Anita Lutsenko: «A person should not think about counting calories»

Anita Lutsenko

Ukrainian athlete, fitness trainer, weight loss expert Anita Lutsenko became the main character of the July digital cover of Woman Magazine. We talked to Anita about launching a YouTube channel, her personal life, and a new hair care marathon.

Anita Lutsenko

This spring you presented a book of healthy recipes, “Let’s Make It Quick!” It includes dishes that can be made with popular products. What can you find in your refrigerator?

My grocery list is familiar to most people, so you can find cottage cheese, greens, vegetables, fruit, preserves, buckwheat or yesterday’s rice in my refrigerator. In my diet I am guided by my desires and do not divide my meals into summer or winter ones. I can eat both pasta and salad, regardless of the season. 

In addition, there are only five groups of foods that people consume. These are vegetables and fruits, protein products (meat, fish, eggs), dairy products, which include everything from cottage cheese to yogurt, carbohydrates (porridge, pasta) and fats. People’s entire lives revolve around these products, and I am no exception. That’s why it’s important to have different ingredients at home that you can combine and enjoy, and not to get caught up in the stereotype that healthy food is not good food. 

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It is often said that soup is an “empty” dish in terms of proteins and fats and, in addition, it is difficult to calculate its caloric content. Is that a fair statement?

I believe that a person should not think about the caloric content of a dish. The soup was invented to compensate for the shortage of food, there was very little of it, and one wanted to eat. In the end, nothing turned into a dish to feed the whole family. 

Today we have a variety in the choice of products, in addition, you can find healthy ingredients in different price ranges and make a delicious meal out of them. Nowadays, people have become very overprotective and create problems where there are none. 

You are planning to launch a cookbook in video format. Tell us more about that.

This is a brand new book format that is presented in a closed Instagram account, accessed after a one-time payment for life. All of the recipes in the book are available in a video version, you can watch the step-by-step process of cooking. 

Initially, we wanted to create an e-book so that people from all over the world would have a way to access recipes comfortably and quickly. But the thing is that we have very well-developed piracy, and when this format is launched, the very next day this book will start to be resold. The account has 125 recipes available, as well as all the culinary tips to help you learn how to store food and cook quickly and deliciously. 

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How often do you cook at home?

Of course, I love to cook from our book (the book was published together with professional cook Katerina Andreeva – ed.). I love experimenting in the kitchen with my daughter Mia. Spending time together is always an unforgettable experience. The recipes in the book don’t require much time, and the cooking processes are so easy and exciting that I recommend cooking with the whole family. 

Your Instagram has already started to feature interviews with experts from different industries. Do you plan to continue making YouTube videos?

I recently launched my YouTube channel, which has already received a silver button. I really wanted to try a new role and help people find answers to questions that concern them so much. I get a lot of pleasure from the process of communicating with experts from various fields. Whether it is possible to exercise with varicose veins, what exercises to do if you feel pain in the knees, what physical activity is allowed after surgery – these questions should be answered by a highly specialized doctor. That’s why I started going through each topic in detail with the experts. 

Recently a video was released, where we broke down information about cesarean section, physical activity after it, nutrition. And, to be honest, I even found mistakes that I made in the past.

An interview with a phlebologist is coming out soon. We will fully cover the subject of veins in the medical aspect, how they are removed, whether creams help, how exercise affects the veins, and we will break down the issues of liposuction.

I choose topics that will be of interest to both me and my audience. After all, every day I get a lot of messages on social media asking for answers to a number of questions in which the competence of a subspecialty physician or specialist is important. 

You recently said in an interview that you are not legally married. Do you care about the stamp in your passport, the wedding, the ceremony, and all the things that girls dream about?

My dad is a divorce lawyer, so I’ve heard a lot of stories since I was a kid about couples who give each other hell in divorce. Among my acquaintances there are couples who are not officially married and are happy, and there are also those who got married and two months later divorced. For me, a wedding is a show program. It’s a costly process of creating an event that requires energy, effort, and creativity. And I put it all into my projects. Socially accepted norms regarding this issue are of greater concern to society, and my spouse and I don’t even discuss the topic and don’t think about it. 

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In any relationship there are difficulties and conflicts, especially at the beginning, when the partners have not yet gotten to know each other well enough. Did you two have a period of “adjustment”? 

We’re still fitting in. And here it is important to accept, and correct their own shortcomings, not the partner. We are not at war against each other, but on the contrary, we help each other to develop. And if one thinks that the other can do something better, then by all means help with that. We are friends, we are partners. I clearly understand that you have to work on yourself, not on someone else. We don’t have any disputes, and even if we do, they are resolved through dialogue. 

What is a man’s greatest strength to you? 

For me, a man’s main strength lies in a few things. It’s a 1000% admiration for your woman, an understanding that a woman really needs it. It is also very important to have a sense of humor and to be able to provide security and a sense of security for your family.

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In a year, Mia will go to first grade. Have you thought about where your daughter will study in the future? 

The first school will definitely be Ukrainian, and then we’ll see. I know that children who go to study after 9th grade in another country are very happy with their social circle and the level of education. Also, it’s very difficult to plan anything these days, so I haven’t looked that far ahead yet. 

Anita Lutsenko

What principles do you adhere to in your family and at work?

I am quite collected, I am a stimulant by nature, although there is a contradiction in me: on the one hand I create chaos, which my family and colleagues have to clear up, and on the other hand I like everything to be thought out a little ahead of time. Like any woman (smiling, – editor’s note). 

Where do you think that fine line is between personal boundaries and selfishness?

I’m reminded of my last trip to America, where a lot of people have a principle: “Do what you want, as long as it doesn’t disturb other people. I think it’s very important to feel this line and if those around you feel discomfort, it’s already selfish. And if you see a person who’s in a negative mood toward you, of course you should ignore him.  

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Has the approach to HLD in Ukraine in recent years? 

A large number of people have participated in my programs, and now they are not on a diet and understand that healthy food is delicious food. Every day I get messages where people write that they have coped with their eating problems, stopped being afraid of food and realized that to achieve results it is not necessary to train in the gym for three hours out of the last effort. I think to some extent I’m changing my attitude toward a healthier lifestyle in the direction of common sense.

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What other projects are you planning to launch in the near future? 

My biggest hobby right now is my YouTube channel, for which we will continue to make interesting content. The second point is that we are going to enter the global market with an English-language application WOWBODY. In addition, the second stream of my marathon on  hair care. This is my love, my outlet. 

The marathon lasts 10 days, during which the woman learns how to wash her hair properly, choose a comb, and select products to care for her head. By the way, my mother went through the first stream of the marathon at age 65 and was surprised that she had been taking care of her hair the wrong way her whole life. She touches her hair and admires its silky shine. I wash my hair according to the rules, too, and she has been absorbing information on self-care since she was a little girl. It’s all in the details and regularity. It’s better to do a little bit, but right every day than to squeeze out the full maximum once a week. 


Text: Maria Holotiy 

Photo: courtesy of Anita Lutsenko’s press service 


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