This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you—if you make a purchase.
I remember when I was a kid, I would look down at my stomach and think to myself, "It'll go away as I get older." Almost as if I would just grow around it.
Unfortunately for little me, that wasn't the case.
Growing up overweight just became normal to me.
By the time I hit early adulthood, the weight wasn’t just on my body, it was heavy on my mind too. I wasn’t proud of how I looked, or how I felt inside.
And after going on a vacation after I graduated where I gained 14 pounds in just a few days from poor habits, I finally hit my breaking point.
I saw the number on the scale, the highest it had ever been, and I finally decided that I needed to do better for myself.
Where I Started
The hardest part of starting wasn’t even the physical work, it was the mental mess.
Everywhere I turned, the advice was overwhelming, confusing, and honestly, pretty discouraging.
Some people made weight loss sound like rocket science.
Others made it sound easy... but in a way that felt fake.
I didn’t want a miracle product.
I didn’t want another “just eat clean and do keto” speech.
I wanted something real, something I could actually stick to.
So after a lot of digging, trial, and error, here’s what I landed on:
- Eat in a calorie deficit.
- Move more, especially cardio (I chose walking).
- Keep it sustainable, no heavy restriction.
That's it. No magic, no hundred-dollar courses, no starving myself.
How I Actually Did It
First, I bought a Fitbit (← if you want the same one I used).
It helped me track my steps and stay accountable.
Then, I downloaded a calorie counting app.
No foods were "off limits", but I did make a promise to myself:
Stay within my calorie goal every day, no matter what.
I went grocery shopping with a different mindset.
Not "what diet foods should I buy?"
But "what foods do I love that can fit into my daily goals?"
I didn’t cut out carbs.
I didn’t ban pasta.
I didn’t live on dry salads.
I just stayed in a realistic deficit, and walked every day.
At first, the weight melted off. Then it slowed to a steady pace.
But no matter what, I stayed consistent.
And after 5 months, I had lost 44 pounds.
My Progress Over Time
The most helpful thing about the Fitbit is it's ability to track everything and keep that data for you to view indefinitely.
Sleep, activity, and it also syncs with the calorie app I used so I could see exactly how much I was burning versus eating. The app also gave me a calorie range to stick to based on those factors.
I could see the numbers change, not just on the scale, but my step counts, my calories burned, and my resting heart rate dropping.
(Here are my actual progress pictures if you're curious to see a timeline.)
What Helped Me Stay Consistent
- Tracking everything (without guilt)
- Setting tiny, daily/weekly goals instead of obsessing over the finish line
- Being patient even when the scale stalled
- Celebrating non-scale victories (better sleep, smaller clothes, further distances walked)
My Full, Simplified Guide
If you’re where I was, overwhelmed, confused, not sure where to start,
I wrote A Guide to Sustainable Weight Loss exactly for you.
It’s everything I wish someone had told me, in one place:
- Breaking down how to find your calorie deficit and what a calorie deficit is
- The tools I use and exactly what I do on my journey
- What I learned through trial and error
- Most importantly, how to lose weight realistically without sacrificing what life has to offer
(Also, my Wellness & Health Tracker pairs perfectly with the guide, and you can get the tracker for free when you sign up for my newsletter. Just click the tab at the bottom to sign up.)
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to be perfect.
You just need to start.
Every little step you take, every meal logged, every walk, every honest look in the mirror, is one step closer to the version of you that’s already inside, waiting to bloom.
I’m not finished growing either.
And if you're ready to invest in yourself, no matter how messy the process feels,
Welcome.
You're in the right place, and I'm here to help.