Ate age 25, Michell Clifford (@michellelizabeth_c on Instagram) had reached 253 pounds. She had become addicted to fast food, and ate out at least five times a week. Now age 30, find out how she was able to lose over 100 pounds in three years naturally, without surgery, and while still enjoying carbs.
Growing up, Michell didn't enjoy working out, especially running. She was never enrolled in any sports and dreaded her PE classes. In her early 20s, she began going out more and partying, and said she became careless about the food she was eating. She said, "I eventually became addicted to fast food, eating out at least five days out of the week." Michell attempted to lose weight many times by going on low-carb diets. She even lost 20 pounds at one point but gained it all back, plus an extra 15 pounds.
Michell began her weight-loss journey in November 2013, at age 25, and at 253 pounds. Two reasons inspired her to get serious about losing weight. One was her physical health, because about two years earlier, she had been diagnosed with high cholesterol. "My cholesterol levels were three times higher than the normal range," Michell said.
The other reason was for her mental health. "I was depressed and didn't recognise the person I had become. I didn't want to feel tired all the time," Michell said. She also wanted results that would last, so she knew whatever changes she made would have to be for the rest of her life. It took her about three years to lose 108 pounds. "The first year I lost around 60 pounds. After that year I decided to go back to college and the weight came off slowly after that," Michell said.
Michell said, "I didn't want to follow any specific diet because I had done that many times in the past. I wanted to start a diet that I could enjoy for the rest of my life." She decided to eat as much fruit and vegetables as possible, along with lean protein like chicken, turkey, or fish. Eventually, she started incorporating more plant-based meals and less meat.
She didn't want to eliminate carbohydrates as she had done in the past, so she ate more whole grains like brown rice, oats, wheat bread, and quinoa. After a month, she began meal prepping her lunch and sometimes breakfast, and she also measured out her portions of meat and whole grains. "Eventually, I decided to count my calories and found that I was eating around 1,800 to 1,900 calories. I didn't continue to count calories or macros because it was too time consuming for me," Michell shared, "but it helped to open my eyes to how much I really was consuming."
Here's an example of what Michell eats in a day:
Breakfast: either a smoothie, overnight oats, or nondairy yoghurt parfait
Lunch: brown rice with chicken and vegetables like broccolini or asparagus
Dinner: large bowl of salad with a side of fish like salmon or cod, and roasted baby potatoes
Snacks: trail mix, fruit, hummus with either chips or veggies, or a protein bar
In the beginning, Michell started by working out three times a week at the gym. She slowly worked herself up to five days a week, doing both cardio and weightlifting. As her work and school schedule changed, she began to go to the gym less frequently, around three to four times a week, but she tried to incorporate being more active into her daily life. She made sure to go on more walks when she had time, and sometimes did a quick 20- or 30-minute workout at home if she was short on time.
Here are a few of the non-scale victories Michell experienced:
Michell finds motivation by looking back at what she's accomplished so far. She remembers how she used to feel and never wants to go back to that again. Michell also shared that "seeing other people reach their goals inspires me to try harder and do better." She added that setting smaller goals that lead her to accomplishing larger goals has also helped a lot.
If you're on your own weight-loss journey, Michell has some advice to share. She said, "Don't think about how far away your goal weight is. Don't worry about how long it will take. Focus on what you can do today or tomorrow."
Michell added that when you fall short and screw up, it's OK because we all do. Tomorrow is another opportunity to get it right. Also, "Don't say you messed up, so now you need to wait until next week to begin again, because next week will turn into next month, next year, and so on."
One last piece of advice Michell wants to share is to step out of your comfort zone and try new things, and that includes trying new foods. Start cooking and trying different healthy recipes. She said that when you enjoy the meals you've made, it becomes a lot easier to stick to your diet.
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