Y’all notice everything! In January of 2020 I got serious about losing weight and some of you noticed the changes before I even did. While my weight loss journey is not complete I am going to share how I lost 15 lbs in less then 2 months! Sharing my weight loss story, progress pictures, what I ate in a day, how i stay motivated to work out, and why I decided to start losing weight (again)!
&& a 2023 update!!! answering all of your questions from stories, my new “what i eat in a day”, & easy simple meals!
DISCLAIMER: i am by no means of nutritionist, this is just what has worked for me and i hope some of my tips and tricks can help you to look & feel your best!!
progress pictures:
my story:
My story started in 2010, after my freshmen year in college, I gained the freshmen 15 and then some. I weighed close to 160 lbs on my worst day which is a lot for my 5″3′ frame. During college I would go home for summer, workout like crazy (6-7 days a week) and eat pretty much nothing ~800 calories a day and go back to school and drink + party. See why I stopped drinking here.
I developed an unhealthy relationship with food and weighed myself ALL THE TIME… like 6 times a day. At my lowest in college I weighed 113 lbs (right). In February of 2018 I decided to stop weighing myself all together. I learned how to eat when I was hungry and stop when I was full. Only problem was the things I was eating were unhealthy… I really like SUGAR. I was back up to 150 lbs in 2019. In January of 2020 I quit my engineering job to pursue blogging full time. Read more here. I finally had time to focus on me and what makes me happy. Down 5 lbs and in February of 2020 my ex and I of 2.5 years broke up. I moved into my own apt and 10 additional lbs came off (keep reading for what I ate + my workouts). Weigh in today was 134 lbs.
3 things I learned about myself:
- I can do anything if I put my mind to it.
- Being alone doesn’t mean you are lonely. (thanks mom!)
- When I am happy in my life I don’t over eat and losing weight is easy!
what I ate:
80% of abs are made in the kitchen! My diet was intermittent fasting (eating only from noon to 8 pm) + limiting carbs and NO SUGAR. I stopped counting calories because it makes me too obsessive with how much I am eating. I don’t care for meat (texture thing!) so most of what I eat is vegetarian. Another tip is to drink lots of water because it keeps you full. Love to add in some cucumber or lime. Here is what a typical day looks like for me. Note that I am NOT a dietitian & this is what has worked for me.
- 8 am wake up
- 10 am apple cider vinegar shot (I know gross… but it works!) + water
- 11 am 305 dance fitness workout + water
- 12 pm breakfast – click here to see my 3 go to breakfasts
- 3 pm snack time (pick one) – smart sweets (love these because of all of the fiber they have), quest bar or small bowl of mozzarella balls because I LOVE CHEESE + water
- 6 pm dinner – something from dashing dish and I try to get in a lot of veggies here and no carbs! Helps me feel full! + water
- 8 pm – some nights I have an extra snack. Popcorn, smart sweets, or carrots.
JULY 2023 UPDATE:
intermittent fasting worked really well for me and I got down to 128 lbs in January 2022. i met alex in february of 2022… lots of dates, dinners out & honestly unhealthy food because the only thing i was focusing on, was not eating in the morning. i crept back up to 136 lbs in february of 2023 & decided to switch it up. i felt that i had enough personal growth from my 800 calorie college days that i could start tracking again safely. so i redownloaded my fitness pal & started logging with a goal of 1500 calories a day. the biggest difference was i was also trying to get 112 g of protein leaving me feeling full. today i am 129 lbs & really happy i got here in a much healthier way. my plan is to continue my calorie deficit until i’m 125 lbs & then reverse diet & up my calorie intake. more to come on this!
sample what i eat in a day:
answering your questions:
how do you honor your cravings without going overboard?
be intentional with what you are going to eat. if you are having a craving is there a healthy way you can eat that? for example i do a lot of PB2 because i love peanut butter. or i will take out a portion of the treat, put it on a plate and eat it. for me as much as i can make it feel like a normal meal and “allowed” to eat it, the less chance i have of binge eating & treating it like i am doing something bad.
what did you used to eat that now you “swap”?
my biggest one is swapped peanut butter for pb2!
give us the specifics!! macros, calories, supplements?!
i have been doing 1500 calories a day & really focusing on getting 112g of protein in. when i first started it was really hard to get even close but i have made a lot of changes in my meals & now i hit + exceed most days. i found focusing on protein pushes me to eat things that leave me full longer vs. 100 calories of an oreo.
snacks? what’s your go to dinner?
i have blog posts for both of these! 8+ easy snack recipes here & 5+ lunch and dinner recipes here. i also have 5+ breakfast recipes here!
whats your best source of protein?
whey protein, pb2, catalina crunch cereal, egg life wraps, spicy black bean burgers, and rotini chickpea pasta are some of my favorites.
what helped kick start your weight loss journey?
taking instagram full time really got me started. i saw being in shape as promoting a healthy lifestyle & i wanted to feel great about myself wearing bikinis most days on camera! Iin 2020 i also started taking the lean body system which helped limit cravings/snacking, helped me feel fuller longer, & lean out those stubborn areas. you can get $10 off using my code 8313215.
what is your favorite at home workout?
i have been loving sculpt society for easy at home workouts! i love the ones for the booty!!you can use code emerson25 for your first week free + 25% off your first 2 months.
how do you stay motivated to workout daily?
make it part of your routine! i get up @ 5:45 am & lift or do a class. it’s just something i do every day & the more i do it the more of a routine it becomes. i also give myself grace when i am tired or didn’t sleep enough, i will do a walk that day or just skip all together. start small, you don’t have to work out every day. walking 20 minutes three days a week would be a great start!
Can’t wait to continue to share my journey with you! Any questions, put them in the comments and I will be answering!
xoxo E