'Walking 8k steps per day and the CICO method helped me lose 40kg'
My name is Colleen Raines (@colleen_getslean), and I'm 34 years old. I'm from Hesperia, California, and I am a stay-at-home mum. By walking every day and following a "calories in, calories out," or CICO, eating plan, I lost 90 pounds (40.8kg).
I’ve always been overweight, even as a child. But at my heaviest, daily basic tasks, such as maintaining my hygiene and putting on shoes, were becoming difficult. I was constantly tired, moody, overwhelmed, and unhappy, and I didn’t recognise myself. I definitely was not the wife and mother I wanted to be.
My turning point was seeing three pictures of myself from three different events from February and March of 2020. I had no idea my weight had changed that much. I never really saw myself as being that overweight. It was truly a shock. It was as if the blinders had come off.
In April 2020 at age 33, my weight had hit its heaviest at 268 pounds (121kg). The scale just kept climbing. I knew I had to do something. On May 9, 2020, I started documenting my journey on social media as a form of accountability and perhaps to help people in the same boat as me.
When it came to choosing an eating plan that would work for me, I looked at my circumstances.
Being a mum of two very young toddlers, I knew I needed something that was simple. I already felt overwhelmed in life, and I didn’t want to add to that. I couldn’t pay for a programme, and I didn’t want something that restricted entire food groups. I wanted something that I could do and maintain for life.
I started by just counting calories and tracking everything that I ate and drank. This truly opened my eyes to just how much I was eating and what foods were “worth” the calories. This lifestyle can be defined as CICO (calories in calories out).
By using multiple online calculators, I figured out what my calorie deficit should be and started eating at the level. I've been doing this now for 15 months and have consistently lost weight month after month still eating all the foods I love, just in moderation. This works because I don’t restrict too much and then binge. I can fit anything into my day if I want to. If I want a cookie or some ice cream, I can still work that in and maintain my deficit.
Here’s what I eat in a day:
Breakfast: Proffee (coffee with a protein shake) and a Fiber One bar.
Lunch: A wrap of some kind, some fruit, and a salad or a protein (chicken or fish) with raw veggies and yogurt ranch dip.
Snack: Crisps, popcorn, a yogurt parfait bowl, or a protein bar.
Dinner: Caulirice, vegetable stir-fry, and chicken or shrimp, fajitas, or build-your-own pizza.
I started exercising right away.
It was mostly just walking. This is still my main form of exercise. I started with walking because it was what I had access to, it was free, and it wasn’t intimidating. I try to hit a minimum of 8k steps a day. (Most days are higher!)
Walking is easy and very underrated. I also love it because I can do it with my kids. When I can’t get outside for a walk, I do YouTube step workouts. I also occasionally ride a stationary bike or do yoga or HIIT workouts.
These three changes made the biggest difference in my weight loss results.
I maintain a calorie deficit. Figuring out my deficit, eating within my calorie budget, and staying consistent over a long period of time has led to results every month.
I made lower-calorie food swaps. For example, cauliflower rice in place of regular rice. Plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. Almond milk instead of whole milk.
I stopped labeling food as “good” or “bad." All food is fine in moderation. There are no “good” or “bad” foods.
I have lost 90 pounds (40kg) in 15 months.
I want people to know that weight loss doesn’t have to be extreme, complicated, or all-or-nothing. You don’t have to cut out entire food groups. You don’t have to hit the gym seven days a week or at all. Keep it simple and just get your body moving in some way. You can still enjoy all the foods you love in moderation.
It’s not a race. Keep going. You can’t mess this up as long as you don’t quit. Consistency is key. If you can be consistent at least 80 percent of the time over a long period of time, you will see results. You will succeed.
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