Jordan Went From a Size 16 to a Size 6 by Focusing on These 3 Things at Every Meal

Jordan started her weight-loss journey in the Fall of 2015 at over 250 pounds. Her cousin, who was also her roommate, got them both a gym membership in August. "I wonder if I would be where I am today had it not been for that gym membership and his subtle yet steady support," she said. Jordan bought a Fitbit in September, and her coworkers started a "biggest loser" competition in October. She began going to the gym regularly, taking yoga and Spin classes with her cousin. "It was right around then I also began paying more attention to what I was eating. In January, I won first place at work in our 'biggest loser' competition."

Jordan tried everything from Paleo to low-carb to vegan in order to find what was best for her body. "I quickly learned that diets weren't what I needed because they aren't sustainable," she said. "I've created a lifestyle that I hope will continue to evolve and carry me through the rest of my life." She added that when she eats well, she feels good, so she does her best to remember that.

She aims to incorporate a carb, a protein, and a healthy fat into most of her meals. "For a while now, I've done my best to eliminate gluten and dairy from my daily meals. I'm human, though; I believe in the 80/20 rule and do occasionally enjoy a doughnut."

Here are some examples of the types of food Jordan eats in a day:

Breakfast:

Lunch/Dinner:

Snacks:

"To say the past three years were hard is an understatement," she said. "I wish I could say I have a special secret up my sleeve, but the truth is I just showed up and put in the effort." Jordan started with cardio, and her favorite is Spin class, which she tries to incorporate at least once a week. Six months later, she started lifting weights to continue losing fat and toning her muscles, which has become a regular part of her workout routine.

"I don't love every second of running, but I've never finished a run and not felt accomplished, so I try to incorporate as much as I can while still enjoying it." She has run a road race, ranging from a 5K to a 10-miler, every month from August 2017 until now, which equals over 77 miles. Amazing!

Jordan has recently become an online fitness coach, so now she has new workout programs at her disposal that were created by personal trainers. "I'm looking forward to trying them out and incorporating them daily," she said.

Check out these amazing nonscale victories Jordan shared:

"My life isn't incredibly exciting day to day. It's honestly relatively mundane, but I'm truly the happiest I've ever been, and I don't want to lose that," Jordan shared. "I've found a passion for fitness, a level of self-confidence I didn't fully realize I was lacking, and a drive to keep getting better. I never could have imagined I would accomplish all that I have. I've gone from being obese and incredibly unhealthy to the healthiest and most in shape ever. I've lowered my blood pressure, cholesterol, BMI, and know that I can never go back to who I was."

Jordan said ultimately she's learned that it's not so much motivation she needs to find within herself, but discipline. "Having incredibly supportive friends, family, and coworkers also doesn't hurt!"

Jordan recommends trying everything at least once to find what you enjoy, because if you don't enjoy the process, you aren't going to enjoy the results. "I truly believe there are workouts and exercises for everyone."

She added that it's good to have big goals to strive toward, but little goals along the way can act as stepping stones to help accomplish the larger ones. Also, "know your why! Your why plus discipline is what keeps you going." Always remember why you started your journey and why it's important to you, and that will motivate you to stick with it.

Remember the most important thing is to have patience and don't give up on yourself, because, like Jordan shared, "you are capable of so much more than you even know."