It might sound like a gimmick or another site trying to sell some magical pill or book, but nope … This is just my real weight loss story—no tricks, no shortcuts, just a busy professional who once believed there wasn’t enough time in the day to work out and couldn’t imagine life without junk food. I finally got tired of feeling bad and decided to do something about it.
In today’s post, I’ll share my journey, hoping to inspire anyone who feels the same way I did before I got determined and began making real changes.
Disclaimer: Losing weight this fast isn’t recommended for everyone. However, the tips and mindset shifts I made can help anyone create a healthier lifestyle at their own pace.
I Took a Good Look at Myself
No, not just in the mirror — I stepped back and really analyzed my daily routine. What was I already doing right? Where was I sabotaging myself? Was it weekends, weeknights, or every day? What was I eating without even thinking?
My Problem Areas
1. I Was Eating to Relieve Stress (Spoiler: It Didn’t Work)
Working in a fast-paced startup environment meant long days (sometimes nights), tight deadlines, and stress. My go-to way to unwind? Collapsing on the couch with my favorite shows and a pile of snacks—chips, candy, snack cakes, you name it. It felt good in the moment, but it was doing way more harm than good.
2. I Had No Idea How Much I Was Really Eating
Once I started checking nutrition labels, I was shocked. Sugar, bad fats, and empty calories were lurking in nearly everything I ate—even foods that didn’t seem unhealthy.
3. I Thought I Had No Time to Work Out
My schedule was packed. Workdays stretched into evenings, and by the time I was home, the last thing I wanted to do was exercise. I assumed I had no time or energy for it—turns out, I was wrong.
How I Lost 80 Pounds in 6 Months
With these newfound revelations in mind, I got serious about getting healthy. I had three concrete areas that I could focus on in order to make a big difference in my life. It was time to tackle these problems head-on and find a solution. My real weight loss story had begun!
1. I Tracked My Calories
The first thing I did was start tracking my food intake. I downloaded an app called Lose It! (not sponsored, just highly recommended), which helped me:
- See how many calories I was consuming daily
- Set a realistic calorie budget
- Stay accountable and track my progress
- Celebrate achievements
Along with tracking calories, I also reduced my carb intake—since that’s where the hidden sugars were—and I limited bad fats like trans fats and excessive saturated fats.
Notice that I haven’t mentioned any diet plan at all, just a strategy. If it fit within my budget and matched my requirements, then I could eat it!
2. I Found Healthy Alternatives (Without Sacrificing Flavor)
Instead of focusing on what I couldn’t eat, I found ways to enjoy the foods I loved while staying within my goals. I swapped high-carb meals for lower-carb options, replaced junk food with healthier snacks, and made sure my meals were both satisfying and nutritious.
3. I Made Time to Work Out (Even With a Busy Schedule)
I started small, focusing on three key things:
- Shedding some initial pounds
- Establishing a sustainable routine
- Improving my overall health
At first, I stuck to cardio, specifically the elliptical. It was low impact but effective. More importantly, it was something I could stick with without feeling burned out.
The “Secret“ to Staying Consistent
Other than making the changes we’ve talked about so far, the most important and effective thing I’ve done is stay consistent. This is how I did it.
I Stuck to It (Even on the Hard Days)
This was not just a temporary fix. This is my new normal. Some days, I didn’t feel like working out. On those days, dug deep and told myself, “Just get through this one workout, then you can rest”. I reminded myself of why I was doing this.
There were days where I really wanted that bag of chips, really wanted that candy or those cookies. Most of those days I fought it and won. A few days, I gave in and had some junk food. On those days, I reminded myself it wasn’t all over just because I ate something bad.
I reminded myself of what I was fighting for, and I reflected on what I didn’t want to go back to. I thought of always feeling tired, all the ailments that had plagued me every day for so long. Then, I thought about how much better I feel now, how much progress I’ve made. Doing this allowed me to mentally reset, put those cravings out of my mind, and get back to making progress.
2. I Celebrated Every Victory (Big and Small)
Instead of only focusing on the end goal, I set small, achievable milestones. Each time I hit a goal (more like crushed it), I paused to celebrate it—whether it was fitting into smaller clothes, seeing the number on the scale go down, or simply feeling more energetic. I did it! That’s a big deal!
I would think about how much better I already was. I would NOT think about the “end goal” or even the next one right away. Each intermediate goal was a milestone, one that deserved a stop for just a moment to celebrate. Even something as small as earning a new badge in my tracking app felt rewarding.
3. I Kept Challenging Myself
Once I reached the next milestone in my weightloss journey, I didn’t stop there. I raised the bar just a little more, but I kept it realistic and achieveable in the short term. In otherwords, I set a new milestone and focused solely on that.
When my workouts started feeling easier, I knew it was time to push harder. Instead of settling, I gradually increased the resistance on the elliptical or added in some strength training. Progress isn’t about doing the same thing forever — it’s about constantly growing.
Stay tuned for a post on how I made cardio work for me!
Final Thoughts: You Can Do This Too!
Losing 80 pounds in 6 months wasn’t easy, but it also wasn’t impossible. It was, and is, a real weight loss story. I didn’t follow a fad diet, starve myself, or do anything extreme. I simply made sustainable changes, tracked my progress, and stayed committed, even on tough days.
If you’re feeling stuck, I hope my story proves that real change is possible. No matter where you are in your journey, small steps can lead to big results. Keep going. You’ve got this! We’ve got this!
Did you find any inspiration from my weight loss story? Have you started your own journey? Let me hear about it in the comments!