Justine Van Drunen, as told to Lauren Krouse

<p>I grew up on a dairy farm outside of a small town called Seaforth in Ontario, Canada. Despite physically working hard since I was little on the farm, I was overweight my entire life. While I did plenty of labor feeding animals and helping in the fields, I never played sportsor watched what I ate. </p>

<p>As I got older, my weight continued to climb. Most of my life I stayed away from the scale. The heavier I got, the harder and more distant any weight-loss goal seemed. When I went away to college, I was scared, nervous, and really missing home. As I made friends in my program, life became easier. But we routinely went out for drinks, food, and partiedall pretty standard ingredients for weight gain. </p>

<p>One time when I was back at home for a holiday break, I snuck away to weigh myself. I remember stepping on the scale and seeing 300 pounds. I felt so hopeless and lost. I wasnt sure of how to even tackle that amount of weight. Id tried many times throughout my life to diet and exercise, but it never stuck. </p>

<h1>  Things changed for me when I met my amazing boyfriend (now my fianc!) in April 2013.   </h1>

<p>I was at my heaviest weight, but he loved me for me. Three years later, in August 2016, we finally decided to sign up for a gym membership together. </p>

<p>At first, I was clueless as to where to begin. I had been living the opposite of a healthy life, so this was uncharted territory. I started working out with cardio machines like <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19976415/stair-stepper-workout/" id="a2c47d1a-5131-3369-aec5-600ee435156a">  the stair stepper </a> because I didnt know the gym very well. And I started <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/a25804908/plant-based-diet/" id="f6495cfd-2793-3546-a2c6-c5c93a35518f">  eating lots of whole foods </a> .</p>

<p>Initially, I was doing great. By December 2016, Id lost about 40 pounds. But then we decided to make Fridays our cheat day. Friday turned into Saturday, and Sunday, and then I was back at square one by Monday. This unhealthy roller coaster made me want to give up. I put the weight back on. </p>

<h1>  In March 2017, I decided to start fresh. This time felt different. I was ready to commit to a healthy body, mind, and soul.   </h1>

<p>While I had many moments over the years in which I felt I would change my lifestyle, I truly believed that this time was the real dealbecause I wanted it for myself. I was ready to put my everything into a healthier future, and I wasnt going to rely on someone else to do it for me. At this point in my life, I had my career set, and I was in love and had my fianc beside me, so I was ready for a change that was solely focused on me. </p>

<p>I set a goal to lose 100 pounds by my birthday on January 8, 2018. </p>

<h1>  I also got serious about fitness and started working out six days a week.   </h1>

<p>Like with any lifestyle change, I knew I had a lot to learn, but I stuck with it. For every workout, I did about one hour of cardio plus a few exercises on weight machines. I spent a lot of time watching and absorbing as much as I could from <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/g21971119/best-workout-apps-for-women/" id="148204e0-349a-3544-ac0b-17364e76606d">  online videos </a> and other gym-goers.</p>

<p>As I learned more and gained more confidence in the gym, I started using free weights. But eventually my knee began to bother me, so I turned to low-impact <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/g19988771/high-intensity-interval-training/" id="59fd5b9d-441c-3146-a4ea-58b62f8b576b">  HIIT workouts </a> so I could continue on my journey to a healthier life.</p>

<h1>  I also learned about nutrition. For me, understanding macros was a game-changer.   </h1>

<p>When I learned about macros, aka macronutrients, I decided to start tracking the ratio of  <strong> proteins, carbs, and fats </strong>  I was taking in. I found a   online and set my starting point. </p>

<p>When I wasnt seeing results, I tried lowering my carb intake. Ultimately, I started losing weight with a low-carb, high-fat, high-protein diet <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a19434332/what-is-the-keto-diet/" id="1d151c5f-c5b9-30e3-a90c-84b7b3fad50e">  keto </a> .</p>

<p><strong> Heres what I eat on a typical day: </strong></p>

<ul><li> <strong> Breakfast: </strong>  One egg, a cup of egg whites, an avocado, green tea, and coffee with cream  </li><li> <strong> Lunch:  </strong> Tuna salad (a can of tuna, pickles, mayo, and parmesan cheese) and a side Caesar salad </li><li> <strong> Snacks:  </strong> Hard-boiled egg with turkey bacon, a protein bar, or parmesan crisps with guacamole  </li><li> <strong> Dinner:  </strong> Grilled salmon and a mixed greens salad with avocado  </li></ul>

<h1>  By October 2017, Id lost 100 pounds. Id reached my weight-loss goal three months earlier than Id expected.  </h1>

<p>I felt unstoppable. By January 2018, Id lost another 27 pounds. By April, Id lost a total of 138 pounds. At this point, Ive lost 141 pounds, and now I just want to maintain my current weight and gain muscle. </p>

<p>These days, Im still going strong with regular workouts and a healthy diet. I love low-impact HIIT workouts, with weight lifting mixed in. I feel like I finally took control of something Ive struggled with for so many years. I am strong, unstoppable, and most importantly, happy and healthy. </p>

<h1>  Ive learned that weight-loss is never linear.   </h1>

<p>When I struggled to lose weight, I tried to look at it as a learning opportunity and ask myself why. Its important to be ready to roll with the punches and make changes when things arent working. </p>

<p>Early on, I found the thought of wanting to lose over 100 pounds daunting, so I made it a point to shift my focus to the day in front of me. Id do my best that day, and if I didnt track everything perfectly or eat perfectly, I would take that in stride and commit to doing better the next day. </p>

‘I Lost 141 Lbs. With HIIT, Keto, And Macros'

<strong> My name is Justine Van Drunen ( </strong> <strong> ), and Im a 33-year-old graphic designer in Ontario, Canada. After falling in love and solidifying my career, I decided it was time to turn my focus to weight loss (for myself!). I started working out six days a week, discovered the keto diet, and lost 141 pounds.  </strong>

'I Counted My Macros On Keto And Got Into Low-Impact HIIT—And I Lost 141 Pounds'

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Justine Van Drunen, as told to Lauren Krouse

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'I Counted My Macros On Keto And Got Into Low-Impact HIIT—And I Lost 141 Pounds'