85 Pounds Down: My Non-Scale Victories, Strategies, and Long-Term Success

Have you ever stood on that scale feeling like losing 85 pounds is an impossible mountain to climb? I have and can honestly say, you are not alone. The truth is that the journey is less about perfection and more about persistence. I know firsthand about the struggles because I’ve lived them. After a sustained effort, I successfully lost 85 pounds, but the biggest reward wasn’t the smaller clothing size—it was the profound, life-altering changes I experienced along the way.

Here is my weight loss transformation story. I want to talk about the specific weight loss strategies I implemented, the mindset shifts necessary for long-term success, and the crucial “Non-Scale Victories” (NSVs) that proved the effort was worth it. Ready to discover the habits I am implementing to keep the weight off for good?

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The Wake Up Call For Losing 85 Pounds

What was the triggering factor for losing 85 pounds? The moment I decided to pursue losing 85 pounds was not fueled by a clothing size or a so-called friend’s comment about my weight; it was driven by fear. For years, I ignored the slow creep of the scale, telling myself I was fine—until my body staged a revolt.

The symptoms began to pile up. At an appointment with my cardiologist, he confirmed that my lab results indicated high cholesterol, and my routine check-ups suddenly revealed I was dealing with high blood pressure. My existing asthma issues intensified, leaving me constantly reaching for my inhaler. Weight had reached an all-time high of 222.9 pounds, with a  BMI reading of “OBESE”. No longer could I walk up and down stairs without being out of breath.

But the scariest moment, the one that truly jolted me into action, was the discovery of plaque build-up in an artery in my neck. That news wasn’t just a warning; it was a loud, undeniable, potentially life-saving command to change. There is no cure, and it is not reversible. However, it can be stopped from getting worse with medication, diet, exercise, and WEIGHT LOSS! Realizing that my health—and my future—was at stake gave me the clarity I needed to begin my major weight loss journey. This moment of crisis became the catalyst for achieving long-term weight-loss success.

Part I: The Transformation & Non-Scale Victories

The numbers don’t just measure true success in adopting new healthy habits on a scale; they reflect the profound, daily changes that indicate genuine health improvement. Non-Scale Victories (NSVs) are the real-world evidence of your transformation, showcasing how nourishing your body with good foods improves your performance, mood, and overall quality of life. By shifting our focus from weight loss alone to these deeper, functional wins, we celebrate the sustainable progress that builds a healthier, more energized self.

My Life Before The 85 Pound Weight Loss

My relationship with food for the better part of two decades was an exhausting cycle of love and hate, fueled by the constant ups and downs of yo-yo dieting. I struggled intensely with stress eating, turning to food as a coping mechanism, which led to a relentless pattern where my weight surged and plummeted. Compounding this struggle was the severe limitation on physical activity; chronic knee pain kept me sedentary for years, draining my motivation and making regular exercise impossible until both knees were finally replaced two years ago.

This combination of emotional eating and a lack of movement created a perfect storm for steady weight creep. The physical and mental strain began to impact every facet of my life: I was constantly out of breath just climbing stairs, my sleep quality plummeted, I snored, I was moody, and my confidence steadily eroded as I found myself busting out of a size 16 and XL. It was these mounting physical realities—the sleepless nights and the functional limitations—that underscored the urgent need for a complete transformation in my health habits and mindset.

I knew that for an 85-pound weight loss, it would be much more than just eating in a calorie deficit and exercising. This time it had to be different; it was going to be different, too, because this time it’s not 20, 40, or even 50 pounds that need to be shed. It’s 85 pounds that need to be shed from my 5′ 2″ medium-framed body. I never had to lose this much weight after having my four children.

Mindset Reset

The very first and most challenging step in this journey was a mindset reset: transforming my relationship with food from one of “living to eat” to “eating to live a healthy life.” This required me to address and conquer the constant “food noise”—the preoccupation with cravings, meal planning, and guilt—that had dominated my thoughts for years. By intentionally shifting my focus to viewing food strictly as fuel and nourishment, I was finally able to eliminate the emotional weight attached to every bite.

This fundamental psychological change, detaching my self-worth from my diet and silencing the internal struggle, was the single most important action I took to set myself up for sustainable success in weight loss and long-term health. Without this key step, I was setting myself up for failure again! Changing my mindset had to be the first of the four main strategies for my 85-pound weight loss, which I will be sharing with you.

The Real Rewards: My Top Non-Scale Victories

As your body adapts to cleaner fuel (healthy eating), you’ll begin noticing significant physical and functional non-scale victories. These wins are the real rewards as improvements in your day-to-day abilities: your clothing will start fitting better, perhaps requiring a smaller belt size or feeling looser overall. You will gain increased stamina and endurance, be able to climb stairs without becoming winded, handle heavy tasks like carrying groceries more easily, and perform physical activities for more extended periods. You’ll likely enjoy better sleep, reduced snoring, and greater refreshment. Plus, faster recovery after exercise shows your muscles are repairing more efficiently.

• Health: Better sleep, more energy, clothes fitting better, improved lab results, and eliminating medications.
• Fitness: Running upstairs without breathlessness, able to walk around the neighborhood, and lifting heavier weights.
• Emotionally: Boosted confidence, less anxiety, better relationship with food (this is key), better mental focus.

In addition, adopting clean eating habits often leads to decisive non-scale victories in mental and emotional health by stabilizing energy and balancing mood. You will notice a reduction in “brain fog” (this was huge for me), clearer thinking, and improved focus, which will allow for greater productivity. A significant win for me was to sustain energy levels throughout the day, eliminating the severe afternoon slumps typically caused by sugar and processed foods. Where you feel sluggish and needing a nap.

Emotionally, you begin to feel happier and more stable, experiencing reduced anxiety and greater composure. This sense of well-being is often reinforced by decreasing cravings for unhealthy foods, leading to greater self-efficacy, confidence, and control over your dietary choices. For me, it gave me control back over my body and mindset.

Part 2: My Core Four Strategies for Losing 85 Pounds

My successful journey to losing 85 pounds was built on a deliberate, multifaceted strategy that addressed both internal and external challenges. The foundation was a radical mindset shift, moving from emotional eating to viewing food as nourishment. This mental shift enabled me to transition to focusing on nutrition and maintaining a consistent calorie deficit, ensuring my body received the fuel it needed while supporting weight loss. Crucially, I integrated a tailored fitness program—made possible by my knee replacements—to build strength and stamina. Finally, the support of GLP-1 tirzepatide medication was essential in controlling appetite and managing the metabolic challenges that had hindered previous attempts. By approaching this transformation from four distinct angles, I achieved a sustainable, life-changing result.

Strategy 1: The Mindset Shift

I had to learn to cope with work-related stress. It had to be a mindset shift to break the vicious cycle that leads to self-destruction. Stress eating is where emotional distress triggers a reliance on food, typically high-calorie comfort items, as a temporary coping mechanism. It’s the “taste good” as a temporary fix. This behavior rarely addresses the root cause of the stress and often leads to feelings of guilt and shame, which in turn add more stress and perpetuate the unhealthy eating pattern.

I read a book, “Eat To Beat Disease” by William W. Li. Did you know you can cure your body with food? It is an excellent book filled with good information that helped to change my life. Not only was I overweight, but I had been suffering from an autoimmune disease and fibromyalgia for many years. It was debilitating, and there would be days when I could not get out of bed due to the horrible body pains.

Dr. Li advocates for the power of food to actively prevent and fight disease by strengthening the body’s natural defense systems. The core message of the book is that we have dramatically underestimated our body’s inherent ability to transform and restore its own health, and that specific foods can be leveraged as potent medicine.

Dr. Li, a physician-scientist known for his research on angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels), organizes the book around five key defense systems that can be activated and optimized through diet. What I loved about the book is that, unlike most diet books, it focuses on the hundreds of foods to add to your diet rather than what to exclude. Dr. Li provides evidence behind over 200 foods—including favorites like tomatoes, dark chocolate, coffee, and specific cheeses—that can activate the defense systems. The book is rich with scientific data and supported by hundreds of peer-reviewed references, bridging the gap between clinical research and everyday nutritional choices.

Another Good Book

You can use food as medicine and identify which foods have a biochemical impact against which diseases and at what frequency or quantity. The goal is to show that certain food compounds can affect the same cellular systems as drugs.

Another book I found helpful was Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson’s Rezoom: The Powerful Reframe to End the Crash-and-Burn Cycle of Food Addiction, a guide for individuals who struggle with yo-yo dieting and the cycle of relapse in their efforts to manage food and weight.

Rezoom offers a strategic framework for individuals struggling with the yo-yo dieting and crash-and-burn cycle inherent to food addiction. The book argues that these struggles are rooted in brain science, not in a lack of willpower, and builds on the Bright Line Eating (BLE) foundation of clear, non-negotiable boundaries (“bright lines”) around addictive foods. The central innovation is the Rezoom Reframe, a structured, non-judgmental system designed to enable quick recovery from a lapse or “break” without allowing it to spiral into prolonged relapse. The book also incorporates principles of Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help readers identify and manage the internal “parts” that drive self-sabotage, ultimately equipping them with the psychological tools needed for sustained food freedom.

I highly recommend these books if you are looking to change your mindset and how you view food more as a source of nutrition.

Mindset & Habit Shift: Breaking the Cycle

How did I change my mindset and shift my habits? The first step when you feel the urge to stress-eat is not to run from it, but to pause and analyze it. Rate the intensity of your emotional desire to eat on a scale of 1 to 10. If it’s five (5) or higher, commit to a distraction activity for just 10 minutes to help the emotional wave subside. Before reaching for food, ask yourself: “Am I truly hungry right now?” If the answer is no, identify the emotion: Is it boredom, anxiety, loneliness, or stress?

• Reframed Relationship with Food: Transitioned the core belief from “living to eat” (using food for pleasure or comfort) to “eating to live” (viewing food as functional nutrition and fuel for the body).
• Eliminated Emotional Reliance: Consciously worked to eliminate food as a source of comfort, recognizing and breaking the long-standing habit of stress eating.
• Embraced Internal Cues: Adopted the practice of eating only when physically hungry, rejecting habitual or emotional triggers for consumption (a key component of mindful eating).
• Developed Replacement Behaviors: Implemented non-food coping mechanisms for stress and discomfort, choosing activities like going for a walk, engaging in a craft, or reading instead of seeking comfort food.
• Silenced Food Noise: Focused on eliminating the persistent “food noise” (constant preoccupation with cravings and guilt) to free up mental energy and set the foundation for long-term success.
• Mindfulness/Meditation: Use a guided meditation app or sit quietly, focusing on the sounds around you for a few minutes. I sometimes like to sit quietly and read from my Bible.
• Journaling: Use a notebook to quickly jot down whatever is causing you stress. Getting the thoughts out of your head and onto paper can alleviate the emotional pressure.
• Sensory Input: Take a warm shower or nice hot bath, listen to calming music, or use aromatherapy (like lavender or peppermint oil)

Strategy 2: Rethinking Nutrition

To drive significant weight loss, my nutritional strategy centered on two key pillars: 1) creating a healthy calorie deficit and 2) maximizing food quality through clean eating. The first step was accurately determining my Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), the number of calories my body burns each day. From this baseline, I established a manageable deficit—typically 500-750 calories per day—to ensure steady, sustainable weight loss without compromising energy levels. The quality of these calories was important: I committed to clean eating by eliminating hyper-processed foods, chemicals, sugars, alcohol, and refined ingredients. Instead, I prioritized whole, nutrient-dense ingredients like lean, grass-fed meats, eggs, and an abundance of whole, non-processed vegetables and grains, ensuring every calorie consumed functioned as high-octane fuel for my body’s healing and recovery.

Nutrition Clean Eating

I eat clean, organic foods whenever possible. People often say that organic food is more expensive. Because I am not buying processed foods or junk, I have not seen my grocery bill rise, other than the normal cost increases we are all experiencing.

My diet consists of whole foods. The primary goal is to prioritize nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. This means the majority of your plate should be recognizable ingredients. I read the labels on everything, including the olive oil bottles I buy. It needs to be in a dark glass bottle and made in a single country of origin. If the jar of food you are buying has ingredients you cannot pronounce or do not recognize, leave it! Most likely, it is loaded with chemicals. The FDA allows too many dyes and chemicals in our USA food system that other countries have banned. Why put more chemicals into your body? I stay clear of any BIO-ENGINEERED FOODS!

What do I eat?

• Meats: Chicken, turkey, seafood, grass-fed beef (limited once a week)
• Fruits: Apples, berries, figs, melons, oranges, pears, peaches, and tomatoes 
• All Legumes
• All Vegetables
• Healthy fats: Extra virgin olive oil, avocado, and nut oils 
• Greek Yogurt and cottage cheese
• Feta, goat, Parmesan, mozzarella, and brie cheeses
• Nuts and seeds: Almonds, chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts
• Eggs
• Dark Chocolate (occasionally) 70% cocoa or higher.
• Local Honey (used as a sweetener) 
• Organic Almond or Coconut Milk & organic half-half creamer (will not give up for my coffee)
• Butter
• Organic teas and coffee

Occasionally, I will have some homemade sourdough bread.

How often do I eat?

My eating routine is structured around three meals each day, strategically complemented by two nourishing snacks. While I allow flexibility for both mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks, I consistently end up taking only one, typically later in the early evening. The guiding principle behind every food choice is whether a main meal or a snack includes protein, ensuring steady energy and satiety. For example, my snacks are never purely carbohydrate-based; they always pair a whole food with protein, such as a sliced apple with organic nut butter or a piece of fruit with cheese, reinforcing my commitment to sustained nutrition throughout the day. No longer do I snack late at night or go to bed on a full stomach.

Importance of Water Intake While Dieting

Drinking enough water is absolutely crucial for weight loss and overall health, especially when you are actively dieting. Its importance goes far beyond simple hydration, as it impacts several key metabolic and physical processes.

Water is essential for breaking down food and properly absorbing nutrients. It helps prevent constipation, which often occurs when increasing fiber intake (by eating clean, whole foods). Water can act as a natural appetite suppressant. Drinking a glass of water before meals can help fill the stomach, leading to increased satiety and potentially lower calorie intake during the meal.

Did you know that water helps eliminate waste? Water is needed to flush out metabolic waste products, including byproducts of fat breakdown.

Staying hydrated is vital for maintaining energy and endurance and preventing muscle cramps during exercise, a key component of your fitness program.

While there is no single, universally perfect formula for water intake, the standard guideline of eight 8-ounce glasses (64 ounces) is a good starting point. However, when dieting and exercising, your needs may often be higher. I always try to shoot for 64 ounces.

Strategy 3: Finding Movement I Love

This is often the most critical part of significant weight loss. It is building a foundation. One primary key to my weight loss was my weekly movement schedule. I found a balance that truly works for my body. I lift weights three to four days a week, either at home or at the gym.

When I am feeling stressed, a 30-minute yoga session in my basement hits the spot. You can find free exercise classes on YouTube or other streaming services. Sometimes, a quick 10-minute walk does wonders when I am feeling stressed.

Why movement matters as we age? As we age, movement becomes even more vital for our independence. Strengthening your core (stomach) is essential for protecting your back from injury. Regular exercise also keeps your legs and hips strong and mobile. This foundation allows you to move through life with more ease and less pain. It is much more than weight loss; it is about longevity.

Strategy 4: GLP-1 Medication: Part of a Medically Supervised Plan

Medication is a touchy subject, but I value transparency. It was key to my 85-pound loss between 2024 and 2025. Following my doctor’s specific recommendation, I started on the GLP-1 medication tirzepatide (Mounjaro) in July 2024, later transitioning to Zepbound. The weekly injection was a simple but crucial tool. It silenced the “food noise” that sabotaged my previous efforts. My journey was closely monitored by my physician, who guided the dosing. I experienced (temporary constipation and diarrhea) during the first month and at the highest dosage for a couple of weeks.

Here’s the bottom line: Achieving long-term success is not about the medication; it’s about the mindset. GLP-1 is an incredible tool. The medication acts as a crucial bridge. It provides the bandwidth to silence “food noise.” This helps you build permanent, healthy habits. My physician and I discussed this at length. You cannot revert to old eating habits after tapering off the medication. You must solidify your new relationship with food. View it as fuel to sustain your weight loss. Your mind, not the injection, must drive your healthy choices. If the old habits return, the weight will come back on quickly.

Currently, I am slowly being tapered off the medication. Each month, my Zepbound dose is being reduced. My physician indicated that I will stay at the lowest dose for several months before going completely off.

Part 3: Achieving and Maintaining Long-Term Success

I reached my goal weight in October 2025. Going from a size 16, XL to a size 4, small. At the end of this week, I will have successfully kept my weight at or below my goal weight for three months. Let’s talk about maintaining weight loss. How to prevent weight regain for a long-term healthy lifestyle?

When you’ve come this far and feel amazing, you don’t want to slip back into old habits. I love how my body feels and looks after this weight-loss journey. There are some key things that I am doing to ensure that the hard work is sustainable for a long-term, healthy lifestyle and to keep the weight off for good. I have established Weight Loss Maintenance Rules.

My Weight Loss Maintenance Rules

Now that the weight is off, the critical focus is on maintaining it for long-term success and healthy habits. It’s more than just eating healthy; it’s the healthy mindset and a good relationship with food. Remember that your weight will fluctuate by a few pounds. Your body will naturally retain water weight from time to time. It is so important to listen to your body. Here are some of the key items for maintenance that are a MUST for me:

The Importance of Limiting Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol consumption can pack on the weight fast. It’s not just about the calories in the glass; it’s about what it does to your biology. Your body views alcohol as a toxin. Because of this, your liver prioritizes breaking down the alcohol first. While your body is busy processing that drink, it completely stops burning fat and carbohydrates. Essentially, your weight loss goes on “pause” until the alcohol is gone.

Alcohol interferes with protein synthesis, which is the process your body uses to repair and build muscle. If you drink after a workout, you are actually undoing some of the hard work you did at the gym.

Alcohol can also raise your cortisol levels (the stress hormone). High cortisol levels are a major culprit in storing fat in the abdominal area. Especially for women, as we age, it makes it harder to lose weight around the midsection.

Finally, I have learned that alcohol lowers your inhibitions and affects the hormones that control hunger. This often brings back that “food noise” that you have worked hard to silence. It’s why you get the munchies and want to grab the salty or sugary foods.

I chose to limit alcohol during my journey. Choosing water or green tea over a glass of wine helps me stay focused on my 85-pound goal.

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Final Thoughts

Losing 85 pounds taught me this: the scale is a simple milestone, not the final destination. The actual key to a long-term healthy lifestyle! The mindset has to be that this is not a diet plan or a workout routine. Think of it as a persistent commitment to your health. You know the best part of losing 85 pounds? Dropping from a size 16 to a size 4 was terrific. However, it is about so much more. You get to wear pretty, flattering clothes, and no longer shy away from the mirror. You find your self-confidence again. The best part is simply feeling better. I have gained a healthier version of myself, both physically and mentally.

You heard about the strategies that worked for me. I found a sustainable way to eat and a workout I enjoy. Most importantly, achieving a complete mindset shift. This mindset shift will help me sustain my long-term weight-loss success. Without a change in my mindset, I would fall back into old habits.

You should focus on consistency, not perfection. The path to achieving significant weight loss is never straight. There will be setbacks, plateaus, and days when you feel like quitting. Your power isn’t in being perfect; it’s in being consistent. You must make the daily choice to show up for your health, even when it’s hard. You are worth it, my sweet friend! Believe in yourself, you got this! I will not lie, the journey is complex, and the rewards to good health are abundant.

Consistency with your new habits keeps the weight off. This is what it means to be truly healthy. It’s not just losing weight; you are gaining a completely new life. You are building resilience and discovering new strength. You are also creating a healthy lifestyle that is uniquely yours.

I hope this post inspires you to start your transformation into a healthy new you! Please share your success story with me. I would love to hear about it. And please feel free to message me with any questions you have about my continued journey.

XOXO,