"I've been obese since I was 6 years old," Amanda Valentine (@youcanpoundthis on Instagram) told POPSUGAR. Now 36, she said, "I knew nothing about nutrition for most of my life, and I'm an emotional binge-eater. I eat to celebrate, I eat when I'm upset, I eat when I'm stressed . . . I basically use food to comfort me in all situations." Keep reading to learn how Amanda was able to learn new eating habits that helped her lose a whopping 117 pounds!
Amanda went on her first "real" diet in her early 20s, which led to a lot of yo-yo dieting. "I'd lose 60 pounds on one diet, then gain it back. Lose 40 pounds on another diet, then gain it back," she said. "My fitness was pretty much nonexistent." She'd pay for gym memberships, then never go. She wouldn't even go outside for a walk and said she pretty much did nothing.
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Amanda's History With Binge-Eating
Image Source: Amanda Valentine
Amanda reached her highest weight at the end of 2011 and realized it was mostly because she was binge-eating. She knew no one would be home when she got off work, so sometimes she'd hit up several drive-thrus or order food when she got home and just eat everything so there would be no evidence. Amanda said, "I'd eat all day, and I was binge-eating almost every night — eating two large pizzas by myself to the point of pain, then hiding the boxes so no one would know."
"I would get so excited at the thought of having a ton of food; then after I would eat it all, I would feel so disgusting and ashamed," she added. "But the feeling was so good of getting the food and eating it, I kept doing it."
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Amanda's Journey Begins
Image Source: Amanda Valentine
Mentally and physically, Amanda just felt terrible. She kept telling herself she'd start taking better care of herself on Monday . . . and then never do it. "I just felt like I wasn't living the life I wanted to live. I felt like the real me was trapped inside a body that wasn't able to allow me to be my best self."
So in January 2012, Amanda started her journey. She made a New Year's resolution not to diet but to just make the best decisions in every moment — to do the best she could and not hate herself when she couldn't be "perfect."
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Amanda's Diet
Image Source: Amanda Valentine
Within about two and a half years, Amanda dropped 117 pounds! A lot of that had to do with her diet. She ditched all the fast food and energy drinks because she had a problem regulating them, and she began making healthier choices.
"I started by trying to just add more veggies into my life. I ate a lot of stir-fry and started drinking more water," Amanda said. At first, she didn't focus on counting calories or macros or portion sizes; she just cut out most processed foods and ate lots of whole foods.
To combat her old habits of binging on fast food or pizza, she would have "veggie-binges." Amanda shared, "I don't know if that was healthy or not, but it helped me. I'd eat a giant bag of baby carrots just to satisfy the feeling of eating a lot."
That eventually led to recently doing some calorie counting. "I'm happiest when I'm prepared. So I make all of my meals for the week on Sunday (and do the whole process on Instagram)," Amanda said. She weighs and measures everything and tracks it all through MyFitnessPal.
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What Amanda Eats in a Day
Image Source: Amanda Valentine
Here's what a typical day of eating looks like:
Breakfast: eggs, spinach, and avocado Post-gym snack: egg-white pancake ("liquid egg whites, oats, dumped in a pan and cooked like a pancake") with peanut butter and fruit Lunch: chicken fajitas with quinoa Afternoon snack: assorted veggies and chia pudding Dinner: Instant Pot steak and air-fryer brussels sprouts
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Amanda's Workouts
Image Source: Amanda Valentine
To lose the majority of her weight, Amanda just walked as much as possible. She put on headphones, listened to her favorite podcasts, headed outside, and started off small by walking around the park.
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Amanda's Workouts Now
Image Source: Amanda Valentine
Amanda gradually increased to walking one mile, then two. Walking turned into doing a Couch to 5K program, and then she started running along with her walking.
"I ran my first full mile ever when I turned 30. Two years later, I ran my first half-marathon," Amanda said. Walking and hiking remain her favorite ways to exercise, but over the past few years, she's added weightlifting into the mix and absolutely loves it.
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Nonscale Victories
Image Source: Amanda Valentine
One major nonscale victory Amanda told us was "fitting into one leg of my old pair of jeans!" That photo is priceless!
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More Nonscale Victories
Image Source: Amanda Valentine
A few more nonscale victories include being able to wear a belt and being able to summit a mountain. Amanda also said she loves "to be tagged in pictures on social media and not have anxiety about how horrible I think I look."
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How Amanda Stays Motivated
Image Source: Amanda Valentine
Amanda has learned to find joy in the process. She enjoys finding ways to make healthy foods taste good and to make exercise more enjoyable.
"The way I feel now is absolutely incredible compared to the way I used to feel," Amanda said. "When I'm feeling frustrated, I reflect on how far I've come and have gratitude for everything I've accomplished." It also helps knowing that the struggle is part of the process. Some days are hard, but pushing past that is what makes the victory so much sweeter.
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Amanda's Tips For Others
Image Source: Amanda Valentine
Amanda wants to encourage everyone to stay on the path and not give up. "It's going to be hard. You're going to plateau. But focus on how you feel rather than the number on the scale," Amanda said, and we totally agree!
"If you want the cake, eat the cake, then move on. Beating yourself up isn't going to accomplish anything," she added. Make being healthy your ultimate goal and everything will fall into place, even if your progress isn't as fast as you'd like it to be.
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Amanda Speaks Candidly About Binge-Eating
Image Source: Amanda Valentine
Even though Amanda has lost and maintained 117 pounds over the past seven years, she told POPSUGAR that she's not completely cured of her binge-eating behavior, but she understands it more now. "I feel like self-awareness is a big key. I know what kinds of feelings trigger a binge, and I try to find a better way to cope with that than eating a ton of food. I hit the gym or drink a full bottle of water." If she's having a superstressful day and she really feels the need to binge, she'll make a giant salad or a big plate of stir-fry. She also knows what foods are triggers — "I can't have cheeseballs in the house."
Now she's a lot better with her binging behavior, but absolutely in no way perfect. Amanda said, "It's been seven years of figuring myself out and what works best for me, and I'm still working on it." One day at a time, right?
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Amanda Started a Podcast!
Image Source: Amanda Valentine
To keep herself on track and share her passion for helping others on their healthy lifestyle journeys, Amanda started a free podcast called Pound This. She does it five days a week to help keep others motivated. Amanda said there's "no hidden agenda, just conversations about the struggle and finding motivation with a variety of guests that include dietitians, trainers, wellness experts, and other people with incredible stories to share."
