How MyFitnessPal Helped Jessica Lose 135 Pounds in Nine Short Months
A little accountability and a small shift in perspective can oftentimes be a powerful catalyst for a life-changing transformation. Jessica LoFrese, a 34-year-old print and marketing manager from Aberdeen, North Carolina, struggled with her weight her entire life, but weight-loss programs and diets always left her feeling discouraged and overwhelmed. After tipping the scales at 352 pounds in May 2021, she knew she had to make a change that prioritized a healthier lifestyle to lose a significant amount of weight.
“I’m a mom to a 4-year-old little boy, and I wanted to be sure to be in the best health possible to enjoy him and be there for him as long as possible,” she says. “Besides that, it’s not a great feeling to be extremely overweight, and it’s not great for your self-esteem.”
She’d be the first to admit her diet wasn’t healthy and desperately needed an overhaul. Jessica reached for convenience foods, and her busy schedule meant that during the day she would opt for a quick, unhealthy snack instead of a well-balanced meal.
She’d be starving by the time she got home, so she would eat a lot of unhealthy foods in a short amount of time. On weekends, she had a habit of eating when she was bored.
Jessica’s first step on her weight-loss journey was one many take — a simple Google search. She found MyFitnessPal, and after her first weigh-in in May 2021, she has been using it to set goals and track her calories daily.
“It’s easier for me to go through things and handle them if I feel like I’m in control,” she says. “With the help of MyFitnessPal, that was possible.”
Her previous unhealthy food choices were replaced by new favorites like sheet pan kabobs, taco salads, tuna and gnocchi soup. By focusing on her daily caloric intake and staying within her calorie allowance, she’s found her macros and other metrics on MyFitnessPal pretty much fell into place.
“Recording everything in ‘my app,’ as I call it, helps hold me accountable and helped make everything less overwhelming,” she says. “It helped me make the most out of the foods I was intaking.”
The pounds started falling faster and easier than she expected — almost at a rate she couldn’t believe. And when she lost her first 100 pounds in just over five months, she started feeling like she could actually reach her goal.
Interestingly, and unlike many of our Victory Stories, Jessica’s transformation is almost entirely based on retooling her diet. She doesn’t exercise consistently, only going on the occasional walk.
“I definitely have room for improvement here,” she says. “I need to start strength training, as I can tell I’m getting weaker as I lose weight.”
In nine short months, Jessica has lost 135 pounds — only 65 pounds short of hitting her goal weight of 150 pounds. She plans on continuing her new health-conscious way of eating to reach, and then maintain, her goal.
“People say this a lot, but if I can do it, anyone can!”
