Amanda McDonald as told to Emily Shiffer

<p>I remember struggling with, thinking about, and obsessing over my weight for as long as I can remember. In middle school, I started to become aware that I was bigger than a lot of my peers. I was told by every doctor that my BMI was too high for my age and height, and that continued throughout high school and college as well. </p>

<p>During my first year of college in the fall of 2010, I was living in the dorms and had full access to the cafeteria, where a full-size pizza was only $5. I learned very quickly how to stretch my money on cheap food and never learned or cared to research the quality of the food I was eating. In nine months, I gained about 25 to 30 pounds.</p>

<p>Over the next few years I started and stopped *many* diets, but I still wasn't yet in the mindset to change my life and get healthy. I also worked sedentary day jobs for a few years and continued to gain weight. By February 2018, I had gained almost 70 pounds. </p>

<h1> A few factors led to my turning point, including the death of a family member. </h1>

<p>In December 2017, my grandpa passed away suddenly. I felt hurt and confused. But I also understood he passed away because of his unhealthy lifestylesmoking cigarettes, eating unhealthy foods, and drinking beer in excess. I was angry that he chose to live that way.</p>

<p>A few weeks after his death, I was with a group of friends and we were putting together vision boards for 2018. I kept knocking things over as I put mine together, even spilling wine all over my board. My grandpas passing was still very fresh; I went to the bathroom to cry and hide.</p>

<p> I realized that I was making some of the same unhealthy choices that I was so angry at my grandpa for. I chose in that moment that it was time to stop the excuses and start taking action to be the best version of myself that I could possibly be. It is a choice to be healthy. It is a choice to want to be better for the people around you. And it is also a choice to do nothing at all, I reminded myself.</p>

<p>I had previously tried diet pills, meal replacement shakes, "personalized" meal plans, detox teas, and juice cleanses...all of which did not work for me. I spent hundreds of dollars on products that were temporary fixes to a very real problem. I've learned over the years that the quick fixes were like putting a Band-Aid on something that needs stitches. </p>

<p>But what did work for me? The <a href="https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/how-it-works?cid%3DsemGGL_Exact_Brand_General_Freestyleweight+watchers+freestyle%26account%3DWWUS%26tracker%3D43700046484879832$&amp;gclid=EAIaIQobChMIppb055H85AIVjYzICh06kAfJEAAYASABEgJ0mPD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds" id="4b3dad5e-87f1-3ff0-a11c-72be5e010c96">  WW (formerly Weight Watchers) Freestyle program </a> . I had tried Weight Watchers for the first time in 2011, but at the time I wasnt ready to really commit. This time around, it was the change that worked for me.</p>

<h1> The most important food rule I live by now: Eat healthy, but without cutting yourself off from the things you love.  </h1>

<p>I have learned that I don't have to give up everything I love in order to <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a19933586/weight-maintenance/" id="ef6097cb-b4e6-3c50-aa60-cbe511565d54">  lose weight and keep it off </a> . I can still have all of the things I ate before, but it's about <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/food/healthy-eating/a708143/portion-control/" id="5af43671-7aaf-3fde-aaf0-6251b18e96d8">  portion control </a> and balance.</p>

<p>I love to cook, so I <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/g27629170/vegetarian-meal-prep-ideas/" id="44e9a463-cca1-377c-a3af-fe192d97065b">  meal prep almost every single week </a> . And for me that means I eat the same breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Monday through Friday. So if I don't love what I'm eating then I won't sustain eating it all week. Because of this, I change up my meals every week so I'm never eating the same thing for more than those five days.</p>

<p>Heres an example of what I might eat in a day now:</p>

<ul><li> <strong> Breakfast:  </strong> Coffee with zero-calorie sweetener and sugar-free creamer and anything with eggs: omelette, fritatta, toast with scrambled eggs, or chilaquiles. I always have fruit as well on the side. (Bananas, blueberries and strawberries are my favorites go-tos.) </li><li> <strong> Lunch:  </strong> Burrito bowls (my favorite), chopped salad kits with added grilled chicken, chili, cauliflower fried rice and wontons, sandwiches, or wraps. </li><li> <strong> Snacks:  </strong> Grapes, hard boiled eggs, low-cal string cheese, Quest chips and protein bars, or fruit. </li><li> <strong> Dinner:  </strong> Turkey burgers, skinny pizza, enchiladas made with low-carb wraps, tacos, spaghetti squash, or french onion chicken. </li><li> <strong> Dessert: </strong>  Fudgecicles (that don't have added sugar), Enlightened ice cream, Fiber One brownies, or frozen grapes with sugar-free Jello mix.  </li></ul>

<h1> I also started to get active. I loved to run and it brought me a lot of peace.  </h1>

<p>I injured my knee on an outdoor three-mile run in 2012, and I was always afraid that I'd injure myself again. So, for a while, I stopped running outdoors. </p>

<p>But in June 2018, I decided to start tracking my mile times and clocked in at 13:30 on the treadmill. And in June 2019, I ran an 8:53 mile. I have a goal to run an 8-minute mile before the end of 2019, which is something entirely new to me. I am now setting fitness goals and pushing myself until I accomplish them. </p>

<p>I also try to get in a lunch time walk every day instead of just sitting for an hour. I sit at work all day long, so I've realized there's no reason to sit down for an extra hour on my lunch break, too. I also like to get in some form of physical activity for an additional 30 minutes, three times a week. I've tried spin class, yoga, </p>

<p>, and more. I'm still working on finding something that I fall in love with the way I have with running. But until then, I'm still all about trying new things. </p>

<h1> When you're trying to lose weight, you have to always be prepared. </h1>

<p>Whatever that looks like for you. Meal prep, look at menus ahead of time, bring extra snacks, or always have a full water bottle, for instance. Having a game plan has been the absolute number-one reason that I've been able to be successful on this journey. Don't ever be afraid to be the person who brings their own condiments! If it supports your goals, then go for it.</p>

<p>My next tip? Forgive yourself. Before I started this journey, I was the queen of "I'll start over on Monday!" It is the biggest excuse in the book. Just because you had an off meal (or two or five) doesn't mean that you can't make a smart choice for your very next meal. We're all human and we're not going to be perfect. But if you dwell on a decision that wasnt the best, it only drags you down further. Brush it off. </p>

<p>Also, *don't* restrict yourself. I have found that when I plan a day to indulge in something I'm craving then I'm much more likely to stay on track until that day comes. I would have never made it this far if I told myself I wasn't allowed to eat certain things. I am allowed to eat whatever I like, in moderation and with portion sizes factored in.</p>

<h1>  I have lost 75 pounds in a year and a half.  </h1>

<p>This weight-loss journey has changed my entire life around from what it used to be. I was stuck in a very unhappy cycle for years and thought that I was meant to be miserable forever. </p>

<p>Now, I can go hiking without worrying about everyone hearing me breathe heavy. I can go out to eat by myself without worrying that everyone is staring at me. I hold my head up high when I walk into a room. I speak confidently and I stand up for myself. </p>

<p>I used to think I wasn't worthy of doing any of those things. I am ecstatic when people I know and love come to me asking for advice because I can share all of the things that I've learned with them. I think the most important thing to know about starting a weight-loss journey is that you have to be ready and you have to do it for you. The reason I have been able to sustain this new lifestyle is because I chose this for me.</p>

'I Lost Over 70 Pounds With WW Freestyle'

<strong> My name is Amanda Michele McDonald, and I'm 27. I live in Beaverton, Oregon, and work in sales support for a restaurant supply and design company in Portland. </strong> <strong>  I lost over 70 pounds after years of attempting quick fixes. </strong>

'WW Freestyle Helped Me Break Out Of A Vicious Cycle Of Fad Diets'

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Amanda McDonald as told to Emily Shiffer

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'WW Freestyle Helped Me Break Out Of A Vicious Cycle Of Fad Diets'