A weight loss coach has shared the five “realistic sacrifices” she made to lose 160 pounds.
Amber Clemens, 34, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, spent decades “yo-yoing” between severely restrictive eating and binging.
At one point, her weight rose to more than 300 pounds, leaving her out of breath after walking just a few steps and unable to do basic things like wrap a towel around herself, cross her legs or paint her own toenails.
But at age 28, she decided to “take control of her life,” and she embarked on a weight loss journey that ultimately saw her lose more than 160 pounds by making just a few small changes to her lifestyle.
Now the fitness guru has opened up about the five simple things she did to get in shape, in the hope of helping others who may be struggling.
Weight loss coach Amber Clemens, 34, has shared the five “realistic sacrifices” she made to lose 160 pounds. She is seen before (left) and after (right) her transformation
“Five realistic sacrifices I made to go from this to this,” she wrote in a recent TikTok video, showing before and after photos of her transformation.
First, Amber explained that she started limiting the number of meals she ate outside the home.
She said she had set herself a rule that she could eat a maximum of two meals out of the house a week, while preparing the rest at home.
Second, she explained that she had swapped “full-sugar drinks” for “no-sugar alternatives.”
Next, the exercise expert said she made sure to “pre-portion” the snacks instead of eating straight from the bag, limiting the amount she would consume.
She also revealed that she kept track of how many calories she consumed each day, and that she “considered desserts” from the start, which kept her from “craving sweets when she was around.”
The fifth and final change she made was to set herself “a realistic step goal” that she tried to achieve every day.
On her Instagram, Amber — who now dedicates her life to helping others get in shape — explained that despite her years of struggling to lose weight, she never gave up on herself.
At one point her weight rose to more than 300 pounds, leaving her out of breath after just a few steps. She is seen before (left) and after (right) her weight loss
But at age 28, she decided to “take control of her life,” and she embarked on a weight loss journey that ultimately saw her lose more than 150 pounds just by making a few small changes.
Now the fitness guru has opened up about the five simple things she did to get in shape, hoping to help others who may be struggling
‘My best weight loss advice? ATTEMPT. AGAIN. Because the only way you can ever truly fail at anything is to give up on yourself,” she wrote.
‘Believe me, I was terrified to start a weight loss journey again. None of the other times had worked, so why should this be any different?
‘What if I don’t succeed… again? What if I just lost the same 30 pounds I always lost and then gained it all back and then some?
‘All these thoughts went through my head. But there was also one more. What if this time WAS different!?
And that little thought was enough for me to take a chance and try again. And I’m so grateful that I did. Because taking that chance on myself CHANGED MY LIFE.”
In another post, the trainer emphasized that she wasn’t cutting out food while losing weight, instead focusing on walking and tracking her calorie intake.
She said she grew up believing that you couldn’t eat things like carbs and sweets while trying to be healthy, which she now knows is far from the truth.
“Things like pasta, bread, pizza, ice cream, bananas (like wtf?), bagels, chips, etc., were all considered BAD and definitely off limits if you wanted to lose weight,” she said.
‘So it’s no wonder that I’ve developed a super unhealthy relationship with food and failed every time I tried to lose weight, because who could be if you think like that!?
“It wasn’t until I started incorporating ALL foods into my life that I was finally able to be successful.”
Amber concluded that it is important to enjoy it ‘in moderation’.