'My Diet Was All Over The Place Until I Started Counting Macros With The Strong Daily App'

From Women's Health

My name is Kyleigh Osterloh (@kyleighlosesit), and I'm 26 years old. I’m from Gladbrook, Iowa, and I work as a customer service representative. I began to feel like my weight was holding me back, so I started counting macros and strength training to lose weight.

Growing up, I was always overweight and the "bigger" girl in my friend group. As I got older, my weight kept going up. I found myself drinking and eating my emotions instead of taking action to make a change. I kept partying, going out to eat, and driving through fast food places. I would start a diet that would last a week if I was lucky, then I was right back to my normal habits.

I tried every single diet/pill/shake out there and nothing worked for me. I needed to take control of my life and my health. I was 24 years old and it was getting hard to even go on walks. I was also starting to get bad knees that would dislocate when I would move the wrong way on them. I was sick of feeling stuck in my body. At my heaviest, I weighed 350 pounds.

In November 2018, I decided I didn't want to live that way anymore, and I started my weight loss journey.

I knew I needed something that was going to work for me long term. I knew I really needed to research my options. I had a few friends who had luck with macro-counting and talked with them about it.

I found a trainer, Maddie Oakey, who does custom macro assessments and one-on-one training through the Strong Daily app. She was able to help me start counting macros and guide me in the gym. I have continued my work with her during my journey. As soon as I signed up with my trainer I knew exercise was going to also play a big role in getting my life on the right track.

The gym scared me so much. The thought of putting myself out there had me sitting in my car giving myself a pep talk to just walk in. Working with a trainer helped me overcome these fears.

Right now, I typically exercise five to six times a week.

My routine consists of about five days at the gym lifting, with an active cardio day and a rest day every week too.

Lifting is one of those things that initially made me think I would not lose weight because I’d be building muscle, but I was wrong. I really love lifting weights and pushing myself to lift even heavier. All of my love of lifting allowed me to compete in my first fitness competition, Summer Shredding Classic, which I just completed recently!

Here’s what I eat in a day.

• Breakfast: Egg whites, fat-free cheese, and toast.

• Lunch: Air-fried chicken breast with sugar-free BBQ sauce and cottage cheese.

• Snacks: Smoothies, pretzels, protein bars, or SkinnyPop popcorn.

• Dinner: A lean beef or turkey burger with sweet potato fries.

• Dessert: Sugar-free JELLO or pudding with Light Cool Whip.

These three changes made the biggest difference in my weight loss results.

• I started to believe in myself. There are many times in your weight loss journey that you might feel alone or that someone in your life doesn’t understand what you’re doing. But keep pushing forward and keep believing in your goals and dreams. You have to learn to put yourself, your future, and your health first.

• I stopped using the scale as my only tool. This is a tip you will hear so much in your journey, but it’s *so* true. Your body is continuing to change so much and weight loss does fluctuate. Remember to measure and count those inches you’re losing, and notice the way your clothes are fitting.

• I didn’t compare my journey to others. We are all here to root each other on through our journeys, but we also need to remember we are all different people and our bodies all work in different ways. Keep pushing forward and trusting the process.

Since November 2018, I've lost 140 pounds and counting.

You can do it too. It doesn’t happen overnight, but if you keep staying consistent, you will see change. I never, ever thought I would be where I am now. But it happened, two years and counting.

There is no way I am giving up now either. There is so much more to accomplish. This new life I have gained has changed my outlook and given me so much confidence. It has brought amazing people into my life, and most of all it has given me the opportunity to help and inspire women who were once where I was.

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