Skip to content

I Lost 40 Pounds By Eating These 8 Foods

One woman shares a few key foods that helped her lose weight.

Olivia Cara (@oliviacara) is a TikTok influencer who lost 40 pounds by making a few simple changes to her life. In a viral video, she reveals the foods that are responsible for her weight loss. "My first weight loss, TikTok is almost at a million views, so I'm going to show you guys some foods that I've eaten and added to my diet that you can too, that took me from this to this," she says, revealing her before and after photos. We asked The Diet Diva, Tara Collingwood, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD/N, ACSM-CPT, a Board Certified Sports Dietitian, to weigh in on her diet. 

Protein Shakes

@oliviacara y'all asked, here's some things i eat to lose weight & maintain. part 1! #greenscreen #transformation #weightloss #fyp #bestofthedecade #foryoupage ♬ Shining on My Ex – bbno$ & Yung Gravy

The first item on her list are Grass Fed Iconic Protein Drinks. "Protein shakes are amazing. Protein, protein, protein. It's so important in your diet," she says. 

Blueberries

Freshly picked blueberries in wooden bowl. Juicy and fresh blueberries with green leaves on rustic table. Bilberry on wooden Background. Blueberry antioxidant. Concept for healthy eating and nutrition
Shutterstock

She also shops for produce. "Blueberries are super good for antioxidants and great for weight loss," she says. 

Related: Tone Your Body in Less Than 20 Minutes With This Beginner Routine

Oat or Almond Milk

Woman drinking milk
Shutterstock

Next up, dairy. "Instead of regular milk, I opt for oat milk or almond milk," she says, holding up a carton of Oatly! Oat Milk.

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt in a heart shaped bowl, overhead scene against a rustic wood background
Shutterstock

She also buys Light and Fit Greek Yogurt, at 80 calories a pop. 

Cauliflower Pizza

Cauliflower crust pizza with tomato sauce, cheese and basil. Healthy diet food
Shutterstock

Caulipower Live Life on the Veg cauliflower pizza is also on her shopping list. "It's literally just cauliflower as the crust," she says. 

Healthy Choice Meals

oliviacara/TikTok

"Watch out for the sodium on these, but they are great on the go," she warns, holding up a frozen Healthy Choice Grilled Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo meal. 

Kodiak Cakes Protein Waffles with Peanut Butter

oliviacara/TikTok

She also loves Kodiak Cakes "Dark chocolate protein waffles" with organic peanut butter.

Related: I Lost 25 Pounds by Doing These 3 Things

Multivitamins

Grovetown, Ga USA - 04 30 22: Retail store
Shutterstock

"And I take my vitamins every day," she concludes, showing her bottle of Olly The Perfect Women's Multi. 

RDN Says: Her Diet Is Nutritious Without Being Too Restrictive

dietdivatara/Instagram

"The foods she is choosing are nutritious and low in calories without being too restrictive," Collingwood comments. "She has some things that feel like a treat like the Kodiak Cakes and is filling herself up with good fruit and some veggies." However, she would like to see even more fruit and veggies. "She doesn't really go into how much or when she is eating all of these foods and I'm sure there are other foods not listed here, but overall I think she has the right idea."

She Approves of Her Protein Intake and Healthy Choice Meals

Diet Diva/Facebook

As for balance, "having a good amount of protein provides satiety but she is also getting some good carbs, too. I like the use of the Healthy Choice meals because frozen meals are convenient and portion controlled and can actually be quite tasty."

Related: I Lost 100 Pounds at Home Before Even Getting Into a Gym. Here's How to Start.

She Does Note That Nut Milks Have "Little to No Protein"

Funny portrait of a mooing cow, laughing with mouth open, showing gums and tongue
Shutterstock

"Oat and almond milk are fine, but just remember that they are not 'dairy' or milk," she adds. "They are usually fortified with calcium, Vitamin D, and other nutrients to make them similar in nutritional profile to dairy milk, but often they have little to no protein, so they are really not comparable to cow's milk. I would prefer skim or 1% milk to get more nutritional value."

💪🔥Body Booster: Keeping healthy frozen meals on hand is a great idea. Not only are they convenient but they are portion controlled, so you won't overeat. 

Leah Groth
Leah Groth has decades of experience covering all things health, wellness and fitness related. Read more