My name is Salma Nakhlawi (@strongHERgirls), and I’m from New York City. I’m a strength coach and online personal trainer at StrongHER Girls. After struggling to lose weight and yo-yo dieting, I enlisted a coach for help, started eating more nutrient-dense food, tracked my macros, and started strength training. I’ve now lost over 50 pounds and kept it off for four years.
Before my weight-loss journey began, I struggled with a lot of problems. I felt tired all the time, my joints ached, my confidence was at a zero, and none of my clothes fit me anymore.
I had tried everything on my own. I trained for hours in the gym and tried different ways of dieting—a new type of workout every week, and a different eating plan every time the old one stopped working. I would lose weight only to gain it back…over and over again.
I also attended a competitive Ivy League school, where I took on an intense course load. I was stressed all the time, barely slept, and found comfort in food. Nothing felt good, so I ate to feel better. Ten pounds turned into 20 pounds, which turned into 50 pounds. I felt tired, sluggish, and unhappy.
My turning point was in the spring of 2016. I was 21 years old and was nearly 200 pounds.
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I realized I couldn’t lose weight and keep it off alone, so I hired a coach to hold myself accountable.
I wanted to have some support when it got challenging. It wasn’t until I started working with a coach by my side, who provided me with a sense of accountability, encouragement, and motivation, that realized how much I needed to get my sh*t together and finally lose the weight. This was key to helping me transform my body. And slowly but surely, I lost weight. One pound turned into 10 pounds, which eventually turned into 50 pounds.
The main way I watch my food intake, while still consuming foods I *actually* enjoy, is by tracking macronutrients (also commonly known as IIFYM, or “if it fits your macros”). My coach calculated my macros for me and held me accountable for tracking my macros accurately and hitting them as closely as I could on a regular basis. We checked in once a week via email, and via FaceTime when I needed more support.
Counting macros gives me the freedom to enjoy a style of eating that works for me and my body. This is an easy and sustainable way of eating for my lifestyle. I need my diet to fit my lifestyle—not the other way around.
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For the most part, my diet is composed of nutrient-dense foods. I have been plant-based for a few months now. I try to eat more plants, less junk, and I moderate my intake of animal products until I feel ready to fully transition to being plant-based (I plan to cut eggs and dairy.)
I crafted my own plant-based eating approach; it is what works best for me and helps my body feel at its best. I like being plant-based because I have so much energy. Transitioning to a plant-based diet helped me cut out added sugars and refined grains. But sometimes I crave a plant-based burger and fries.I don’t deprive myself when it comes to food.
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Here’s what I typically eat in a day:
- Breakfast: Tofu scramble, roasted vegetables, green smoothie
- Lunch: BoyceMode plant-based meal (plant-based chipotle sausage with Brussels sprouts, black beans, corn, red onions, bell peppers, and southwestern dressing)
- Snacks: Trail mix and a vegan protein shake with oat milk after my training session
- Dinner: BoyceMode plant-based meal (teriyaki tofu stir fry)
- Dessert: Vegan mochi
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I strength train four to five times per week and do cardio or HIIT one to two times per week.
When I started lifting weights, a lot of changes happened. As I began to regularly strength train, I started to value performance gains over appearance gains. I used to measure success by the amount of weight I lost. I cared about the scale. But with my increased physical strength also came increased mental endurance, power, resilience, and a boost in confidence. Lifting weights helped me fall in love with myself, with my body, and what my body can do, rather than its appearance or numbers on the scale.
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These three changes made the biggest difference in my weight loss journey.
- Change 1: I tracked what I ate. Tracking what I eat allows me to know exactly what is going into my body and it also allows me to adjust accordingly for my needs.
- Change 2: I ate more greens. Eating more nutrient-dense vegetables keeps my micronutrients in check and keeps me fuller, for longer.
- Change 3: I challenged my self-limiting beliefs. Take the time to understandyour self-limiting beliefs, understand them, question them, challenge them, and eventually form new beliefs that allow you to thrive.
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I’ve lost 50-plus pounds. It took me 16 weeks to lose it, and I’ve kept it off for four years.
My transformation changed so much about me. I fell in love with lifting. When I started lifting with performance-based goals in mind, my mindset changed. I learned to push mental and physical boundaries. I changed the words “I can’t” in my head to “I’ll try.” As I lifted heavier weights, I got stronger in the gym, but my strength outside of the gym grew as well. The result: I am a strong, confident woman.
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