Carrie Lost 128 Pounds Eating 6 to 8 Times a Day (and, Yes, That Included Dessert!)

Carrie Bair
Carrie Bair

Obesity and depression were the background noise of most of Carrie Bair's (@carebair_7 on Instagram) life. She told POPSUGAR, "I was completely imprisoned by them, as each one fed the other." She was anxious and depressed, so she ate and slept often. She became obese because food was like medicine to her. "It made me feel better for a little bit, but eventually that moment would pass, leaving me feeling depressed and anxious once again from eating and not taking care of myself," Carrie said. Keep reading to find out how Carrie was able to get past her depression and lose 128 pounds.

Carrie's History With Weight Loss

Carrie's History With Weight Loss

Over the course of 25 years, Carrie, now age 48, tried nearly every exercise program and every diet that existed. Most of them worked for a short time, but they weren't sustainable for her, so the cycle of anxiety, depression, and obesity would resume. Since she works from home, for many years she was completely sedentary throughout the day, and said she was "often munching on a bag of chocolate chips as I worked." If she tried to go for a walk, she'd get winded because she was so used to just sitting in her chair all day except when she'd walk a few steps to spend the evening in her living room.

"By the time I became pregnant with my first child at the age of 22, I weighed 200 pounds," Carrie said. During the years that followed, her weight fluctuated all over the place between 170 and 280 (staying mostly on the higher end), and she was suffering from depression and not eating properly. "As the depression and anxiety progressed, I developed hives from head to toe and had to take long-term steroids that led to increased weight gain, eventually bringing me to the 300-pound mark."

Carrie Explains Her "Lowest of Lows"

Carrie Explains Her "Lowest of Lows"

"Obesity brings with it a lot of emotional pain and humiliation, and I experienced my fair share: from not fitting in an airplane seat to having family and friends watch me walk off an amusement park ride because I couldn't get the seat belt around my waist. I even had family members say that I would be such a pretty woman, if only I was skinny," Carrie said. In her late 30s, she walked with a limp because she had a chronic heel injury from the excess weight.

She said her lowest point came in 2016 when she had a mental health crisis. "For months, I was so weak that I could barely take a shower, and my mind was in such a fog that I couldn't form clear thoughts."

Carrie's Journey Begins
JerniMedia Productions

Carrie's Journey Begins

In 2015, Carrie was at her highest weight, 312 pounds. After reaching this point, she spent the next year walking off around 50 pounds, but she eventually gained most of it back. Then in July 2017, Carrie decided to try 9Round, which offers 30-minute full-body, kickboxing-themed workouts. "During my first class that evening, I met a 9Round trainer named Jacob Jernigan, who was so kind and made me feel like I was welcome there," Carrie said.

She didn't know what to expect in that first class, so when she saw that the first round was jumping rope, she wanted to turn around and walk back out. She decided to stay and force herself through the 30 minutes to get it over with, and then she figured she'd never go back again.

"Jacob then showed me that there were alternate movements that could still help me become stronger so that one day I could jump rope," Carrie explained. Each round in the workout presented a new challenge for her, but there were also modifications that could be made. "There was something happening inside me with each punch and kick, but I wouldn't be able to put my finger on it until much later."

When she first met Jacob, he told her she would feel better when she left than when she walked in. "He was right," Carrie said. "He is still one of my trainers today, and at many times over the past couple years, he has known my capabilities even more so than I have."

Carrie's Workouts
JerniMedia Productions

Carrie's Workouts

Despite how challenging the 9Round program was, Carrie had an urge to continue going back. Initially, she went twice a week, then three to four times, and now she goes five to six. "Since the classes last only 30 minutes and don't occur on a fixed schedule (the program runs on a circuit that allows me to jump into the first of that day's nine stations whenever I walk in the door), it was easy for me to fit it into my schedule."

"Despite feeling insecure when I began working out at 9Round, the trainers there have never once made me feel inferior," Carrie said. When she went to other gyms, she felt like she was looked down upon, so it was refreshing to find a place that made her believe she belonged there.

As weeks turned into months, she was seeing a huge change in herself as a result of 9Round. "I was losing weight and gaining strength, but even more interesting to me was the unexpected happiness and confidence — two things I hadn't felt in decades — that came with it from the endorphins I was releasing," Carrie said.

The 9Round workouts made Carrie feel so motivated that she set a goal for herself to lose 100 pounds in just one year. "I knew this would be challenging, but I had a drive in me at that point that made me feel unstoppable," Carrie said. "I went to 9Round in the snow and rain, when I felt good and when I was tired, when I was busy and when I had a day off." Kickboxing became her passion. Through 9Round, Carrie began feeling strong, confident, and capable.

Carrie's Diet

Carrie's Diet

After six months of doing 9Round, Carrie started tracking her calories and macros using the Nutritionix Track app. It also tracks her water intake and exercise. "Once I really paid attention to the type and amount of food I was consuming, the weight loss skyrocketed."

"Initially, I allowed myself about 1,700 calories per day, and I would add my workout calories back into the total, which was really easy to do because the monitor I wore at 9Round told me how many calories I had burned after each workout." As the weight came off, Carrie would lower the calorie limit by 50 calories at a time until she found the place where she'd continue losing. "If I net around 1,600 to 1,700 calories a day, I maintain my weight. In order to keep losing, I have to adjust it down further to about 1,500 to 1,600."

Some weeks when Carrie felt like she'd worked her hardest, she didn't lose an ounce. "But I've learned to not allow that to set me back, reminding myself that if I stay the course, things will eventually move in the right direction," Carrie said.

What Carrie Eats in a Day

What Carrie Eats in a Day

In a typical day, Carrie eats six to eight times, but the meals are very small. She eats a lot of chicken and fish sautéed in olive oil with salt and pepper, nuts, eggs (boiled or scrambled), reduced-fat cheese, tuna, and a variety of salads. One of her favorites is a kale salad with broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, seeds, and cranberries. Carrie shared this calorie-saving trick: "I always ask for regular dressing on the side, and then dip my salad in it, finding that I use much less that way."

"I also make my own muffins using unsweetened applesauce, oats, bananas, carrots or zucchini, and nuts, and then I freeze them in individual baggies so I can quickly grab one when I'm in a hurry." What a great idea!

For a treat, she takes walnuts, sprays them with a little "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter," and adds a sprinkle of brown sugar. "I don't eat a lot of bread, but when I do, it's usually Dave's Organic Whole Grain variety."

Sometimes she has protein bars as long as they have 20 grams of protein and are low in carbs and sugar, like the Quest Smore's flavor and Clif Builder's Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter. "On the weekends, I give myself a little grace. I may have a few bites of dessert or a slice of pizza, but I am very careful to limit my portion size," Carrie said.

How Carrie Stays Motivated

How Carrie Stays Motivated

Watching the weight drop was a huge motivator for Carrie on her journey, and in one year after starting 9Round, she met her goal to lose 100 pounds, weighing in at 196.9 pounds. "After spending the majority of my life weighing well over 200 pounds, I'll never forget the day I saw that number on the scale! That motivated me to keep pushing forward, because I never wanted to see the scale say 200-something again," Carrie said." Today, she weighs 184 pounds, which is 128 pounds down from her highest weight.

As her weight loss has slowed down, Carrie now focuses on setting new goals that don't have to do with the scale. Seeing changes like being able to do lunge jumps when she couldn't jump before is amazing, and Carrie is also noticing muscle definition, increased flexibility, and her punches and kicks are increasing in intensity. "Focusing on other things reminds me that my weight-loss journey has given me so much more than just a smaller number on a scale," Carrie added.

9Round continues to come up with new exercises that she's never tried before, which keeps it interesting and challenging — she's never had two 9Round workouts that were the same! It's always something new or different every time she comes in. Although she sometimes enjoys working out by herself, Carrie often goes with a friend or her husband because working out alongside someone you care about can be a lot of fun and motivate you to push harder.

Carrie's Nonscale Victories

Carrie's Nonscale Victories

"I am uncovering the woman I was meant to be. I can finally see her for the first time, and she is strong, healthy, confident, and happy!" Carrie said. She may not be at her goal weight yet, but now she's able to regularly shop in the juniors section at department stores. "For someone who was used to going straight to the plus size section and getting the largest size available, do you know how much fun it is to now walk into the juniors section at the age of 48?"

Carrie has also begun participating in more activities that she used to exceed a weight limit for, like zip-lining for the first time last Summer. She recently went rock climbing and made it all the way to the top! She also loves kayaking and hiking now.

"If you haven't reached the low points that I was once at, it's hard to fully understand the incredible sense of satisfaction and fulfillment that has come from making it to the place where I am today," Carrie said. Looking back now, she believes she finally understands why 9Round worked for her when nothing else did — the workout closely resembled the battle she was fighting on the inside. "It was almost as if I was beating up the old me, kicking out my old way of thinking. Every punch, every sandbag slam, every shin kick got me closer to who I am today. Every stinkin' plank, burpee, and crab kick propelled me forward. It was, and still is, a fight for my life," Carrie said.

Carrie's Weight-Loss Advice

Carrie's Weight-Loss Advice

If you're on your own weight-loss or fitness journey, Carrie wants you to know that losing weight is a process, and it's going to be hard, but it doesn't have to be boring.

"I was that woman who stood in the checkout line staring at magazines featuring all of the women who had lost 100 pounds, and I longed to be them," Carrie said. "So many of those articles made weight loss seem easy. I think that's another reason why I failed so many times before: it wasn't easy, so I quit."

Carrie said you're stronger than you think, and it's going to take time to transform your body; the key to success is consistency. You are going to experience setbacks, but setbacks can be overcome. Embrace all of it! There is no easy path to wellness, but if you find something that you are passionate about, it can be fun.

Also, stay on track by setting goals — daily, weekly, monthly, and long-term. "Goals don't have to be a number on the scale. It can be a proper push-up, a well-formed round-kick, or fitting into a smaller jean size. Celebrate each victory!" Carrie said. "It's OK if you don't meet your goal every time. Set them anyway."