We've said it before: a number on a scale doesn't mean anything. More proof of this? Adrienne Osuna's two-pound weight loss, and her total body transformation.
Adrienne: Before (182 Pounds)
As a mom of four boys, Adrienne had struggled with yo-yo dieting and weight gain after her pregnancies. "After I had my babies I had lost and gained again about 80 pounds," Adrienne told POPSUGAR via email. "I was tired of dieting and always only caring what the scale said. I was tired, often sick, and very unhappy with how I looked and felt."
"I finally decided I was going to focus on what my body could do and what it's capable of instead of what it weighed - and I started heavy lifting."
Not only was she feeling terrible, but her relationship with the scale was also extremely unhealthy. "After baby number four I lost 62 of the pounds and reached 182, at which point my body was done. I was not eating enough. My metabolism was shot. I was training for my third half-marathon, breastfeeding, and barely eating 1200 to 1400 calories a day. If I messed up one day on my diet or the scale wouldn't move, I'd binge."
Six months post-pregnancy, Adrienne made a decision to change her focus, and it changed her life. Her lightbulb idea? Weightlifting. "I had wanted to start powerlifting but was scared I would gain a bunch of muscle and look bulky and manly, but I finally decided I was going to focus on what my body could do and what it's capable of instead of what it weighed - and I started heavy lifting."
Adrienne: After (180 Pounds)
Weightlifting is what transformed Adrienne's body. Her fears of looking "manly" proved to be unfounded, but she was still put off by the number on the scale. "After a few months friends and family kept telling me I was shrinking and losing weight, but I kept saying 'I wish! The scale hasn't moved!'" Then it dawned on her - her body was changing, regardless of her weight.
"Finally I realized all my clothes were too big! I compared pictures and couldn't believe my eyes." (Another reason to take those before and progress pictures!) Adrienne realized that she was "almost the same weight but dramatically different" in shape and appearance. "Then I realized what was happening, and it fueled me. It also made me want to share with other ladies the scale is not the ultimate factor in your success."
Adrienne: Before and After
Adrienne had mentioned on Instagram that she didn't diet to get her transformation (she attributes it all to weight lifting) but told POPSUGAR that she does "generally eat pretty healthy." She doesn't follow a strict diet, but has been dabbling in intermittent fasting.
"I eat a lot protein and veggies, but I also enjoy treats and don't restrict myself," she said. "A key part of me is I do intermittent fasting. It helps me to not have late night snacks, and to keep the amount of food I consume in check without having to meticulously track every item I eat." She told us she started this plan six months into her weight lifting journey, and credits intermittent fasting and her lifting regimen as "an amazing combination to burn fat."
"The scale is not the ultimate factor in your success."
"I currently fast overnight 15 hours," she said. "Usually from 7 p.m. to 11 a.m., six nights a week - I do have coffee with a little heavy cream in the morning during my fasted state." She also told POPSUGAR that her exercise routine consists of lifting four days a week, and doing cardio exercises two days a week, with one rest day. "I currently do a combination of powerlifting training and bodybuilding," she said.
And the best part of this whole thing? She says "I feel so amazing. I am happy, healthy, and comfortable in my own skin. I love seeing how much more I can lift, it's so empowering to me." That's a much better mark of success than a smaller number on the scale, in our book. And she agrees - "I really want women to know that the scale should not be the only factor they go off of," she said. "They should take measurements and pictures and go based on how they feel and look! Freedom from the scale is so liberating!"
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