A 31-year-old woman lost 150lbs in a year after writing a ‘to do’ list to live her life to the fullest. Despite being active throughout her childhood, it was when Amber went to college that she started to put on weight due to struggling with her mental health.
As a form of escapism from reality, Amber would play video games, eat junk food and watch TV. At her heaviest, she weighed over 300lbs.
The turning point came when Amber wrote a ‘to do’ list in the hope that it may help her find joy in living her life. In a year, she lost 150lbs and now balances gaming with her fitness regime.
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"I didn't really do much of anything," said Amber. "I just wanted to stay in the house and play video games. I would sit on Facebook and scroll, and just hate my life.
"There was a moment where I couldn't live any further. I decided I would change everything, starting by writing a list of everything I always dreamed of doing."
Our takeaway? Amber began developing her weight loss regime by "taking big goals and breaking them down into smaller ones, and just taking it easy on myself. Not overthinking, and not expecting myself to be perfect all the time."
Maintaining a positive outlook, being forgiving and practicing self-love are almost as important as the exercising and dietary components of weight loss. A study in the journal Obesity found people who practiced self-kindness were more likely to keep weight off, as they were less likely to give up on their weight loss programmes after a setback.
Amber eventually found a balance between gaming and a healthy lifestyle. You don't have to give up the things you love to stay healthy, whether it's a favourite food or a sedentary hobby, but just enjoy them in moderation.
"Prepare to fail," added Amber. "Just knowing 'hey, this is probably going to happen' and planning for it in advance helps. You're a human being: just be easy on yourself."
More weight loss resources:
- Mediterranean diet plan: What is it and is it right for you?
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- Best exercise machines to lose weight
Matt Evans is an experienced health and fitness journalist and Staff Writer at Fit&Well. He's previously written for titles like Men's Health, and covers all things exercise and nutrition on the Fit&Well website.
Matt originally discovered exercise through martial arts: he holds a black belt in Karate and remains a keen kickboxer and runner. His top fitness tip? Stretch.
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