I Quit Canned Frosting, Started Lifting Weights, and Lost More Than 60 Pounds

Before: 212 lbs
After: 150 lbs

At 212 pounds, Kelly Simoneau didn't reflect much on her eating habits. She'd satisfy afternoon cravings with canned frosting, and polish off 16-ounce bags of gummy bears. But when Kelly enrolled in nursing school at age 24, she started to realize how her weight might impact her long-term health.

During her second semester of nursing school, Kelly encountered dozens of patients with obesity-induced diabetes and heart disease. Over the next two years, she cycled through various diets, losing 15 pounds each time but gaining back most of it whenever she deviated from a plan.

Eventually, Kelly got down to 190 pounds and discovered fitness model and blogger Kelsey Byers, whose "before" body mirrored her own. She followed her tips and started doing 30 minutes of cardio and weight lifting, two or three days a week. Her goal: to do a Kelsey-inspired fitness photo shoot by age 30.

Kelly dropped off the workout wagon once she got down to 183 pounds, but continued to follow Kelsey's model of eating five to seven small meals a day (all lean protein, carbs, and veggies). By December, she lost 12 more pounds. 

Kelly's tip: "I make three or four days' worth of food at one time, and I'll take a meal on-the-go with me when needed."

Next, Kelly enrolled in an online fitness program from trainer James Wilson. She commited to doing 25 minutes of cardio and weight lifting, four to five days a week. By December 2014, the scale read 165.

To melt off 10 more pounds, Kelly relied on three days of jogging or high-intensity interval training (at 25 minutes a pop), plus five days of heavy lifting each week. She stuck to a targeted diet to help her decrease fat and build muscle.

Kelly's tip: "Don't be afraid to lift. You will not look like a man. I want people to know that."

One week shy of her 30th birthday, Kelly reached her goal weight of 150 pounds and posed for her fitness shoot. "I've never been happier, but I want to keep improving," says Kelly.

"You might not notice the small changes, but the difference is really clear when you compare the photos side by side."