‘I Learned To Plan Meals With WW\u2014And Logged Them On iTrackBites\u2014To Lose 80 Pounds’

My name is Abigail Miller (@findingabs11), and I’m 28 years old. I live outside of Nashville and work for a health care corporation. I struggled with my weight my whole life until I started Weight Watchers (WW) and food tracking with iTrackBites, and began to understand portion sizes. I’ve lost 80 pounds with my new eating style and indoor cycling at CycleBar.

I was overweight basically my entire life, starting when I was in kindergarten. I had tried to lose weight so many times before but was never fully committed to it. I always had the mindset that you have to eat baked chicken and green beans and brown rice to lose weight, which I could do for about a day before I was absolutely over it.

I knew once I got married that I truly wanted to focus on myself and my health so that I could be better for my husband and hopefully children in the future.

I wanted to be a mom, and I knew that my weight could hold my back from that.

At an appointment with my ob-gyn, I was told that my weight would make pregnancy very difficult. And *if* I were to get pregnant at that weight, I would likely have complications and would be considered high risk.

So I made a commitment to myself in March 2019…and something finally clicked.

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I started on WW (previously Weight Watchers) at the recommendation from my doctor.

She said it was a great program that really teaches you more about food and nutrients, as opposed to just eating what I thought was “healthy” (like green beans and chicken and brown rice). She was totally right.

I recently switched to using the iTrackBites app because the premise of the program is relatively the same as what you learn via WW, but I can also see my calories and macros as opposed to just equating food with points.

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Food tracking and meal planning with iTrackBites works for me because I can pretty much make anything work food-wise. I have learned how to make some of my favorite things in a lightened-up way.

But I have also learned that I don’t have to lighten up everything I make! I can have real pasta and cookies, just in moderation, which was something that was so difficult for me before. I used to eat however much of whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I still eat what I want, but I’m conscious of how much I’m eating. I listen to my hunger cues and don’t just stuff my face because I’m so full.

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Here’s what I eat in a day.

• Breakfast: Chocolate, peanut butter, and banana overnight oats, two boiled eggs, or a Light & Fit Greek yogurt and a 1/2 cup of fresh pineapple
• Lunch: Three beef tacos (4 oz. of meat) with Mission thin corn tortillas, a ¼ cup light Mexican cheese, and toppings (onion, lettuce, tomato), with a side of corn

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• Snacks: I’m not much of a snacker, but I will sometimes have a protein bar if I’m feeling hungry after working out or before dinner
• Dinner: Chicken Caesar wrap with smashed potatoes
• Dessert: Chocolate rice cake with three big marshmallows on top, microwaved for 15 seconds

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I did not start exercising right at the beginning of my weight-loss journey.

I started with changing my eating habits. Then I started walking around my neighborhood a few nights a week with my husband. I lost about 25 pounds before my weight loss stalled a little. That’s when I figured I should throw more exercise into the mix.

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I rowed throughout high school and for a year in college before knee injuries got the best of me and I quit, but I knew that my body liked a good sweat and calorie burn. I needed something low impact due to knee injuries, so in October 2019 when a new cycling studio opened in town, I knew I wanted to try out.

After my first ride at CycleBar, I was hooked. I became a member and started riding three days a week.

Over time, I built a community and enjoyed taking classes with my friends. Now, I cycle five to six days a week and go on two-mile walks a few times a week when the weather is nice.

I used to dread working out when I first started. But the longer I have it as part of my routine, I’ve noticed how much better I feel on days where I’m active as opposed to days when I’m not. I enjoy pushing myself and building muscle and seeing just how far I can go and how much I can accomplish.

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These three changes made the biggest difference in my weight-loss results.

• I started to meal plan. I love making a weekly meal plan so that grocery shopping is easier and I don’t get stuck in the “I don’t know what to cook” rut every night. I plan seven meals on no specific day so I can choose what I want for dinner each morning. It’s just my husband and me, so we usually cook four servings of dinner and take leftovers for lunch the next day!

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• I started drinking lots of water. I used to drink very minimal water. When I first started losing weight, I slowly increased my water intake. I’m now drinking 140-plus ounces of water per day. I feel like it helps curb my hunger and has helped out my skin quite a bit. I also notice that I don’t feel as bloated after an “off plan” meal (like take out) when my water intake is where it should be.
• I incorporated exercise into my routine. Incorporating exercise has helped me in so many ways aside from the weight loss aspect. It has improved my overall mood, and my energy levels are so much better compared to where they were before I started incorporating exercise are. Working out also helps me fall asleep more easily at night.

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I have lost 80 pounds, and it took about a year and a half.

I still celebrated the holidays and indulged in my favorite foods, ate cake at weddings and birthdays, enjoyed date nights and take out, and didn’t give up any sort of quality of life to make my weight loss happen. Weight loss during the pandemic has been less than ideal, but I still have big goals that I want to crush, so I’m trying to keep this ball rolling.

Losing weight has truly helped me blossom. Weight loss has taught me that I’ve always been worthy of love and kindness, regardless of my size. But it has also taught me to respect the temple that God gave me. If I fuel it well, it will carry me through all of the exciting times and it will not give up on me during the trying times.

I am so thankful for the perspective that losing weight has given me. I’ve learned that everyone is fighting a battle. You have no idea what they’re going through, what changes they may be making to improve themselves or their lives. Always be kind and always love yourself, even when it’s hard.

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