

Trying to do well at work.

Trying to keep the house running.

Trying to remember everyone’s needs.

And somewhere in the middle of all of that, you are expected to be okay.

You wake up tired, but you get up.

You feel overwhelmed, but you keep going.

You need a break, but there is always something else that needs to be done.

And because you are still functioning, you tell yourself,

“I’m fine.”

But are you really?

I have come to believe that sometimes stress is our body’s way of saying,

“Please pay attention to what is happening in your life.”

Not every stressful season means something is seriously wrong. But when stress becomes constant and we keep pushing through without addressing what is overwhelming us, it can take a toll on our wellbeing.

Research increasingly shows that work-family conflict is associated with burnout, psychological distress and depressive symptoms. Studies involving working women also point to the importance of support from family, colleagues and the workplace.

And this is something I really want women to hear:

You don’t have to wait until you completely break down before you decide that you need help.

Sometimes taking care of yourself may look like:

Speaking up when the load has become too much.

Asking your family for help.

Letting someone know what you actually need.

Creating boundaries around work when possible.

Taking a proper break instead of waiting until you are completely exhausted.

Making time for sleep.

Talking to someone you trust when you are struggling emotionally.

And sometimes, simply admitting:

“I can’t do everything.”

That isn’t weakness.

It is honesty.

You are a woman, not a machine.

You don’t have to earn the right to rest by becoming completely exhausted first.

There is a saying I often think about:

“If you don’t make time to be well, you will eventually have to make time to recover.”

I think there is a lot of wisdom in that.

So today, I want you to pause for a moment and ask yourself:

What is one thing in your life that has been taking more from you than you have been able to give?

And perhaps more importantly…

What do you need to do about it?

You don’t have to fix everything today.

But please don’t ignore yourself.

If this sounds like you, share one thing you’re currently finding difficult to balance. You may be surprised how many other women are carrying something similar.

Address

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Telephone

+2348035231325

Website

http://www.helamnature.com/

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