This is a photo of me taken in October 2025. It was the trigger, a wake up call about just how much I had ballooned. That day, I actually sent it to my sister, in tears, saying I didn’t recognise myself.

She gave me words of encouragement as she always does, and the next day I started making small changes. My relationship with food, the amount of exercise I did weekly… Small steps (literally and figuratively!), but they all contributes to my weightloss journey. And believe it or not, the results were visible literally from the following month.

I’ve had moments of weakness, yes the weight does fluctuate and I can’t say I’m 100% there when it comes to food. But it’s a journey, a work in progress and you have to give your body the time and grace to adapt. It’s not so much about looks now but more so about health, wanting to live long and healthy.

Here’s what I did… to get

I reduce my portions

You’ve probably heard it all before. The importance of reducing your portions, and listening to your body telling you “I’m full”. It seems so simple, and yet this is the one step that changed everything for me. Less food on my plate meant less weight to worry about having to lose. Most of the time, I overate out of greed, not necessity. So reducing my portion definitely made a difference.

Pasta, chips, fried chicken, pizza… still absolutely fine to eat for dinner. I don’t necessarily deprive myself of my favourite meals. But those portions… they had to be cut in half! And so that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.

I skip breakfast

This is quite controversial, knowing many people consider breakfast to be the most important meal of the day. But since I used to crave bread a lot at breakfast, so skipping it altogether helped me lose weight. I don’t do intermittent fasting religiously (I used to), but I definitely do skip breakfast.

If I’m feeling very empty, I might have a cup of tea… but even that is quite rare. A few glasses of water usually fill me up and I can stay like this until about 12pm, when I have my first meal.

I opt for low calorie lunches

Boiled eggs have been my go-to lately. They’re about 70-75 calories each, they’re filling and they’re a great source of protein. I would usually pair them with brocoli, or a light salad, carrots or cucumber.

I know this sounds extremely restrictive and boring, but loaded salads no longer do it for me. The only diet that seems to work for me is the ones with minimal ingredients, no carbs, and no extra sauces/dressing etc.

I use the treadmill or exercise

…As often as I possibly can. I have a treadmill at home, so for me, there’s really no excuse. Even 30 minutes daily is attainable. I try as much as I can to get some steps in, especially on days when I’m working from home and not moving my body much.

I no longer get scared of stepping onto the scale

For a long time I avoided weighing myself, for fear that it would make me feel depressed and disappointed in myself if the numbers didn’t go down.

I recently changed my mindset when it comes to stepping onto the scale. Seeing the numbers actually helps. It helps me keep track of where I’m at, it motivates me to reach my target… and quite frankly, how would you know whether or not you’re losing the weight, if you are reluctant to face the numbers? It seems logical to me. My mother tells me she doesn’t weigh herself, she just relies on the size of her clothes… See, I couldn’t do that. I need to see the figures and take them all in, and work accordingly!

I cut down on sugar, snacks and treats

One thing that has helped my weightloss journey tremendously is to cut down on sugar, cakes, biscuits, crisps and other snacks. Nowadays if I want to snack, I would eat a fruit or a very low calorie savoury treat, such as a few pretzel, some crackers or nuts.

I bake a lot less than I used to, and I barely eat any bread. Bread was my biggest vice. These days, I only eat baguette at weekends. And probably about once a month.

And lastly… I reward myself

I’m a big believer in rewarding yourself for what you’ve achieved. So, yes, a slice of cake once in a while, for special occasions or when I’m out, is always a lovely treat to enjoy especially when I know I’ve made a lot of effort to eat healthy. A cheat meal at weekends. A couple of pastries on a Sunday morning, or a fry-up / brunch on Mother’s day. A slightly bigger plate than usual when I’m eating out… these are the small ways I reward myself, guilt-free.

And I love this for me!

If you’re on a similar journey of losing weight, stay motivated, stay strong and stay active. You’ve got this! Let me know in the comments what has helped you lose or maintain a healthy weight.