I Lost 100 Pounds at Home Before Even Going to a Gym. Here's How.

Sometimes, getting started on your weight loss journey is the hardest part. Liza Marie (@lizamarie_fit) is a weight loss influencer who has dropped a whopping 140 pounds, sharing all of her tricks and tips on TikTok. In a viral video, she reveals exactly what she did to get started on her weight loss journey. “If you want to lose weight and you don't know where to start, listen to this. I lost 100 pounds at home before even getting into a gym,” she says. “I lost 140 pounds in total, but a hundred of those pounds in one year for loss at home.” We also asked The Diet Diva, Tara Collingwood, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD/N, ACSM-CPT, a Board Certified Sports Dietitian, to weigh in on her strategy.

The “Power of Walking” Got Her Started on Her Weight Loss Journey

Liza maintains that her weight loss journey started with a walk. “I want you to know the power of walking is so strong, and I want you to know that walking is the number one thing that helped me lose the weight,” she says.

She Changed One Thing, Everything

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“I've tried everything in my life to lose weight,” she continues. “Every single diet I tried and I failed because I tried to be perfect with everything. I expected immediate results, I over complicated things. I held myself to such a high standard that it was unrealistic.” However, this time she decided she was going to “completely change” her life, body, mindset, and career.”

She Started Walking 20 to 30 Minutes Up to An Hour

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“I started my journey because I wanted to walk up my steps and not be out of breath,” says Liza. “I started walking and every single night I would walk anything from 20 minutes to 30 minutes, sometimes an hour with my best friend, and I did that for two months.” Collingwood agrees that “having a powerful reason to lose the weight (being out of breath was her reason) is key to staying motivated,” she says. “Remember why you started and what is going to keep you going when times get tough.” Also, walking is an excellent way to get started with exercise and to boost metabolism. “We don’t realize how little we move and how much we sit each day. Even just starting with 10 minutes and progressing up from there is better than nothing!” she says.

Then, She Started Tracking Her Movement

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“The third month came around, I bought an Apple watch. I started a step count, and I made sure that I hit 10,000 steps every single month. Within those three months, I lost anywhere from 30 to 40 pounds, and that is the first time I ever saw a chunk of weight go down,” she claims. Accountability is key, explains Collingwood. “The watch was helping her stay accountable to getting more movement (steps) in each day.”

She Also Cut Out Fast Food

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“During that time, I also cut out fast food,” says Liza. She was also eating the majority of her meals at home and walking daily. “I want you to know the power of a calorie deficit and the power of walking. It's the secret sauce for weight loss when it comes down to losing the weight. It doesn't need to be that complicated,” she says. Cutting out fast food can be a game changer for people who rely often on fast food, says Collingwood. “The portions and calories add up quickly and it’s difficult to eat fewer calories and enough of the good stuff (veggies, lean meats, whole grains) when eating out all the time,” she says.

Related: I Lost 100 Pounds in 1 Year. Here’s How I Did It

She Naturally Put Herself Into a Caloric Deficit by Walking and Cooking at Home

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She maintains that she didn’t start tracking calories “until months into my journey,” but was simply losing the weight by making 80 percent of her meals at home every single week and hitting a daily step goal of 10,000 steps. “I was naturally putting myself in a calorie deficit that I didn't have to track calories. I didn't even know what tracking calories was, and from doing just those two things, I lost 30 to 40 pounds,” she says. “You don’t have to track calories to know that you are eating less than you were before. Just simply having better habits without knowing the numbers can result in big changes and results on the scale,” suggests Collingwood.

Next, She Started Working Out

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“At that moment, when I saw the scale go down, I decided to add more to my plate,” says Liza about her decision to start working out. “I would do around two to three at-home workouts a week, which is why I love all my shy girl workouts that I share, and I also share workouts like this throughout my app just to prove to women that you don't need a crazy gym membership. You don't need to do the craziest workouts. You don't need to be lifting the heaviest weights in order to see results,” she continues, adding that “consistency and nutrition” are “going to show you the results that you want to see.” A lot of people enjoy the privacy of working out at home, says Collingwood. “There are plenty of apps and YouTube videos to find workouts that you enjoy.”

She Started Tracking Calories

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After losing 80 pounds but “still in the 200s,” she learned about caloric deficit and why people track calories and macros and started calculating her calorie deficit. “I was trying really hard to hit my protein goal, and I was trying very hard to stay within my calorie deficit, but I was not perfect. There were days I went over a bit. There were days I was under a bit. When it comes to losing weight and when it comes to a fitness journey, if you are striving for perfection, you are setting yourself up for failure,” she says. “You will definitely not be perfect every day. There is no such thing. As long as the behaviors are there—getting more protein, getting exercise, etc.most of the time then the results will follow. Starting to actually track can help get much more specific about how much is going in and how much is getting burned. I highly recommend starting to track when you hit a plateau and can’t figure out what isn't working anymore,” says Collingwood.

She Calls Her Method “Habit Stacking”

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“Doing little things one by one over time and not giving up is what got me here,” Liza says, adding that she now weighs 140 pounds because of what she calls habit stacking. “I started with the steps and cutting out the fast food. Once this became second nature to me, I craved walking. I loved my hot girl walks. I love listening to my podcast. Then I added the next habit, and my next habit was two to three workouts. I'm still doing my first habit, but I'm also doing two to three workouts. I did that for months, took until month eight. Then be like, what's a calorie deficit? Let me start tracking my food. I think the biggest part when people hear calorie deficit, they're triggered because they're like, I don't want to weigh my food. I don't want to track. My food is so beneficial, and it really did really kickstart my weight loss journey. I was already down a lot of weight, but I'm telling you, the second I really focused on my nutrition even more changed my life and those things, I lost this weight at home. I got my gym membership after I lost a hundred pounds,” she says.

Now, This Is Her Lifestyle

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She explains that now “this is her lifestyle,” because she “turned all these things into my lifestyle by not doing them all at once” but instead “doing them one step at a time.” She adds: “You can change your life in any moment. You can lose the weight at home. You don't need to do anything crazy to lose the weight. Do not underestimate the power of walking and do not underestimate a calorie deficit.”

Related: Fitness Expert Bryony Deery Shares Her Secrets For Chiseled Abs

"Start With Something Small"

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Overall, Collingwood calls her story and lifestyle change “amazing.” “Start with something small. Do it until it becomes a habit and you are pulled to do it every day instead of pushing yourself to do it. hen add something else to the routine. Soon you will have a bunch of new healthy habits that add up to a healthy lifestyle!” she says.

💪🔥Body Booster: Walking is an excellent way to get started with exercise and to boost metabolism. Even just starting with 10 minutes and progressing up from there is better than nothing

Do you want to lose more than 40 pounds? While it might seem intimidating to embark on a major weight loss journey, there are lots of weight loss warriors who have shared their success stories to keep you inspired and motivated. Many of them have revealed the easy and doable lifestyle changes they made that enabled them to slim down and keep the weight off. Here are 20 tips from nine men and women who have lost up to 165 pounds to help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Indya Ago Lost 120 Pounds by Learning How to Have a “Balanced” Approach to Food

Indya Agos (@indyaagos) is a weight loss warrior and coach who lost a whopping 120 pounds via natural methods. “Something I tell my clients when they first start coaching with me is that in order for these results to be sustainable we have to create balance,” she says. “When I first started my weight loss journey, I used to restrict myself so much,” she continues. “I would demonize so many different kinds of foods that diet culture had brainwashed me, and into believing were the reason why I wasn’t able to reach the results I was looking for.”

She Also Educated Herself on Macronutrients

Indya previously suffered from “cycles of binging, and creating a very unhealthy relationship between nutrition and my body,” she maintains. “Through proper education on macronutrients, I was able to heal this relationship. And this is how I help my clients and maintain their goals as well. Education is power.”

RELATED:15 Reasons Why You May Not Losing Weight While on Ozempic

She “Started Slow” and Learned “Self-Trust”

In another video, Indya reveals another tactic that helped her lose so much weight. “You got to start slow,” she says. “If you approach this from an all or nothing mentality, you are only setting yourself up for failure. A big part of this journey is regaining self-trust. You are so used to letting yourself down. The way that you build trust with yourself again is by following through with the promises that you've made to yourself.”

And Took a Deep Dive Into Her Failed Attempts at Weight Loss

Another thing she did is “going to require you to dig deep,” she says. “We need to figure out what your main excuses or your repeated point of failure chances are. You've been stuck in the same exact cycle, repeating the same narratives as to why you haven't been able to be successful in the past. If your story is that you never have any time, then we need to figure out why you're not prioritizing making time. People make time for what's important to them. If the story is that you are overwhelmed and you have no idea where to start, then it is time to reach out for help so that you have a plan of action as well as guidance.”

Raven Norwood Lost 165 Pounds By Cutting Processed Foods From Her Diet

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Raven Norwood, 28, of Huntington Beach, California, started her weight loss journey at 212 pounds and has managed to drop down to 155 pounds, losing 165 pounds in two years. In an interview with Body Network, she explains that she used to eat food containing several dyes, fast food, and packaged food with GMOs, too much MSG, and preservatives. While she didn’t eliminate “any specific food groups because balance is the key to longevity,” she did cut the above from her diet and started cooking her own meals “as much as possible.” Creating healthy relationships with all food groups is so important when it comes to keeping the weight off, she stresses. “Balance is key, so, if I want a cookie here and there, I eat the cookie… no biggie!”

RELATED: 20 Incredible Ozempic Success Stories of All Time

She Also Amped Up Her Water Intake

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Raven adds that “lots of water” keeps her hydrated and feeling full. According to the Mayo Clinic, hydration is important for a variety of reasons. Water helps get rid of waste through urination, perspiration, and bowel movements, keeps your temperature normal, lubricates and cushions joints, and helps protect sensitive tissues.

She Fell in Love with a Boutique Fitness Method

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Raven also encourages finding a fitness form that you love. She discovered rowing at her local Row House. “I love how boutique and specialized gyms are getting more recognition! When I first found Row House, I had never seen a gym dedicated to rowing,” she says. “And on top of that you get floorwork exercises, group fitness and the wonderful community that comes along with it! I think a lot of people would benefit from boutique gyms.”

She Took Progress Pictures

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Progress photos were also an important part of Raven’s weight loss journey. “Sometimes your mind will play tricks on you, and make you feel like you haven’t done as much as you have,” she says. If she feels discouraged, she will look at her “Day 1” photo and it will provide instant motivation. “Take photos because your mind will play tricks on you, but those photos won’t,” she says.

RELATED: 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week

Dils Less Lost 50 Pounds by Not Drinking Coffee on an Empty Stomach

Dils Lee (@dilshealth) lost 50 pounds by making a few simple lifestyle habit changes, which not only aided in weight loss, but were a game-changer in her overall health, especially with her inflammation and hormonal imbalance. One of the first changes that she made? “I stopped drinking coffee on an empty stomach and started making my breakfast look like this,” she said. “Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can lead to bloating, nausea, and anxiety, and it can also raise your cortisol levels, which can negatively impact ovulation weight and hormonal imbalances.”

She Also Switched From HIIT to Low Intensity Workouts

You don’t have to do HIIT workouts to lose weight. The second change that she made “was stopping all high intensity training while I was losing weight,” she said. “I found that I harbored a lot of inflammation in my face, arms, body, stomach, and legs everywhere.” Instead, she opted for lower intensity training. “Basically, by switching to lower intensity workouts, I've found that my waist has drastically come in. My stomach is much more flat, and I'm actually building a lot of tone and muscle in my arms and legs,” she says.

And, She Prioritized Sleep

“The fourth change that I made is that I introduced a healthy sleep routine,” Dils reveals. “My routine includes using supplements like magnesium and then not using my phone an hour before bed. Prioritizing sleep will help your body recover after physical activity. It'll also help with hormone regulation, metabolic regulation, stress and emotional wellbeing.” What are the health benefits of sleep? According to the Sleep Foundation, getting enough z’s is a mood booster, promotes heart health, regulates blood sugar, improves mental function, restores your immune system, helps relieve stress, and aids in weight loss.

Joseph Graham Jr. Lost 75 Pounds By Jump Roping and Doing Pushups

No gym, no problem. Joseph Graham Jr. (@theguywiththepinkshoes) is a fitness influencer and “crossrope athlete” who lost a whopping 75 pounds and toned up his dad bod by jumping rope and doing push ups at home. He does “harder” push ups, he says. “It's not enough to just do as many as you can and do them fast. Once you feel comfortable doing pushups, once you feel like you've kind of got it down, you have to start making it harder for yourself,” he explains. “The resistance is what builds the strength, right?

Alexandra Lost 40 Pounds by Eating the Same Meals Every Day

Online fitness coach Alexandra (@alexx.fitt) personally lost 40 pounds by eating the same meals daily. “For 1-2 months I ate the same meals every single day why? Because I was confused I didn’t know what to eat or where to start so I ate the same thing everyday,” Alexandra confesses in the caption of her video.

She Also Walks 10,000 Steps a Day

In another video she reveals that walking 10,000 steps a day was also key. “I weigh around 150lbs so walking 10k steps burns an extra 300-400 calories a day without spending hours on the stair master,” says Alexandra. “Walking can be done anywhere you don’t have to get fancy gym clothes you can literally walk in your pjs,” she adds. And, it helps regulate hunger. “Walking is not an extremely difficult exercise and it can help regulate your appetite hormones and reduce feelings of hunger,” she says.

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

David Tuckfield Lost 60 Pounds EMS Workouts

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David Tuckfield, 61, dropped 60 pounds and reduced his body fat by 23 percent in 16 months by incorporating electro muscle stimulation (EMS) workouts into his routine, which he discovered at BODY20. “I was very skeptical when I first tried the EMS workouts. I was shocked after my demo workout how much I felt a difference,” he told Body Network. “For me, the amazing thing about the EMS workouts to me is that I can actually feel or sense my muscles. That was something that I had never experienced. At first I could feel them only during the workouts, but now when I exert myself I can discern which muscles are engaged. I don’t have huge or impressive muscles, but that I am more in-tune with the muscles I have. It is a good feeling to feel your muscles engage when you do an activity.” Another “great thing” about the workout “is that you really get a full workout (or better) in 20 minutes,” he says.

He Also Set Long-Term Goals

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He also started looking at weight loss as a long-term goal. “Don’t think short term. Think of it as a very long journey,” he suggests. “You will plateau, and you should just be comfortable with that. If you don’t stress out about the plateaus, you will eventually work through them.” Daily weigh-ins also helped him. “If you’ve gained weight, ask yourself what you did yesterday that would have made you gain weight. Usually the answer is obvious,” he says.

Joy Maria Lost 70 Pounds with Hot Girl Walks

Joy Maria (@therealjoyymaria/video) is a weight loss influencer and mother who lost 70 pounds in less than 11 months with the help of, wait for it, “Hot girl walks,” she reveals in a video. “Walking is a thousand percent, the most underrated way to lose weight,” she adds, “and one of my favorite things to do is walk.” She started walking to her errands, walking to and from workouts, and whenever else she could get steps in.

She Also Followed a Meal Plan

“If somebody is telling you that you can lose weight without being in a calorie deficit run because they're lying,” she adds, calling it “the most important step” to losing weight. “I know you guys have heard the saying, you cannot outrun a bad diet, and it's so true. Google, TDEE calculator. From there, put in your information. I'm gonna tell you exactly how many calories you need to eat. I ate about 1600 to 1800 calories daily, just depending on my activity level for the day. If I did two workouts that day, I would eat closer to 1800. If I had a more sedentary day, I would eat closer to 1500 to 1600.” She also followed a meal plan. “I have a seven day meal plan available at the top of my profile. It just makes it really easy when you're going to a grocery shop, when you're first starting out, when things are structured, it's gonna make it a lot easier to follow and just to stay consistent, not skipping breakfast, especially if we're exercising.”

Gen Cohen Lost 50 Pounds by Doing the 12-3-30

Gen Cohen, CNC, lost 50 pounds by doing a few different workouts, including the 12-3-30.

She said that “rather than subscribing to some crazy fitness routine, I'd commit to lifting weights three maximum four times per week and prioritize getting a 60 minute walk in per day,” in a video. “You can go to the gym and do 12-3-30. You can take your dog for a walk. You can get a walking pad and put it under your desk. I don't care how, just 60 minutes of walking.”

Joan Henning Lost 130 Pounds with Keto

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In 2019, Joan Henning started her 130-pound weight loss journey with the keto diet.“ I was able to start keto,” she says. She stayed on the low carb diet for “months.” While on keto, “I probably lost about 10 pounds because keto, it comes off quickly,” she said.

💪🔥Body Booster: Start your weight loss journey slowly and avoid an all-or-nothing mentality to prevent setting yourself up for failure. Focus on regaining self-trust by consistently following through with the promises you make to yourself.

TikTok influencer Liza (@lizamarie_fit) lost 140 pounds and kept it off—and she lost the first 100 pounds without setting foot in a gym. So how did she not only lose the weight but maintain it three years later and counting? Liza made two simple lifestyle changes that led to 40 pounds being lost in the first couple of months alone—here’s exactly how she did it.

She Walked Every Day

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Liza started walking every single day, before getting an activity tracker and making sure she was hitting at least 10k steps a month. “Every single night I would walk anything from 20 minutes to 30 minutes, sometimes an hour with my best friend. And I did that for two months,” she says. “That is the first time I ever saw a chunk of weight go down.”

No More Junk Food

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Liza cut out junk food and started eating at home. “I was eating the majority of meals at home and I was walking every day,” she says. Studies show people who cook and eat at home tend to make healthier choices.

RELATED: 7 Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do Anywhere to Drop Pounds

Calorie Deficit

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Thanks to Liza’s walking and diet, she had a calorie deficit, which is crucial to weight loss. “It’s the secret sauce for weight loss,” she says. “When it comes down to losing weight, it doesn’t need to be that complicated.”

Working Out

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Liza started working out a couple of months into her weight loss journey, excited by the progress she was making. “I would do around two to three at-home workouts a week,” she says. “Which is why I love all my ‘shy girl’ workouts that I share, just to prove to women that you don’t need a crazy gym membership. You don’t need to be doing the craziest workouts to see results.”

Tracking Macros

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Liza started tracking the carbs, fat, and protein in her food after she lost 80 pounds and wanted to learn more about nutrition. “I was like let’s hop on the train, let’s take this even further,” she says. “I’m still weighing a lot, I’m still in the 200s, and I want to get to one-derland.”

Protein Goals

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Liza focused on maintaining her calorie deficit and hitting her protein goals. “I was trying really hard to hit my protein goal and I was trying really hard to stay within my calorie deficit but I was not perfect,” she says. “There were days when I went over a bit, there were days I went under a bit.”

RELATED: Look and Feel 10 Years Younger in 8 Weeks Naturally

Realistic Goals

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Liza wasn’t hard on herself during her weight loss journey. “If you are striving for perfection you are setting yourself up for failure,” she says. “Doing little things one by one over time and not giving up is what got me here today.”

💪🔥Body Booster: The most simple changes, when made consistent and sustainable, yield results.

TikTok influencer Megan (MeggyLosing) lost over 100 pounds in 6 months and kept it off despite living with PCOS and Hypothyroidism. “Don’t believe the lie that you can’t lose weight with PCOS and Hypothyroidism. It’s not easy, but IT’S WORTH IT,” she says. Here are the simple lifestyle changes that helped Megan change her life.

Eating Real Food

Megan changed her diet to focus on good protein and vegetables. “The first thing I did and probably the most important was to change my diet,” she says. “I prioritized protein and vegetables on my plate every meal, I ate lots of chicken, tuna, salmon, turkey. I ate lean beef, I ate tons of vegetables.”

Berries and Nuts

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Megan added lots of healthy berries, nuts, and complex carbs like sweet potatoes to her diet. She also enjoyed grains such as quinoa as part of her PCOS-friendly diet. “I ate like that for a long time,” she says.

RELATED: 7 Breakfast Ideas to Kickstart Your Metabolism

Technology Help

Megan used a food tracking app to make sure she wasn’t overeating. “I downloaded the free version of MyFitnessPal and started weighing and tracking my food,” she says. “Women with PCOS often don’t make enough of the hormone that tells your brain you’re full so you’re hungry all the time.”

Get a Food Scale

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Megan was shocked when she realized the portions she was eating were so much more than she thought. “I had tried just eating real foods without tracking my calories,” she says. “I overate even real foods so I overate.”

RELATED:I'm a Celebrity Trainer and This is What I Eat in a Week to Stay Healthy and Fit

30 Minutes a Day

Megan committed to at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. “Initially, I would do a lot of walking and jogging,” she says. “I also did free YouTube workout videos in my living room because I had three small boys, and alone time just wasn’t going to happen.”

Building Muscle

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Megan realized early on that the more muscle she had, the more calories she was burning. “Weight lifting became my number one form of exercise,” she says. “I thought I would hate it and it became my favorite. I would encourage you to at least try it.”

RELATED: 5 Sleeping Positions Destroying Your Posture Overnight – and 3 You Should Try

Calories and Protein

Megan counted calories to ensure she was in a deficit, and counted protein to make that deficit easier to handle. “You want to be able to lose weight without feeling ravenously hungry because the more hungry you are the more likely you are to overeat,” she says. Megan also counted protein to make sure she was building muscle while losing fat.

💪🔥Body Booster: Making sustainable changes will lead to long-term success.