Let me prefaces this with one thing: I don’t believe in diets.

A dramatic and short-term change in your eating or depriving yourself of foods you love might help you lose a few pounds momentarily, but they’ll all be back again. If you want to lose big and lose for life, you need to change your lifestyle around.

Here are three periods in my life to show you what lifestyle change can do for your weight and health. Hopefully you can take away something from it if you’re struggling with weight gain (or loss) and need a little nudge:

High School - EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified) - Lost 15lbs in 1 year

• Ate small or no breakfast
• Went to school, didn’t eat or drink all day
• Came home from school, had small or no meal with Crystal Lite
• Pretty much stayed home and went online
• Drank Crystal Lite at night

College - Unhealthy Lifestyle - Gained 70lbs over 5 years

• Overslept, got coffee and egg sandwich from Dunkin’ Donuts
• Went to class
• Break between classes = energy drink, 5 Hour Energy, or adderall
• Went to next class
• Go to work (starving by this point—might grab bag of chips, another energy drink, or some snack)
• Went home, 2-3 bowls of pasta or 2 sandwiches
• Probably did homework; probably did more caffeine or adderall
• Would eat again when roommates came home
• Would go out and drink (mostly hard liquor, maybe with more uppers)
• Probably another snack (leftover pizza, chips) before going to bed

Today - Post-College Healthy-Lifestyle - Lost 60lbs in 1 year (and still going!)

• Wake up at 6:30 to make omelette or egg tacos
• Go to design job - snack on carrots, almonds, or a banana while I’m there
• 2 hour lunch break: make a sandwich or salad and walk my dog for an hour
• Go to teaching job - piece of fruit and maybe a snack with the kids (they always offer me cookies or crackers and I usually nibble one, but never more than that)
• Have another snack post-work: usually nuts or fruit
• Go straight to do cardio or CrossFit
• Have a high-protein light dinner: sushi, veggie-burger salad, stir fry or sandwiches are my fave
• Chillllll
• Walk the dog again with my boyfriend or roommtae
• Go to sleep around 11

Now which one of those seems the most pleasant? I’m always awake-feeling; I snack all of the time; I eat amazing, clean food; and I enjoy the most of my day. Losing weight and getting fit is hard work but just the process itself is rewarding.