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We adhere to structured guidelines for sourcing information and linking to other resources, including scientific studies and medical journals.

If you have any concerns about the accuracy of our content, please reach out to our editors by e-mailing editors@celebwell.com.

How I Lost 40 Pounds by Walking and Without Starving Myself: Here’s the Truth

This method works!

FACT CHECKED BY Christopher Roback
Natalie_Stringfield6
FACT CHECKED BY Christopher Roback

YouTuber Natalie Stringfield lost 40 pounds and changed her life with the most straightforward exercise: Walking! The “glow-up” expert details her journey online, explaining exactly how she worked out, what her diet looks like, and other important details that helped her reach her goals. “Ever looked at a picture of yourself and wondered, who is that?” she says. “Yeah, me too. It happened to me. No judgment, but I figured out how to transform my body and my mindset without spending hours in the gym and without starving myself.” Here’s how Stringfield did it as a 43-year-old woman who wanted to be strong and fit.


19-hour Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting, health care asian young woman dietary, having stomach ache, temptation hungry of breakfast food in morning on table at home, looking at watch on her wrist but not yet time to eatShutterstock

Natalie swears by specific, consistent behaviors that let her lose weight without question. The first is intermittent fasting. Natalie allows herself a five-hour eating window every day from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. (she chooses the morning to enjoy her coffee). “The longer I fast, the better I feel, the less cravings that I have,” she says. So, so many benefits to fasting, you guys. I highly recommend you do your own research to find out all of the amazing healing benefits of fasting. It is not just weight loss.”

Pillars of Weight Loss

Natalie swears by eating in a caloric deficit, fasting 18-20 hours per day, and walking an hour a day. “That combination of things is elite,” she says. “I went to Arizona. I had to gain a good eight pounds in Arizona, drinking alcohol, not fasting. I blew up you guys, [but] I locked back in. I've been walking, fasting, and eating in a caloric deficit, and when I tell you every single day that I wake up, I am smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller. It doesn't take long to work. I start losing weight within a couple of days, literally.”

Walking Every Day

Healthy lifestyle - woman walking in city parkShutterstock

Natalie walked every day for at least an hour. “When I originally lost my weight, I was walking an hour a day every single day,” she says. “I'll just say maybe five days out of the week minimum I walked. Sometimes, it was seven days a week. Sometimes, it was six days a week. It's very easy to get into a habit, and you crave it so much. The benefits of walking are so profound that you may find yourself just wanting to walk every single day.”

Break Up the Walks

Calm, music and fitness person in nature for mental health, wellness and breathing, forest trees and fresh air. Mockup, sports and athlete woman thinking or listening to audio for running inspirationShutterstock

Natalie says you don’t have to do the whole hour at once. “You can definitely break it up,” she says. “You can definitely break up your walks. If you need to do 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon, then that's good.”

Move Throughout the Day

Natalie knows how important it is to move constantly throughout the day. “The best way to do that is to park farther at the grocery store,” she says. “Take the steps. If you can work at a desk and you have an iPhone, your iPhone will remind you to stand up. Use that opportunity to do a few laps around your office, which is what I do. I work in an office. I'm at my desk eight hours a day. I have to purposely get up and walk around my office and take laps.”

Start Slow

Rear view of overweight woman wearing sportswear while jogging on the roadShutterstock

“Although walking might seem like it's just like nothing when you’ve got a lot of weight on you, that walking ain't no joke, okay?” she says. “So please don't expect it to be that easy and pace yourself. If you need to break this up, then break it up, and then if you can start to do it continuously, then go ahead and do it continuously.”

Benefits of Longer Walks

Running Women walking in CountryShutterstock

Natalie now walks for at least 70 minutes. “The thing about doing it continuously is your body will start to use the food you ingested, like carbs. It's going to be using that for energy in the beginning, and there's going to be a timeframe while you're walking that it will shift into straight fat-burning mode, and that comes in about the 45-minute mark, okay? Hence, the reason why I walked 70 minutes was that I did it in one go. I'm trying to get a good 20 minutes where my body's using straight fat for energy.”

RELATED:Top 10 Fruits to Burn Fat You Should Eat Every Day

Burning Fat

Legs of woman running on treadmillShutterstock

Natalie will walk at 7 p.m., eight hours after closing her eating window. “When I get on that treadmill, and I walk that 70 minutes, I don't think it's taken me that long to get to the point where my body's using fat as energy,” she says. “It just sounds right to me. I might be wrong, but I have been loving the evening walks, and I have been loving the benefits because I feel super snatched, and I feel like walking really transforms your body, and I'm addicted, and I'm in love at this point.”

Winsor Pilates

Women doing pilates exercises lying on pilates workout machines while their trainer guides them. Two fitness women being trained by a pilates instructor.Shutterstock

Natalie swears by Winsor Pilates. “I did Winsor Pilates strictly for almost a year when I was about 20 or 21, my best body ever,” she says. “I was so lean and long. I was super flexible. I was super strong. My core was tight, and I just loved the look of my body. It really cinched in my waist, and I just had this cute little hourglass shape. I just loved it.”

No Alcohol

Group of friends in a wine tasting tour at vineyard - Hands toasting red wine glasses with sun flare - Friendship and travelling conceptShutterstock

Natalie only drinks on special occasions. “I stopped drinking alcohol when I decided I wanted to lose weight and when I realized how the body tries to burn off the alcohol when you ingest it,” she says. “In a perfect world, if alcohol didn't affect your body in the way that it did, I would literally have some tequila every night. If you're trying to lose weight, but you're drinking every few days, just imagine you're not going to lose the weight. It's going to be very difficult, or it's going to be extremely slowed down.”

Make a Choice

Back view of young fitness woman running on the road in the morning. People and sport concept, Sun light flare, Selective focusShutterstock

“I would say if you're really serious about your journey, cut the alcohol out, girl,” Natalie reiterates. “Just wait. It's not even worth it. And to be honest, alcohol does nothing for us. It does nothing for us. It's just not something that we should be drinking all the time, and we shouldn't even aspire to drink it all the time. And this is not coming from a judgy place. I'm just trying to say, honestly, it's not the way.”

Fat-Burning Zone

Natalie encourages people to find out what their fat-burning heart rate is. “It's so important for you to understand that everybody's cardio levels are completely different,” she says. “So the speed that I walk is going to be what I need to be walking for me to be in my zone two heart rate. It's going to be different for everybody. What I highly recommend that you do is Google fat burn heart rate, and you'll see charts. So you'll be able to look at the chart and determine what your zone two heart rate should be in.”

RELATED:12-3-30 Walking Method: 20 Proven Tips to Lose Weight Faster

No Scales

White scale on a wooden table top view, fitness and weight loss conceptShutterstock

Natalie no longer feels the need to weigh herself constantly. “In order to stay happy, I just choose not to get on the scale,” she says. “What I use for me is how good I feel in my clothes, clothes getting looser, things that I used to have that didn't fit are fitting, things like that. When I feel super confident, my stomach feels nice and flat or flat as it can be. That's what I'm gauging. I don't do the scale anymore, guys. So that's that.”

Figure out Your TDEE

Nutrition facts. Close-up.Shutterstock

Natalie strongly recommends using a TDEE calculator when trying to lose weight. “It's going to tell you how much food you have to eat if you don't want to gain another pound,” she says. “First and foremost, you're going to have to figure out how many calories you should be taking in order for you to lose weight. And in order for you to even get to that point, you need to figure out just your maintenance calories.”

Prioritizing Protein

Grilled chicken thighs.Shutterstock

Natalie started logging her calories using an app. “What I did was I prioritize protein as my main calorie source,” she says. “So with my meals, I plan it in advance. I didn't wing it Monday through Friday or whatever the case is to figure out. I just started scanning as I ate because it's very important for you to get your protein in, and it was very important for me to get protein and fiber in. So I planned everything the night before.”

And Finally, Use a Food Scale

Natalie would use a food scale to make sure she was accurately logging calories. “So, for example, if it was dinner, I would weigh my chicken first or my salmon or whatever it was. And so if you take whatever portion of chicken that you have that you've cooked and put it on the scale, all right, you're going to need a food scale in order for you to weigh your food.” And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.

More For You

Fact-Checked

Our content is fact checked by our senior editorial staff to reflect accuracy and ensure our readers get sound information and advice to make the smartest, healthiest choices.

We adhere to structured guidelines for sourcing information and linking to other resources, including scientific studies and medical journals.

If you have any concerns about the accuracy of our content, please reach out to our editors by e-mailing editors@bodynetwork.com.

Online fitness coach Alexandra (@alexx.fitt) has amassed a following on TikTok and Instagram by sharing videos about her weight loss. In her many viral videos, she reveals the simple but effective changes she made to her lifestyle that enabled her to drop the weight fast. In a new Instagram video, she gets specific about the “3 things” she “stopped doing to lose 40 pounds.”


She Stepped Away From the Scale

The first thing Alex did was stop weighing herself, she writes. “Why? The scale was messing with my head, so I threw it off my balcony.”

She Stopped Counting Calories

Alexandra_alexx.fitt11alexxandra.fitt/Instagram

Lots of health experts recommend counting calories, but that didn’t work for Alex. “I stopped counting calories and stuck to a schedule. I ate breakfast at 8 a.m., a snack at 11, lunch at 1, a snack at 3, and dinner at 6. And yeah, your schedule may be different, but if you have 5 minutes to check TikTok or like this post, you have 5 minutes to grab an apple or pick up a protein bar and throw it in your purse,” she writes.

Related: I'm a Dietitian, and These Are 7 Foods You Should Never Eat

She Stopped Doing Workouts She Hated

Alexandra_alexx.fitt12alexxandra.fitt/Instagram

Her third lifestyle change? “I stopped doing the workouts I hated,” she claims. I remember I’d always do 40 minutes on the Stairmaster (it didn’t help me lose weight, only raise my cortisol levels), and on the days I was lazy, I’d skip the gym altogether just because I didn’t want to do cardio. Now, my only cardio is walking.”

Her advice? “Start implementing a routine that makes you happy and works for you, not anyone else,” she concludes the post.

Here’s How She Used Walking for Weight Loss

woman walking towards unknown placesShutterstock

As for exercise, in some of her other videos, Alex elaborated on how walking helped with her weight loss. Not only would she walk for 20-30 minutes in the morning, but she would take a short 10-15 minute walk after lunch.

Related: 5 Habits from Fitness Trainer Krissy Cela that Could Change Your Life

Try to Walk 30 to 60 Minutes a Day, Says Another Expert

Active woman using smartwatchShutterstock

“You can do 30-60 minutes all at one time, or you can do a few 10-15 minute bouts of exercise throughout the day. Whatever works for you,” says The Diet Diva, Tara Collingwood, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD/N, ACSM-CPT, a Board Certified Sports Dietitian. “Either way, you are raising your metabolism and teaching your body to burn calories.”

💪🔥Body Booster: Just because experts recommend habits, like counting calories, weighing yourself, or doing specific workouts, doesn’t mean they will work for you. If they don’t, make changes accordingly.

FACT CHECKED BY Christopher Roback
Fact-Checked

Our content is fact checked by our senior editorial staff to reflect accuracy and ensure our readers get sound information and advice to make the smartest, healthiest choices.

We adhere to structured guidelines for sourcing information and linking to other resources, including scientific studies and medical journals.

If you have any concerns about the accuracy of our content, please reach out to our editors by e-mailing editors@bodynetwork.com.

YouTuber Natalie Stringfield lost 40 pounds and changed her life with the most straightforward exercise: Walking! The “glow-up” expert details her journey online, explaining exactly how she worked out, what her diet looks like, and other important details that helped her reach her goals. “Ever looked at a picture of yourself and wondered, who is that?” she says. “Yeah, me too. It happened to me. No judgment, but I figured out how to transform my body and my mindset without spending hours in the gym and without starving myself.” Here’s how Stringfield did it as a 43-year-old woman who wanted to be strong and fit.


19-hour Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting, health care asian young woman dietary, having stomach ache, temptation hungry of breakfast food in morning on table at home, looking at watch on her wrist but not yet time to eatShutterstock

Natalie swears by specific, consistent behaviors that let her lose weight without question. The first is intermittent fasting. Natalie allows herself a five-hour eating window every day from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. (she chooses the morning to enjoy her coffee). “The longer I fast, the better I feel, the less cravings that I have,” she says. So, so many benefits to fasting, you guys. I highly recommend you do your own research to find out all of the amazing healing benefits of fasting. It is not just weight loss.”

Pillars of Weight Loss

Natalie swears by eating in a caloric deficit, fasting 18-20 hours per day, and walking an hour a day. “That combination of things is elite,” she says. “I went to Arizona. I had to gain a good eight pounds in Arizona, drinking alcohol, not fasting. I blew up you guys, [but] I locked back in. I've been walking, fasting, and eating in a caloric deficit, and when I tell you every single day that I wake up, I am smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller. It doesn't take long to work. I start losing weight within a couple of days, literally.”

Walking Every Day

Healthy lifestyle - woman walking in city parkShutterstock

Natalie walked every day for at least an hour. “When I originally lost my weight, I was walking an hour a day every single day,” she says. “I'll just say maybe five days out of the week minimum I walked. Sometimes, it was seven days a week. Sometimes, it was six days a week. It's very easy to get into a habit, and you crave it so much. The benefits of walking are so profound that you may find yourself just wanting to walk every single day.”

Break Up the Walks

Calm, music and fitness person in nature for mental health, wellness and breathing, forest trees and fresh air. Mockup, sports and athlete woman thinking or listening to audio for running inspirationShutterstock

Natalie says you don’t have to do the whole hour at once. “You can definitely break it up,” she says. “You can definitely break up your walks. If you need to do 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon, then that's good.”

Move Throughout the Day

Natalie knows how important it is to move constantly throughout the day. “The best way to do that is to park farther at the grocery store,” she says. “Take the steps. If you can work at a desk and you have an iPhone, your iPhone will remind you to stand up. Use that opportunity to do a few laps around your office, which is what I do. I work in an office. I'm at my desk eight hours a day. I have to purposely get up and walk around my office and take laps.”

Start Slow

Rear view of overweight woman wearing sportswear while jogging on the roadShutterstock

“Although walking might seem like it's just like nothing when you’ve got a lot of weight on you, that walking ain't no joke, okay?” she says. “So please don't expect it to be that easy and pace yourself. If you need to break this up, then break it up, and then if you can start to do it continuously, then go ahead and do it continuously.”

Benefits of Longer Walks

Running Women walking in CountryShutterstock

Natalie now walks for at least 70 minutes. “The thing about doing it continuously is your body will start to use the food you ingested, like carbs. It's going to be using that for energy in the beginning, and there's going to be a timeframe while you're walking that it will shift into straight fat-burning mode, and that comes in about the 45-minute mark, okay? Hence, the reason why I walked 70 minutes was that I did it in one go. I'm trying to get a good 20 minutes where my body's using straight fat for energy.”

RELATED:Top 10 Fruits to Burn Fat You Should Eat Every Day

Burning Fat

Legs of woman running on treadmillShutterstock

Natalie will walk at 7 p.m., eight hours after closing her eating window. “When I get on that treadmill, and I walk that 70 minutes, I don't think it's taken me that long to get to the point where my body's using fat as energy,” she says. “It just sounds right to me. I might be wrong, but I have been loving the evening walks, and I have been loving the benefits because I feel super snatched, and I feel like walking really transforms your body, and I'm addicted, and I'm in love at this point.”

Winsor Pilates

Women doing pilates exercises lying on pilates workout machines while their trainer guides them. Two fitness women being trained by a pilates instructor.Shutterstock

Natalie swears by Winsor Pilates. “I did Winsor Pilates strictly for almost a year when I was about 20 or 21, my best body ever,” she says. “I was so lean and long. I was super flexible. I was super strong. My core was tight, and I just loved the look of my body. It really cinched in my waist, and I just had this cute little hourglass shape. I just loved it.”

No Alcohol

Group of friends in a wine tasting tour at vineyard - Hands toasting red wine glasses with sun flare - Friendship and travelling conceptShutterstock

Natalie only drinks on special occasions. “I stopped drinking alcohol when I decided I wanted to lose weight and when I realized how the body tries to burn off the alcohol when you ingest it,” she says. “In a perfect world, if alcohol didn't affect your body in the way that it did, I would literally have some tequila every night. If you're trying to lose weight, but you're drinking every few days, just imagine you're not going to lose the weight. It's going to be very difficult, or it's going to be extremely slowed down.”

Make a Choice

Back view of young fitness woman running on the road in the morning. People and sport concept, Sun light flare, Selective focusShutterstock

“I would say if you're really serious about your journey, cut the alcohol out, girl,” Natalie reiterates. “Just wait. It's not even worth it. And to be honest, alcohol does nothing for us. It does nothing for us. It's just not something that we should be drinking all the time, and we shouldn't even aspire to drink it all the time. And this is not coming from a judgy place. I'm just trying to say, honestly, it's not the way.”

Fat-Burning Zone

Natalie encourages people to find out what their fat-burning heart rate is. “It's so important for you to understand that everybody's cardio levels are completely different,” she says. “So the speed that I walk is going to be what I need to be walking for me to be in my zone two heart rate. It's going to be different for everybody. What I highly recommend that you do is Google fat burn heart rate, and you'll see charts. So you'll be able to look at the chart and determine what your zone two heart rate should be in.”

RELATED:12-3-30 Walking Method: 20 Proven Tips to Lose Weight Faster

No Scales

White scale on a wooden table top view, fitness and weight loss conceptShutterstock

Natalie no longer feels the need to weigh herself constantly. “In order to stay happy, I just choose not to get on the scale,” she says. “What I use for me is how good I feel in my clothes, clothes getting looser, things that I used to have that didn't fit are fitting, things like that. When I feel super confident, my stomach feels nice and flat or flat as it can be. That's what I'm gauging. I don't do the scale anymore, guys. So that's that.”

Figure out Your TDEE

Nutrition facts. Close-up.Shutterstock

Natalie strongly recommends using a TDEE calculator when trying to lose weight. “It's going to tell you how much food you have to eat if you don't want to gain another pound,” she says. “First and foremost, you're going to have to figure out how many calories you should be taking in order for you to lose weight. And in order for you to even get to that point, you need to figure out just your maintenance calories.”

Prioritizing Protein

Grilled chicken thighs.Shutterstock

Natalie started logging her calories using an app. “What I did was I prioritize protein as my main calorie source,” she says. “So with my meals, I plan it in advance. I didn't wing it Monday through Friday or whatever the case is to figure out. I just started scanning as I ate because it's very important for you to get your protein in, and it was very important for me to get protein and fiber in. So I planned everything the night before.”

And Finally, Use a Food Scale

Natalie would use a food scale to make sure she was accurately logging calories. “So, for example, if it was dinner, I would weigh my chicken first or my salmon or whatever it was. And so if you take whatever portion of chicken that you have that you've cooked and put it on the scale, all right, you're going to need a food scale in order for you to weigh your food.” And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.

Nicole Collet thecollets
Woman Lost 7 Pounds in 3 Weeks Eating This Protein Dessert Every Night
Copyright thecollets/Instagram

Starting an exercise routine when you're significantly overweight can feel impossible. For Nicole Collet, a weight loss coach who lost an impressive 130 pounds and kept it off for nine years, the answer wasn't complicated—it was walking for just 15 minutes every day. "When I was morbidly obese, there wasn't much I could do in the form of exercise because of my weight, but I could walk," Nicole explains. Her journey proves that sustainable weight loss doesn't require counting every step or spending hours exercising—just consistent, manageable action that anyone can follow.

Forget Counting Steps, Focus on Time Instead

Nicole's initial mistake was obsessing over step counts rather than creating a sustainable habit. "I set a goal to walk 10,000 steps every single day, but I'm an all or nothing person. So I set it in stone," Nicole shares in her post. At 275 pounds with painful plantar fasciitis, this ambitious target quickly became overwhelming.

The solution was simple yet effective. "I decided to start with 15 minutes because it wasn't too low, but it wasn't too high," she says. This approach allowed her to go at her own pace, taking breaks when needed, while still maintaining consistency. By focusing on completing 15 minutes daily—regardless of distance covered—Nicole created a sustainable habit she could actually stick with.

RELATED:Here's How Long Your Incline Walking Workout Should Be To Shrink Belly Fat

Invest in Proper Footwear for Success

One critical lesson Nicole learned was the importance of proper shoes. "I had a flip-flop thing. And I thought it would be a great idea with plantar fasciitis at 275 pounds to try walking in flip-flops," Nicole recalls with amusement. This uncomfortable experience left her feet so sore she didn't want to walk again.

"Wearing really good supportive shoes and investing in good quality ones like New Balance or whatever feels good on your foot is really important," Nicole emphasizes. Good footwear helped alleviate her foot pain and allowed her to gradually increase her walking time as she progressed.

Don't Fall Into the "Too Much Too Soon" Trap

Going overboard with exercise intensity was another pitfall Nicole and her husband Kyle experienced. "When we first started, we tried to do way too much, way too intense, go way too far from the house, go longer than the 15 minutes, and we would end up just exhausted and sore," Nicole explains.

Even years into their fitness journey, they sometimes make this mistake. Nicole shares, "In the last summer, Kyle and I were doing a mini cut. We just were like, hey, we're in a calorie deficit. It'd be a great idea to go for a two-hour walk in the forest." The result was extreme hunger and exhaustion that derailed their progress. Finding a moderate, sustainable pace prevents this self-sabotaging cycle.

Find Your Sweet Spot: Not Too Little, Not Too Much

The opposite problem—doing too little—can be just as detrimental. "Whenever we would go overboard, because Kyle and I are all or nothing, black-or-white thinking kind of people, we'd pull way back and then we would go from like an hour to five minutes," Nicole admits.

This all-or-nothing approach extended to their eating habits too. "We'd be like well I think we both need a large pizza each... or the opposite and we'd be like okay we ate too much yesterday so now let's only eat like egg whites and tuna," she says. Finding a sustainable middle ground—not too intense, not too easy—proved key to their long-term success.

RELATED: This Is Exactly How to Lose Body Fat This Year

Combine 15 Minutes of Walking With Portion Control

Nicole's 50-pound weight loss in three months didn't come from walking alone. "I paired my walking of 15 minutes every day with portion control," she explains. This combination created the calorie deficit necessary for significant weight loss.

The dietary component is essential, according to Nicole. "It's very important that you are eating in a calorie deficit and adding some walking or exercise that you like to do as a cherry on top because the diet comes first." This balanced approach addresses both sides of the weight loss equation.

Build Consistency Before Increasing Time

Nicole's 15-minute walks gradually became easier as she lost weight. "By the end of the three months, I had lost the 50 pounds. I also had increased my stamina and I was lighter," Nicole shares. Eventually, she could walk the full 15 minutes without stopping and her plantar fasciitis improved.

Through consistent effort, Nicole and Kyle gradually built their endurance. "We went from 15 minutes to now doing 60 minutes. It took a long time, but we slowly built and that's because it's sustainable," she says. This slow-and-steady approach has helped them maintain their weight loss for nine years.

RELATED:10-Min Walking Workout Burns Fat at Home, Says Coach

Why 15 Minutes of Walking Works Better Than Other Exercises

After trying numerous exercise options, Nicole and Kyle found walking most effective for long-term weight management. "After everything we've tried, we have found walking to be the best for burning fat, helping us lose weight," Nicole explains.

The simplicity and accessibility of walking makes it ideal for sustainable weight loss. "Walking at a leisurely pace consistently not only helped us lose 130 pounds each but it's helped us keep the weight off for over nine years," Nicole says. This low-impact exercise allows for consistent daily activity without burnout or injury.

Make Your 15-Minute Walks Enjoyable, Not Punishing

Nicole emphasizes the importance of enjoying your weight loss journey. "Making weight loss fun, not making it a punishment, is one of those things that I realized," she shares. Choosing activities and foods you enjoy increases the likelihood of sticking with them.

As Nicole puts it, "Consistency over perfection, slow and steady wins the race. Pick something you can do for exercise and pick things you like to eat so that you can do it for life." This mindset shift transforms weight loss from a temporary diet into a sustainable lifestyle.

RELATED:12-3-30 Walking Method: 20 Proven Tips to Lose Weight Faster

The Mindset For Long-Term Success

Beyond physical changes, Nicole reminds us of the mental and emotional components of weight loss. "Remember friends that weight loss isn't just about the number on the scale. It's also about here and here—heart and mindset," Nicole encourages.Success comes from building sustainable habits that fit your life and preferences. "Fight through it. You can do it. Don't give up," Nicole advises. By focusing on consistency rather than perfection, anyone can achieve lasting weight loss results—starting with just 15 minutes of walking every day. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.

FACT CHECKED BY Christopher Roback
Fact-Checked

Our content is fact checked by our senior editorial staff to reflect accuracy and ensure our readers get sound information and advice to make the smartest, healthiest choices.

We adhere to structured guidelines for sourcing information and linking to other resources, including scientific studies and medical journals.

If you have any concerns about the accuracy of our content, please reach out to our editors by e-mailing editors@bodynetwork.com.

Weight loss can be a tricky equation. However, there are many people online sharing their success stories who have shared the healthy habits responsible for dropping weight. Online fitness coach Alexandra, who goes by the handle @alexx.fitt, revealed in a viral video that after struggling to lose weight for years she lost a whopping 40 pounds in five months.


1. She Started to Make Healthier Choices Every Single Day

alexxandra_fitt2alexx.fitt/TikTok

“Here's how long it's going to take you to lose weight. I lost 40 pounds and here's what I did and how long it took me,” she says in the video, revealing that her weight loss journey first started in 2020. “I think around that time for a whole year I did every single diet, every single workout, every single meal plan, and nothing worked. Nothing would actually help me lose weight.” However, in January 2021, she learned the secret to losing weight fast. “Instead of following a freaking diet, I basically started to make healthier choices every single day,” she said in the video. It “all started with walking and a schedule,” she continued. “I made a plan of what time I'm going to eat and what I will be eating. I stuck to that schedule,” she added.

Related: 10 Foods That Grow Muscle Fast

2. She Saw Results Within the First Month

alexxandra_fitt3alexx.fitt/TikTok

There is scientific evidence supporting the benefits of meal planning. Studies the more meals you eat prepared away from home, the higher your risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and early death. And, 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. Then, from January 2021 on “I literally walked every single day for six months straight,” she said. “There were like two days that I missed. Maybe it took me about five, six months to lose 35, 40ish pounds, but I saw results within the first month.”

3. She Lost 50 Pounds in 6 Months

In a recent Instagram video, she got specific about her steps (and also revealed that she lost 50 pounds in six months). “Hear me out walking seriously changes your life, I was able to lose 50lbs in less than 6 months by walking 10k steps a day!” she captioned the post. A 2018 study published in the journal Obesity found a link between walking 10,000 steps a day and weight loss and weight management. Other studies published by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) in JAMA Neurology and in JAMA Internal Medicine also linked walking 10,000 steps a day to less dementia and less cardiovascular disease overall, with less heart disease, less heart failure and fewer strokes.

Related: 15-Minute Fat-Burning Workout to Tone Your Entire Body You Can Do Anywhere

4. Exercise Shouldn't Feel Like Punishment

@alexx.fitt

It was more during my journey that i realized #weightloss #mindset

Something else that was helpful for Alex was shifting her mindset. She explains that prior to losing weight, she viewed running as “a form of punishment,” but now she feels like exercise is something she is “so grateful for,” she wrote in another TikTok. “I'm grateful I get to go on a run and move my body, and I do that kind of stuff because it genuinely makes me feel good. I don't do it as a form of punishment. I'm like, I'm going to feel so good after I run. It's going to clear my mind,” she added.

Related: I Lost 160 Pounds and Here's 4 Ways I Took the Weight Off

5. Exercise Make Her Feel Good

alexxandra_fitt4alexxandra.fitt/Instagram

“I wake up anxious sometimes. So going on a run or even doing a morning workout, I'm like, oh my goodness, this helps me so much. So that's the kind of mindset shift you got to have when you're trying to lose weight. It's a lifestyle. You're doing this stuff because it feels good for you, not because you have to.” Alex is spot on about using exercise to quell anxiety. The American Psychological Association dubs it a “healthy stress reliever,” and several studies back up the claim.

💪🔥Body Booster: Walking 10,000 steps a day is not only an effective workout for weight loss, it can improve your cardiovascular health and ward off cancer, according to research.

FACT CHECKED BY Christopher Roback
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Kayla Cox of Six Miles to Supper (@SixMilestoSupper) is a YouTuber who shares her weight loss journey on social media to help others achieve the same success by learning how to “lose weight sustainably and keep it off for good.” In a recent viral video, she revealed that some of the things she believed were keeping her from achieving her weight loss goals. “Back when I was obese, I was unhappy about it, and I wanted to change, but there were some lies that I believed that were keeping me stuck,” she says in the clip. In today's video, I'm going to take you through each one of them and show you the truth of the matter.”


Lie 1: You Need a “Major Overhaul”

“Lie number one, you need a major overhaul,” she says in her post. “You know, when you're in a place where you do feel like there's a lot of weight to lose, it can feel overwhelming. It can feel like there's going to be so many changes I have to make that I don't even know where to start.” However, she maintains all you have to do is just make “some small habit changes that you stick with consistently over time.”

RELATED:I'm 60 and Lost 120 Pounds in a Year With Walking and 3 Other Changes That Finally Worked for Me

Small Habits, Big Changes

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“A lot of people put the weight on really gradually, and in the same way, the weight can kind of just come on gradually because of these tiny little habits. The same thing is true in the reverse. It's really just about getting into little good habits that you implement over time, and that can lead to major change,” she says.

Lie 2: You Need to Find a “Miracle Drug”

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“Lie number two, you just need to find that miracle drug that will melt the pounds away,” she continues. “This is something that I really wanted to be true for a very long time. I wanted the pill. I wanted it to be easy. I wanted it just to be like, I, give me the shot, give me the pill, and just let me be thin.”

RELATED:Top 7 Carbs You Should Eat Every Day to Lose Weight, According to a Kinesiologist

Instead, Try Walking and Fasting

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“I realized through this process that those types of things, first of all, they're not worth it,” she says. Not only are they expensive, but “they don't even work,” she says. She adds that by fasting and walking, “the weight loss part is actually free” because “you'll be buying fewer groceries and you're just walking around, and that means that you never have to worry about what's going to happen if I ever have to go off this drug,” she says. “You can just go about your life, lose the weight naturally, and then never have to worry about those things.”

Lie 3: You Have to Exercise to Lose Weight

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“Lie number three, you have to exercise in order to lose weight,” she says. “The thing about exercise is it's great. It helps you get in a positive mental headspace, and that is very helpful when it comes to weight loss. But it can also make weight loss harder. If you're working out really hard, your appetite is going to increase, and if your appetite increases, it's going to be harder to be in a deficit. Uh, so it's kind of a double-edged sword.”

Walking Is the Perfect “Compromise”

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“I personally found that walking was a great kind of compromise because it didn't increase my appetite, but it kept me moving, and because it kept me moving and everything, I was just more positive and optimistic, which is really important when it comes to just being able to stick to your plan,” she says. “But ultimately, weight loss simply comes down to eating less food than your body burns. And so if you do that, it does not matter. Even if you exercise, not at all, you're going to lose weight. So don't let that be a thing that's holding you back.”

RELATED:The Ultimate Guide to Getting Your Best Body as a Mesomorph

Lie 4: You Are Too Old to Lose Weight

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“Lie number four, you're too old to lose weight,” she says, revealing that when she was 29, she thought she was too old to lose weight. “I was looking at the scale. I saw that I was obese, and I thought, ‘But the thing is, I'm too old now. I've waited till I'm almost 30. And now it's going to be impossible,’” she says, citing that people told her that at 30, your metabolism “tanks.”

You Can Lose Weight at Any Age

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“What I have learned is that first of all, you can absolutely lose weight at 29, but by just talking to people on this channel and then in the comments section and people emailing me, I've heard of people much older than me, losing weight successfully and keeping it off,” she says. “People even in their seventies have emailed me to let me know that it works for them. You're never too old, and it's never too late. You just have to start.”

Lie 5. You Have to Change What You Are Eating

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“Number five, the one that I think is the most pernicious and pervasive of all the lies out there, is you have to change what you're eating if you wanna lose weight,” she says. “I especially hate this one because I think it holds so many people back from losing weight because they think, ‘Oh, well, if I wanna lose weight, that means that I can't have chocolate cake anymore.’ Or I have to totally just eat the foods I hate and not the foods I love.”

RELATED:I'm a Dietitian and These 7 Morning Habits Changed My Life

Instead, Focus on Eating the Right Amount of Food

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“The truth is, it all comes down to just eating the right amount of food,” she explains. “If you wanna eat really rich high-calorie foods and that's just what you like and that's what you want in your life, guess what? You can still lose weight. You just have to eat less of that food. You have to be in a caloric deficit.” And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.

Chris Freytag ChrisFreytag
Copyright chrisfreytag/Instagram
Evidence-Based

This content references scientific studies and academic research, and is fact-checked to ensure accuracy.

Our team of licensed nutritionists and dietitians strives to be objective, unbiased, and honest.

We are committed to bringing you researched, expert-driven content to help you make more informed decisions around food, health, and wellness. We know how important making choices about your overall health is, and we strive to provide you with the best information possible.

Not every workout you see on social media is all it’s hyped up to be. However, there are some you should try. Chris Freytag is a fitness and lifestyle coach and the founder of Get Healthy U, a comprehensive fitness hub. In a new social media post, she reveals a fitness trend that lives up to its hype. “The Viral Workout Trend That Actually WORKS,” she writes in the caption. Here is everything you need to know about it.

The 4-2-1 Method

She goes on to reveal the concept of the 4-2-1 method:

  • 4 days of strength training workouts
  • 2 days of cardio
  • 1 day of mobility/ activity recovery.

It Is Effective for Weight Loss and Building Muscle

“This 4-2-1 training method that took off on Tik-Tok has 4 strength training days, 2 days of cardio, and 1 day of mobility or active recovery each week,” she writes. “This 4-2-1 workout plan can be an effective way to lose weight, maintain muscle mass, and improve your overall fitness.”

She Also Endorses This Walking Hack

In another post, she reveals a walking hack to improve your health. “Here’s a game-changer: Walking for 10 minutes after each meal can be more effective than walking for a full hour at another time of day,” she says. “I am a follower of the @gluecosegoddess (Jessie Inchauspé), who says walking after a meal is a crucial practice to help manage blood sugar levels by preventing large spikes and promoting better glucose absorption into your muscle!”

Walk After Every Meal

“If you can just get up and take some steps: 10 minutes after breakfast, lunch and, dinner,” she continues. “That’s only 30 minutes total—but research shows you’ll see more health benefits than from one continuous 60-minute walk!”

There Are Lots of Benefits of Walking After Meals

She explains that fat loss isn’t the only benefit of walking after you eat. “Besides getting in some steps, post-meal walks help stabilize blood sugar levels, boost digestion, and increase energy and metabolism.

Break Walking Into Smaller Chunks to Make It More “Doable”

“So break it down into smaller chunks and walk around the block; hop on your walking pad; march around your house; just move after every meal,” she concludes. She adds that many people will find that this method makes it more “doable.”

Ruth Soukup
​Eat More Protein
Copyright ruthsoukup/Instagram

Do you want to lose weight but aren’t sure what foods to eat and which to avoid? Ruth Soukup is a midlife health and mindset coach who lost almost 50 pounds. She regularly shares her tips and tricks with hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers. “I lost 49 pounds at age 43 without dieting or Ozempic,” she writes. In two posts, she reveals 7 foods she eats “pretty much every day” and 7 she avoids. “I struggled with my weight for YEARS before I finally stopped dieting once and for all, and just focused on balancing my hormones instead. In the process, I lost 49 pounds and have kept it off, without ever counting calories,” she says.

What She Eats: Animal Protein

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Animal protein is the first item on her list. “This usually includes bone broth and farm fresh eggs in the morning, chicken at lunch, and either beef, chicken, pork, or fish at dinnertime,” she says.

Healthy Fat

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She also makes sure to eat healthy fat. “This mostly comes from avocado oil, EVOO, and butter, but also full fat dairy—heavy cream, cream cheese, cheese, sour cream, greek yogurt, and cottage cheese,” she says.

Vegetables

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She eats lots of veggies, too. “Lots of broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, asparagus, bell peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, carrots, and Brussels Sprouts. I don’t eat a ton of salad, unless it’s a good Caesar with homemade dressing, which I make every few weeks,” she says.

Fresh Berries

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Fruits are also on her shopping list, especially fresh berries. “Mostly strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries,” she writes.

Fermented Foods

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“I try to eat at least a little bit of fermented food every day for the probiotics,” she says. “My favorite is kimchi, but I’ll also do fresh sauerkraut or kefir, and I make my own fermented ketchup (scroll down in my feed for the recipe.)”

Starches

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Starches are also part of her diet. “I don’t tend to eat a ton of starchy food, but I do love real sourdough bread, and I also sometimes make potatoes or jasmine rice to go with dinner, depending on what we’re having,” she says.

Seasonings

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She also invests money in seasoning. “Generally lots of salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder, fresh herbs and hot sauce,” she writes. One of her favorites? The Green Dragon sauce from Trader Joes.

She Doesn’t Eat: Vegetable Oil

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In another post, she reveals what she eliminated from her diet. “Vegetable oil or any other highly processed seed oils, as well as Crisco and margarine,” she writes. “These are all so toxic and highly inflammatory! I also tend to avoid any processed foods that contain these oils. Instead, I cook with butter, avocado oil, and olive oil.”

Sugar

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She also stays away from sugar. “If I do need to use a sweetener for a recipe, I typically stick to monkfruit or allulose or a blend of those two,” she says.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

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High fructose corn syrup is another no-no. “Another highly toxic and inflammatory ingredient I try to avoid that is sadly way too common in so many processed foods,” she writes

Packaged Side Dishes

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Ruth also recommends avoiding packaged side dishes, “such as mac and cheese, stuffing, rice pilaf blends, scalloped potatoes, hamburger helper, etc.” These are highly processed foods.

Breakfast Cereal

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Ruth strongly suggests staying away from breakfast cereal. Most of it is highly processed and contains lots of additives and sugar. If you want to eat cereal, opt for a higher-fiber, lower-sugar option.

Brownie and Cake Mix

Protein Brownie Batter

Brownies and cake mixes are also on her list of things to avoid. If you do enjoy baking, try cooking from scratch using healthier flours and sweeteners, which will result in a less processed and more nutritious product.

Fruit Juice

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According to Ruth, fruit juice may sound nutritious, but you should stay away. ”Except for Clamato, which we use for Bloody Marys on the weekend! The rest of it is just pure sugar,” she says. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.

Gillian Ferguson the_macro_method
Coach Lost 50 Pounds with the Help of These 5 Sunday Habits
Copyright the_macro_method/Instagram
Evidence-Based

This content references scientific studies and academic research, and is fact-checked to ensure accuracy.

Our team of licensed nutritionists and dietitians strives to be objective, unbiased, and honest.

We are committed to bringing you researched, expert-driven content to help you make more informed decisions around food, health, and wellness. We know how important making choices about your overall health is, and we strive to provide you with the best information possible.

Do you want to lose weight while staying full? You may need to amp up your fiber intake. Gillian Ferguson is a social media influencer who lost 55+ lbs on Semaglutide and is now “microdosing Tirzepatide,” she writes in her Instagram bio. In a new post, she reveals some creative ways she increases fiber in her diet. “10 easy ways to sneak fiber into your diet,” she writes in the post.

Why Fiber Is Important

“Want to lose weight + improve your health? Let’s talk about FIBER,” Sine writes, going onto list the benefits of a high-fiber diet:

  • Lowers total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol (aka “bad” cholesterol).
  • Improves blood sugar control.
  • Keeps you regular.
  • Supports gut health.
  • Supports weight loss + management.
  • Protects against colorectal cancer.

Add Avocado

The first way she adds fiber into her diet is by eating avocado. “One medium-sized avocado has about 10 grams of fiber,” she says. “I know you know how to add avo 👌 so I’ll stop there.”

Sprinkle on Some Seeds

Next, sprinkle on some seeds. “Try incorporating a tablespoon or two of small seeds, like chia, flax, or hemp, into your day. An ounce of chia seeds, for example, provides 10g of fiber,” she writes. “You can blend into your smoothie or sprinkle on a salad.”

Level Up Your Smoothie

You can also “level up” your smoothie. “It’s so easy to fit a big dose of fiber into a smoothie without even trying! After picking your protein, add fruit and veggies (like spinach, kale, or frozen cauliflower rice) and some fiber rich fats like flax seeds, hemp seeds, nut butters, or avocado,” she writes.

Learn to Love Veggies

Learn to love veggies. “Non-starchy vegetables, like leafy greens, broccoli, and cauliflower, provide both fiber and volume for little calories. My favorite way to eat veggies right now is in the air fryer,” she says.

Swap Out Your Pastas

Next, switch up your pastas. “It’s in your best interest to choose whole grain and legume-based (chickpea or lentil) pastas most of the time!” she writes. “One serving of Barilla Whole Grain Penne has 7 grams fiber per serving.”

Amy Up Your Oats

“Oats are a nutritional powerhouse rich in beta-glucan—a soluble fiber that functions as a prebiotic fiber that is effective at lowering total and LDL cholesterol,” says Sine, recommending oatmeal and overnight oats.

Berries

She also says to eat berries. “Just one cup of raspberries contains a whopping 8 grams of fiber! I eat every day in my yogurt!”

Switch Up Your Snacks

Switch up your snacks. “Snack time is a good time to up your fiber intake since fiber can help you feel full,” she says. “Popcorn, fruit w nut butter, sliced veggies w hummus or guac, edamame.”

Choose Plant Proteins

Plant proteins are also high in fiber. “Think: beans, chickpeas, lentils, quinoa (and other ‘ancient’/whole grains),” she says.

Pick a Better Brea

You don’t have to omit bread. Just a “pick a better bread,” says Sine. “If you eat bread or a wrap choose one with fiber!!! The wrap I eat my lunch on has 17g fiber!” And if you enjoyed this article, don't missthese 8 High-Protein Foods with Nearly Zero Calories That Melt Fat.