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Writer's pictureRachel G

How I dropped 31 pounds...the healthy way.

Weight Loss Is In The Mind

Before you read my article, please note that I am not a Doctor nor a Nutritionist. Before you change your diet, please check with your Doctor or a medical professional to find out what works for you. Okay you can keep reading now! :-)





Weight loss is in the mind.

Weight loss is in the mind.

Weight loss is in the mind.


During the quarantine, all I did was bake. Cookies, cakes, pies, breads, you name it. Wasn’t that all there was to do? Everyone was trying to find an outlet. Something that made them forget about Covid and try to live a life outside a bubble.


Then a MAJOR health scare put me in the hospital for a week. Miraculously and by the grace of God, I am still alive. Thank you GOD. I thought I was too young for this to happen. How and why did this happen?! That’s when I decided to change my diet for good. I stepped on the scale and weighed myself. I was 186 pounds and my target weight was 160 pounds. My main goal was to feel better and with that also lose weight.


I started in June 2020. I was off from work until August so I had the summer to work on my lifestyle change when it came to eating. As I was scrolling through weight loss tips I came across a book called “Never Binge Eat Again” by Glenn Livingston Ph.d. I was never a binge eater but more of a fast food eater. Also sugar was my best friend. I read mixed reviews about the book on Amazon and decided to try it out after reading a review that said “this book made me lose 30 pounds”. I’m not going to get into detail about the book but I suggest you buy it and read it because it truly changed my life.


So how else did I do it? Prayer and self control. After reading I was super conscious about every single thing that I put in my body. I took longer to grocery shop because I would listen to my music as I read the nutritional facts and serving sizes for everything that I was putting in my cart.


I replaced sugary drinks and soda with plenty of water and tea with a little honey. I limited my carb intake; especially heavy starches like potatoes, noodles, etc.I said "Hell No" to fast food.


I watched my portion sizes when I ate my breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When I wanted a snack, I reached for fruit, nuts, granola bars, etc.




I walked almost everyday so I can clear my head and stay focused.


I didn’t deprive myself of anything. If it was that time of the month, and I was craving french fries I would make a small portion at home. If I wanted pizza I would get a SUPER small slice. Nothing works if you say “no” forever to your favorite foods but I had self control and didn’t indulge in anything.


I logged off of social media for a little over a month so I can read more books and find recipes that were more healthy. I also didn’t want to come across anything where I would subconsciously compare my progress to someone else’s.


I stayed off the scale because I didn’t want to be disappointed if I didn’t see the numbers drop after a week of healthy eating. I told myself that I would only weigh myself at the end of every month.


For the first month, I didn’t see a visual change but I felt a mental change. My migraines stopped and I had more energy throughout the day. I also didn’t have crazy sugar cravings since I replaced my guilty pleasures with more healthy alternatives. I stepped on the scale at the end of the month and I dropped 5 pounds. If I could do one month, I could surely do two months.


The second month was hard. Not going to lie. I almost regressed because my cravings were crazy. Some say that it takes 21 days to break a bad habit but I was super ready to go right back on to the bad. But I felt amazing physically and mentally and didn’t want to regress. So I researched blogs and Pinterest for recipe ideas to change my meals up. I also made an album on my phone and took pictures of everything that I was eating to stay mindful of what was going in my body.


After two months, I started to see a small change in my body. I noticed that my shirts fit a bit looser and I looked slimmer in my selfies. On to month 3.


By this time I was back on social media and following doctors and nutritionists for legit advice. As I scrolled on the explore page, I found so much BS by people with short term weight loss ideas and unrealistic goals. I’m not even going to get into surgery controversy vs. true workouts because that’s so wild to me. I also found a lot of quick and easy recipes on Tik Tok so that really helped me.


Before my journey I was taking full body pictures of myself because I wanted to have a before/after photo. By month 4 I saw a change. Honestly I don’t remember how much weight I lost by this point but I saw a difference in pictures! I found so many recipes and healthy food restaurants to visit in my city and was still staying away from bad foods. I received a lot of support from my family and friends and when I visited them they would always have healthy alternatives for me.


Now I made it to month five and I remember the number on the scale. I stepped on and 155 pounds flashed on the scale. I thought it was a joke. I thought the scale was broken. Since June I had lost 31 pounds?! Without depriving myself? Without going super hard at a gym? The joy I felt with this accomplishment was surreal.


So what did I learn? I learned that my will power is strong. I learned that prayer helped me with my self control. I didn’t drop the pounds for anyone else but myself. I made up in my mind that I wanted to feel better and in the long run I ended up losing weight.


I am so thankful for literature and the power we have to share knowledge. Maybe one day I will share my health scare testimony. Until then, stay healthy beautiful people.










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