Diet & Food

'I Was A Yo-Yo Dieter Until An Accountability Coach Taught Me The IIFYM Rule'

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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