The 7 Biggest Lessons That Helped Me Lose 49 Pounds in My Forties (And Actually Keep It Off)

What if losing weight didn’t have to be a fight you keep losing?

What if the real trick isn’t willpower, but a few hard-earned lessons that actually stick?

Friends, today is my birthday, and that always puts me in a reflective sort of mood.

So I’m taking a look back at my health journey over the past four years, and some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned along the way.

Because let me tell you, there’s definitely some stuff I wish I’d figured out sooner.

And no matter where you’re at in your health journey right now, these seven lessons might just change everything for you too.

As of today, I’m a 47-year-old woman who struggled with my weight and health for ten long years, failing at diet after diet, until I finally decided to take a radically different approach.

Instead of starting yet another diet, I started researching. And that’s when everything flipped.

I found out that basically everything I thought I knew about weight loss—what’s healthy, what’s not—was totally wrong. The real key to losing weight and keeping it off isn’t calories, it’s hormones.

So I changed my whole approach. And then I lost 49 pounds and kept it off.

Without dieting. Without Ozempic or any other weight loss drugs. And without making myself miserable.

And if you’re here, reading this, I bet you know that struggle too. The frustration of trying so hard, maybe dropping a few pounds, only to watch them creep back. The shame that sneaks in when you think it’s your fault. I lived that for over a decade, and it wore me down.

But four years ago, I cracked the code—not with drugs or starvation, but with real changes that healed my body. And honestly, sometimes I still have to pinch myself that this is real. That I finally did it. Because most days it still feels like a miracle.

And maybe I’m getting a little sappy here, but my birthday always does that to me. It makes me feel reflective.

That’s why today, this milestone makes me want to share what I’ve learned—because if it worked for me, it can work for you too. So let’s unpack the seven biggest lessons that got me here. They’re not quick fixes; they’re truths that last.

But real quick, before we dive in, if you’re new and curious about how I did this—or how you can start—be sure to check out my free training HERE. It’s called Healthy, Happy & Free, and it’s really good. I just revamped it to make it even better, so even if you’ve seen it before, you might want to watch it again. It lays out a 12-month plan to transform your health. No fluff, just what works.

Okay, with that out of the way, let’s dig into the seven biggest lessons I’ve learned over the past four years that helped me lose 49 pounds in my forties—and actually keep it off.

Lesson 1: It’s Not Your Fault—But You Can Fix It

You know that little voice that says you’re weak because you can’t stick to a diet? I had it too.

For so many years, I blamed myself and my own lack of willpower for letting my weight spiral out of control.

Because it wasn’t like I hadn’t tried to lose weight. I literally tried everything. Green smoothies. Juice cleanses. Meal delivery services. Going vegan. Weight Watchers. The F-Factor. Cabbage soup.

And every time I’d fail at yet another diet, I’d feel more and more ashamed. Why couldn’t I fix this? I’m not a lazy person. I’m not unmotivated. It wasn’t like I wasn’t trying.

But here’s the truth: it wasn’t my fault.

And it’s not yours either.

We’ve been fed lie after lie after lie by the diet industry, Big Food, Big Pharma, and all the experts who are supposed to be telling us the right thing to do.

It’s all basically the same bullshit: eat less and exercise more. Calories in, calories out.

But what no one’s talking about is what’s actually going on.

That the food you’re eating—even the so-called “healthy” stuff that’s low in calories—is loaded with sugar and processed garbage, which is wreaking havoc on your hormones. It’s jacking up your insulin, which throws all your other hormones out of whack.

And when your hormones are messed up, your body cannot burn fat. It can only store it. It doesn’t matter how little you eat.

That’s why you’re stuck—not because you’re weak.

Here’s the good news: you can fix it.

But you have to stop blaming yourself and recognize the real villain in this story.

Once I stopped beating myself up and started digging into the research, I saw the problem with insane clarity: sugar, processed crap, hormonal chaos.

So I stopped dieting, committed to cutting out sugar, and just focused on healing.

And after failing at diets for 10 years, the weight started dropping. Just like that.

The truth is, you’re not broken; you’ve just been misled.

To me, knowing that changes everything. It’s so freeing. It’s not about guilt—it’s about taking back control. You’ve got that power too. So that’s lesson number one.

Lesson 2: Fat Is NOT the Enemy

And this one’s pretty tied to lesson number one, but if you’re a child of the ‘80s and ‘90s like me, it’s a huge paradigm shift. One that takes a lifetime of unlearning.

Because I used to think fat was really bad. So I’d always choose low-fat everything—skim milk, low-fat margarine, you name it—all in the name of cutting calories and getting healthy.

Meanwhile, I was chugging green smoothies and starting my day with Special K Red Berries cereal, totally blind to the sugar bomb I was dropping on my body.

Turns out, sugar’s the real poison. It spikes insulin, locks fat in, and keeps you hungry.

I was a vegetarian for 28 years, which meant my diet was almost entirely carbs and fake meat products. And then I wondered why I felt so awful and couldn’t lose weight. Spoiler: it was the sugar.

But when I ditched the sugar and started loading up on healthy fat instead, it was a total game-changer. My cravings faded, my energy soared, and my weight started to drop off.

And now I know it’s because healthy fat is essential for regulating your hormones. It’s what keeps them stable and activates your metabolism.

It sounds so counterintuitive, but adding fat is actually what helps you burn fat.

I eat butter, olive oil, full-fat dairy, avocados—stuff I used to avoid like the plague. And it’s kept me at 152 pounds for years now.

Bottom line: fat’s not your enemy; it’s your fuel. I wish I’d figured that out a whole lot sooner. So that’s lesson number two.

Lesson 3: Protein Is Your Secret Weapon

Because the truth is, fat alone wasn’t enough for me—though I didn’t figure that out right away.

At first, just cutting out sugar and getting more healthy fat seemed to be all my body needed. I lost 25 pounds and was feeling great.

But then, four months in, I hit a wall. The scale wouldn’t budge, and I was frustrated.

So I started doing more research. And I had a huge aha moment.

I realized I wasn’t getting nearly enough protein, and my body was rebelling as a result—probably because I was deficient in all sorts of essential vitamins and minerals that you can only get from meat.

And so, after 28 years as a vegetarian, I took a huge leap and decided to start eating meat.

Not one to do anything half-assed, I had my husband Chuck and some friends take me to a Brazilian steakhouse. You know, those places where they walk around with big hunks of meat and cut it onto your plate? Sounds crazy, right?

But it was amazing. I ate every meat they served. And I felt absolutely invincible.

More importantly, that shift broke my plateau. The last 15 pounds came off, and I’ve been hooked on meat ever since.

The reality is, protein not only builds muscle, it keeps you full and powers your metabolism. It’s also the most nutrient-dense food you can eat. I’d been missing it—maybe you are too.

Now it’s my staple at every single meal. My goal every day is a minimum of 100 grams of protein, and I’ve never felt better.

So start getting a lot more protein. It’s the push that gets you past the wall. Trust me on this one.

Lesson 4: Healing Beats Dieting Every Time

I don’t know about you, but I’m an instant gratification kinda gal. I hate waiting. I want results, and I want them now.

So I was a total sucker for every fad diet that came along. The quicker the promised results, the more enthusiastic I was. Ten pounds in ten days? Sign me up.

I’d basically starve myself, dramatically cutting calories and trying to convince myself that a gallon of water was keeping me full.

And sometimes I’d lose a little weight. Five pounds here. Ten pounds there.

But the problem was, it was always a short-term fix.

It wasn’t sustainable. I’d stay miserable for as many days as I could take it, then give up and start binging on everything I could find.

And since the only weight I’d lost was water weight—and probably some lean muscle from the lack of nutrients—I’d inevitably gain it all back, and then some.

But at 43, after doing all the research, I changed my approach. I realized dieting was counterproductive because it wasn’t sustainable.

If I really wanted to lose weight for good—to actually keep it off—I needed a way of eating I could stick with for life. I needed to heal my body with a different kind of lifestyle.

So I stopped counting calories and started healing. I focused on reversing insulin resistance, fixing my gut, and balancing my hormones.

I learned how real food—meat, healthy fat, veggies—makes my body feel good, and how eating crap actually makes me feel like crap.

I stopped obsessing over the scale and trusted the process, without some unrealistic timeline attached to it.

And yet, in six months, I dropped 40 pounds.

Four years later, I’m down a total of 49 pounds and steady at 152. That’s what healing does.

I never think about how much I eat now or if I’m going overboard on calories. I eat until I’m full. Always. But I eat to nourish and heal my body most of the time.

I crave the foods that make me feel good and make my body strong.

You don’t need another diet; you need to heal. Restriction fails; nourishing your body works. So eat what fuels you. That’s lesson number four.

Lesson 5: Consistency Trumps Perfection

I used to think I had to be perfect. Every meal, every day—flawless.

One slip, and I’d spiral. “I blew it,” I’d think, and give up.

But perfection’s a myth. When I started this journey in 2021, I wasn’t flawless. Not even close.

In fact, I cringe a little now at some of the food I used to eat. In the beginning, I was only worried about cutting sugar and getting more fat.

I ate all sorts of processed garbage that said “keto” on the package. I ate way more cheese than I probably should have.

I didn’t yet understand how important it was to ditch seed oils and toxic processed ingredients, or how much better I’d feel with whole, nutrient-dense foods and healthy fats.

It was a journey. It’s still a journey.

Over the past four years, I’ve had plenty of “slip-ups,” if you want to call them that. I go on vacation and eat out every day. I drink beer sometimes—not even the low-carb kind.

At Christmas, I bake cookies and treats with my kids. Yes, with real sugar. On Thanksgiving, I eat real stuffing and mashed potatoes. And I savor every mouthful.

So what’s the difference now? I don’t quit just because I stumble.

In fact, I don’t even consider it a stumble. I consider it a choice.

Most of the time, I choose to eat healthy, whole, nutrient-dense foods that are low in sugar and high in protein and healthy fat. It’s how I cook for my family—it makes us all feel good.

But there are moments when I choose to enjoy that piece of pie, those mashed potatoes, or the brownie my daughter made. Without guilt. Without spiraling. Without going off the rails.

Consistency, not perfection, helped me lose 49 pounds and keep it off. You don’t have to be flawless either.

Slip-ups happen. What matters is you keep showing up.

Focus on the big picture—real food, steady habits. That’s how you get there.

It’s not all-or-nothing. It’s just keeping at it.

Lesson 6: It’s About FREEDOM, Not Weight Loss

And I’ll admit—I started this journey four years ago for no other reason than I wanted to be thinner.

When I hit 201 pounds, it was a wake-up call for me. It was the most I’d ever weighed, even more than at nine months pregnant with either of my kids. I weighed more than my husband, and that felt mortifying.

I didn’t really care about being healthy. I just didn’t want to be fat anymore. And I’ll be honest, I probably would’ve paid any amount of money to fix the problem.

I seriously looked into liposuction. If Ozempic had been an option four years ago, I would’ve been first in line.

It took actually getting healthy to realize what I wish I’d understood from the beginning.

That healing your body is freedom.

When you reverse insulin resistance, balance your hormones, and heal your gut, you unlock a freedom I don’t think I ever realized was possible.

Yes, you lose the weight, and that’s awesome, but it’s really not even about that.

It’s the freedom to look and feel your absolute best. It’s the freedom to not obsess about food or be in a permanent shame spiral.

It’s freedom from food addictions and cravings. It’s freedom of time and energy.

It’s the freedom to walk into a store, try on dresses, and feel amazing—not ashamed. It’s the freedom to live your life to the absolute fullest, because your weight isn’t holding you back.

It’s metabolic flexibility. It’s knowing your body is working the way it should, the way it was designed to work. It’s just feeling good.

Honestly, I’m at a point now where I don’t have to think about how I’ll maintain my progress.

This is just the way I live.

I have lots of healthy habits that keep me on track—things like walking outside every morning and planning my meals on the weekend.

And that gives me the freedom to feel confident in a bikini, to sip cocktails with friends and not think about it, to go out to the Alva diner and order that slice of homemade pie. That’s the win.

A life where food fits, not rules. Where I’m not controlled by cravings or guilt.

So believe me when I tell you that you’re not just chasing a number; you’re chasing freedom. Heal your body—insulin, gut, hormones—and you’ll get there.

Imagine not obsessing over food all day. Not feeling that pull to eat junk just because it’s there.

Just living—vibrant, confident, you. That’s what I want for you. It’s closer than you think.

So that’s lesson number six.

Lesson 7: Trust Your Body—It Knows What It Needs

For so many years, I punished my body for not being what I wanted it to be.

I ignored my hunger and endured tasteless, low-cal meals that always left me wanting more. I thought working out meant I had to suffer, which usually meant hours on the treadmill or elliptical.

I’d constantly override my body, thinking I knew better.

Big mistake.

Because inevitably I’d eat a salad, even though I hate salads, and be ravenous an hour later, raiding the pantry for chips. It was a losing battle.

When I started listening—eating when hungry, stopping when full—everything clicked.

Sometimes people ask me about intermittent fasting, but honestly, I’m not a big fan of trying to stick to a rigid schedule. Because sometimes your body needs food, and sometimes it doesn’t.

You’re so much better off learning how to listen, rather than trying to dictate a result you can’t actually control.

And it’s taken me a long time to learn that, but it’s what works.

Some days I eat three full meals and snacks in between; other days I don’t even think about food until dinner, but then I end up eating a giant steak.

There’s no clocks and no rules. Just me and my body in sync. And ultimately, it’s what’s kept me steady at 152 pounds without effort.

I now trust my body to tell me when I need fuel—and what kind. Steak over sugar? Yes, please.

Your body’s smart too. Trust it.

Feed it real food, not junk, and it’ll tell you what it needs. Stop fighting it with diets.

Start listening. That’s when the magic happens. And that’s lesson number seven.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it—seven lessons from four years of this health journey, hitting me hard as I turn 47.

It’s not your fault, but you can fix it. Fat’s not the enemy. Protein is key. Healing beats dieting. Consistency wins. Freedom’s the goal. And your body knows best.

They’re lessons that are simple in theory, but hard-fought in practice. And they take a lot of reinforcement and repetition before you’ll actually learn them for good.

That’s where my TAS program can help, and it’s such a game-changer. If you want to find out more about how it works and how you can get started, go watch my free training HERE.

It’s your first step to this life.