What I Ate to Lose 20 Pounds This Year
This is the most common question I get asked when people find out I lost 20 pounds this year. (For the record, I’ve lost 66 pounds overall, but the last 20 of it dropped relatively quickly when I changed up my eating habits.)
Related Post: How I Lost 60 Pounds
Maybe you are here reading this to confirm that you really do have to change the foods you eat in order to lose weight. Perhaps you want to hear me condemn the foods you love so you’ll feel validated for not having lost any weight this year. Or maybe you’re hoping I will divulge the secret foods that will magically result in weight loss success. If those are the reasons you are reading this, I am about to disappoint you big-time.
The good news, however, is your disappointment at what I’m about to share with you will undoubtedly subside with the hopeful realization that you, too, can do this. Because if I can, anyone can. And that includes you, my friend.
So what on earth did I eat to lose 20 pounds this year?
I. Ate. It. All. When I say I ate it all, I mean it. Half pans of brownies in one sitting? Yup. Pizza everyday for an entire week? Of course. Actually, pizza no less than twice a week for the past 11 months? Uh-huh. Cookies? Cake? Candy? Check, check, check! I ate all of this, and more, and yet I lost 20 pounds.
When I give people this wonderful answer, oddly enough, they don’t want to accept this as a feasible weight loss plan. I recently had a conversation with a guy about my weight loss who mentioned that he loves biscuits and gravy and that surely I must’ve given that up. When I told him I hadn’t sworn off his beloved B&G, he responded with, “but you don’t eat tacos, right?” I informed him that I do, indeed, eat tacos. I. EAT. IT. ALL. He couldn’t seem to grasp what I was saying…he was truly perplexed.
Kayla Itsines featured my progress on her Instagram feed not long ago, and one of the comments was “She for sure gave up sugar.” hahahaha! I definitely did NOT give up sugar…but I really should cut back.
Over the course of my recent 20 pound weight loss, I ate nachos, chips, ice cream, and definitely not enough protein. Once while dining at Panera, I realized literally my entire meal was simply bread. It was just 4 different forms of bread. I laughed until I cried, then finished my plate of carbohydrates.
I also took up sourdough baking during quarantine, and ate every loaf I baked. Let’s see…what else? Burgers with fries, fried chicken sandwiches with fries, fries smothered in cheese…milkshakes, concretes, basically ice cream in every form it comes in. If something delicious crossed my mind, I promise you I ate it.
I did all that eating, and still lost 20 pounds.
Not only that, but at one point this fall I got really stressed with various projects I had going on, and life in general, and I kept on eating whatever I wanted… and didn’t gain any weight back. So not only did I lose 20 pounds, but I have rather easily kept it off at that…while continuing to eat what I want.
Related Post: What Happened When I Took a Diet Break and Why I Decided I Needed One
BUT – and here’s the “secret” you’ve been waiting for – just because I ate all those things, it doesn’t mean I ate only those things. I also ate some salads, soups, “lightened up” recipes, and protein bars – there were even a few days I managed to hit a pretty impressive protein number, if I do say so myself.
Some days I didn’t eat any sweets or junk foods. On those junk-free days I felt like I had eaten like a king! It’s amazing the amount of food you can put back when you cut out the junk!
So, in summary, I ate what I wanted to eat – healthy or not – and I lost 20 lbs.
Finding out I could eat what I wanted and lose weight was life changing for me. I’ll explain how this is possible – without any major restrictions or even protein goals in this post. It’s not that complex, but the weight loss world is so noisy with a million different opinions about what’s right and what’s wrong, that most people have come to believe weight loss is not only complicated, but impossible.
Some background on me so you can see I am like you and then you can feel encouraged that you can also lose 20 pounds
I used to be one of those people convinced I had a slow metabolism and/or hormonal imbalances because nothing worked for me, no matter how hard I tried. And I did try – so hard! But a person can only try that hard for so long before deprivation sends them packing straight down binge avenue.
Related Post: My Weight Loss Story: Part I
THAT was why diets never worked for me. I took them too far, and restricted too much. It was absolutely unsustainable long-term. Little did I know moderation and consistency was all I needed to lose weight and keep it off.
I get why people hate the word “moderation.” If I’m being honest, I do too, because moderation seems easy in theory, but it can be incredibly difficult to practice in reality. Moderation is easy in that it gives me permission to eat literally anything I want. It’s difficult because I can’t eat as much of anything asI want. It can be a challenge to learn and implement moderation, however, when you find the right balance for you, you will in turn find lasting weight loss success.
Here is how I found my perfect balance, and paved the way to steady, sustainable, maintainable weight loss.
I ate more.
I know this sounds counterproductive, but hear me out before you start arguing this crucial first step. First, let me ask you: have you been trying to lose weight, and if so, how much weight have you lost since January? Are your answers “yes” and “none”?
Those used to be my exact answers to those questions. I was always trying to lose weight, and always on a diet, and maybe I’d lose some weight here and there, but I could never keep it off and wound up right back on a diet trying to keep it off.
Then I started eating more. Now I am down 20 pounds.
Related Post: I Increased My Calories and Here’s What Happened
It all starts with eating more calories. You can’t keep the foods you love in your diet and keep your eating within a painfully low calorie goal. It’s flat-out impossible in the long term. You will be starving, and your hunger and cravings will get the best of you – driving you to overeat at every turn, and negate any caloric deficit you think you’re in.
You must allow yourself to eat more to reap the weight loss rewards of a calorie deficit. I guarantee your calorie deficit is a higher number than you think.
I had a plan
You can eat it all, but you can’t eat it all at once.
There is strategy involved. You can breathe a sigh of relief, however, because my strategy doesn’t require eating salads and bland chicken breasts. Instead, it involves distributing your calories in such a way that you can have foods you love while staying within your calorie range.
If I want to eat half a pan of brownies, fine – but that will likely be all I can eat that day to stay under my calorie limit. Doable? Yes. Is it healthy? No, but sometimes a girl needs half a pan of brownies. Mathematically and biologically I could eat the brownies for around 1300-1800 calories, depending on what kind they are, and still lose weight, so long as I maintain a caloric deficit.
I whole-heartedly believe in the calories in vs. calories out logic because I’ve lived it. Guess how many times I’ve actually eaten a half pan of brownies this year. One time. I did that only once because it made me feel HORRIBLE and I was starving the rest of the day. I vowed then and there, “never again!”
Eating those brownies certainly wasn’t a result of self-control, but eating only those brownies that entire day took immense self control. I was so annoyed, yet impressed by myself at the same time.
That level of self-control is fleeting and short-lived, so don’t bank on it to come through often. it’s much more practical to stop testing the threshold of your willpower, use far less self-control, be way less hungry, and consistently eat your favorite foods by having a better plan.
There is a better way to have your cake and eat it too.
For instance, say I want 1 bakery brownie containing 500 calories. To fit this 500 calorie treat into my day, I could eat a 400 calorie breakfast, 500 calorie lunch, and 600 calorie dinner. 400+500+600=1,500. Then add the brownie’s 500 calories of chocolatey deliciousness for a grand total of 2,000 calories for the day.
Doesn’t sound much like a sacrifice, now does it? And that, my friend, is how it’s done. That’s how I managed to lose 20 pounds this year. If 2,000 calories frightens you, thank diet culture for scaring you into falsely believing 1,200 calories is sufficient fuel for your body, then kick it to the curb and start eating!
Find out how to determine your own, personalized maintenance and weight loss calories here or here. Better yet, buy my planner and I’ll give you a personalized calorie range to eat within, and it will come with free week of my weight loss support group, kids! Did I just solve all your weight loss woes? Definitely.
**This post contains Amazon affiliate links and other affiliate links. I will receive a small percentage of the sale, at no additional cost to you, if you purchase through my link. Thanks for your support!
Back to the brownie…
And let me tell you, a brownie that fits perfectly into your plan tastes so much better than the brownie you wolf down feeling like a weight loss failure, thinking you’ve blown your diet. Have a plan, enjoy the brownie, and lose weight! This is literally what my weight loss planner is all about.
While I did have a plan, sometimes my day doesn’t go as planned. That’s where Splendid Spoon has come in handy for me. I have very much enjoyed having 5 nutritious meals, 5 smoothies, and 5 detox shots delivered right to my door this year for days when my plan falls apart.
Even during my countless junk food free-for-alls Splendid Spoon came in clutch to pull me out of the darkness with healthy, filling, nutrient-packed, ready-to-go meals. It takes the guesswork and preparation out of what and how much to eat, which is perfect for my busy, home-schooling, and doing-all-the-things mom lifestyle. I would often choose to end even my most shameful of dieting days with a Splendid Spoon meal, and wind up feeling much happier with my food choices overall.
Sometimes all it takes is one healthy meal or snack to send you in the right direction and get yourself back on track. I know when I am in a poor food choices rut, I certainly don’t want to spend time making a healthy dinner. With Splendid Spoon, I don’t have to make anything – I just have to warm it up. Also, the food is delicious, which is a definite plus worth mentioning! I just tried their fall flavors and I love every single dish! Give Splendid Spoon a try if having healthy, no-prep meals delivered to your door would help you reach your goals.
I was active
I wasn’t able to eat 1800-2000 calories a day because I have a super fast metabolism or because I’m 7 feet tall, but I am active. That fact, combined with the absence of binging, helps keep my energy in vs energy out ratio in check. I read once, rather than decreasing your calories to lose weight, you should instead increase your amount of activity.
And it makes total sense. I’m not suggesting you become a cardio bunny who lives to die on the treadmill. But maybe you add a short 15 minute walk around the block and build on that over time.
My current exercise routine is a combined 45 minutes of weightlifting and cardio, 5 days a week. I am basically a sloth on the weekends, and usually take them as my rest days. On top of my time in the gym, I started walking more often, sometimes in 5-10 minute chunks of time here and there throughout the day. Walking is easy, and those small chunks add up to major calorie burn over time.
I am 35 years old, and from a starting weight of 167 lbs, I lost an average of 4lbs/month eating between 1800-2000 calories, and exercising as described above. Most women I know who are trying to lose weight are working out way more than me and undereating considering their level of activity and for their bodies’ minimum calorie requirements.
More accurately, however, they are under eating until they end up binging out of starvation. Start fueling your body properly and adequately – including all the foods you love eating – and you will gain the consistency necessary to lose weight in the long run.
I tracked my calories
If you are going to eat a relatively high amount of calories and lose weight, you need to be precise. You have to stop eyeballing, guessing, and estimating your food intake. It’s time to whip out the food scale and go to town. I recommend a food scale over measuring cups and spoons, or simply counting quantities of things like chips and crackers because YOU GET MORE FOOD.
You do, trust me. I’ve compared the number of chips stated on the bag as a serving to how many it takes to hit the weight of the serving size stated on the bag. I’ve weighed my cereal vs dishing out a serving size using measuring cups. You get more with weighing.
If you don’t want to take foods you love out of your diet, and push the limits of how much you can eat while still seeing the progress and results you want, then you are going to have to buckle down and count the calories. I use Noom to track, but there are plenty of free trackers to choose from online.
Related Post: Myfitnespal vs Noom
Now, my buddy Squatto will argue with me on that, and she can prove me wrong but for the most part if you want to lose weight you need to track your food. If you absolutely don’t want to count calories, or counting and numbers has a negative effect on you and your mental state, you can give her non-counting tracking method a try.
I was patient
If the scale were a person it would be in an insane asylum. For real. The scale makes ZERO sense. When you weigh yourself daily while consistently eating in a calorie deficit, you realize how silly it was to ever give this fickle object any power over your emotions. As infuriating and confusing as this may seem, exercising patience will help you stay the course and eventually realize your desired results.
Remember: safety in numbers!
In “Kids” we post our weight graphs daily, and I have proof that my scale isn’t the only one that shows bonkers numbers, high spikes, and massive drops. Never go down the lonely road of daily weigh-ins without support.
If you’re embarking on a fitness journey, you need people in your corner to help encourage and motivate you, as well as to commiserate and celebrate with (aka Join Kids)! Having a solid support system is the most sure-fire way to push you from point A to point B.
Also, it’s easier to have patience when you love yourself as you are. If you don’t even know how to begin changing your mindset about yourself, check out this book.
So that’s it. That’s how I ate what I wanted and lost weight.
Please remember, just because I can eat it all doesn’t mean I should! Recently I have been making lots of poor food choices, and I’m working on improving my nutrition. I have a theory about my situation: I have a long history of dieting, failed diets, and extreme food restriction. Now that I’m no longer depriving myself and achieving weight loss success at the same time, I’m going to thoroughly enjoy myself. I just need to let eating what I want run its course.
Things are naturally starting to shift in that I want to eat healthier now. I still struggle with execution, but at least now I want to eat healthier foods. I didn’t have that desire before. Until now I always felt like I had to and should make healthier choices, but now I have an actual interest.
I think this is a good sign, and I’ll roll with it along with some small, baby step goals, and see what happens. Afterall, taking small baby steps the last 4.75 years is what got me here in the first place: down 66 lbs with a new appreciation for my efforts and no signs of stopping.
When will you finally stop the crazy diets, eating the scary low calorie amounts, and start living your life again while achieving the progress you have wanted for years? I hope that starts for you today. Right now.
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