Here's How Cathy Kept Off Her Weight For 11 Years Without Stepping on a Scale

"My weight-loss journey started 11 years ago, and I have kept it off for the past 11 years by living a healthy lifestyle," Cathy told POPSUGAR. "Everyone can drop a few pounds with diet and exercise, but few keep it off because they don't bother to change their lifestyle."

"I overate because I didn't understand my emotional triggers. I got fat because I filled my stomach with processed food and sugar, hoping to fill the void," she explained.

But when she finally decided to change her life, she said it wasn't easy.

"I made a lot of mistakes in desperation to lose weight and get fit. I often went to extremes, risking my health," she said. "I didn't understand nutrition, and I didn't know the link between my weight and my emotions. When I became aware of my emotional connection to my weight, I became empowered and began to take control of my life."

She began by eating healthy and exercising three to four days a week.

Cathy said she doesn't get on the scale because she doesn't find it motivating. Instead, she focused on how her clothes fit and dress sizes. During her weight-loss journey, she went from a UK size 24 to a size 8.

Breakfast (7 a.m.): 30 g. oats, three egg whites, one egg

Second option: half an avocado, one slice superseeded wholemeal toast, 50 g. smoked salmon

Snack (10 a.m.): handful of almonds

Second option: one orange or blueberries with natural Greek yogurt

Lunch (1 p.m.): grilled sea bass with broccoli, salad, or asparagus, and rice or quinoa

Dinner (5 p.m.): grilled chicken breast, sweet potato with broccoli

Snack (8 p.m.): cottage cheese with natural peanut butter or casein protein shake

She does a mix of CrossFit and functional training with HIIT for cardio. Here's what a typical week of training looks like for Cathy.

Monday: lower body with Mina (a personal trainer)

Tuesday: cardio

Wednesday: upper body with Ricardo Nathaniel Wills (a personal trainer)

Thursday: she usually rests but not always, depending on how she feels (if not, then cardio)

Friday: legs with Mina

Saturday: upper body with Mina

Sunday: rest

"Some people may say it's too much, but I find that with fitness, you have to do what works for you, as long as you can see progress," she said. "But at the same time, listening to your body is very important."

Cathy said some of her nonscale victories include progress photos, toned and lean muscles, booty gains, and loose clothes.

"Health and vanity are my biggest motivators," she said. "Health because I know how good I feel when I take care of myself. Health because I plan to live well past my daughter's graduation, career, marriage, and babies, which I know are impossible if I'm not healthy. I also want to set a good example for my daughter so she can learn from my mistakes and not suffer the same pain I did. Vanity because I love how my body looks and I love my clothing," she said.

We love that honest answer!

"My biggest advice is to simply start moving," she said. "Walk in front of the TV — that's what I did. Walk around the park. Do squats while you cook. Every little bit helps."

Nutrition is also important, Cathy said. "Start by looking at what's in your kitchen. If there are ingredients you can't pronounce, then bin it. Shop by color, meaning dark green, leafy vegetables, red berries, purple berries, deep orange sweet potatoes, tomatoes of every color, pink watermelon, etc."

She also said you may need some experts to help you reach your goals, such as a personal trainer or nutritionist.

"I understand not everyone can afford a personal trainer or nutritionist, but that doesn't mean you still can't lose weight," she explained. "For fitness, get yourself a fitness buddy for motivation. For nutrition, it's important to prepare your meals in advance. There are a lot of fad diets out there. My advice is stop, because I have tried many and they don't work. The plan is to focus on building a sustainable, healthy lifestyle."

We couldn't agree more.