Alaias Bertrand lost 34 kg and maintained his weight for 6 years thanks to changing his thinking about weight loss, choosing the right sport and controlling portion sizes at each meal.
Bertrand’s journey began in 2014, when he was in 10th grade and was diagnosed by a doctor as obese. She rethinks her daily routine and decides to lose weight. Like many others, Bertrand started with the classic keto, low carb and intermittent fasting regimens. It all just makes her obsessed with counting calories.
“Tracking every meal put me in a negative spiral. Analyzing each food to the extreme took all the joy out of my life,” she shares.
She realized she prioritized her appearance over her physical health. Only by changing her mindset about weight and implementing healthy habits can she lose weight sustainably. Bertrand’s story is consistent with today’s perspective, as people gradually abandon the harsh diets of the moment, towards a healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally.
Bertrand shares two simple changes that helped her lose 34 kg and maintain her weight without giving up her favorite foods.
Join the sprint team
Bertrand played sports since he was a child. At the time she was diagnosed with obesity, she was still an active member of the marathon team. After a harsh eating period, she decided to try sprinting, dividing her time equally between both teams.
The daily training schedule is quite dense. The first year, Bertrand struggled both physically and mentally. Participating in two different types of running caused her to be discussed and scrutinized by many people. However, this makes Bertrand become tougher and more confident.
By spring 2017, she lost 34 kg without trying too much. Bertrand said running two to three times a week helps her burn more calories than before.
“I feel very proud of myself for finding something I really like and using it to lose weight effectively,” she said.
During a follow-up visit in 2017, Bertrand’s doctor was surprised to see that she had almost completely transformed. Besides athletics and sprinting, Bertrand incorporates weight lifting, kickboxing, gymnastics and yoga.
Alaias Bertrand after losing weight. Image: Alaias Bertrand
Eat with small plates
Research shows that to lose weight effectively, exercisers need to be in a calorie deficit – burning more calories than they consume. Exercise only burns about 5% of energy per day. Therefore, to achieve a sustainable calorie deficit, diet is most important.
Bertrand said she practices eating with smaller plates and adding healthy foods to her daily menu. Before starting her weight loss journey, she used to consume a lot of processed foods. Bertrand usually eats two packages of ramen noodles and a lot of Cheetos every day. Her family also has a habit of ordering pizza for dinner.
Deciding to lose weight, she started learning how to eat healthy from people around her. Bertrand found that long-living communities around the world eat a Mediterranean diet, favoring beans, fresh vegetables, fish and whole grains. So, she started adding these foods to her daily shopping list.
She also replaced the standard American large plate with a smaller one for portion control. “This is very practical. When using a small plate, you won’t mindlessly fill up on food. From there, you can keep track of the amount of food for each meal,” she said.
Over time, Bertrand no longer paid attention to certain beauty and body standards. She lost weight because she was healthy and confident from within.
“I think the key to making this weight loss journey successful is to stop caring about my appearance. Looking good is the result of my love of working out and eating healthy,” she said.