How I Lost the last ~25 Pounds: 5 Unconventional Tips

In fourth grade, I struggled with body image. I always thought that I was too fat and that everyone else thought so, too. I would try working out to try to lose weight—even though, looking back, I see that I was far from fat. 

There was a little while in sixth grade when I had largely overcome this perception of myself, but one day in science class, a kid looked at me and said, “you’re overweight.” I remember looking around, hoping that someone would stand up for me, but no one did.

Throughout sixth grade, I desperately attempted to get abs. I had eaten a paleo diet since the end of fifth grade–at the time, I thought I was doing something healthy, but drenching my food in healthy fats along with a now skewed relationship with food resulted in me over consuming calories and gaining weight. In my junior year of high school, I decided to lose the weight I had accumulated. 

5 Unconventional Weight Loss Tips

1. Stop fearing food

Diets like paleo and keto only resulted in me gaining weight. I didn’t understand the role that calories play in fat loss–in fact, many of the proponents of these diets talked about calories as if they were an absurd measurement only used by delusional people.  

After five years of dieting and restriction, during my junior year of high school, I accepted the scientific reality that calories do matter. At first, I didn’t want to receive this information, but I knew that this was why, after all these years of supposedly eating “healthy,” I hadn’t lost weight. I lost weight with a flexible approach—eating lots of healthy foods, but also making room for treats, too.

2. Become strong

You don’t have to strength train to lose weight—but as a personal trainer, I highly recommend it. First of all, when you’re in a calorie deficit, your body not only loses fat, but can also lose muscle. Strength training tells your body we need this so that you lose fat rather than precious muscle. It can also help you appear leaner and more “toned.” 

3. Find other things to look forward to besides food

I’ve always enjoyed food, but I struggled with boredom eating for a long time. When I started looking for other ways to fill my time, I no longer felt as much temptation to “boredom eat.” 

Everyone has things that they love doing, during which food is the last thought on their mind. What things are like that for you—hanging out with friends? Learning about something you’re interested in? Enjoy the pleasure of food at mealtime, and let yourself focus on other things between meals.

4. Consistency over perfection

One of the coolest parts of tracking my food is being able to look back on my food logs and see the foods I ate to lose weight. However, as I scroll through the days, not every day is perfect. Some days, I ate closer to maintenance calories. Occasionally, I didn’t track at all. If I had let those days ruin my momentum, used it as an excuse to throw discipline out the window, or let them convince me that I can't do it, I wouldn’t have ever achieved my goal. Instead, I simply got back on track. It’s consistency, not perfection, that helps you reach your goals.

5. Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Looking back on when I was losing weight, I felt hungry sometimes. Some days, my workouts weren’t quite so glamorous. But overall, I largely just lived my life how I normally did, just with more planning and intention around food and exercise. I didn’t starve myself. In fact, day-to-day, I hardly saw any changes at all. It was only looking back on pictures that I realized the progress that I had made. Going slowly helped me to not make weight loss miserable–in fact, I enjoyed the process, which made it sustainable and successful.

Struggling to stay consistent?

As a personal trainer in Madison, Wisconsin, I am happy to work with you to create a custom plan to achieve your goals and hold you accountable. Click here to view my personal training programs, and then book a free consultation to determine if we’re a good fit!