Woman Reveals How She Lost 80lbs In 8 Months While Eating Favorite Foods

Losing weight takes time and dedication, but most of all, it requires discipline. The hard work doesn't stop once you reach your goal, you have to work just as hard to maintain it. It's estimated that about 80 percent of people who have lost a significant amount of body fat will not maintain their shape for more than 12 months.

One woman who is dedicated to maintaining her weight loss is Caylee Cooper, from Oregon. After years of failed diets and feeling insecure about her body, the bodybuilder lost over 80 pounds in less than 8 months, and she didn't even have to sacrifice any of her favorite foods during her weight loss journey.

Cooper told Newsweek that after trying several times to lose weight unsuccessfully, things changed last May, when her friend challenged her to a viral 75-day fitness challenge, where she had to exercise twice a day and drink a gallon of water, which gave her enough discipline to start her own diet afterwards.

She said: "For this challenge, you have to take a photo every day and read 10 pages of a self-help book as well, and if you fail, you have to restart. So if you miss any one of the tasks, you have to restart from day one again. For me, my problem was always that I lacked consistency and discipline. I didn't mind working out and I would always go on these diets, but I would never continue with it, I would always fall off."

After successfully completing her viral challenge, Cooper decided to keep going, to finally reach the shape she'd desired all her life. So, helped by her personal trainer, she started a new workout routine, and a new diet that didn't exclude any of the foods she enjoys eating, making it easier for her to keep focused on her goal.

She said: "My trainer put me on what's called a macro plan, where you keep count of all the nutrients you have throughout the day. You can use any kind of app like My Fitness Pal, where you put your food in, or you can even scan the barcode, and it'll count your macros for you, and by the end of the day, it'll give you a list of how much you've had.

"For instance, [my personal trainer] started me off on 180 grams of protein a day, 160 grams of carbs a day, and 60 grams of fat a day. So I pretty much could eat what I wanted to eat as long as by the end of the day I hit those numbers."

When counting macros, or even calories, whether your portions are big or small, depends mostly on the foods your choose to eat, because 100 grams of kale doesn't have the same nutritional value as the same amount of cake.

"It's just about balancing the healthy amount of all of the right foods," Cooper said, "if you choose a cupcake it's going to have a lot of fat compared to an avocado which means you'll just have to eat a smaller portion if it makes sense.

She added: "I had to weigh all of the food to make sure that everything was within the right numbers, and I think that's the mistake that a lot of people make, they don't think about proportions, I never did. So it's just about knowing what an actual serving is and not overindulging. But I ate six meals a day, all throughout the day, and I was never at a point where I felt hungry by any means, if anything, it was just kind of craving bad foods that I wanted to have."

And when she did crave junk food, Cooper allowed herself to have it in smaller amounts, or in a healthier version, this way she wouldn't feel completely left out or overwhelmed by her diet.

"If I was craving a cheeseburger really bad, I could go and I could grab a few healthier options and make one and I could still eat it and it was fine, so it was helpful with all of those cravings. I was allowed to give myself a little taste of what I wanted, and it was satisfying. If you really want a cupcake you get a mini one instead."

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How to Count Macros, And Does It Really Work?

According to Tara Bassi, nutritionist and health writer at the Botanical Institute, counting macros is a better version of the old-school way of counting calories, because it promotes consuming a healthy balance of all the macronutrients your body needs, and is specifically based on the individual.

She said: "Counting macros is a good option if you want to make sure you are eating a sufficient amount and meeting your macronutrients based on your specific health goals, such as muscle building, weight loss, or weight gain.

"For instance, if you are aiming to build muscle mass, you may have a greater need for protein, therefore counting your macros can help you reach this goal."

However, she warned that counting macros may not be for everyone, because it involves weighing and measuring every ounce of food that you consume, so it may not be ideal for individuals that have an unhealthy relationship with food, as it can lead to food fixation.

"There are better dietary approaches for this, such as focusing on food quality and or elimination diets," she added.

According to Medical News Today, there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to counting macros, in fact, every person needs a different amount of nutrients, based on their age, weight range, sex, and level of activity of the individual. It suggests that counting macros has some benefits like preventing health conditions, including diabetes and cardiovascular conditions, and that it helps people maintain a moderate weight and reach fitness goals.

But while some people may benefit from macro counting, others, such as those with a history of eating disorders should avoid this practice, as it may lead to further disordered eating.

'My Personal Trainer Did Not Believe In Me at All'

Another important aspect of Cooper's weight-loss journey was the emotional support she received from her friends and family, and most of all from her partner with whom she regularly works out, and who encourages her every day to give her best.

"I've been really unhappy with myself like my whole life. I was bullied in school and as a result, I was just always extremely insecure. After completing my challenge, I kind of re-analyzed the people in my life and the energy that was around me and I realized it was a little bit of a toxic situation for me. Personally, I wasn't getting the positive reassurance that I knew worked best for me, it was kind of like a tough love situation.

"I tried so hard that all my friends and family were so used to me being like 'Oh yeah, I'm doing this diet' and then it turns out the same way every time. It wasn't that they weren't supportive, it felt like they didn't believe in me. My trainer did not believe in me at all, so I decided to hire somebody new, and as soon as I hired her, all of a sudden and she just pushed me and encouraged me and she kept me on track."

'My Next Challenge Is to Prep For a Bodybuilding Competition'

After eight months of sacrifice and hard work, Cooper achieved her goal and she almost can't believe she finally got her dream body. Motivated by her results, she has now taken on another, even bigger challenge, a bodybuilding competition.

"I always dreamt of doing it. Now I'm in prep for a bodybuilding competition in 10 weeks, so it's a little bit more intense right now than it was at the beginning of my journey because I wasn't in prep for the bodybuilding competition.

"I lift weights five days a week, and we do three lower body days and two upper body days, then I do cardio six days a week. It isn't more of an extreme thing to do for a few weeks, it's not something that I think people need to do to have these results or anything like that, This is something that I personally need to do to achieve the goals that I have now."

"Once it's done, we'll slowly take away the cardio that I'm doing right now, and then slowly add more and more food back into my diet. But like I said, I only went to that extreme because of the competition, I didn't do that during this weight loss. You don't need to do that!"