A woman who lost 159 pounds shared how her diet changed before and after
Maria Kirkeland lost 159 pounds in two years by counting calories.
Kirkeland avoided hunger and maintained muscle by eating more protein and working out.
She made sustainable changes, such as swapping freezer fries for potatoes.
When Maria Kirkeland began the weight-loss journey that would see her lose 159 pounds over two years, she initially didn't change the foods she ate. She just changed the quantities.
By learning about calories — both what different foods contain and what her body needs — Kirkeland, 37, started losing weight sustainably.
Kirkeland, from Norway, told Business Insider that despite changing her diet, she didn't feel hungry during her weight-loss journey. She credited calorie counting with ensuring she was still eating enough.
Over time, Kirkeland changed the quality of her diet, eating more protein to help keep her feeling full and to maintain the muscle she was building after taking up strength training.
Crucially, Kirkeland was never overly restrictive. She didn't cut out any of her favorite foods entirely, and she took breaks from calorie counting while on vacations and over Christmas, she said. This ensured she never felt deprived and could stick to her healthy habits in the long run.
Her journey falls against a backdrop of changing attitudes toward weight loss as people increasingly reject fad diets and seek out healthy, sustainable methods. GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy have meanwhile helped dispel the myth that willpower alone is what determines a person's weight.
Kirkeland shared how her diet before starting her weight-loss journey compared with her diet now, 159 pounds lighter.
Swapping freezer fries for potatoes
Kirkeland said she didn't change her breakfast habits much. Most days, she eats two pieces of whole-grain bread with cottage cheese and low-sugar jam, while she previously had the bread with cheese and salami.
At lunchtime, Kirkeland would often buy salads in the work canteen that were heavy on the dressing. Now, she tends to cook at home and brings her lunches, such as a chicken salad or an omelet.
Dinnertime is where Kirkeland describes making the biggest change. She said that her portion sizes used to be "way out of control" and that she ate mostly foods from her freezer, such as large pizzas or half a big bag of fries.
Kirkeland said she's always preferred lean meats like chicken over steak. When buying ground beef, she added, she used to get the higher-fat pack but now opts for the leaner version.
While vegetables used to make rare appearances on Kirkeland's dinner plates before she lost weight, she now she eats them frequently, often alongside lean meats or fish and potatoes rather than fries.
"I feel like potatoes have been demonized throughout my youth, and I've just come to the conclusion that is some sort of weird thing from diet culture because potatoes are great," she said. "They're not very calorically dense, they're very filling, they're very satiating, and they're so nutrient-rich. I love potatoes. I eat them for almost every dinner I have."
Small snacks make portion control easier
Kirkeland said she used to snack a lot more throughout the day and would often eat a large chocolate bar in one go. She still enjoys something sweet after dinner but now tends to buy preportioned snacks, such as a bag of mini chocolate bars.
"I felt like I couldn't have any chips or chocolates in the house because I would always just binge on them between meals or eat to the point where I would replace meals with them," she said. "I'd eat a whole bag of chips as a meal, especially on the weekends when I didn't have work."
Kirkeland now follows a "take what you want but add what you need" approach, meaning she'll pair something less nutritious, such as chips, alongside other foods to make a more nutritionally balanced and satiating meal.
Read the original article on Business Insider
