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Somewhere between postpartum and some depressive eating, I found myself in a situation I’d never been in before. It’s annoying, I know, but I’d always been one of those people who had a high metabolism. So when I started to gain weight in my mid 30s, I was totally and utterly clueless what to do. And just to be clear, I’ve gained far more than 10 lbs in the midst of my 30s. But I was comfortable with some weight gain. I didn’t expect to have the same body I did in my 20s. But there were 10 pesky pounds that I… felt — I don’t know how else to explain it than that. I felt them.
I’ve been fairly active since 2013 — but I only ever moved my body for my mental health, not for weight loss. But that’s what I assumed I needed to do. So at the end of January 2023, I opted for the Peloton bike rental program. I figured I’d exercise early in the morning or after my kid went down at night and that’s all I’d need to do. Wrong. So, so wrong.
How to actually lose 10 lbs when you know nothing about weight loss
I was working out more than I’d ever exercised in my life, and the scale wasn’t budging. In fact, the number only continued to creep up. I didn’t understand — I was burning so many calories what was going on? A friend ever so kindly told me you can’t out exercise a bad diet.
Oh.
I make most of our food at home. I enjoy cooking and I typically can’t justify overpaying for mediocre food at a restaurant unless it’s for the experience. Plus, it helps that we live in the middle of nowhere. Eating out isn’t exactly a convenience for us. And while I typically make fairly balanced meals, I did get pretty hyper fixated on a few high calorie meals (I’m looking at you viral TikTok spicy Italian sandwich + half a bag of Lay’s potato chips).
I didn’t want to change my eating habits. Frankly, I enjoy food. I love to cook, whether it’s a simple meal or baking sugar cookies (desserts are my kryptonite). And I didn’t want to eliminate one of the only things providing comfort in a season of monumental change in my life. Plus, I didn’t have a freaking clue what to do. I knew nothing about the nutritional content of the food I was eating, how to track it or what those numbers should even look like. So, I did what I do best: research. Thankfully, there are so many content creators on TikTok who 1) know so much and 2) are kind and talented enough to put together easy-to-understand content for us weight loss dummies.
Simple changes I made to lose 10lbs | What did I do?
Through my research, I stumbled across Makayla Thomas’s TikTok account, which lead me to her website, which revealed a wealth of dummy-proof information. After binging nearly all of her content and going on a total “saving” spree on her posts and trying out a handful of her recipes, I decided to buy her Holy Grail E-Book. Let me make this clear: Makayla Thomas has no idea who I am, and this content is in no way sponsored or affiliated with her. Her stuff is just so good you have to know about it. And what’s even better, is that her recipes include normal meals you and your family would eat regardless of a weight loss goal and it includes desserts. I can tell you confidently, her recipes are what helped me lose weight. I needed simple. I needed clarity. I needed delicious. AndI needed to know if I do XYZ, I’ll see results. And wouldn’t you know it…that’s exactly what happened.
Changing my approach to weight loss
I used MyFitnessPal to estimate the number of calories I should be eating based on my current weight and my weight loss goal. I thought that would be enough, so I was terribly frustrated when I modified what I was eating initially, increased my exercise but didn’t see any real results. My cousin, thankfully, is a nutrition coach, and she helped me understand Macros and what I needed to look for when it came to my intake.
MyFitnessPal, even the free plan, allows you to track certain macros based on the foods you log. And this is where Makayla’s recipes came in clutch. She breaks down her recipes with the necessary stats.
It was unproductive for me to just look at my calories in/calories burned each day. But when I started aiming to reach specific intake goals, I really started to see a difference.
Focus on Protein Intake
I’m no expert, but protein might just be the secret weapon of weight loss. High protein helps to boost your metabolism, reduces your appetite and helps to change several weight-regulating hormones.
Focus on Fiber Intake
Fiber, partnered with protein, is another really powerful tool to lose weight. It keeps you full longer, helps your body process carbohydrates, and also reduces your appetite.
Introduce Strength Training
I was an all-cardio girlie for a long, long time. I did have a pretty serious Yoga addiction for a while, but that went out the window when we moved away from my favorite studio (and my favorite teachers 😭). But after a while, straight cardio wasn’t doing anything to help me lose weight. I eventually returned the Peloton bike and got a set of dumbbells — and sure enough, I started to see the lbs melt away. Strength training helps to build muscle tissue, which actually helps you not to just lose weight but to keep it off.
The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolic rate tends to be. So basically, by building muscle, you speed up your metabolism and burn more fat. Bada bing. Bada boom!
I lost 10 lbs in 3 months
It was important to me to do this in a healthy way. Of course I wanted the weight gone immediately. I wanted to be able to zip my pre-pregnancy pants two years after I delivered. But I was overwhelming myself and getting super discouraged trying to race to the finish line. I know myself well enough to know that I can be consistent if I know it’ll pay off. So I decided to take the pressure off, to figure out exactly what I needed to do repeatedly and sit back and watch the results come in. I felt like 3 months was a reasonable amount of time, especially considering I’d been hanging on to the extra weight for 2 years.
I promise, you can lose the weight — whether it’s 10 lbs, 100 lbs or more. It takes consistency, lots and lots of grace, and a little clarity on what your body needs. I’d be happy to connect you with the resources I used if you decide to embark on your own weight loss journey!
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