I Lost 180 Pounds in 14 Months and These Are My 5 Non-Negotiables That Changed My Life

Have you ever felt like you've tried every diet under the sun only to return to where you started? Carla Piera FitzGerald knows that feeling all too well. As a weight loss warrior and educator on her YouTube channel Half of Carla, she's been through the ups and downs of countless diets. But everything changed when she discovered her five non-negotiables for sustainable weight loss. In just 14 months, Carla managed to lose an astounding 180 pounds – over half her original body weight. Here's how she did it, along with expert insights from registered dietitian Annette Snyder.

The Journey Begins

Carla's weight loss journey wasn't just about shedding pounds; it was a complete life transformation. "By showing up for myself, I transformed my entire life, overhauled my mental health, changed careers, changed my entire outlook on life, and lost over half my body weight," she shares in her video.

Her story is one of perseverance and self-discovery. "From as early as I can remember, I battled with my weight. I lived with disordered eating habits from the tender age of 5, wrestling with issues like bulimia, binge eating disorder, food addiction, depression, and anxiety," Carla reveals in her video. Here are her 5 non-negotiables:

1. Daily Walking

For Carla, walking became a cornerstone of her weight loss strategy. "Walking was the only exercise that I did in order to lose weight," she explains in her video. "I walked every single day of my weight loss bar. I think about three or four days because I was sick, genuinely sick every other day."

Annette Snyder, MS, RD, CSOWM, adds: "Regular physical activity, such as daily walking, can significantly boost weight loss efforts. It not only burns calories but also improves overall health and well-being."

2. Calorie Counting

Carla found that calorie counting was crucial for her success. "As part of the Body Sims program, you count calories. There is no sin counting, there are no points, there are no net carbohydrates, or anything else. The important thing that you're counting is your calories, and the calories that you are given are a limit, not a target," she explains in her video.

Snyder comments: "While calorie counting can be effective, it's important to focus on nutrient-dense foods rather than just numbers. This ensures you're getting proper nutrition while managing your intake."

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3. Meal Planning

"A non-negotiable for me was meal planning," Carla states in her video. "It helped with food wastage. The second is that it helped with decision fatigue."

Snyder agrees: "Meal planning can be a game-changer for weight loss. It helps you stay on track with your nutrition goals and reduces the likelihood of impulsive, less healthy food choices."

4. Working on Mental Health

Carla emphasizes the importance of mental health in her journey. "My body and my obesity was the physical manifestation of my poor mental health and my poor relationship with myself and my shame," she reveals.

Snyder adds: "The psychological aspect of weight loss is often underestimated. Addressing mental health issues and developing a healthy relationship with food is crucial for long-term success."

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5. Focusing on Habits, Not Willpower

"I had to find a way to work on those habits that got me to being overweight," Carla explains in her video. "I had to dismantle them and imprint and place new habits into my life."

Snyder concurs: "Sustainable weight loss is about creating lasting lifestyle changes, not short-term diets.

Building healthy habits is key to maintaining weight loss in the long run."

The Importance of Realistic Expectations

Carla's approach emphasizes the importance of patience and realistic expectations. Snyder adds valuable insight here: "0.5-2 lb loss/wk is a realistic expectation for those implementing healthy habits to see weight loss. A person can really only lose 1-1.5% of body fat per week, so if someone is losing about that percentage, it may very likely be just water weight or potentially muscle mass."

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How to Lose Weight Safely

Carla's journey demonstrates that sustainable weight loss is possible with the right mindset and strategies. By focusing on these five non-negotiables – daily walking, calorie counting, meal planning, mental health, and habit formation – she was able to achieve remarkable results.

Snyder concludes with an important reminder: "Whatever your goals are, may they serve you on the inside, too. And remember, regardless of what your body shape and size is at any point in your journey, you are a worthy human who deserves kindness."

Carla's story serves as an inspiration to anyone struggling with their weight. By adopting these non-negotiables and approaching weight loss with patience and self-compassion, you too can achieve your health and fitness goals. And if you enjoyed this article, don't miss12-3-30 Walking Method: 20 Proven Tips to Lose Weight Faster.

Meredith Hutson is a TikTok influencer with over 674,000 followers who goes by the handle @_getfitwithmer. She has built a following for her incredible weight loss journey story, going from 256 pounds to 136 pounds in two years. She shares all the diet, fitness, and mental health tips that have been instrumental along the way. Here is what motivated Meredith to change her life once and for all, and a few of the things she did to lose 120 pounds naturally.

1. Meredith Hutson Was Motivated to Lose Weight After She Got Engaged

Meredith’s weight loss journey started shortly after getting engaged in August 2019. According to the influencer she went shopping for a wedding gown but couldn’t find one that fit her. So, she decided to lose weight.

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2. She Lost 120 Pounds in Two Years

Prior to her wedding in November 2020 she lost a whopping 50 pounds – in just 15 months. After her wedding she lost another 70 pounds. She maintains she did this with a few simple changes: She started tracking her macros and calories and also weight and strength training.

3. She Wants People to Know That She Understands the Struggle

GET FIT WITH MER/Facebook

“Before you give up or just accept the fact you will struggle with your weight forever..I need you to first know I felt that exact same way. I never thought I’d have the discipline, the knowledge or the confidence to stay true to my goals. I never could stay with it in the past and nothing ever seemed to work so why did I think this time would be different?” she writes in one of her viral posts.

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4. Change “Isn’t Fun” But “You Can Accomplish Anything,” She Says

“I spent years of my life in that mindset and instead of making a change I continued to stay in the same place, doing the same things that only made things harder on me. 🥺 Change isn’t fun and just like anything in life it’s an adjustment but I can promise you this you CAN accomplish anything you set your heart & mind on,” she says.

5. People Always Ask About Her Diet

GET FIT WITH MER/Facebook

One of the things she had to change is her diet. “Meredith, what did you eat to lose 120 pounds? What was it that you were eating?” her followers always ask.

6. She Eats Ground Beef, Black Beans, and Cheese Daily

“Listen, would you eat what I would eat?” she responded. “Because right now I'm eating ground beef.” She revealed that she consumes a high protein meal every single day, consisting of eight ounces of ground beef, one-half can of black beans, and some shredded cheese.

7. She Says Consistency Is Key

GET FIT WITH MER/Facebook

She wasn’t quite as confident that her followers would be fans. “Would you eat that?” she asked. “Like I'm actually really curious. “Not only am I eating this, but I've eaten this every single day for like a good solid two weeks. I like it, but it isn't extravagant by any means.”

8. How Protein and Meal Planning Help You Lose Weight

According to clinical trials, consuming more protein than the recommended dietary allowance not only reduces body weight (BW), but also enhances body composition by decreasing fat mass while preserving fat-free mass (FFM) in both low-calorie and standard-calorie diets. Meal planning is also a great research-backed weight loss hack. One, one study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found meal planning was associated with a healthier diet and less obesity.

9. These Other Healthy Habits Also Helped Her Lose Weight

_getfitwithmer/TikTok

Other healthy habits she has incorporated? She went from “eating fast food” to cooking at home, from “sleeping in late” to waking up early, and from watching tv to moving her body, she revealed in another video. She also reads more, goes on adventures on the weekends instead of drinking, and practices positive affirmation.

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10. An RDN Weighs In

dietdivatara/Instagram

We asked The Diet Diva, Tara Collingwood, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD/N, ACSM-CPT, a Board Certified Sports Dietitian, to weigh in on her tactics. “I love that she didn’t let the ‘I couldn’t stick with it in the past and nothing works’ mantra get her down and she tried again and was successful this time,” she says. “It sounds like she really took control of her not so healthy habits and decided to make a huge change in many areas of her life.” She also agrees that finding healthy meals you like and sticking to them as long as you want is a great idea, and is totally supportive of black beans, cheese, and ground beef. “Black beans are one of the healthiest foods around: Fiber, protein, high antioxidants, high in B Vitamins,” she says. “Cheese of course has calcium and protein. Ground beef is really nutrient dense and hopefully she was choosing the lean beef and draining any extra fat.”

💪🔥Body Booster: Finding protein-rich meals you love will help you lose weight while feeling satisfied, according to research.