In January, I decided to change my life.
I stepped on the scale in terror and despaired upon seeing the number.
164lbs.
164 might not seem like a lot. But I’m only five feet two, and have a small frame. For me, 164 lbs is clinically overweight, bordering on obesity.
I knew it would be bad. I’ve been gaining weight since COVID, and after turning 40, my metabolism slowed to a crawl.
It’s now April, and I’m 20lbs lighter. I’ve noticed lots of great changes from the weight loss already. I feel healthier. I fit into my clothes again. I have energy. I don’t look at my body in despair.
Here’s how I did it. Here’s how I lost 20 lbs in four months without feeling deprived.
How I Lost 20 lbs in Four Months
There’s no easy way to lose weight. My journey entails a lot more than fad diets, new medications, and spending all my free time at the gym.
In fact, I didn’t use medication at all (I know you’re probably thinking I was about to waste your time on an ad for magic weight loss meds designed as an article – don’t worry – that’s not happening!)
Here’s what I did to lose 20lbs in four months – and the best part is anyone can do it!
Shifting My Mindset
The most important part of losing weight is deciding to lose weight. I don’t mean making a New Year’s Resolution, hitting the gym for a month, then giving up.
You must truly, deeply want to change, deep in your soul.
My Journey Started Earlier
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The truth is it took me a long time to change my mindset – in fact, I told myself a year before I was going to make the change, and it didn’t happen.
Last January, I read a book called Ultra-Processed People about how all the extra junk they put in food harms our health. It was eye-opening, and I decided to stop eating ultra-processed foods.
I went so far as to buy vanilla to make my own vanilla creamer.
I failed.
At that time, I wasn’t ready to give it up. I tried, it took too much time and effort, so I stopped.
But it was always there, at the back of my mind, eating away at me.
In reality, the message took time to sink in.
Committing in January
This January was different. I committed.
I committed way back in November – though I told myself I’d enjoy Thanksgiving, my birthday, and Christmas before going all in. One last hooray, if you will.
And in January, I did.
After thinking about it for the full year, my mindset finally shifted, and I was ready to commit in January.
Since then, I’ve lost 20 lbs.. through a combination of dietary changes and exercise. And truthfully? It hasn’t been that hard.
Here’s what I did.
Step 1: Talk to a Doctor
Starting your journey with your doctor is crucial to success. Upon getting my labs in August, I learned that I was deficient in protein and had low blood sugar. These tidbits were crucial to finding a diet that worked for my body.
I’m going to share what worked for me, but people with different dietary needs will likely have different results.
Starting with your doctor will help you determine what your body needs.
Step 2: Diet Change
Changing my diet was the biggest factor in my weight loss. As they say, you can’t outrun a bad diet.
But I don’t want to call it a “diet” because I’m not “on a diet.” I changed the way I eat – there’s a massive difference.
Being “on a diet” suggests that one day, the diet will end, and you can go back to eating whatever you want. I changed my diet so that I’m always eating whatever I want, but what I want to eat has permanently changed.
Here’s how I changed my eating habits to lose 20 lbs in four months:
- Cut back on processed foods
- Reduced snacking
- More protein
- Stop drinking alcohol
- Hydrate with water
- No red meat
- Avoid fast food
- Allow myself wiggle room
Cut Back on Processed Foods
Although it took me a year to figure out, Ultra-Processed People really spoke to me. I committed to changing my diet to reduce ultra-processed foods, focusing more on real food with nutritional value.
Of course, I’m not perfect, and I give myself a few allowances, like a dab of creamer in my coffee because making it on my own didn’t work, and a little ranch dressing at lunch.
But I cut back nearly all other processed foods. No more prepackaged meals, frozen pizzas, fast food, or anything else notorious for added ingredients.
Reduced Snacking
Snacks are the bane of my existence. I love snacking, but it’s not good for my waistline. Also, with my low blood sugar, I get hungry between meals.
Chips have always been my biggest downfall. I’d devour a bag of hot fries in one sitting without even blinking. Now, I only eat chips with my weekly hamburger (and I’ve opted for the baked version with limited ingredients).
I stopped other snacking, too. No more cookies, ice cream, candies, or cakes. If I get really hungry midday and need a salty snack, I’ll make some popcorn, which isn’t ideal, but it’s better than any of the other snacks I used to eat.
More Protein
In reality, I don’t need to snack as much as I used to. My lab results provided a hint: protein deficiency.
I wasn’t eating enough protein, and therefore, I didn’t feel as full as I should. When I began upping my protein intake, I stopped getting as hungry around midday snack time.
Stop Drinking Alcohol
As Homer Simpson once aptly said, “to alcohol – the cause of – and solution to – all life’s problems.”
Alcohol may have contributed to my weight gain, but it definitely wasn’t the answer. I never enjoyed drinking a lot, but when I decided to get healthy, I knew alcohol had to go too.
For me, giving up booze wasn’t that hard. It wasn’t even fun anymore. I could barely have one drink without getting tired, and then I’d still be hungover the next day.
Giving up the empty calories and feeling better all the time was a no-brainer.
Hydrate with Water
Water is the most precious liquid on Earth, yet far too many of us scoff at it, opting instead for sugary drinks loaded with chemicals and preservatives.
I only drink water. I don’t drink juice, pop, or energy drinks.
No Red Meat
Red meat may be delicious, but it’s not great for our bodies and terrible for the environment. I use ground turkey instead.
I no longer eat steaks, pot roasts, or other meals where beef is the primary ingredient.
Avoid Fast Food
On weekend mornings, we’d occasionally splurge on breakfast from McDonald’s. When enjoying a Saturday afternoon out and about, I’d stop at Starbucks for a tasty latte.
Although we only indulged in these treats once or twice a month, they’re filled with extra calories neither of us needs.
We stopped visiting McDonald’s and Starbucks. It’s better for our wallets, too – my last drink at Starbucks was nearly $8! It’s not even worth it anymore.
Allow Myself Wiggle Room
I said a whole lot of “I never eat X” anymore – but that’s a slight exaggeration. It would be far more accurate to say, “I rarely eat X.”
On rare occasions these past four months, I’ve given in to temptation. I had a sliver of a cake at a Super Bowl party. Once, just a few weeks ago, I caved and had a bag of hot fries.
I don’t beat myself up over these indiscretions, but I don’t allow them to happen often. A bag of hot fries once every four months is far better than the bag a week I was consuming.
What Do I Eat?
I’ve told you a lot about what I cut out, and I think that’s the most important part. But it’s also crucial to show that I’m still eating a balanced diet, and outside a few random cravings, I’m mostly satiated.
Here’s what I ate to lose 20 lbs in just four months without feeling deprived.
Breakfast
I was never a big breakfast person, despite it being the most important meal of the day. On occasion, I’d go out for French toast or pancakes (or the aforementioned McDonald’s), but it was a rare treat.
I’d either skip breakfast or have a granola bar or a banana.
Now, I use it as an opportunity to increase my protein intake, switching between two options:
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 individual package of cottage cheese
Both these options are super high in protein and provide enough energy to make it to lunch.
Lunch
I’m so boring with lunch. I have no problem eating the same thing over and over, day in and day out. I’ve always been that way, but now my lunches are a little healthier.
I buy one rotisserie chicken a week and carve it into seven portions. Then, I cut up a stalk of celery, a few apples, and a little Havarti cheese.
Every day, I eat 1/7 of the chicken, two small pieces of cheese, a half an apple, a few pieces of celery, and some ranch dressing.
It doesn’t seem like a lot, but that’s only because America’s portion sizes are so outrageously big that a normal-sized meal seems small. All in all, it’s about 600 calories, which is a little on the small side, but hey, we’re trying to lose weight, right?
But the best part is it’s filling. The chicken, cheese, and ranch provide enough fat and protein to keep my belly full until dinner. When I tried to eat salads for lunch, I was starving by three, and then I’d reach for the chips.
I don’t need to do that with this meal.
Dinners
I’m not so boring with dinner. We have a few meals that we rotate through during the week. The menu includes:
- Turkey burgers
- Turkey tacos
- Pasta with broccoli and turkey
- Veggie wraps
- A wide variety of veggie and bean soups
- Stir-fry vegetables with rice
All these dishes are easy to make and mostly filled with real ingredients. It’s difficult to find pasta and bread that don’t have a bunch of preservatives, but we do our best to choose the healthiest options.
The veggie wraps have hummus, and the soups we make are filled with beans and lentils to provide enough protein.
What Diet Changes Helped Most?
If I had to pick something that contributed most to my weight loss, I’d say it’s realizing I need to eat more protein, and only because doing so helped me limit snacking.
Snacking is horrible for your waistline. The more you can cut out, the better. Even opting for healthier snacks (Like choosing the baked chips over the deep-fried ones, or popcorn over chips) can help a little, but cutting it out altogether is probably the best thing you can do to lose weight.
Step 3: Exercise
PeopleImages.com – Yuri A via Shutterstock.com
I didn’t only change my diet in January. I committed to an overall healthier lifestyle by adding exercise to my daily routine.
I loathe working out. It’s so boring. So, I needed to find a way to burn calories and get fit that didn’t feel like a chore.
My methods helped me lose 20 lbs in four months.
Gym and Running
I started off by going to the gym twice weekly and running two additional times per week.
While at the gym, I’d hit the elliptical for 20 minutes (only made bearable by listening to my favorite tunes) and focus heavily on lifting weights with machines.
Unfortunately, I was forced back to the office from a remote position, and had to give up both.
But I didn’t gain any weight back.
Although these two activities were great for my health, they weren’t the main contributors to my weight loss. I was only running for like eight minutes anyway before I got bored, anyway.
Weightlifting on Break
I started casual weightlifting during my breaks at work. I brought my hand weights to the office to continue that trend.
I do a handful of small, easy lifting workouts three days per week.
- Monday – leg day. Squats, leg lifts (back, forward, side), and lunges
- Wednesday – arm day – bicep curls, triceps, punches,
- Friday – shoulders and chest – arm lifts (front, side, back) and butterflies
I do all the workouts with 5lb weights, and try to do three sets. It takes so little time that I can do it during my break.
Since I started doing this, my arms have noticeably more definition, and my legs have slimmed down.
Although the cardio I got at the gym was great, I believe the muscle workouts contributed far more to weight loss. Increased muscle mass improves your metabolism, makes you stronger, enhances your endurance, and creates a fitter you. It also burns more calories than straight-up cardio in the long run.
Daily Walks
I take two 10-15 minute walks a day. I enjoy getting outside – it gives me a break from whatever I’m doing and allows me to breathe the fresh air for a little bit.
My walks are short yet invigorating. I walk fast and try to find little uphill slopes on my route to give a little added workout bonus.
Micro Workouts
I do a lot of what I like to call “micro workouts.”
The idea is that every movement burns calories, so why not move more whenever I can? I use the restroom that’s down a flight of stairs at work, which forces me to do stairs four times a day. I stretch whenever I stand up and do random leg lifts or squats while washing my dishes or brushing my teeth. I make it fun, giving my hips a wiggle or adding a little dance to my steps.
Consider moving your body just a little bit more. Stand up a few extra times per day. Give your arms and shoulders a few extra rolls. Suck your belly in when you walk. Let go of the workout myths claiming it has to be hard or time consuming, and find small fun ways to get moving.
You won’t lose weight doing micro workouts alone, but when added to a healthier diet and workout routine, they can provide a nice little bonus.
Keeping it Off
I’m not at my goal weight just yet. I have about 5-10 more lbs to lose.
Although I’ve yo-yoed a lot in recent years, I don’t think I will again. This weight loss journey wasn’t just about losing weight. It was about changing my life for the better by cutting out harmful foods, improving my mobility, and strengthening my core. I don’t want to give that up again.
Now that I’m “over the hill,” I need to work a little harder to maintain a healthy weight, but I’m okay with that. These lifestyle changes will ensure I have a long, healthy life for this next chapter.
And if I did, you can do it too. Let’s continue on our path to a healthier life together.
Sorry if you were hoping for pictures of me. I didn’t take any of those “before” and “after” weight loss selfies. I also don’t really want to show my giant 164lb belly online 🤐