I'm Down 35 Pounds in 9 Months — These Are the Simple Diet Changes That Actually Worked

In 2018, I was the smallest I'd ever been. Then I got pregnant, and it all went off the rails. I developed a sweet tooth for the first time in my life and started crushing Zebra Cakes and chocolate croissants like they were the foundation of the food pyramid. I fell into the elastic embrace of maternity clothing and paid no mind to the scale slowly creeping upward at doctor visits. After all, the other moms in my life told me the weight would "just melt right off" from breastfeeding. Surely there was no harm in ordering a side of mozzarella sticks with my pizza.

By the time all was said and done, I had gained 60 pounds in less than a year. Although childbirth and breastfeeding took care of the first 15 pounds or so, it became painfully clear that the rest would not be going anywhere without some assistance. Given my new gig as a stay-at-home parent, getting to the gym wasn't easy. Instead, I focused on making small, but meaningful, changes to my diet to achieve a healthy calorie deficit. After about nine months of effort, I'm down another 35 pounds and working my way back toward my pre-pregnancy size.

Here are some of the changes I made to get back on track. They might just work for you, too.

Watch When You Eat

A recent study in The New England Journal of Medicine highlighted the health benefits of intermittent fasting, , in which you simply reduce the windo of time during which you eat during the day. While you can adjust the eating and fasting windows to whatever works best for you, consistency is key. Keeping my meals to the hours of noon to 8 p.m. has made me more mindful of what I'm putting in my body, and it keeps me from excessively snacking throughout the day. Be forewarned: crankiness is common while the body adjusts to this new schedule, but it gets easier!

Cut Back on Added Sugars

Obsessing over macros (carbs, protein, and fat) isn't for me, but I do pay attention to one row on nutrition labels: added sugars. The American Heart Association recommends keeping added sugar to no more than 25 grams per day for women and 36 grams per day for men. I was shocked to see how many "healthy" foods like granola bars and yogurt contained a ton of added sugar. Keep an eye on those labels, and you'll be one step closer to your goals.

Swap Your Condiments

How many calories are you adding to your meals with fatty, sugary sauces and dressings? For me, the answer was a lot. My pantry is now stocked with zero-calorie options like yellow mustard and hot sauce, which allow me to feed my condiment addiction without sabotaging my weight-loss efforts. Full disclosure: when it comes to salad, I can't completely rid myself of my precious ranch. However, I use about half the amount I used to and mix in some buffalo sauce for a little extra zing.

Indulge Within Reason

I come from a family where food is love, and I spent decades rewarding and comforting myself with tasty treats. The single best thing I've done for myself is to question that voice in my head that tells me I deserve [insert your favorite food here] because I've been so good, or my day was a nightmare.

Instead of giving into those temptations, I try to redirect my focus: I'm so proud of what I've accomplished, and I'm not willing to derail that progress. This is not to say that I never indulge. (Nothing good can come from cutting yourself off entirely!) I've just made a real effort to invest in myself by weighing short-term gratification against long-term happiness.