I lost 65 lbs by walking 10,000 steps a day – it’s changed my way of life, I even bring my own food to restaurants
A MOM has shed 65 pounds not with high-intensity workouts but by merely upping her daily step count.
She's adjusted her diet, too, and she got so set on her meal plan that she'll now bring her own food and condiments to restaurants.
She confessed that her weight spiraled after she developed a habit of indulging in whatever food she wanted, whenever she pleased.
The 38-year-old from Pennsylvania told The U.S. Sun that she’s had three weight loss journeys.
“The first one was because I just wanted to fit into a wedding dress,” she said.
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“And then once I proved to myself that I could do it and it was very easy, of course, I got pregnant.
“It was a mess. I gained a lot of weight and it didn't come off.
“Everyone said, ‘Oh, it just falls right off’ but it didn't work like that for me.
“When I came home after giving birth I was 205 pounds and I’m only 5-foot-3.
“I was even pumping and doing things for the baby but the weight still didn't come off.”
Kathleen transformed her body ahead of her wedding in 2013, after the birth of her son in 2018, and again after the birth of her daughter in 2020.
She has since managed to keep her weight at around 133 pounds.
She said her favorite meals are now grilled chicken Caesar salad, tomato basil cod, and chicken parmesan.
“I love tacos and burritos,” she said.
“You can eat everything, you just have to find a way to recreate the flavors in a way that your mind thinks you’re satisfying the craving.
“I make good choices and I stick to the foods that are low carb because I know that if I eat low carb I'll feel my best."
BYO-ANYTHING
She doesn't let fun nights out get in the way of her good habits.
“There's nothing worse than going out to eat or going on vacation and feeling like garbage because you're eating the wrong foods," she said.
“I never don't socialize because of the diet at all.
I weigh myself every morning without fail because then I can see the results of yesterday and know whether or not it worked.
Kathleen Hart
“I'll bring my own ketchup to restaurants. I'll bring my own tortillas for tacos or something like that.
“I’ll bring my own hamburger buns.
“I have no shame, no one is looking at me, no one cares.
“We think they are like, ‘Oh, someone's gonna see me take the ketchup out of my purse.’
STICKING TO IT
“I weigh myself every morning without fail because then I can see the results of yesterday and know whether or not it worked," she said.
Having stayed within a 5-pound weight range for the past few years, Kathleen said she’s now considering starting resistance training two to three times a week.
The weight loss and mindset coach confessed that previously thinking about doing gym workouts would’ve been “triggering” for her.
She advises anyone who wants to lose weight to get up and start walking before throwing themselves into an intense exercise regimen.
“You don't have to be perfect, just consistent,” she said.
“Figure out how many steps you're at right now and then make a goal that’s a little bit more than that.
“Don’t go too crazy. If you're only doing 2,000, don't try to jump up to 10,000.
“Just go up to 3,000 steps, do that for a couple of days, and ease yourself into it.
“Find your steps like I did and look at the benefits of everything that you're doing.
“Are you sleeping better and do your joints feel better?
“Is walking encouraging you to be healthy in other aspects of your life?
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“We want to fixate on the scale so much, but it's about so much more than that.
“Make a healthy lifestyle something that you can stick to and walking is a big part of that.”