I Combined The 80-20 Rule, A Low-Glycemic Diet, And Intermittent Fasting To Lose 240 Pounds

My name is Erin McMichael and I’m a 38-year-old woman living in California. I lost 220 pounds over the course of 6 months using The Shrink Diet, a low-glycemic diet, and intermittent fasting.

Food is an important part of any successful weight loss program, but if you want to be successful, you have to make changes to your lifestyle. The first step is a change in your mindset, then you’ll need to decide on how to implement healthy eating habits into your life.

It’s a cliche, but I tried everything to lose weight. I just couldn’t seem to stick with anything, and I couldn’t understand why. I would lose some weight, and then give up when it got too hard or I didn’t see the results I wanted.

I wouldn’t dare cheat on my diet, and would be extremely disappointed if I ever did. Through years of trial and error, I’ve figured out what foods I need to eat to be healthy. This is the perfect time to make your health a priority.

I also struggled with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and had a few hormonal issues to figure out. It’s no fun when it feels like your body is working against you. At 33, I hit my highest weight of 402 pounds.

Being 402 pounds came with health disadvantages. My body hurt all the time, I never felt comfortable, I had no sex drive or motivation, and I couldn’t move well.

Losing 102 pounds and getting down to 322 pounds came with many health disadvantages. My body hurt all the time, I never felt comfortable, I had no sex drive, and I couldn’t move well.

My husband told me that I was spending too much time trying to be supermom. “Just do your own thing,” he said, “instead of being stressed out about what everyone else needs.” He was right.

I abused myself with food, and I lost myself in the process.

My turning point came on May 15, 2018.

I had a major breakthrough a few weeks ago. I was with my kids at a clothing store. I wasn’t finding the kind of clothes I wanted, and I started crying. It was really upsetting.

On my way home, I made a commitment to myself not to feel this way again. I asked myself what if this time I didn’t give up? I decided that I was going to start and keep going no matter what! And I did.

I started by identifying anything in my daily eating habits that wasn’t supporting my health goals.

I started by identifying any foods or drinks I was consuming that weren’t supporting my health goals. I worked steadily at making better choices for myself. When I started my journey, I knew very little about nutrition.

But I knew that I could learn. I knew that I could get into shape if I was intentional about it. Small changes over time led to big results.

It’s so important to me that I never run out of ingredients. Meal planning and prep are a must for success.

Fixing my relationship with food is one of my main goals.

I try to stick to a diet that’s balanced, containing a good variety of carbs, moderate protein, and low fats. I eat 6 meals per day in a small eating window from 12 p.m.

Don’t cut out entire food groups when you’re trying to lose weight. Try having healthy portions of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein instead.

Here’s what I eat in a day now.

Morning: Coffee and water

Break-my-fast (12 to 1 p.m.): Chicken salad on a low-carb wrap with veggie soup

Second meal (3 to 4 p.m.): Chocolate PB protein shake, berries, and almonds

Third meal (5 p.m.): Turkey and cheese pinwheels with mustard and Everything but The Bagel Sesame Seasoning

Fourth meal: Turkey meatloaf made with sugar-free ketchup, loaded mashed cauliflower, and a side salad

Snack: Ranch sunflower seeds and cherry Coke Zero (balance!)

I started by slowly focusing on moving my body more than I had been previously.

I began by focussing on moving my body more than I had before. I can’t stress enough the importance of beginning from where you are and working your way up. When I first started, I tried to do way too much too fast, and I remember feeling so burned out all the time.

Everything was hurting so badly, but this process helped me get over the shame that I felt. I met friends and learned a ton in the gym, so it was a real growth experience for me.

Shrinkage! My journey of life, body, and purpose has been a constant struggle to find a healthy balance of food and exercise to achieve a lifestyle that’s good for my soul.

They include hiking, dancing, and body weight exercises (squats, handstands, push-ups, sit-ups), and I remind myself that it’s a privilege to be able to move my body, and I only get one so I should take care of it.

These three changes have led to my weight loss success.

Three changes to my lifestyle led to my weight loss success. I found the 80-20 nutrition plan. It made it easy to eat well and eat better each day without feeling like I’m depriving myself or compromising my nutrition goals.

You know what it takes to succeed? Planning and following through. That’s what I teach my clients, and it’s what I will teach you. Creating a daily schedule and following that plan is critical.

I’ve had enough of the “on the journey/off the journey” mentality. I’m making a commitment to live life, to make a difference, and to love unconditionally for the rest of my life.

It’s important to remember that, no matter how many positive changes we make to our diet, exercise, and lifestyle, we are still building into our life.

I’ve been doing this for a long time, so I’ve had to have that mentality. When I say that it has made me accountable, it really has.

When I started on my journey, I asked myself, “What if this is the time I don’t give up?” And what if this was the time I actually did it?

What if you never got tired? Every day you committed to pushing yourself further than the day before and if you did, what if you achieved more than you thought possible.

I have lost 240 pounds in three years and nine months.

Since I’ve lost 240 pounds in three years and nine months, I will be having a lower body lift in November 2022.

After several years of losing weight and getting more confident about myself, this is the day I’ve been waiting for. I’m excited to get out of the old body and into the new one.

The weight loss is the *last* thing I celebrate in my journey.

In my journey, I am most proud of who I have become. It’s not the weight I have lost, but who I have grown into – a better person for it. And that’s my biggest reward. I’m happy, not because of the weight I have lost, but because of the person I have become.The new head of the U.S.

My whole life is different now. I am a healthy, balanced mom. I am a mom who’s patient, fun, and loves to give her kids things. I’m a good friend. I can go hiking, jump off cliffs, and be raw and vulnerable. I’m really there for my friends.

I am the wife that can be fun, silly, sexy, playful, and can let her husband fully love her because she finally loves herself.