i've lost almost 20kg naturally, and here are 5 things i wish i knew sooner

in october 2025, i had just been discharged from hospital after a big endometriosis flare. my treating doctor at the time had suggested trialling a low/no gluten and lactose diet as she had noticed i was extremely bloated after eating some trigger foods. i have to admit, i was pretty skeptical at first, but after a few days of consideration, i decided to bite the bullet and give it a go.

at first, it wasn't easy. i had to give up my favourite foods, which at the time were (embarrassingly) very greasy chips, sweet chocolate and various foods that are overall not great to be consuming more than fruit and veg. saying no was difficult, sticking to the no/low gluten and dairy rule was brutal.

in time, things had gotten easier and easier. i started to realise how much better i felt, how much the bloating had gone down, and how much money i had left over each pay because i wasn't wasting it on junk food constantly. before i knew it, i had started buying more and more fruit and vegetables, drinking more and more water, moving my body more and started to feel confident in my body.

my partner had ended up inspiring me to try the gym out. within a week, i was hooked. for 8 months straight (as of the date i am writing this post), i have gone to the gym at least 4-6x a week, and as a result, i have gotten stronger, more confident, and i overall feel so much better than i did before.

so, without further ado, here are 5 things i wish i knew sooner before starting my weight loss journey.

number 1: you do not need to eat as little as possible

in fact, it's quite the opposite. losing weight does not mean you need to starve yourself. you just need to eat less calories (energy) than what your body burns each day. 

a simple explanation follows:

your TDEE (your total daily energy expenditure) is the total calorie amount your body burns every day. if you took your TDEE (you can use this website here to calculate your total) and subtracted 500 calories, that could potentially equate to a loss of 0.5kg (1.1lbs) of weight, a week. there are some caveats to this however. you don't want to consume below 1,200 calories daily if you're a female, or below 1,500 calories if you're a male, because this will make it very difficult to get essential nutrients, it could slow your metabolism, and it could risk muscle loss and fatigue.

for example, my TDEE is 2,616 calories, so if i subtract 500 calories from this, i get a total energy amount of 2,116 calories. in order to potentially lose 0.5kg (1.1lbs) of weight a week, i would need to consume this amount. this is exactly what i've been doing for the past 7 months, and i have lost almost 20kg and kept it off!

number 2: you do not need to eliminate your favourite foods entirely

this is something i will always tell you, my audience, and whoever is possibly listening - moderation is key. balance is one heck of a thing when it comes to your diet. trying to lose weight does not automatically mean that you need to cut out all chocolate, chips, burgers, or any 'fun' food. 

as long as you make 80% of your diet full of vegetables, fruits, grains, meats, legumes, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a sweet treat every now and then, or indulging in a burger here and there!

think of your week as a puzzle. every day is a puzzle piece, so that means you have 7 pieces. 5 of those pieces are full of nutritious, colourful foods that are full of protein, fibre, fats, and carbs (no, they are not the enemy), and the remaining 2 puzzle pieces include a serving of icecream and a handful of salt and vinegar chips. as long as you stay consistent, and remember to keep an 80/20 diet, you will still make progress.

moderation and consistency is always key to a balanced life and a balanced diet.

number 3: the scale will fluctuate, do not let it ruin your day/week/month

there are so many different reasons that the scale will fluctuate, especially if you're a person with a uterus. 

a few reasons why the scale could fluctuate include water retention, muscle repair inflammation, a large fat or carbohydrate filled meal the night before, some waste still waiting for its turn to be excreted, bloating, hormonal fluctuation, or a mix of everything! 

a menstrual cycle can affect the scale in multiple ways, so it's especially important for those who go through a monthly period to remember that progress is still being made even if the scale fluctuates the same time every month.

in order to gain 1kg (2.2lbs) of fat, you would need to consume roughly 7,700 calories over your maintenance calories (TDEE). for example, going back to my maintenance calories - if you remember, the total was 2,616 calories - and add an additional 7,700 calories on top of this, the total amount of energy i would need to consume would be 10,316 calories.

so, if you wake up tomorrow morning, weigh yourself, and find that you are mysteriously heavier than the day before, remember - it is extremely unlikely that the 'weight' you have gained is fat. it's a lot more likely to be inflammation, bloating, excess waste, or water retention.

if you do wake up heavier than the previous day, don't stress. take a deep breath and weigh yourself the next day. don't give up, and certainly don't let it ruin your day/week/month.

number 4: strength training is super beneficial

long story short, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. feel free to do your own research on that, but i promise it's the truth! oh, and did i mention that strength training can also reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis later in life?

yeah, it's pretty awesome. then there's the fact that the more that you lift weights, the stronger you get. this can help prevent falls when you get older, and also... muscles look pretty freakin cool on everyone. 

strength training combined with cardio is a great combination for fat loss and developing stronger muscles. after all, your heart is a muscle that needs to be trained as well. lifting weights is so much fun, its so addicting, and the community surrounding it is super supportive as well.

if you haven't started lifting weights yet, i highly recommend going to your local gym and checking out the machines they have available. a lot of them will have instruction panels, and even if they don't, there's nothing wrong with asking for help with your form, or even researching the machine on youtube, tiktok or instagram. 

after all, everyone at the gym wants to see you succeed. you've got this!

number 5: consistency beats perfection every single time

just like in point number 3, keeping a consistent lifestyle and diet will always do miles better than striving for perfection, not hitting it and giving up, burning yourself out, or saying "i'll start again tomorrow/next week/next month". 

you don't need to go to the gym for 3 hours 5x a week. you don't even need to go for 1.5 hours 4x a week, if you truly can't find the time for it. what matters is that you get up and move your body more than you used to previously.

the truth is, not everyone has enough time to go to the gym 5x a week. some people have busy families, an intense job, a chronic illness or an already packed schedule. if you keep showing up for yourself consistently by doing an extra 2,000 steps a day, eating an extra piece of fruit instead of a handful of skittles, or choosing to drink water instead of a sugary milkshake, you'll still make progress.

if your goal is to go to the gym 4x a week, but because of family commitments, you were only able to make it 3x, you'll still make progress. get back on the saddle and try to go 4x the following week.

consistency, once again, is key. 

i guess what i'm saying is...

the journey won't feel easy to start out with. but it will get easier with time when you start to realise how much more confident you're feeling, how loose your clothes are getting, how comfortable you are around food, and how strong you're getting.

you've got this. don't give up, and always believe in yourself.

- astrid