Losing 90 Pounds Helped Me Find Myself

Yes, I’ll say I have one of those crazy weight-loss transformations that are advertised and promoted on almost every fitness brand or supplement company. From June of 2019 to June of 2020, I totally transformed by the body and my life as a whole. Lots of people have asked how I did it and what the trick is but I’ll just say, there is no one tip or trick that I can suggest. It is a transformative process in that not just your body changes, but you change as a person. 

I have always been an extremely hard-working and strong-minded person, therefore when I set my mind to something, I make sure to achieve my goals. However, being overweight my entire childhood, losing weight was always a challenge. I participated in sports, had friends, did well in school, and I constantly challenged myself. Although I was confident enough to do all these things, I never fully felt like “myself.” I would act differently with my friends than I did others, and I was quite introverted. In my previous attempts to go on a diet and try to lose weight, I was never successful in sticking with it. I would stay consistent for maybe a few months, but other priorities took over and I never stayed on track. Being busy at the end of my high school career, it wasn’t until the start of college that I gained a different form of confidence. I found a way to feel like myself all the time. All of a sudden my introverted self became an extravert and I was extremely happy. At this time, I still hadn’t contemplated losing weight until the end of Freshman year. With school over, more free time, and my increased confidence, I put my mind to the ultimate goal that used to get the best of me. 

 

First off, it really is the little things. It’s starting to find ways to move your body. I used to start with walking a mile a day, then I incorporated weights and strength training. It honestly is nothing fancy. I would do banded squats, kickbacks, fire hydrants, and other floor-based movements. Cardio was NOT my thing. I ran a mile straight for the first time (in my whole life) in December of 2019. I tell you this to illustrate how everyone has a different pace when it comes to fitness. In June I would walk a mile a day and six months later I was running a mile straight a day. So, just because it looks and feels like a lot, know you CAN get there. Consistency is actually the real key. 

The second part of a ~weight loss journey~ and the most important, is your meal plan. Fitness is a helpful factor, but what you eat is what actually brings results. Let me first explain that I am most thankful for this nutritional change not for the weight loss, but for the mental clarity it gave me. I FEEL amazing. I would sleep long hours and wake up groggy, whereas now I wake up refreshed and ready for the day. My first tip would be to find swaps for things that are hard to notice. Go for the lower calorie multigrain bread, chicken or turkey burger instead of a beef burger, or nonfat yogurt. My fav dessert swap was (check this) raspberries stuffed with a walnut or pecan, drizzled with almond butter, and whipped cream on top. This was BOMB. Try incorporating veggies in places you won’t notice like in wraps or in egg scrambles. I also LOVE seafood which is always a great protein source. Overall, there are lots of small tips that do help, but everyone’s tastes are different so it’s about finding the right alternatives that suit your cravings! 

In sum, I could offer random helpful tips for days but a fitness journey is based on learning about yourself. No one has a consistent flow of confidence. Although I acted confident before, I needed to dig deeper to accomplish this goal. Therefore making a transformation as large as mine required making a promise to myself, which is how I’m more confident and self-aware than ever.

• food
• weight loss