Ana Lost 35 Pounds in 4 Months Eating This 1 Meal Every Single Day

Ana shared, "I gained over 80 pounds with my third baby and suddenly found myself weighing in at over 200 pounds for the first time in my life. I gained weight with all three of my pregnancies and never quite lost it all after any one."

On her 35th birthday in February 2018, Ana said she suddenly found herself tired and out of breath trying to keep up with her three boys. She was sleeping terribly and just feeling sluggish in everything she did.

"I realized I wasn't happy, and my son Henrik was almost 1, so saying, 'I just had a baby' didn't feel quite right anymore. I was just done with excuses, done waiting for people to 'give me time' to work out. I decided I'd had enough and if I wanted to live a long and happy and strong life with my boys, I was going to have to prioritize myself too."

Ana shared that she decided "not to follow a diet." Every time she had in the past, although results came quickly, it messed with her metabolism and was completely unsustainable. Her approach, like Beachbody trainer Autumn Calabrese suggests, is following the 90/10 rule: 90 percent healthy food and 10 perfect food she loves, healthy or otherwise.

Ana said, "I didn't cut carbs; I replaced white bread with whole grains. I replaced white processed sugar with maple syrup. I replaced butter with olive oil. I forced myself to eat one giant salad a day . . . every single day."

If she was going out for dinner, she'd order a giant salad first with olive oil and vinegar on the side and make her own dressing. "By eating that first, I found I wasn't as hungry for the cheeseburger I was going to eat next, so I would naturally portion control it." She made sure to eat protein with every meal, ate tons of fruit and veggies, and always listened to her body, eating when she was hungry.

Breakfast: sunflower rye toast with one-third an avocado, salt, pepper, a hard-boiled egg, four slices of cucumber, a handful of blueberries, and a cup of coffee with whole milk

Morning snack: apple with almond butter and a handful of almonds

Lunch: large salad with all the veggies, sliced chicken breast or tuna, and more fruit

Afternoon snack: hummus, crackers, olives, and more veggies

Dinner: sweet potato curry or chili on rice or squash noodles

Evening snack: full-fat Greek yogurt, granola, and berries

Ana was all about the BBG workouts. "I do three resistance days a week, 28 minutes each, and I can do them at home." She also runs three to four days a week, alone, with a stroller, with her dog, or all of the above.

"I have so much more energy! I can toss my kids around and run with them in the yard. I can carry my baby in my arms for an hour doing chores at home," Ana excitedly shared. "The daily strength and energy I have now is amazing! And the running! I'm running again and it's so good for me."

"The truth is this is who I was before I had my kids. I ran marathons and half marathons. I was a runner and I love running. So being back in this space, stronger, and feeling more energized keeps me going." Ana continued, "I am doing what I love to do, and though the first 28 days, I had to force myself to work out and eat better, I am at a point now where I crave both veggies and workouts."

Her journey seems to have set a few other journeys in motion. Her oldest son wants to run with Ana now and thinks it's really cool that they can do the workouts together. Her husband is working out again, too, and eating better. Her middle son is eating more veggies, and Ana also gets to run with her baby — he loves the time they spend outside together. They stop and go to the park on their way home and Ana said, "It's really great to feel proud of myself again. I'm more than just mom. I'm also me."

If you're trying to lose weight, Ana said the most important thing is to do it for yourself. "Don't do it for the scale; don't look at it with a singular goal in mind. Look at this as a marathon. Take the steps you need to get to the end and don't worry about the time it takes. Before you know it, you'll find a new lifestyle, a new energy, and I promise it's worth it."

She continued, "Don't let yourself have setbacks. If you want to eat a burger, eat a burger and then eat a salad for your next meal. If you get sick, take a day off and rest, and go work out tomorrow instead." Remember to always get back up and keep going, and even though you're doing it for you, you never know who you might be inspiring along the way.