Real-Life Health and Weight Loss

Note:  This post has been edited since publishing, and I apologize that I had to slap unsightly watermarks over most of the before and after photos.  It was brought to my attention that my personal photos were being used by others on websites with fake stories and names promoting weight loss products I absolutely don’t use.

trampolining sqOddly enough, considering I open up a certain portion of my life to millions of people on the internet on a regular basis, I’m actually a very private person.  It’s an interesting dynamic when your job requires you to stretch those boundaries.  Kate and I are both very hesitant to steer away from our comfort-zone of comfort-food because 1.  There are some things we just prefer to keep private, and 2.  We’ve found that the internet can be a cruel place, where good intentions are often skewed and hate loves to hide behind the anonymity of a screen name.  But sometimes we do go out on a limb and get personal.  And we’re always nervous about it.  We worried when we wrote about our tender feelings of motherhood, and the heartbreaking experiences we’ve both had with our own Mothers.  I know one of the hardest things Kate has done was share the horrific experience of coming moments away from losing a child in a near-drowning we both witnessed.  And then just last week I published something I’ve been working up the courage to write about for over a year now.

We’re always a little nervous to put stuff “out there,” but the more we do the more we realize one very important thing: everyone has a story.  Those 3 posts I just mentioned are 3 of the most highest-trafficked posts on our site.  Every one of them was flooded with comments and personal emails and we never know how therapeutic/inspiring/relatable they are until they are in fact “out there.”  When I started focusing on my own personal health and fitness a couple of years ago, I did it very quietly.  I’m not the type of person to post workout announcements on Facebook or shout from the rooftops that I lost ten pounds.  I did it for me.  And I did it privately.  Then just a couple of months ago I posted a photo on Instagram.  It was just a little peek at an object lesson I was using to teach my kids about goal-setting and New Year’s Resolutions.  It was this picture:

A Food Blogger's Real Life Weight Loss Story-2

The response to that photo was overwhelming.  I’d never had (or had since) a bigger response to a photo on Instagram.  You asked for more of this story, so I tested the waters with my recent post on fitness.  Again, I was amazed at the response and I loved hearing all of your stories.  So many of you have emailed me, and left comments, and communicated via social media, and one thing is clear.  My story is not unique!  So many of you can relate!  SO many of you communicated that you felt inspired and that alone was my goal.   There is so much false inspiration in the media when it comes to health and fitness.  You’ve probably all seen those before and after pictures taken by trainers on the very same day to demonstrate how easy it is to embellish those types of results.   So here’s what I want to say:  This is real life.  I’m a real person.  I’m probably a lot like you.  I’m going to tell you my story in hopes that many of you can relate and if anything- can be inspired that if I can do this, so can you.  Because one of the most satisfying feelings in the world is gaining control of something that has controlled you.

Weight Loss for Real Life from Our Best Bites 2
It all started in August of 2011.  I went on a family vacation and when I got home and unloaded the photos from my camera I was very concerned.  About my camera.  Surely there was something wrong.  Some sort of lens malfunction.  I was shocked to see myself.  Somehow it didn’t seem that bad when I looked in a mirror, but seeing photos, it really hit me.  I had gotten way off track.  (Every before photo in this post is from that trip.  While going through my photos I found many recent photos that seemed to mirror the poses in older photos so I grouped those together and I’ll scatter them in this post.)

Tips for weight loss in real life from Our Best Bites 2

I’d like to say it was baby weight- I had a one year old at the time.  But the truth is, I did a really good job getting a good chunk of that baby weight off in the first few months after having him.  Something had happened in the months since and I let things go.  I gained it all back and then some.    The moment I got home from that trip, I vowed to change things, and I did.  I joined a gym.  I started eating better.  Over the next few months I lost a little weight and was feeling much better but I had such a long way to go, and the thought was overwhelming.  I was running like crazy every day, but not really seeing any big changes so it just all felt like a waste of time and that was frustrating.  I was so sick of always being consumed with my weight. I didn’t want that to be something I stressed about day in and day out.  I’m a very type A kind of person (just ask my husband or my business partner).  I like to be in control of things.   I’m a very driven person and I’ve found success in almost every area of my life- except this one.  It drove me crazy that this owned me, and I wanted to change it but I had failed so many times that I didn’t have a lot of faith in myself.

About that same time I re-connected with an old friend on Facebook. I grew up with Paige, and vividly remembered her infectious smile.  This is the Paige I remembered, but I hadn’t seen her in over 10 years.

PaigeThe Paige I found on Facebook wasn’t the same person.  In fact, I double checked the name.  Was it really her?  What the heck happened?  Did she have surgery?  Go on some sort of juice diet?

Paige 2I clicked over to her blog, and was instantly drawn to her story because I could see from her photos that she didn’t just lose weight.  She was an athlete.  She was strong, she was toned, and she did it all the good ol’ fashioned way.  That was inspiring.  I read a post about her trainer and instantly recognized him.  He trained at my gym.  I saw him nearly every day.  After reading about Paige’s experiences, and how instrumental her trainer was, I decided to talk to him one day.  What I kind of assumed would be a quick chat, and maybe turn into a few sessions where he gave me some pointers, turned into something much, much bigger.

Sara and her TrainerI spent over and hour talking to Jacob that first time and realized that my problems were deeper than just the simple fact that I liked to bake cookies (and eat them.)  I needed to make some big changes.  Some big life changes.  I needed to get away from the idea of crash dieting and really learn how to manage my health for the long term.  I have been on a million diets.  I’ve done everything under the sun and I always end up right back where I started.  Every. Time.  I’ll find something that works for the short-term and once I lose a little bit of weight I get comfortable and let go again and then before I know it, I’m starting over.  I wanted this time to be different.  I didn’t want to quit.  But it also seemed like a really big goal.  We calculated numbers and got a realistic picture of what it would take and inside I wondered if I had it in me.  Sensing my hesitation, Jacob said very matter-of-factly, “Extraordinary things are only extraordinary because not very many people do them.  Just be one of the people that does it.  Finish it.”  When I left that meeting, I wrote down two words on a post-it note.  My goal.  He asked me what the one thing was that was most important to me; what did I really want to accomplish?

Finish it

I wanted to finish it for once.  Do it all the way.  Not do it a little bit and get comfy.  Go big or go home.  That was the moment it clicked in my head.  I was actually going to do this, no matter what it took.  I wasn’t just going to lose a little weight; I was going to get fit.  Get strong.  Now I sit here writing this post, one month away from my 35th birthday.  A thirty-something mother of 3 who cooks food for a living, and I can honestly say I’m in the best shape of my life.  It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t all that hard either.  It took a lot of dedication, focus, and hard work.  If you want to see big changes, you have to be willing to put in big effort.

Same Kid 18 months later 2

I’m not saying I’m perfect.  I still have work to do, and I’m constantly trying to push myself to get rid of the many, many things that jiggle (and shouldn’t).  I’d still like to lose a few more pounds and push down my body fat percentage by a little bit,  but I’m here.  I’m doing it.  I didn’t quit, I didn’t give up, and I’ve kept off the weight, and truly changed my lifestyle, which has made all the difference. I’m going to share a few of the most important things I’ve learned along the way, in hopes of inspiring someone else out there.  If you’re reading thinking you wish you could do this too- YOU CAN!  I may have had a trainer, but there was no top-secret diet, so never-before-seen workout program.  Everything I did, you can do too.  I promise.

Support Network

Even if you’re a private person like me, if you’re going to take on a big goal, and make big changes, you need the support of the people around you.  If no one else, your spouse or significant other.  The people closest to you can be your biggest support, or your greatest challenge.  I’ve seen enough weight-loss reality TV to know that when your spouse isn’t on board, it can be detrimental.  It doesn’t mean they have to completely change their lives like you’re changing yours.  At some point you have to be strong enough to make decisions for you, even if everyone around you is tempting you to do otherwise, but let them know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.  Let them know you need their support and encouragement.  My husband is without a doubt the most supportive, encouraging, motivating person in my life.  Morning HikeHe arranges his schedule so I can make sure to get my exercising in.  He passes up things he knows will tempt me when I’m trying to avoid them, and he tells me often how proud he is of my accomplishments.  I couldn’t have done this without him cheering me on, and making sacrifices to help me succeed.  The fun side-effect is that we’re now a much more active couple.  We still love to go out to eat and watch movies on dates, but now we also go hiking together, work out together, ski, snowshoe, backpack together.  We have so many active hobbies now and that has been awesome.

Start Small

If you’re starting from zero, don’t try to drastically change everything all at once.  I was notorious for this.  Out of the blue, I’d make a huge goal, “I’m gonna lose 30 lbs by my vacation in 8 weeks!”  “I’m going to workout for 2 hours every day!” “And eat no sugar!  And only salad!”  Sheesh.  No wonder that never lasted more than about 7 days.  When I first started training, my only responsibility was to exercise every day and eat about 1500 calories, keeping track of my food.  That made it easy.  I could manage that alone.  After a few weeks, when those things were habit, we added more.  Increasing the intensity of my workouts, focusing more on what I was eating, etc.  If you want long-term success, I suggest starting with a few basic things that you know you can manage.  It will help you develop good habits that you can actually stick with and make you feel successful.

Log your Food

When I had my first meeting with my trainer, I expected  long list of certain foods I was to eat and not eat.  Surely there was some top-secret miracle trainer diet that I would finally get to see.  Nope.  My only responsibility: log my food.  When it comes to nutrition people make it so much harder than it needs to be.  The math is simple.  Every day you burn a certain amount of calories, an you intake a certain number of calories.  If you eat about the same amount that you burn, you maintain your wait.  If you eat more than you burn, you gain weight.  If you eat less than you burn, you lose weight.  3500 calories = 1 pound.   If you want to lose 1 pound each week, you need to have a deficit of 3500 calories, or 500 calories per day.  Keep track of what you eat, religiously.  I use MyFitnessPal.   It makes it ridiculously easy to know where you stand.  You might feel frustrated that you don’t have a lot of time to exercise, or you don’t have a gym membership, or you simply don’t have the energy to work out as you’d like to.  The one thing you have 100% complete control over, is what you put into your body.  You control what you eat.  You can manage that.

My Fitness Pal App

End the mindless eating.  If you’re going to snack, don’t stick your hand in the bag of crackers and munch away.  Look at the serving size, count them out, and write it down.  Invest in a Food Scale. Be aware of portion sizes and know exactly what you’re putting into your body.  It takes effort sometimes to calculate the calories in a recipe and figure out the serving size, but take the time if you’re serious about weight loss.  You can still enjoy good, indulgent foods, if you can learn to do it in moderation.  My birthday last year was during a time where I was trying hard to lose weight.  Instead of a big cake and ice cream binge, I made mini Somoa Cheesecakes.  With all the good stuff: real butter, full-fat cream cheese, whipped cream, and creamy ganache.  They were perfectly delicious, fit into my daily calorie needs, and I invited over some friends so I wouldn’t have leftovers; it was perfect.

Birthday Cheesecake
Avoid Extremes.  I would say that any diet that completely eliminates any food group is one to stay away from.  Trust me: you don’t need to go crazy.  You don’t need to go on a no-sugar no-carb low calorie blitz or any other weird thing that promises you’ll lose 10 pounds that week.  Sure you might lose weight, but at what cost? (Including your sanity).  Focus on things that are long-lasting.  That’s why I finally, after all of these years, I feel like I have my nutrition in check.  Is it perfect?  No way.  I do stupid things and eat way too much all the time.  Just last Friday night I went out to an awesome restaurant and demolished a 16oz ribeye.  16 ounces.  Do you know how big that is?? (It tasted like heaven.  Amazing cow heaven.)  But I correct it.  I do better the next day.  I find that if I make good choices 80% of the time, and live actively, then that allows plenty of wiggle room to still eat things I love (like dessert.)  I’m going to dive further into nutrition on my post tomorrow on The Scoop (okay, not tomorrow because we’re having a technical issue with The Scoop- but soon!), so if you’re interested in this topic, check that out.

Strength Train

I talked about this in my Fitness post, so I won’t repeat too much.  Dieting and cardio will only get you so far.  You will absolutely lose weight that way, but chances are good that you’ll end up in that state people lovingly refer to as “Skinny Fat”.  If you want to be fit, strong, and lean, you need to build muscle.  You’ll lose weight and inches faster, and burn more calories while you’re doing nothing!  The minute I started weight training, the weight melted off.

Results of 3 months of weight training at Our Best Bites 2

This was a big turning point for me, and I’d say it was key to why I had been unsuccessful with my weight loss and fitness so many times before, and why this time was different.  My trainer taught me to work out differently.  He taught me to be comfortable in the weight room.  To lift heavy.  As I did, I saw my body transform.  I saw definition in places I had never seen without flab (like that arm and shoulder below).

With Kids in Hawaii-2

When I first saw this picture (below, upper) from that infamous trip a few years ago, my first thought was,  “Sheesh.  I guess I don’t ever look at my back.  Does it seriously look like that??”

And then I had the exact same reaction when I saw the photos below it, snapped just a few days ago.  “I guess I don’t ever look at my back.  Does it seriously look like that??  Are those muscles?”

Trading out the Back Rolls from Our Best Bites 2

I can’t emphasize this enough.  The real key to my success when it comes to fitness is that I stopped exercising like a girl.  Don’t be scared of the weight room.  Get in there and lift.  If you can do 12-15 reps and not struggle by the last one, you can probably try something heavier.  Keep going until it’s really hard at the end.  Stay at that weight until you conquer it and then slowly increase.  Cardio is still important, and your diet is important.  It’s finding the balance of all 3 of those things that will give you the magic combination.

The Scale

I have such a love-hate relationship with my scale.  My trainer, on more than one occasion, has instructed me to hide it on the top shelf of my closet for a few weeks.  DO weigh yourself.  That’s important.  One of the reasons I got so far off track a few years ago was because I literally refused to weight myself.  I had absolutely no clue how much I weighed because I didn’t want to know!  Weighing yourself regularly will help you keep things in check.  That being said, DON’T be a slave to the scale.  It’s not the only indication of what’s going on.

special k scale(That’s a Special K Scale, I admit I kind of like those cheesy commercials.)

Just because the numbers aren’t moving, doesn’t mean that that you aren’t making progress.  One of the many reasons a trainer has been helpful to me is that I don’t just stand on a scale.  Every 3 weeks we do measurements, where we measure with a tape measure pinch the fat, etc.  Those numbers don’t lie!  Combined with the number on the scale, you can see exactly what’s happening, like last December, when I was depressed I only lost 1 pound all month, but after measurements I could see that I gained 3 pounds of solid muscle.  That explained why my weight didn’t change much, but my clothes fit better and I felt so great.  Try weighing yourself once a week, on the same day and stick to that.  And don’t freak out if you worked really hard and the scale doesn’t show it.  Over time, if you’re doing the right things, it will reflect that.

Live Actively

Without a doubt, the key to my success being long-lasting this time, is that I figured out a way to simply live a balanced life.  People are constantly asking how I stay fit when I’m obviously cooking lots of treats and indulging in good food often.  The key is balance and moderation.

Sara Hiking 2

When you live actively, there’s room in life for good food.  I love food. I always have and always will.   I don’t live life on a constant diet anymore.  I eat normal food, I just eat reasonable amounts of it.  And I live actively.  My entire family is more active now.  We love exploring the world around us, and getting in exercise while having fun together.

Wells Family

I have so much more energy for my kids now, and I enjoy opportunities to have fun while also being healthy.

trampolining

I’ve taken up so many new hobbies with my stronger body.  My husband I love to ski, hike, play sports, backpack, and snow shoe.  The best exercise is the kind disguised as a hobby!

Snowshoeing

Don't give up

Don’t quit.  Don’t make excuses.  No if’s, and’s or but’s about it.

Weight Loss from Our Best Bites-2

See what I did there?  And yes, I did just post a close up of my butt on the internet.  There’s a first for everything.  Seriously though.  If you make a goal, follow through, but don’t let a bad day (or two, or three, or 10) make you quit.  If you feel lost right now, find yourself.  Out of control?  Get in control.  My entire journey has been 2 steps forward, one step back; the point is that you continue to move in the right direction.  I think that’s normal.  It’s impossible to be perfect, so don’t expect it of yourself.  If you get off track, get back on track.  You’re stronger than you think and you CAN do it!  Getting fit and learning to better live a healthy lifestyle has changed my life for the better, and not just in a physical sense.  Yes it’s nice to feel comfortable in my own skin, but it’s also very mentally and emotionally empowering to master something that’s been haunting you.  If you want to change, do it.  Be extraordinary.  Finish it.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below- I’ll do my best to keep on top of them and answer them all.  I also love hearing YOUR stories!  If you have any tips and advice of your own, please leave a comment and share.  There’s lots of people out there looking for inspiration!

woman in denim shirt holding a salad bowl
Meet The Author

Sara Wells

Sara Wells co-founded Our Best Bites in 2008. She is the author of three Bestselling Cook Books, Best Bites: 150 Family Favorite RecipesSavoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites, and 400 Calories or Less from Our Best Bites. Sara’s work has been featured in many local and national news outlets and publications such as Parenting MagazineBetter Homes & GardensFine CookingThe Rachel Ray Show and the New York Times.

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Questions & Reviews

  1. What a great and inspiring post! I too am adding weight training to my routine. Question, do you work different muscles groups on different days? (I saw you answered a comment that you do weights 5 days a week) I get so confused on whether a person should do weights back to back days.

    Keep up the great work, love these posts!

    1. Yes, different muscle groups on different days. I do legs one day, then back and shoulders, biceps/triceps, etc. That way the tired muscles get a break when you’re working the others 😉

  2. You have kept me so motivated this year. Thank you! My fourth baby is 5 months old and getting out of the house to exercise is erratic at best. So lately, I have been waking up with my baby (who usually likes to greet the day at 6 a.m. after trying to greet it frequently through the night) and put on my exercise clothes. Then I don’t let myself get on regular clothes until I have done some exercises. Even when there is not a stretch where I can sit and do a video, I squeeze in some squats, crunches and planks in between our morning routine (usually with the 2 year old as a partner). I can then change and take my kids to school and start my day. Then, Saturdays are adventure days with the family. Slinging around my 20 pound baby for sure makes me feel the burn… It may not be the big fitness jump start I would like to do, but days with full nights of sleep and having my body all to myself (aka not nursing) are in my future!

    1. I don’t usually read the comments on posts but I’m so glad I did! I’ve got 3 and the youngest is 3 months and not sleeping through the night yet either. I use to be in the weight room constantly and now I’m wondering how in the world I’ll get any exercise in! I’m so glad I read your comments as it’s given me an idea of how I can squeeze it in too. 🙂 Thanks!

    1. I am in Ogden as well and would like to know where to go to get training similar to what Sara is doing, but I’m not sure where to look locally. It seems like there are so many options that it gets overwhelming, especially for a “cardio girl” that is intimidated by the weight room. 🙂

  3. just starting my journey of health and well being. started boot camp with a very dynamic trainer. your words of wisdom are great and will keep me thinking and moving. thank you so much for sharing this post and the past posts about fitness and weight loss. and the before and after pictures really hit home. good for you for sticking with it and ‘finish it’ will be on my fridge. will let you know how it goes.

  4. You truly are inspiring. I’d love to hear what weight exercises you do…I imagine you do arms one day, back another, etc. What you do on those days…Or maybe I just need a fantastic trainer.

    1. Yep, you got it Lisa. I do legs one day, back one day, biceps/triceps, etc.

  5. Hello! Thank you so much for sharing your story! You are such an inspiration. I have two daughters (my youngest is six weeks) and I’m just starting to get back into exercising. I don’t have a gym anywhere close to where I live so I can’t get into a weight room. Do you have any recommendations for strength training at home. DVDs, Youtube channels, etc.? Can it be done without a lot of equipment? And what are your thoughts on protein powder? It seems like everyone is taking it these days, but it is so expensive! Thanks again and I can’t wait to see your future posts on the topic. You truly give me the confidence that I can get my body back into shape.

    1. Check out my post tomorrow- I’ll address protein powder. As for home workouts, there is so much you can do from home! I put my favorite at home work-out in my Fitness post I also like Jillian Michael’s DVD’s (Check out her 30 day shred, it’s very doable and a good workout that doesn’t take a ton of time.)

      1. Thank you so much for replying! Oh man, Jillian scares me. I’ve got her no more trouble zones and I’ve never been more sore in my life. I’ll have to get 30 day shred though. It’s time to step things up! Okay, off to check out your other post. Thank you!

  6. Thanks for the great post. I have lost 30 lbs over the last 7 months and feel so much better. After reading your post I realized the word for my condition: “skinny fat”. It is the perfect description. This post is motivating me to get fit. I am super busy, like you, but I know I can fit in workouts if I make it a priority. Thanks for the motivation!!

  7. Yay! You’re a champ!!! 🙂 Since you’re into backpacking, I have one suggestion for an AMAZING destination- Havasu Falls (AKA Havasupai). Google it. The pictures are gorgeous, but they still don’t do the place justice. It’s an intense hike, but it’s worth it! It’s basically an oasis in the Grand Canyon, and it’s probably the most beautiful place I’ve been to in the US. I highly recommend it 🙂

    1. Yes! Havasupai is beyond gorgeous and a great adventure. One of my all time favorite vacations. However, it’s not for little kids.

    2. Kendra, we’re going this summer! My husband has always wanted to do it, we’re so excited!

      Carrie- aren’t little kids okay in bike trailers?

      1. Ahh!!! SO jealous! I want to go again so bad!!! You will love it.

        And yeah, Carrie’s right. It’s not really catered toward bringing young kids because it’s 10 miles in, but also because the first mile-ish is basically straight down into the canyon on switch backs, so it has to be done on foot. The rest of the way isn’t paved or anything either– it’s rocky most of the way (if I remember right), and the last mile or two is on a “dirt” road that goes through the little town that the natives live in. It’s really fine though and more like sand than dirt.

        It’s probably a place you’d want to go with just you and your hubby til your kids are older and could hike the whole way themselves. (Side note: you can pay extra to pack in your stuff on mules, so that will help if you want to go when your kids are older but still too small to hike all their stuff in by themselves. I think I’ve even seen some people riding the mules the whole way in, but that’s no fun :)and I’m sure it costs a lot, too.)

  8. I’ve been thinking about your last post a bunch. Thank you!! I needed this. I’ve lost 35 lbs since having my baby but I want to be stronger. Thanks for there inspiration!

    1. So, since this post and using My Fitness Pal, I have lost 6 more lbs! In less than 4 weeks! Thank you for giving me the encouragement and push to start tracking my calories. I’ve been eating a lot of new things and I get excited about it. I also eat some sugar stuff too, I keep it real and track. Thank you thank you thank you!

  9. Way to go, Sara! You look healthy, fit, strong and happy. Loved this post! Thanks for going out on a limb and sharing your story! I’ve been a blog reader from the very beginning and have loved seeing bits of your healthy transformation! So grateful for a ” how to/ story that isn’t pounds related. So many ladies need to seriously smash the scale and just learn to love being active, eating healthy.

    1. Ditto. You are stunning and such an inspiration. And “done”…I wish I wasn’t just beginning this journey. But your story gives me hope.

  10. Thank you so much for another wonderful post. I’m down 75 now as of yesterday and I agree with the above poster about skin issues…but my trainer is helping me with that!!

  11. Thank you so much for opening up and helping myself and others realize we can do this too 🙂

  12. I am your before photo! That is me. You have inspired me to give it another try. I read your first exercise post and started doing some weight training at the gym. I am going to early morning classes and stopping the mindless snacking. I have felt so discouraged in the past because even when I would lose weight, I could not maintain the low calorie intake long term. Thank you for sharing your story!

  13. You are inspiring! Thank you! Keep the healthy recipes coming! I really appreciate it!

  14. Thank you for these posts. They’re inspiring and just what I need. Do you have any at-home strength training exercises that you recommend? I’d like to lose about 15 pounds but find it difficult in the long winter with two small children at home.

    1. Leah, I just started doing Beachbody’s 21 day fix. Actually, I’m 3 days from being done with it. It includes 30 min videos that include strength training and cardio. They also provide a meal plan with small containers to help with portion size. I sound like a walking advertisement, but I always need a program to follow when I’m trying to reach a goal. I like the results I’ve seen so far and highly recommend to anyone trying to jumpstart their program. Plus, the price is right. I’ve paid quite a bit more for other Beachbody programs.

  15. You post is so inspiring!! When I was in my 30’s I went home to visit my family. My husband was in the military and so we did not see our family very often. Anyway, my father made a comment to me about my weight and I remember that a light bulb went off in my head and I told myself that I would NEVER go home again at that weight. I was determined and I lost 45 pounds that year. It wasn’t easy but used an online support group and followed a diet plan. I exercised every day. I went from 164 lbs to my lowest weight of 116 lbs. I did stabilize a little and hovered around 120 lbs. I loved the way I looked and I was able to keep the weight off for 8 years. Over time, it was harder for me to exercise like I was because I started to work full time. When I reached my 40’s I had gained some of the weight back, but not all. I was diagnosed with an under active thyroid and was prescribed medication. It is under control but I have gained back 20 lbs. I am not huge but I am still not at a weight I would like to be. I have tried to get myself back on track many times but I just keep reverting back because I get so frustrated! Thank you for reminding about some of the things that did work for me the first time. I am 44 years old and want this to be finished!!

  16. I was the skinny out of shape mom who could hardly chase her kids down the driveway and could not lift them as they approached 20 pounds. I wanted to be able to lift 20 pounds and play tag with my kids. As I turned 40, I hired Aleah (if you are in Mobile, AL) and she has been the best investment. Trainers aren’t just for losing weight but for getting fit and in shape.

    1. Good for you, Sheila. You’re right that trainers aren’t just for losing weight- way to get the muscle!

  17. I love your comment that, “everyone has a story.” Isn’t that the truth. The internet has become a place to vent caustic judgments that one wouldn’t say in person. In Ender’s Game, Ender says something like, “Once you really know your enemy, you love him.” If only more of us took the time to really understand each other, and then to reach out with compassion. In any case, thanks for sharing part of your story. 🙂

  18. Thank you for sharing your story! And thank you for emphasizing the importance of portion control verses completely cutting it out. I had lost 60 pounds and hadn’t cut anything out of my diet. Just portion control and exercise and that makes it so much easier. If I knew that I could still have that cookie (just not 5 or 6) I was so much better off!

  19. Than you so much for sharing your story! I’m a little over halfway through my 80 lb. journey and this post was just the boost I needed! I sense a new hashtag trend coming on IG. 🙂 #finishit (ummmmm maybe i should hyphenate it 🙂

    1. Good for you Joanna! You’ll get there- Finish it! And oh my gosh yes- even when I was making that word graphic in my post, I tried about 12 different fonts because I only saw that one word jumping out at me, haha!

      1. Oh my… I’m SO dumb that I had to read through that 3 times and I JUST got it. ha ha~!

  20. I lost 35 pounds last year just by tracking diet and running – I am pregnant now, so not a time to be losing weight, but am so excited to start doing some light weight training along with the cardio I still do to help jump start the weight-loss process once my baby is born. Thank you for sharing! I can’t imagine how nerve-wracking it must be to share so much of yourself online, so thanks for being brave and inspiring all of your readers!

  21. Sara-you’re awesome! What an amazing change! You look beautiful and fit. I’m on a little fitness journey myself, but I’m annoyingly one of those people to whom everyone says, “You don’t need to lose weight!”. They’re right I don’t, but everyone has their problems areas, that no one sees unless you’re in a swimsuit. Those parts you said jiggle, but shouldn’t. Yup, those are the ones I’m talking about! I don’t think there’s anything wrong with not settling for mediocre.

    You are an inspiration!!!! =)

    1. Lauren, I used to be one of those people who wondered why the tiny fit girls complained about their weight. But I get it now. It doesn’t matter what size you are, all women have things they want to improve and that’s perfectly normal. Go get after it!

  22. You are so inspiring! I am just four days into changing my lifestyle to lose the nagging baby weight (my youngest is a year and a half). Thank you for the motivation. I am also wondering how many days you do weight training vs. cardio and do you add in any yoga/Pilates as well? Thanks!

    1. I do weight training and cardio in all of my workouts (5 per week.) I warm up a little with abt 10 minutes of cardio and then do about 45 minutes of weight training. When I’m done, I finish with 20 minutes of cardio (usually running or stairs). I don’t do yoga or pilates, but if you love that stuff, go for it!

      1. Sara, You are my hero, Truly!! You give me hope and inspiration! Can you give me more details about what kind of exercises you do for your warm up and weight lifting! I would love as much information as you can give!!

        Again, thank you for sharing your story!

  23. Thank you for the inspiration! I already use Fitness Pal but I think I’m not eating enough calories because I’m hungry sometimes after big work outs. Did Jacob give you tips on how to calculate the right target for calories daily? Any details on your food plan would be helpful – from a ‘real’ perspective 🙂 Thanks!

    1. I’m looking for an answer to this question as well. Did Jacob give you guidelines on what your target calories intake should be? I’ll eat 2000 calories in a day but then burn 750-1000 calories in my workouts and my weight loss seems to stall I’m wondering if it’s from too few calories.

      1. I’m not a trainer Chad, but that’s exactly what was happening to me. As soon as I uped my calories I started losing weight. Before that I was so fixed on making sure I kept it at 1600 that I wasn’t giving my body enough fuel. It was going into starvation mode. I just try to follow the guideline of if I am hungry I eat something and I don’t make myself go hungry. So far it’s working and I lose an average of 2 pounds a week.

        1. That was happening to me, too. My trainer upped my daily calories and had me eat a high protein snack after work-outs. It’s been working pretty good for me.

  24. Awesome, awesome, awesome!! I lost 20 lbs. last year with exercise (albeit it Jillian Michaels DVDs at home, no gym). I’ve kept it off but struggle fitting exercise in to my day; I need to get back on that; you’re inspiring me to make it work again. Love the feeling it give me to feel healthy, just wish the excess skin I have around my abdomen would shrink like the fat did! LOL

  25. You are amazing. And so normal, which makes what you did seem so attainable. Oh, and pardon me, but you are also one hot mama. 🙂

    1. Completely agree. Thank you for providing such an in-depth, inspirational story (you look great by the way)! I couldn’t agree more that the “secret” to lasting weight loss is simply a balanced life. You must develop habits that promote an overall healthy lifestyle. That’s the ONLY way to achieve permanent weight loss, and it’s fundamental to every truly successful weight loss strategy. In fact, check out the following article that does a wonderful job of explaining the key factors in an effective, long-term weight loss strategy: http://fatfreeme.net/big5