I have lost about 30 pounds (14 kg) in about 2 years. It wasn’t easy—I had to show discipline, stay consistent, and say “no” many times to overeating. But I managed to successfully lose weight and maintain it at this lower level for 2 years now! Along the way, I discovered the secret to weight loss: doing it in a healthy and even, dare I say, pleasant way. So, I’m sharing my step-by-step guide with you—from shifting your mindset to understanding calorie math, incorporating sports, allowing cheat days, and more. I’d love to see your comments on this topic, because I deeply believe that it should be discussed about more from… a loving perspective. I think social media put a lot of pressure on women and showcase the losing-weight journey as something that you have to suffer through. I wanted to give a different perspective, more healthy, to my mind.
It’s strange to say, but losing weight gave me confidence I never imagined I had in me. I looked in the mirror and felt… like myself. Like I finally looked like the person I was supposed to be. I loved my curves, my legs, my tummy, my arms. I wasn’t afraid of going into the changing room and seeing my reflection anymore. On the contrary, I looked forward to it! I loved trying on new clothes because I loved how they looked on me. I felt feminine and proud of my body. It was toned and healthy-looking. I wasn’t scared to have pictures taken of me, showing my full silhouette. Do you ever have that fear or was it only me? I actually enjoyed seeing how my body looked good, in my opinion, from any angle.
This was one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself and my body. And I want you to feel free and like yourself, too.
Today, I don’t count calories. I’ve maintained the same weight for years, with only a variation of +/- 4 pounds (2 kg). I love my food, I love my workouts, and I love my body. I’m free from worrying about it. And now, I want to share my journey and tips with you!
Shift Your Mindset – How To Prepare For This Journey
This is the most important step to achieving lasting success: prepare your mind. Losing weight to a healthy range is a long journey, and the only way to make it successful forever is by being respectful to your body and giving it the time it needs to adjust to your new lifestyle. When you do this, you ensure that you’ll never return to your previous weight.
Why?
Because losing weight isn’t just about shedding pounds; it’s about changing your lifestyle—permanently. To achieve this, you need to become a different version of yourself, long-term. For example, maybe right now, you snack on small chocolates, chips, or other treats between meals. That’s the current you. But if you’re 30 pounds overweight, the future you—the one who’s healthy, toned, and confident in 2 years—doesn’t snack between meals. That version of you has a different mindset and even experiences hunger differently.
To set yourself up for success, it’s crucial to understand that this is not a 2-month challenge. Healthy, sustainable weight loss cannot be achieved that quickly. Instead, it’s a long-term effort. But here’s the good news: it gets easier with time.
The hardest part is starting and staying consistent with the lifestyle changes I’m about to share with you. If you can do that, however, in as little as 6 months, you might find yourself 17 pounds (8 kg) lighter. And that progress will become its own motivation.
Imagine this: your clothes fit more loosely, your body looks slimmer and healthier, your belly is more toned, and you radiate confidence. Seeing these results will make it much easier to say no to that extra piece of chocolate or second serving of dessert.
The Keys to Success:
Compassion and respect for your body, combined with patience and consistency.
You will inevitably have moments where you indulge—maybe you’ll eat three portions of lasagna in one sitting. That’s okay! If it happens once a month (not every week 😉), it’s not a big deal. During those moments, don’t feel ashamed. Instead, love your body for the amazing work it’s doing for you. Then, the next day, simply return to your meal plan and keep going.
This journey is about progress, not perfection.
Step By Step Guide
The Secret of Weight Loss
How do we actually lose weight? Is it a magic drink like lemon water or green juice with ginger to “speed up metabolism”? The answer is both brutal and simple: it all comes down to calories in versus calories out.
If you consume more calories than your body needs, you gain weight. If you consume fewer calories than your body needs, you lose weight. Everything else—trendy diets, “fat-burning” foods, or miracle drinks—are just tools to help you stay consistent with the calorie deficit that truly drives weight loss.
Step 1: Determine Your Ideal Weight
Let’s say you weigh 155 pounds (70 kg) and you’re 5’3” (163 cm) tall. What’s your ideal weight? Start by using an online calculator, like a BMI calculator, to check your healthy weight range.
While BMI is not perfect—it doesn’t consider muscle mass or body composition—it’s a good starting point. Most calculators will provide you with a range, like 110-140 pounds (50-63 kg) for a healthy BMI. From there, set a realistic and healthy goal that feels right for your body and lifestyle.
For example, your ideal weight might range from 115 pounds to 126 pounds (52-57 kg). But keep in mind that if you do a lot of sports and have more muscle mass, or if you have dense bones, your weight might be slightly higher, and you could still look incredibly slim and healthy. This range is an approximation to guide you—adjust it based on your unique body composition and build.
Choose a target weight that feels realistic and aligns with your health goals, rather than aiming for a number that might not suit your natural shape.
Step 2. Calculate Your Calorie Needs Of Your Target Weight
Once you’ve established your goal weight, find out how many calories you need daily to maintain your current weight and how many calories you need to reach your target weight.
There are many online tools like a TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) calculator to help you. Input your height, weight, age, and activity level, and the calculator will give you a daily calorie estimate. This calculation gives you the calorie intake you’ll maintain once you reach your target weight. It’s the number of calories your body needs daily to sustain your ideal weight, considering your activity level.
As you can see, to maintain your ideal weight once you achieve it, you’ll be able to eat around 1900 kcal per day (adjusted for your activity level). This is the lifestyle of your future self—your goal later on to keep your new weight constant.
The beauty of this approach is that it’s not about endless restriction. You’re working towards a point where you can enjoy a balanced diet that sustains your desired weight while letting you feel energized and satisfied.
Step 3. Calculate Your Calorie Needs Of Your Current Weight
Now, let’s calculate how many calories you need to eat with your current weight!
Assume you are a female weighing 155 pounds (70 kg), standing 163 cm (5’3”) tall, and engaging in light activity, such as swimming for an hour once per week. Using an online calculator, here are the results:
Do you see how little calorie difference it takes to maintain 155 pounds? The secret lies in exercise intensity, but it also shows how crucial calorie intake is for weight balance. If I calculate this with 70 kg and exercising 4–5 times per week:
You can eat 100 kcal more per day. This is roughly equivalent to one larger banana more each day.
Step 4: Draft Your Calorie-Cut Plan
You see, you’re probably eating on average 2000 or more calories, as you maintain your current weight. Now, the goal is to slowly adapt your body to consuming fewer calories. One kilogram (2.2 lbs) is roughly 7700 kcal. This means that over time, you would need to cut your calorie intake by this amount to lose one kilogram (2.2 lbs).
I favor, and this is how I was successful, cutting your calories gradually. Not by 500 kcal per day (which would theoretically mean losing 1kg (2.2 lbs) in 16 days), but rather by around 300 kcal.
For example, if your current calorie intake is 2200 kcal, decreasing it to 1900 kcal would result in losing 1kg (2.2 lbs) in about 25 days. It may seem slow, but it should be less of a shock for you and your body.
Look at the chart:
So imagine you’ve been consistent with eating 300 kcal less on average for 2 months. Congrats! Now you’re 2.5 kg (about 5.5 lbs) lighter. But, now you’ll need to adjust your calorie intake too. Being lighter means you need fewer calories! So you’ll need to cut a bit more, but not that much more, maybe additional 50 to 100 kcal – keep the new target for another couple of months. Now you can start eating about 1750 kcal per day. If you’re consistent, in half a year, you’ll already be about 6 kg (around 13 lbs) lighter! Keep adjusting your calorie intake as you lose weight, but don’t go below approximately 1650 kcal per day ( and the 1650 kcal per day would be only when you’re very close to your desired weight!).
After all, food is there to nourish you and keep your body functioning. Eating too little may also increase hunger and the risk of binge eating. Personally, I never went below 1750 kcal. The key is consistency. By consistently eating a little less, time works the magic.
An example could be:
- For the first 3-4 months: cut calories from 2200 kcal to 1900 kcal
- 5-8 months: cut calories from 1900 kcal to 1800 kcal
- 9-12 months: cut calories from 1800 kcal to around 1750 kcal – and continue at that, until you reach your weight
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and this is not medical advice. If you have underlying health conditions, you should consult a healthcare professional to avoid developing eating disorders or deficiencies in certain vitamins or minerals. I am simply sharing my personal experience.
How To Tackle A Cheat Day? Should I Even Have One?
I remember having a cheat meal roughly once a month during my weight-loss journey. After staying consistent with cutting calories for two or three weeks, I’d sometimes notice a bit of extra hunger or find myself craving something indulgent—like fried chicken or another comfort food. So, I allowed myself one less-than-healthy meal and I definitely encourage you to do that too!
Surprisingly, this wasn’t a setback. In fact, it helped satisfy my cravings and gave my body a chance to process a higher calorie intake, which can be beneficial since your body adapts to lower calories over time. It’s almost like giving your metabolism a little “challenge.”
What if you slip up and have a cheat meal—or even a cheat day?
First and foremost: do not feel guilty. Guilt is not only unhelpful, but it also creates an unhealthy mindset around food. Remember, food is your fuel—it nourishes and sustains you. Even if you’re dieting, you’re doing it out of love and care for your body, not punishment.
Instead of dwelling on a moment of indulgence, acknowledge it, enjoy it, and move forward. Get right back to your plan the next day. Avoid overcompensating by drastically cutting calories to “make up” for it. For example, if your daily target is 1750 kcal, don’t drop to 1300 kcal the following day. I made this mistake before, and it only led to extreme hunger and even binge eating later.
What’s far more effective—and sustainable—is simply resuming your regular routine. Consistency is the key. One cheat meal or day won’t undo weeks of progress, just as one healthy meal won’t instantly transform your habits.
This is what consistency means:
- It’s about the long-term pattern, not the occasional slip.
- A single indulgence doesn’t derail your efforts—it’s what you do the majority of the time that counts.
- By maintaining your plan and staying patient, you’ll achieve your goals without unnecessary stress.
Cheat days or meals can even be a part of a healthy, balanced approach, as long as you don’t let them become an everyday habit. Keep your eyes on the bigger picture, and trust the process!
This is also what I mean by consistency:
You see the difference? It looks like the person in the second scenario eats fewer calories overall, but because of the cheat day, it was actually the person from scenario 1 who successfully lost more weight! It is also definitely healthier for your body to keep your calorie intake consistent rather than jumping from 1500 kcal to 3000 kcal every few days.
Which Food to Eat?
This could easily be another whole blog post about healthy food and nutrition! The key is to focus on nutrient-dense foods. Get curious about it—did you know how beneficial eating a rainbow of vegetables is for your health? Dive into the fascinating properties of vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, fish, poultry, and grains.
These foods provide your body with essential vitamins and nutrients, enabling it to function at its best. Here are a few simple guidelines to follow:
- Prioritize Whole Foods:
Opt for minimally processed options. For example:- Oatmeal instead of pre-made granola.
- Grilled organic chicken breast instead of fried chicken.
- Quinoa instead of white bread.
- Dark cocoa powder instead of chocolate bars.
- Plain nuts instead of crunchy, flour-coated nuts.
- Focus on Vegetables:
Vegetables not only supply necessary vitamins and minerals but also keep you feeling full due to their high water and fiber content.- Eat them raw, steamed, cooked, or baked without excessive oil.
- For most non-starchy vegetables, you don’t even need to count calories! (Exceptions include starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes.)
- Don’t Drink Your Calories:
Stick to water, tea, or coffee as your primary beverages. Avoid sugary drinks like sodas or juices, as well as “light” or “zero” sodas, which often contain unhealthy chemicals. - Include All Food Groups:
Build your meals with a balance of healthy proteins, carbs, fats, and vegetables. While you don’t need vegetables at every meal (e.g., oatmeal with organic berries is great for breakfast), aim to incorporate them into lunch and dinner.
Food Group Suggestions:
Proteins:
- Grilled or baked chicken or poultry (instead of deep-fried or heavily sauced versions).
- Fish like salmon or cod.
- Organic beef, tofu, dairy, chickpeas, and lentils.
Carbs:
- Quinoa, millet, brown rice, regular rice, or other whole grains.
- Whole-grain pasta or bread (or, occasionally, regular pasta or bread).
Fats:
- Avocado, nuts, seeds.
- Healthy oils like flaxseed oil or olive oil.
By sticking to these simple principles, you’ll nourish your body, stay full, and support your health goals!
Summary Of My Step By Step Guide
0. Assess Your Current State
Let’s use an example: A 25-year-old woman weighing 70 kg (154 lbs), standing 163 cm (5’4″) tall, with a light exercise routine (1–3 times per week).
Step 1. Define Your Goal
Set a clear target by determining your ideal weight or weight range. Using an online calculator or BMI chart, you might find that your ideal weight range is 54–59 kg (119–130 lbs).
- Adjust for Individual Factors: Consider muscle mass, body composition, and personal comfort. For instance, if you’re athletic with higher muscle mass, you might feel better near the higher end of the range—around 58 kg (128 lbs).
Step 2. Understand Your Starting Point
- Are you overweight, obese, or within a healthy range? Use reliable online tools to assess your BMI and determine where you stand.
- Determine your maintenance calorie intake (calories needed to maintain your current weight). For the example above, this would be about 2000 kcal per day to maintain 70 kg.
Step 3. Develop a Calorie-Reduction Plan
Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint! Instead of drastic cuts, aim for a sustainable reduction of 250–300 kcal per day. This gradual approach ensures steady progress and prevents burnout or hunger-related binges.
- Example: If your maintenance is 2000 kcal, reduce to 1700–1750 kcal/day for consistent, manageable weight loss.
Step 4. Consistency is Key
The magic lies in what you do most of the time—not in isolated moments. If you cut 250 kcal daily, you’ll lose weight over time, even if you indulge occasionally (like enjoying a pizza). A monthly average of consistent calorie reduction is far more important than perfection every single day.
Step 5. Focus on Nourishing Foods
Learn about the value of healthy eating and make informed choices:
- Whole, Nutrient-Dense Foods: Prioritize vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. For example:
- Healthy fats: Avocado, nuts (unsalted), seeds, olive oil.
- Proteins: Grilled chicken, fish, tofu, legumes.
- Carbs: Quinoa, brown rice, whole-grain bread.
- Vegetables Are Your Best Friend: Packed with fiber, water, and nutrients, they keep you full and energized.
- Limit Processed Foods: Avoid calorie-dense, low-nutrient options like fried foods, sugary drinks, or pre-packaged snacks.
Step 6. Incorporate Exercise
While diet plays a primary role in weight loss, adding regular physical activity enhances results and boosts overall well-being. Start with light exercises, such as walking, yoga, or swimming, and gradually include strength training or cardio.
Step 7. Prioritize Sleep and Manage Stress
Sleep impacts hunger hormones and energy levels. Aim for 7–9 hours per night. Chronic stress can lead to overeating or hinder weight loss. Practice mindfulness, meditation, or engage in relaxing activities.
Should I Increase My Exercise Routine?
Many people believe that exercise is the key to weight loss. However, the reality is that about 80% of your results come from your diet, with only 20% coming from exercise.
In fact, intense exercise can sometimes have the opposite effect! Exercising a lot can make you hungrier, and it can be tricky to strike the right balance. After a workout, your body needs nutrients to recover and rebuild, but eating too much can undo the calorie deficit you’ve worked so hard to create.
In my own journey, I’ve relied on activities like pilates, walking, and ice skating once a week, which have been enough to support my weight loss while keeping things enjoyable.
Building a Sustainable Routine
Instead of focusing solely on exercise for weight loss, think about building a lifestyle that includes regular physical activity for your overall health. Exercise is excellent for your body, and I encourage you to continue being active even after reaching your goal weight!
That said, there’s no need to overdo it. Don’t push yourself too hard at the gym, especially if you’re not used to intense workouts. The key is to find a type of exercise you genuinely enjoy and can stick with over the long term.
For me, it’s yoga, pilates, and figure skating, but your ideal activity might be something entirely different. Aim for at least three workout sessions per week, and stay consistent.
The Benefits of Exercise While Losing Weight
Exercise helps you look toned and healthy. During weight loss, your skin may become looser (sad but true), which is why slow, steady weight loss combined with exercise is ideal (the time lets your skin adjust to the new dimensions). Staying active helps maintain your skin’s elasticity and keeps your body looking firm.
Additionally, building muscle mass through activities like strength training or resistance workouts will boost your metabolism, helping you burn more calories even at rest. This makes exercise an excellent complement to a healthy diet in achieving your weight loss goals.
How To Count Calories and When to Stop
I don’t want you to obsess over counting calories or develop unhealthy habits, such as anorexia or bulimia. That’s why, while I recommend counting calories as a tool to track your progress, it’s important to maintain a balanced approach. Counting calories is a valid way to help you stay on track, especially when combined with weighing yourself on the scale.
But the real value in counting calories is that it teaches you the right portion sizes for your body. It helps you find a balance where you’re nourishing your body with enough vitamins and nutrients to stay healthy and happy, while also targeting fat loss and achieving weight loss in a sustainable and healthy way.
After about six months of tracking, you’ll start to understand portion sizes and the types of foods your body needs, and you may find that you no longer need to count calories. You’ll become more intuitive about it.
I wouldn’t count calories from fresh, raw veggies or baked or steamed vegetables (as long as they aren’t coated in oil or deep-fried in flour and breadcrumbs). Vegetables are amazing, full of nutrients, and low in calories, so they don’t need to be counted.
How Often Should I Weigh Myself?
I would suggest weighing yourself once or twice a week, if at all. Weighing yourself every day isn’t necessary and can often be misleading. There are so many factors that can influence your weight on a daily basis, such as your menstrual cycle, how much water or food you’ve consumed the day before, or even your stress levels. These fluctuations can make it hard to get an accurate sense of your progress.
To get a more consistent and reliable reading, I recommend weighing yourself at the same time each week—preferably in the morning, after using the bathroom, and before eating or drinking anything. This way, you’re limiting variables like food intake and water retention, which can affect your weight throughout the day.
Remember, your weight is just one aspect of your health journey, and it doesn’t reflect everything. It’s important to also focus on how you feel, how your clothes fit, and your overall well-being.
Final Step: How To Maintain Your Weight
So, you’ve been consistent for around a year and have successfully achieved your desired weight—congratulations!!! Take a moment to acknowledge that and congratulate yourself for the hard work!
Now, you may be wondering, how do I maintain my weight? The answer is quite simple: eat a balanced diet, stay within your target calorie range (around 1850-1900 kcal in this example), focus on whole foods, exercise regularly, and prioritize good sleep. That’s the key to maintaining your weight.
By now, your body should be accustomed to eating around 1850 or 1900 kcal per day. After months of eating at this level, you’ll start to recognize how much food is just the right amount for you, and your body will naturally adapt to it—this was definitely the case for me.
You will also have developed a better understanding of healthy eating habits. For example, you’ll know that eating fried foods like chips three times a day isn’t the best choice. Instead, you’ll start making more mindful decisions—choosing a whole banana (around 100 kcal) to snack on rather than reaching for a third of a Snickers bar (which is around 100 kcal, but much less nutritious and you will probably not stop there 😉 ).
The goal is to create habits that prioritize healthier, whole foods: oatmeal instead of sugary muesli, fruit instead of chocolate, a little olive oil for your salad instead of heavy white sauces, cooked veggies instead of deep-fried ones, and veggie dips as a snack instead of chips. These small shifts will become second nature!
The good news is that once you’ve been eating more nutritious foods for a while, your cravings will change. You’ll no longer crave fast food like McDonald’s every day. Over time, your taste buds will reset to prefer natural, wholesome flavors, and deep-fried treats will no longer be something you desire every week.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t indulge occasionally! It’s perfectly fine to enjoy a big, cheesy pizza or a slice of cake when your best friend has a birthday. The key is moderation—try limiting these indulgent treats to once every couple of months, rather than having them every week.
And remember, it’s okay if you gain a couple of kilograms here and there. If that happens, simply return to your 1850 kcal routine for three weeks to balance things out and bring your weight back to your desired level.
That’s my secret for maintaining my weight—it’s all about consistency, making mindful food choices, and focusing on nourishment rather than deprivation.
Thank You for Reading & Leave a Comment or Share This Post
I truly hope you enjoyed reading my post and appreciated the effort I put into it. My goal was to portray weight loss as something that comes from a place of self-love and positivity. After all, the ultimate goal is to bring your body to a healthy weight range, where you’re at a lower risk of any diseases. I encourage you to be patient with yourself on this journey—remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. And above all, don’t be hard on yourself—because we’re all only human.
If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I’d love for you to leave a comment or share it with a friend who may benefit from some encouraging words or a clear plan.
Thank you for stopping by! Sending all my love to you!