My Journey to Finding the Weight Loss Method That Finally Worked

For most of my life, weight loss felt like an impossible puzzle that I could never solve. I tried every diet, every piece of advice, and still, nothing seemed to work. My journey to finding the method that helped me finally lose weight wasn’t easy—it was filled with years of frustration, confusion, and feeling like I was doing everything right but getting nowhere. But eventually, I found the solution, and I want to share my story in hopes that it might inspire others who are struggling like I did. This is my weight loss struggle story.

The Early Years: A Battle From the Start

I was born premature, and my twin didn’t survive. From the beginning, I was fragile, and the nurses advised my mother to feed me constantly, to “fatten me up,” as they said. By the time I turned one, I was a chubby baby. Once I learned to walk, I ran off much of that baby fat, but things changed dramatically when I started school.

I struggled with sitting still, but had to in school, and by second grade, my weight caught the attention of the school nurse. I was put on a strict diet of Swedish crispbread and skimmed milk—a well-meaning intervention that had unintended consequences. From a young age, I became hyper-aware of food and weight, and that focus spiraled into unhealthy behaviors. By my early teens, I was battling anorexia, fooling my mother into believing I was eating when, in reality, I was only spreading breadcrumbs around my plate.

At 16, I was so malnourished that I needed supplements just to stay alive. I was thin—painfully thin—and I still didn’t feel good about myself. I thought I was fat even though, looking back at pictures, I was the exact opposite. I remember having to put cotton pads on my hipbones just so I could wear jeans without hurting.

The Search for the “Right” Diet

Determined to figure out my body, I decided to study medicine and human nutrition. I thought if I understood the science behind weight loss, I could finally crack the code. But what I found only added to my confusion.

I participated in a controlled weight loss study, where I was locked in a chamber for 48 hours. The scientists controlled everything—what I ate, how much I exercised, even how I slept. Despite being on an 800-calorie diet, I gained weight. The scientists were baffled, assuming the chamber had malfunctioned. But it had worked just fine for the other participants.

That wasn’t the only frustrating experience. I tried the Lady Di Diet, the Weight Watchers Diet, the Nupo Diet, the Atkins Diet, the 3×3 Eggs a Day Diet—if you’ve heard of it, I’ve probably tried it. And no matter what I did, I couldn’t lose weight. In fact, I kept gaining.

Doctors and professors told me the same thing over and over: “You just need to eat less and exercise more.” But I had tried that, and it didn’t work. Eventually, I felt hopeless and gave up.

The Breakthrough: Discovering the Power of Gut Health

Everything changed for me during the COVID-19 lockdown. For the first time in years, life slowed down. I didn’t have external stressors like social events, commuting, or constant disruptions to my routine. I had time to focus solely on my body, my health, and what really worked for me. It was then that I started to notice something new.

My research led me to the realization that my gut microbiome—something I had never given much thought to—was out of balance. All the extreme dieting, calorie restriction, and stress had thrown my gut health into chaos, making it nearly impossible for my body to function properly. Without a healthy gut, my body couldn’t process food effectively, burn fat, or manage cravings.

I realized that resetting my gut health was the key to unlocking my weight loss potential. I stopped focusing solely on restricting calories or exercising more and instead focused on restoring balance to my gut microbiome.

The 3-Step Diet That Changed Everything

With this new understanding, I developed a 3-step diet plan that completely changed my relationship with food, health, and my body. Here’s how it works:

1. Reduce Starches and Carbs: The first step was to eliminate all starches and sugars from my diet. This helped shift my body from burning glucose (sugar) to burning fat for fuel, which led to rapid initial weight loss.
2. A 36-Hour Fast to Reset the Gut: The second step involved a 36-hour fast to reset my gut microbiome. Fasting gave my digestive system a break and allowed my gut bacteria to rebalance, promoting fat loss and reducing inflammation.
3. The Hard Keto Diet: Finally, I transitioned into a high-fat, low-carb diet (the keto diet) that kept my body in fat-burning mode while also nourishing my gut with healthy fats. This step helped me maintain weight loss and feel more energized than I had in years.

This wasn’t just another diet for me. It was a total shift in how I approached health—focused on healing my body from the inside out, rather than just reducing calories and ramping up exercise. And for the first time in my life, my body responded. The weight started to come off, and for the first time, I felt like I had control. Read about the program here.

Why This Approach Works

Looking back, I now understand why this method worked when nothing else did. It wasn’t just about what I was eating or how much I was exercising—it was about fixing the root cause of my weight struggles: my gut health. When your gut is out of balance, it affects everything from metabolism to cravings to fat storage. By resetting my gut microbiome, I was able to get my body working with me rather than against me.

This 3-step approach focuses on restoring the balance that so many of us have lost through stress, processed foods, and extreme dieting. It’s simple, effective, and sustainable, and it has transformed my life in ways I never thought possible.

Final Thoughts: If You’re Struggling, Don’t Give Up

If you’re feeling stuck, frustrated, and like nothing works, I want you to know that there is hope. I spent years battling my body, trying to force it to lose weight in ways that just didn’t work for me. It wasn’t until I found the right approach—one that focused on my gut health—that everything changed.

I hope my story inspires you to keep going, to look deeper into your body’s unique needs, and to never give up on your health. The answer may not be what you’ve been told your whole life, but it’s out there. For me, it was the 3-Step Diet, and it might just be the key to unlocking your weight loss journey too.

Stay committed to yourself and your health—you deserve it.