This Influencer Lost 141 Lbs. In A Year And A Half With The Help Of A TDEE Calculator
My name is Sarah Van Den Berg (@sarahcatherinne_) and I'm 25 years old. I live in Orange County, California, and I have a degree in media and marketing. Currently, my social media following on TikTok and Instagram is my full-time job. By eating in a calorie deficit, walking my dog, and heading to the gym four times per week, I've lost about 141 pounds. Here's my weight-loss story.
I grew up in a household where food was always the center of attention. Coming from a European background, my mom expressed her love via delicious meals, which sparked my love for food. I lived a fairly active lifestyle as a kid, playing soccer, and being on the high school water polo team. All of that activity made it pretty easy to maintain and not have to worry about my weight. I could indulge in the food I love (like late night runs to In-N-Out after games) without gaining.
When I moved away to college, though, I stopped prioritizing my health. Living by myself meant I now had independence that I never had, which also meant I was responsible for what was on my plate. I was going out a lot with friends, and my overall health was on the back burner. I would occasionally have random times that I would attend some sort of exercise class, or try the latest diet trend, but I never actually took my health seriously or stayed consistent. My weight was something I wasn’t ready to address at the time.
My turning point came when I realized I couldn't do the activities I used to love.
In February 2019, at 328 pounds, I decided enough was enough. A lot of people ask what motivated me to actually lose weight and take it seriously this time. The truth is, I was tired of not being able to do the activities and hobbies I enjoyed.
I wanted to be able to go on hikes with my friends and not need to stop 10 minutes in. I wanted to be able to go on amusement park rides instead of being told I couldn’t fit in the seat after waiting two hours in line. I wanted to be able to travel with my family without being worried about fitting in the airplane seat or needing a seatbelt extender. I decided that this wasn’t the life I wanted to accept for myself, and I had to make a change.
I started my fitness journey by walking my dog and heading to the gym for cardio four times per week.
Starting is the hardest part, but small steps can lead to big outcomes. At first, I felt as if I needed to make a drastic change in my diet or work out at the gym for two hours every day because of how much weight I believed I needed to lose, but in reality, it was all about making small, achievable goals and building on them.
I started walking my dog around my neighborhood every day, as well as going to the gym four days per week. At the gym, I would mostly use the treadmill, partially because I didn’t really know how to use the other equipment, but also because it was what I was most comfortable doing. I would do my workout and then sit in the sauna, and on my way home I would stop to treat myself to an iced coffee. This routine quickly became something I looked forward to.
I like to tell people that they should find something they enjoy doing that burns calories, whether it be by walking your dog, riding your bike, dancing, anything! I never wanted to force myself to do something I didn't enjoy doing.
When it came to food, I started tracking my calories and drinking more beverages throughout the day.
I learned about creating a calorie deficit for weight loss from a friend. After looking into how to track my calories, I realized that it was something that I could manage. I started by finding my TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and calculating my calorie deficit. You can find a TDEE calculator through a generic search on the web, and it should ask you for your height, weight, age, gender, and activity level. Based on this information, it will show you an estimated total daily energy expenditure, which is the amount of calories you burn each day.
To find out your calorie deficit, you can subtract anywhere from 100 to 500 from this number, depending on what feels realistic and doable for you as far as cutting calories goes. I also use an Apple Watch to track my activity, but it definitely isn't a necessity. I like to wear it as motivation to hit my goals. (Though sometimes I ignore it on lazy days.)
I committed to this tracking practice for two to three weeks, being strict with my deficit Monday through Friday, and enjoying what I craved on the weekends. It was something I could manage because I wasn't depriving myself of the food I love—I was just finding a balance between nutrition and indulgence. I immediately started seeing results on the scale.
I also made a point to only eat when I was hungry. Instead of sitting down to eat just because it’s lunch time, I would eat when my body told me to. Tracking calories was annoying at first, but quickly became part of my routine. After tracking for a few days I started figuring out my eating schedule.
Everyone is different, however, I really liked to have a lot of small, low-calorie meals so I can eat more throughout the day, rather than having three larger meals. This allowed me to be satisfied and not feel like I was hungry all the time. I also began adding more liquids into my diet between meals, which included tea, coffee, water, etc. This was beneficial for me in so many ways. I had more energy and was feeling better than I had in a long time.
Here's what I typically eat in a day now.
Breakfast/Brunch: Toast with some sort of veggie and one or two eggs. (Though besides coffee, most of the time my first meal is around noon, so it's a late breakfast!)
Lunch: I love salads, veggie burgers, and open-faced sandwiches.
Dinner: Veggie stir fry, chicken curry with rice, any type of veggie-dense meal with some sort of protein.
Snacks: Popcorn, deli turkey and string cheese, fruits and veggies, Smart Sweets, rice cakes, and more.
After losing 141 pounds, I now feel more energized and stronger than ever before.
At my highest weight of 328 pounds, this lifestyle change sparked drastic change in my weight. After three weeks of this new commitment, I lost about 10 pounds. I was shocked that I actually did it, and it sparked a drive in me that I was never able to find before. It was like a switch flipped in my head, and I knew I could never go back to my previous lifestyle.
I feel so accomplished. I no longer focus on having a perfect body, but rather how good I feel at the end of the day. My journey has also given me a mentality that I can do whatever I set my mind to. I have gained so much respect for my mind and body, and what I’m capable of.
I am noticeably more energetic. Over time I was seeing changes in my strength (lifting heavier weights, going on longer walks, etc.) as well as being comfortable in clothes that I never felt comfortable in before.
Now, I create social media content that inspires others.
If you told me a year ago that TikTok would pay my rent, I wouldn’t believe you. But hey, 2020 has been full of surprises. Now it's my job to create social media content that inspires people to live their best lives, whether that be through exercise, diet, or wearing what makes them feel good.
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