The Simple Way This Woman Lost Her First 70 Pounds (No Gym Involved!)
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If 25-year-old Alex Baca were to give advice to anyone trying to lose it weight, she'd keep it super simple: "Track your food." It was tracking everything she ate on an app called Lose It! that jump-started her weight loss and led her to shed 125 pounds since February 2017.
Alex was fresh out of college and nearing the 350-pound mark when she hit a turning point. "It had been years since I'd looked at the scale, and I was in shock. I was depressed after college, couldn't find a job, and was unsure of what was next for me. I knew if there was going to be a time for me to make a major lifestyle change, the time would be now," she told POPSUGAR.
She started with only tracking her food and cutting out everything processed. About eight months later, after losing more than 70 pounds, she began adding in workouts and found out that the gym isn't such a scary place and can even be fun. Since starting her weight-loss journey, Alex has learned a lot about meal-prepping and creating healthy recipes — and now she's helping her friends too. "I've started virtually meal prepping for friends now by creating grocery lists and recipes for the week for them and cheering them on through Lose It!, as part of their daily motivation," she said.
Keep reading for more about Alex's weight loss and to find out exactly what she keeps stocked in her kitchen to satisfy all her cravings.
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Alex's Journey Begins
It was February 2017, when Alex was two pounds shy of weighing 350 pounds, that she decided enough was enough. "I had not weighed myself in years, and in my head, I knew I was over 300 but was always too afraid to look at the scale. When I finally did, something clicked with me," she told POPSUGAR. She spent the first seven to eight months closely monitoring everything she was eating with the Lose It! app and shed more than 70 pounds from just changing her diet.
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Next, She Added Workouts
It took months for Alex to get to a place where she felt confident enough to work out. "I let my fear of the gym win and avoided much activity for the first eight months. I tried it all though. Private gyms. Women's gyms. My apartment gym," she told POPSUGAR. "It wasn't that I hated other people watching my struggle at the gym. I hated to see myself struggle."
Now that she's more confident, Alex loves mixing up cardio and weights at the gym. Her favorite machine, though, is the elliptical. "I love the elliptical because it's easy on your joints, which makes it a great machine for beginners to use at whatever comfort level they're at right now," she said.
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What Alex Eats
Alex tracks everything she eats in the Lose It! app and aims to keep her carbs low. She keeps her kitchen well-stocked with healthy staples like:
- Egg whites: Swap them for your usual eggs, and you cut down on calories and fat for breakfast.
- Spinach: It goes in smoothies, salads, and wraps.
- Almond milk: "I don't miss dairy milk at all, and I don't notice an effect on my cooking ever."
- Almonds: Flavored are even better.
- Beef jerky: This is a low-fat, high-protein snack.
- Cottage cheese: Mask the mild flavor with anything, savory or sweet.
- Cubed garlic sweet potatoes: "One of my favorite snacks to prep and have on hand."
- Chopped strawberries: A healthy side that also makes a great snack.
- Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel Seasoning: It's the seasoning on an everything bagel, which is great on avocado toast, in cottage cheese, or on a salad.
- Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter: Crunchy or smooth, it tastes like a peanut butter cookie. The macros on it are even better than some jars of "healthier" butter, and it's great for a treat on a chocolate rice cake or on half of a banana before bed.
- Skinny Cow Brownie Batter Ice Cream
- Aldi Cocoa Almonds or Wasabi Soy Almonds
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What Keeps Alex Going
While fitting in a roller coaster seat or being able to dance in killer high heels were admitted high points on her weight-loss journey, what Alex values most is the confidence she's gained — which landed her in love!
"I enjoy the world much more now and I'm sure it's because of the quality of life I'm giving myself. Treating my body right, my brain right, and now my heart. Martell, my boyfriend, also meal preps with me and uses Lose It!, which has helped him lose around 50 pounds," she told POPSUGAR.
"Change is at the tip of your fingers these days. You don't need a million dollars or a personal trainer. I was a lonely, recent college graduate who couldn't find a job. Depression had taken over, and my body was my anchor. It's never too late to start over, or in my case . . . just start!"