UPND vice-president Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) says he has deliberately lost more than 30kgs since August 2017 through a strict diet which entails he excludes sugar, starch and oily foods from his menu.

And GBM says he loves himself now because he feels more energetic than he has ever felt.

GBM narrated that he tried losing weight by going to the gym but that did not work as he would eat even more afterwards.

In an interview with News Diggers! GBM assured his supporters that there was nothing wrong with his health as he had made a conscious decision to control his weight.

“Yes, I have lost weight. The secret is, I will tell you something, it’s just diet. It’s what we eat, you understand, there is nothing special, no gym, nothing like that. It’s only food. I am off carbohydrates, no starchy foods, no Coca-Cola, no Fanta. Sugar is the deadliest thing that one should take because this is what actually gets you fat. Sugar is bad, Coca-Cola is bad, so I have stopped taking Coca-Cola. The only food that I take myself is actually what the doctor told me. He said I should eat only 100 grams of meat a week, 100 grams of fish per week and 100 grams of chicken per week. And it’s very small pieces of meat, I eat more vegetables minus cooking oil. It’s strictly no cooking oil and I eat a lot of vegetables. No cooking oil only water, tomatoes and onions. The first three weeks, it was quite a struggle, but you get used to it and I got used to it,” GBM said.

“So, I rarely get hungry nowadays, and also the time that you eat your food is critical. Breakfast you eat between seven and eight o’clock in the morning and for me, it is plain yogurt. Tea, no milk, no sugar. At 11 o’clock you eat the smallest apple if you feel hungry. That’s at 11, then at one o’clock, you then eat your main meal which is, I will tell you something, it’s strictly 100 grams of chicken or meat. Then when it’s three, you take the smallest potatoes, then the rest now on your plate three quarters should be vegetables. And the fish I am talking about, the fish, the chicken and the meat, it’s all grilled not fried. So today I was at more than 30kgs, in terms of the kilos which I have lost. That’s from August last year. I started my diet last year and 30kgs is a lot. I lose more than a kilogram every week. It’s just diet, I’m telling you, you will have to lose a kilo every week.”

And GBM admitted that he loved himself now because he felt very energetic.

“Let me tell the Zambians, immediately you turn 40, you have to be mindful of what you eat. You have to be very careful. Now I don’t have high blood pressure because I stopped taking those foods, no high blood pressure, there is nothing everything is totally normal now. It is impressive and I’m actually feeling so good about it, I feel energetic and not tired as before. Even myself I am feeling so good. I love myself now,” he said.

“So just be mindful of what you eat. Most especially the sugars, Coca-Cola is dangerous stuff. I don’t even take fruit juices. Those things I will tell you, they say there is no sugar but somehow there is sugar and they will get you fat. The best you can do is take your vegetables with no cooking oil and avoid starchy food stuff.”

GBM explained that a change to his diet had changed his life and advised others to follow suit.

“I eat a lot of lettuce and onions and cucumbers. When I am taking breakfast, I will only take yogurt, plain yogurt and a cup of tea without sugar. I don’t go to the gym, though I want to start just to shape up. So, I don’t go to the gym. They will tell you that you will lose weight but for me, I don’t believe that because after the gym you eat a lot and you still gain instead of losing weight. After the gym most people eat a lot. I used to go to the gym a few years ago but I gained more weight because after the gym, I used to eat a lot. Because you burn a lot of calories when you go to the gym and you are forced to eat more to feel energetic, so I don’t go there. And I have done this for me, it is good for me. I haven’t done it for people, because I am a very disciplined man. When I want to do something, I do it. I don’t do it for the public, I do it for myself. So, I am very happy with what I am today, with how much I have lost. What I intend to do is that, I was at 147kgs, I want to come to 110, then reduce even more. And I know I am going to achieve it in the next few weeks,” said GBM.