Sydney Lost 114 Pounds Eating the Same 3 Meals Every Week and Working Out 6 Times a Week

Sydney shared with POPSUGAR, "I have always struggled with weight and body image since I was young. My first memory of my body is a pair of size 13 jeans in seventh grade on the first day of public school that I had worked really hard to fit into that Summer by attending Weight Watchers with my mom." The next diet she remembers was junior year of high school, where she went to a clinic with her dad every week to get weighed in. "From there, a life of up and down dieting spiraled," Sydney said.

She graduated college and moved back home to start working before she turned 21. She had worked her last year of college to lose weight, had her first full-time job, and catapulted herself into her career headfirst. She was working more than 80-hour weeks, constantly on the road, travelling or on site for work, and had an extremely poor diet.

"My entire life I have been extremely capable, self-sufficient, and a goal-oriented individual. I'm an achiever. For as long as I can remember, I've taken on as much responsibility as my plate can possibly handle and then some," Sydney said.

She was always taking care of everyone else and stopped taking care of herself. She said, "I was so consumed with making everyone else in my life happy, and the growth and success of my career, that I completely lost myself, and that's when the significant gain occurred."

Running the Disney Princess Half Marathon for the first time in 2017 was a major accomplishment for Sydney. In 2010, she volunteered at the race, handing out all the race numbers, helping all the registrants get their materials ahead of time at the Expo, etc., and she remembers thinking what a dream come true it would be to run that race. But at the time, she couldn't even fathom that being an option.

Fast forward to 2017, and after she started losing weight and working out, there was a single, obvious goal. "I thought about that Princess Race more than I probably should even admit the last seven years," Sydney said. After six months in the gym, she registered for the Disney Princess Half Marathon that would take place in February 2018. "I was totally not ready or equipped at the time, but it gave me a clear goal to work toward, and to me was the absolute pinnacle of any sort of achievement in my mind," she shared.

Sydney trained and worked her butt off. "I literally cried for three entire days leading up to the race. My legs were uncontrollably shaking when I walked into the race expo to get my bib and I looked at the volunteer on the other side of the counter — the same place I had been sitting eight years earlier. I cried the morning of and at the start line. It was the most emotional weekend of my life, I think. I could not get a grip. I was so nervous — but I did it. I ran the race I had dreamed about for over eight years and achieved the goal of all goals."

There are lots of non-number-related goals Sydney had when she started losing weight that have felt great to make a reality. Things like not being afraid if the seatbelt on the plane would buckle when she was travelling for work, sitting cross-legged on the floor, and being able to wrap a regular-size bath towel around her body.

Here are some of the largest takeaways Sydney has had from her journey through weight loss:

She realised that you don't become overweight just because. Being overweight or fat is not the problem; it's a symptom of a greater issue. In order to lose weight, you've got to address the problem itself and get to the root of what is really causing the issue. What is making you unhappy in your life? What are you spending too much time on instead of yourself? What is making you emotionally eat? She said, "Solve the inner puzzle, and it will be the key to weight-loss success."

She added, surround yourself with positive, like-minded people and a team of experts (a therapist, personal trainer, dietitian, etc.) who will teach and support you in your journey. Join a group training community, exchange meal-prep recipes with friends, and hold each other accountable. Start a lunchtime walking group at your office.

"I am fortunate enough to have an entire team of experts that have led me through this journey and helped me find my way. You don't innately know how to ride a bike when you are young. You are taught this skill and have to practice over time, eventually ditching the training wheels and flying solo," Sydney said. She added: accept help from experts in their fields who can teach you how to properly move your body, manage your emotions, and consume the foods that will fuel your body if it's something you've never learned.

Be mindful of what's in front of your face every day. "Create a vision board and hang it on your fridge so you can visibly see what you are working toward," Sydney said. You can curate your Instagram and social media feeds and fill them with healthy recipes, weight-loss inspiration, fitness, and goal-oriented messageing to motivate and inspire you. Cut out negative or toxic people if they aren't willing to support you. "Be diligent about what you are seeing, reading, doing, and posting on a daily basis," Sydney said.

Most importantly, be kind to yourself and have patience. Remember that weight loss is not linear, and "it's a journey that will challenge you in ways you could never imagine. Accept that life happens and that doing the best you can is sometimes all that you can do." She added that it might be a slow progression, but if you remain steadfast in your goals and run your own race, you will cross the finish line.