Mysti Lost 27 Pounds in 10 Months Counting Macros, and She Still Ate Pasta!

Mysti has always loved food "from extreme highs, to extreme lows," she said. No matter the occasion, she was always in the mood to eat. It didn't matter if she was happy or sad. "The response was the same: let's eat!"

When she'd start to follow certain diets or just try to eat healthier, she would "cheat," then think to herself, "Well I ruined the day, I might as well just eat whatever. I can start again tomorrow."

"But tomorrow would come and go," Mysti added, "and I would be right back to square one, eating what I wanted, when I wanted, and usually too much of it." This is the mentality she's struggled with for years. It's not an easy one to defeat, she said, which is how the constant trend of losing and gaining weight began.

Mysti was always an active person. She did gymnastics as a kid and ran track in high school. In June 2008, one week after her high school graduation, Mysti was involved in a car accident, injuring her right shoulder. "This is when the serious weight gain and emotional eating had begun," she said.

In late 2017, Mysti found powerlifting through her coach and trainer at the time. In January 2018, she competed in a local competition. "From there I was hooked. I went on to compete in two more competitions in 2018 and two back-to-back competitions in April of 2019."

In January 2019, weighing 174 pounds at 28 years old, the 5'1" Mysti decided to take real action on her weight loss. "I was looking back at competition videos and pictures, and while I do know that singlets and belts are not exactly flattering, I was extremely upset by what I saw," she said. "This was my 'enough is enough' moment."

In 10 months, Mysti lost 27 pounds. She is now at 147 pounds, but said she also gained a lot of knowledge about herself and nutrition. Eighteen of the 27 pounds were from an August challenge alone (more details about that below).

Mysti has been using Renaissance Periodization's RP Diet app since June. "Knowing myself and how I sometimes need to set small goals, I ran a six-week cut with a six-pound weight-loss goal," she said. "Once I knew I could do that, I knew I could do more!"

When Mysti saw that RP was running a challenge in August, being the competitive person she is, she decided to go big. For her most recent cut with RP, her macros on nontraining days were: 150 grams of protein, 45 grams of fat, and 65 grams of carbs. On training days, her macros were: 140 grams of protein, 45 grams of fat, and 115 grams of carbs.

Here's a typical day of eating for Mysti:

First meal: Ascent whey protein shake, peanuts, and an apple. "The quicker and easier I can get my meal in in the mornings, the better."
Second and third meals: Proteins vary between pork, chicken, scallops, shrimp, and salmon. For carbs, she eats white or brown rice, potatoes, or pasta — yes, pasta! Her favorite veggies are roasted green beans and zucchini. "I'm big on flavor, so I use some of my favorite seasonings to spice them up, which includes garlic salt and Italian seasoning," Mysti said. She uses a lemon pepper flavoring on fish, and roasted garlic and herbs on chicken.
Last meal: Whole-grain crackers with cottage cheese.

"I like that the RP app gives me the option to eat four to six meals per day. Four meals a day works for me; I don't snack between. I start to get hungry right around the time I get my favorite notification, 'time to eat!'"

Mysti competes in USA Powerlifting, so her workouts are primarily focused on the "big three": squat, bench press, and deadlift. She does accessory work as well, and she typically trains three to four days a week, ranging from 45 minutes to an hour and a half per session.

Some of her nonscale victories include:

"I have 9-year-old and 11-year-old nieces who have come to watch me compete," Mysti said. "They made me these amazing signs that were supportive and empowering! They are with me in my gym bag every day as a constant reminder of who's watching me and who I'm inspiring. They're my motivation, they're why I show up every day."

"When it gets hard, or it seems like everything in life is falling apart, do not give up," Mysti said. "Keep going and keep fighting!"

She added: "Obstacles and challenges will always be there. You have to learn to grow from them. Become a better person because of them, and you will succeed."

Weight always goes on quicker than it comes off, so Mysti said you must be patient with yourself: "If you put in the effort, then you will see the results!"

"I've hit many roadblocks along the way that included a bout with pneumonia, my dad having a heart attack, and making the tough decision to leave my coach/trainer," she said. "During all these times my stress level was high and all I wanted to do was eat and eat. But I was able to control the urges this time around and power through. If I can do it, then so can you!"

She closed with this quote: "Not all storms come to disrupt your life. Some come to clear your path."