These 12 Eating Tips Were the Key to These Women Transforming Their Bodies

Jen Wagner implemented intermittent fasting throughout her entire nine-month journey. She follows the 16:8 method and eats from noon until 8 p.m. Jen fasts until 12 p.m. every day, except for one morning on the weekends.

"I was never big into breakfast, so this was really easy for me," she told POPSUGAR. "I have an eight-hour window every day to get my food in. I am positive that has played a huge role in my weight loss. I used to be so bad about late-night snacking."

Danielle Rivoli controlled her portions and balanced out the food for the day by committing to clean eating and tracking her macros the night before. She didn't track calories but instead loosely tracked her protein, carbs, and fats. Planning out the next day's food the night before will help you stay accountable to your goals.

Jess Dukes said her diet played a huge role in her weight loss. She followed the Portion Fix Meal Plan from Beachbody (the one with the color-coded containers). It's all about clean eating in the right portions for your body based on where you are now and what your goals are.

"I eat roughly 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day, but I do not track calories and macros. That is one of the perks of my meal plan," Jess shared. Using the containers takes all the guesswork out of meticulously tracking calories. Jess stuck to three meals and no snacks.

Jessica Field wanted to make some changes and "set a good example of what it means to be happy, healthy, and confident" for her daughter. She had a history of yo-yo dieting, and after being tired of the ups and downs, she started counting macros. "I can still eat the foods I enjoy, and I haven't had to eliminate entire food groups (I will never give up carbs!) or severely restrict my calories to see results," she said. To stay on track, Jessica typically plans her meals in advance and always tracks them with MyFitnessPal.

As a CrossFitter, Allison Lamay felt like tracking calories just made her eat whatever she wanted, so she switched to counting macros. "It helped me realize the importance of getting enough food while reinforcing the importance of how whole foods properly fuel your body and impact your performance at the gym," she said. For lunch and dinner, Ali aims to eat these three things: a lean protein, a healthy carb like sweet potato or rice, and veggies.

Lexi Lowther was all about using portion-control containers. "I bought some $20 bento boxes from Amazon to use for meal prepping," she said. "Even if I didn't have time to prep, I put my food in the box instead of on a plate because my biggest struggle was overeating. These boxes really helped me with my portion control."

Jordan Watters told POPSUGAR "I believe in the 80/20 rule and do occasionally enjoy a doughnut." This means that 80 percent of the time, she eats healthy, and 20 percent of the time, she makes room for her favorite indulgence foods. She added that when she eats well, she feels good. She does her best to remember that, so for most meals, she aims to incorporate a carb, a protein, and a healthy fat.

Arielle Lorre told POPSUGAR that she had a history of "really bad gut and hormone issues, a restrictive approach to nutrition, and an excessive approach to exercise, which resulted in my body revolting." After taking food sensitivity tests, Arielle made nutrition her focus and eliminated foods that didn't agree with her including flax, green beans, kidney beans, and cane sugar, and now she feels much better and much less bloated.

"I eat real, whole foods that stabilize my blood sugar, and my appetite has regulated over time," she said. Aside from three main meals and two snacks, Arielle says she always has dessert. What you eat doesn't just affect your weight; if your diet makes you feel energetic, you'll feel happier and fueled to do the things you love, which is so important!

Dana Stemrich used to drink two to three cans of soda a day but ditched it for unsweetened tea instead. Giving up soda was hard for the first three weeks, with the sugar cravings and low energy. But it eventually made her crave healthy foods and want to exercise, and within a year, she went from a size 12/14 to a size 10/12. This is an example of how one simple choice could have a huge impact on your health.

Tina Adams began focusing on controlling her portion sizes, even buying portion-control containers to help her stay on track. She ate lean meats (ground turkey and chicken breast) along with salmon, veggies, whole fruits and drank one gallon of water a day. Thirst is often mistaken for hunger, so staying hydrated can prevent you from eating when you're not truly hungry.

Melissa Mountain found success tracking her food intake using the Lose IT! app. She focuses on eating a lower-carb, higher-protein diet. Melissa said that 85 to 90 percent of the weight loss came from changing what and how she ate. She swapped turkey for red meat and cooked at home instead of eating out. She also weighed and measured her foods to help with portion control. Melissa found success eating three meals a day with no snacking in between.

Melissa Leto said, "Never take your body for granted. If you put junk in, you will get junky results. If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail." So she recommends ditching sugar, meal prepping for the week on Sunday, and if you're working out, eat right to see those results — you can't exercise to make up for an unhealthy diet. Melissa did find success following a few of Beachbody's nutrition programs, including 21 Day Fix, 80 Day Obsession, and, most recently, 2B Mindset, which are all similar. Her mindset was key — she didn't think of them as diets; she just saw them as eating healthy.