This Eating Strategy Helped Me Finally Lose Nearly 90 Pounds and Keep It Off

After I ended my crappy relationship, I realized I'd lost myself with the other person, and I wanted to figure out who I was. I knew I hated being overweight, but I never felt like I could actually do something about it. But I put my foot down and decided to try.

Learning how to watch my portions and cutting out soda were the biggest changes I had to make. I didn't go on a diet, I just cut back on the amount of food I was eating. It was crazy to find out how much I was eating versus what I should have been eating. I also bought smaller plates to make my reduced portions look more normal.

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Quitting soda was really hard. For a while, I was going to 7-Eleven to get a Double Gulp (that's 64 ounces) consistently. When I made the switch to unsweetened iced tea, I dropped eight pounds in one week, and I just felt better. Once I saw those results, I didn't really want to drink soda anymore.

Once I mastered smaller meals and snacks, I started incorporating healthier foods. I searched online for info about how much protein, carbs, and veggies I should be eating. Google has been my best friend through everything.

After I started losing weight by eating better, I worked some cardio into my routine. At first, I hiked a half-mile outside, three times a week. I started small because working out is harder when you're heavy. Then I joined a gym and used the elliptical. I'd occasionally use the treadmill, though running has never been my thing. Once I started getting into a routine, I began working out for an hour to 90 minutes, five to six days a week.

A year-and-a-half after setting out to lose weight, I hit 210 pounds all by myself!

Though I'd lost 90 pounds on my own, I really wanted to see 199 on the scale. I thought working with a trainer could help get me there. After training with him once a week for two months, I hit my lowest weight of 189 pounds.

When I was 300 pounds, all I wanted was to be skinny. But once I got to 185, I didn't feel as happy as I thought I would. I felt really weak and frail.

So, I stopped working with a trainer, put a little bit of weight back on over the holidays, and started lifting.

Today, two years after setting out to lose weight, I weigh 215 pounds.

I love that lifting weights makes me feel super strong and powerful. I am proud of myself for losing the weight, but the coolest part has been making muscles.

For the first 18 months of my weight-loss journey, I was pretty strict about measuring my food and watching portion sizes. But after I gained some weight during the holidays, I realized that it really wasn't the end of the world. I knew that I would never go back to weighing 300 pounds. I just had to get back on track.

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I love enjoying food with friends and family. I decided that I wasn't going to keep restricting myself. Today, I'm at a point where I can eat a burger without hating myself. I believe that I can have a fun life that's balanced, I just make sure I'm consistent in going to the gym and eating healthy 80 percent of the time. (Work towards your weight loss goals with these killer moves from Women's Health's Look Better Naked DVD.)

Being able to lose all this weight has been a big accomplishment. And I've gained an Instagram following because of it. While that's cool, the best part is getting messages from people who tell me that I inspired them to keep working toward their goals. Four or five years ago, I never would have imagined this.

Don't get overwhelmed. A lot of people see losing weight as a big obstacle. But you don't need pills, teas, drinks, or wraps. It's so simple: Eat healthy and move your body.

You have to take control of your mind. Though I still have days where I don't feel 100 percent about myself, I try to remember how far I've come and I feel proud.