Melissa's History

"I was never a big girl growing up," Melissa shared. "I tended to fluctuate between 100 and 115 pounds and swam competitively from the time I was 5 through high school." It wasn't until a difficult first marriage that she found herself gaining weight [3]. She explained, "During this time, I'd also had my two wonderful children, which also made it harder to lose weight."

Back in 2015, she came across the Lose It! app, which helped her lose 20 pounds. But she had a hard time keeping the weight off [4]. "I believe this is because I wasn't mentally ready to commit to making healthier lifestyle changes for the long haul."

Melissa's Weight-Loss Journey Begins

"When Kevin (my husband now) first proposed in 2017, I'd decided that enough was enough, and I felt more motivated than ever to lose weight ahead of the wedding," Melissa said. Her journey began in November 2017. "I think my success came from not just staying within my recommended calorie range [5] but using the Lose It! app to really understand what types of food I was putting into my body."

Melissa's Diet

Going in with an understanding that weight loss was not going to happen overnight, Melissa took a closer look at her diet. She tracked her food intake and focused on eating a lower-carb, higher-protein [6] diet — similar to the keto diet [7] but not as strict. Melissa lost a total of 63.4 pounds in just five months.

Melissa added, "Kevin and I also started going to Nutrition HQ, where the staff would teach us about different probiotics [8] and pre- and post-workout options. I feel that 85 to 90 percent of the weight loss came from changing what and how we ate [9] — swapping in turkey options for red meat and cooking for ourselves instead of eating out. We also weighed and measured our foods to help us understand portion control."

A Typical Day of Eating

Melissa tracked everything she ate and drank [10] through the Lose It! app, helping her to get a much better idea of what she was putting into her body. "It allowed me to watch my fat and carb intake and helped me focus on making sure my diet was high in protein."

Breakfast: one to two eggs, turkey sausage links, and a yogurt.

Lunch: salad with mixed spinach, cottage cheese, some sort of meat (usually chicken or turkey), cheese, and BBQ sauce.

Dinner: chicken, some sort of vegetable, and fruit.

Melissa's Workouts

Melissa chose to focus on her diet first. She didn't get into a workout routine until about two to three months after she started eating healthier and had lost 30 pounds. She and her husband bought a treadmill, and she started off by just walking [11] a mile a few times a week. "Once I got used to the routine," Melissa shared, "I started challenging myself, walking for an hour. Kevin and I then started expanding our home gym, buying an elliptical [12], stationary bike, and weight machine from the Facebook Marketplace."

"I tend to do more cardio workouts [13] and like to incorporate the resistance band where I can. Now, I find myself working out for a little over an hour, three to five times a week, and look to Pinterest [14] for new ideas. Kevin and I continue to motivate each other to work out regularly!"

Melissa's Greatest Motivation

When asked how Melissa stayed motivated on her journey, her answer was simple: "My family. My children and husband are constantly cheering me on and know how far I have come!" And she wasn't alone. Melissa shared, "My husband and I did this journey together [15] (it made it that much easier), and we have lost a combined weight of 126.8 pounds! Having someone to hold me accountable and be on this journey with me has helped tremendously!"

Tips and Advice

"It won't happen overnight. This is something you have to truly want!" Melissa shared. "The motivation and the urge to change has to come from deep inside you in order for it to work. Do your research about what method of weight loss will work for you, and find someone to help keep you accountable [16]!" Have an understanding of the foods that you're eating, and have a way to track it to help you stick to your daily calories [17].