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Losing weight doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, sometimes all it takes is making a few simple lifestyle changes. Lyndsey Getty, founder of Thought Method, was in her twenties when she decided that she wanted to get in shape. Within a year, she dropped six dress sizes, going from a 12 to a 6, and has managed to keep the weight off ever since. She recently opened up about her weight loss journey in an interview with Body Network.

Lyndsey Could Barely Fit in a Size 12

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Getty explains that she was motivated to embark on her weight loss journey after seeing a photo of herself and her friends during a night out. “I barely recognized myself,” she told us.

She Had Been Buying Larger and Larger Sized Jeans

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“That was just the tip of the iceberg, though. I had been buying larger and larger jeans for a while and had to unbutton my pants when I sat down to sit comfortably. I had a lack of energy and just felt heavy and bloated a lot. Something needed to change.”

Lyndsey Dropped Down to a 6 and Has Been the Same Size for a Decade

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She doesn’t remember her exact weight at the time but struggled to fit into a size 12. “5’9, now I am a size 6 in the same type of pants and aim to stay between 145 to 150 pounds,” she says. She has managed to keep the weight off for a decade.

She Started to Exercise

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Lyndsey started exercising, focusing on building muscle. “I am part of the camp that believes that there is no ‘toning,’ there is building muscle and a woman building muscle will not make her bulky,” she says.

Lyndsey Focused on Building Muscle

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“I focused on an overall body workout and would do upper and lower body days. I love the shape of my glutes and my back looks amazing, men have asked me for my routine.”

She Boxes, Jump ropes, and Does Lots of Strength Training Exercises

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Her go-to workouts include boxing and jump roping. “You burn the most calories in the shortest amount of time with jump roping so it makes logical sense and boxing is great for several reasons. It is exciting to see yourself getting better at something,

Lyndsey Feels More Empowered

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I feel more empowered, worked through a lot of emotions and felt like I came back to myself and my body. It was very cathartic. I also do bench press, glute bridges, deadlifts and then single leg exercises like sidekicks and clamshells,” she says.

She Follows the 80/20 Diet

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In terms of diet, she follows the 80/20 diet. "So I will eat simple whole food around 80 percent of the time and then have pizza, burgers, fries, etc., and sweets the other 20 percent,” Lyndsey says. Some weeks, it's 70-30. If I start to gain weight, I correct.”

Here Is What Lyndsey Eats for Breakfast

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Lyndsey starts her day with a filling breakfast, steel-cut oats with cinnamon and blueberries, greek yogurt with raspberries, or eggs with cottage cheese and avocado.

Rainbow Salads for Lunch

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“For lunch I love rainbow salads. You take 5 veggies of different colors and layer them in a bell jar with some dressing in the bottom. I make 5 at a time, store them in the fridge and when it is time to eat I take one out, shake it and grab a fork,” she says.

She Has a Sweet Tooth

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“I have a sweet tooth so I also love banana, oat milk and cocoa powder smoothies for a snack. For dinner I will do some type of protein with lentils and broccoli for a few days and then take-out the rest.”

Lyndsey Eliminated Fast Food and Processed Meats

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She also stopped eating a few things. “I eliminated fast food and barely eat any processed meats,” she says. “They are low nutritional value and have a lot of connections to cancer, so if I want a sandwich, I will make a turkey and slice it,” Lyndsey says.

She Loves Her Body Unconditionally

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Her biggest achievement when it comes to her body? “That when I look at my body, instead of picking it apart, I love it unconditionally, and I appreciate all it does for me. My body is fascinating. All of the systems that work intricately together are utterly remarkable,” she says.

People Compliment Her

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“I’ll always be annoyed by my belly bulge, but I have learned to accept it. I started by telling myself that I love myself when I look in the mirror and working to accept my body as it is. People responded positively to me with this new confidence, and it felt really good to come back to myself, so that validation kept this perspective alive.”

Working Out Will Not Make You Bulky, She Maintains

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One fitness or nutrition myth she once believed but wants to debunk? “That working out will make me bulky or manly, and therefore, men will not be attracted to me,” she says. Even when she could deadlift 265 pounds, “men definitely did not lose interest, and I am annoyed I was encouraged to focus on external validation in the first place,” she says.

She Was Just More Compact

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“When I was at my most muscular, I was just more compact and, honestly, kind of annoyed because I worked so hard for these muscles, and you could barely see them unless I flexed,” Lyndsey says.

If Her Pants Fit, She Is Happy

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These days, she doesn’t use a scale to reach her body goals. “If my pants fit,” is her goal. “Size 6 is the size I like to be at because I noticed when I am a size 6 I am eating mainly healthy and nutritious foods while also indulging enough that I am not restricting myself,” she says. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.