- General Cohen tried fad diets for almost a decade, only to gain weight.
- At the age of 21, she decided to take a different, more sustainable approach.
- Cohen decided to love herself versus healthy instead of hating herself versus thin, she said.
General Cohen has spent almost a decade since he was 12 trying to do things differently trend diets in an attempt to lose weight, but ended up just yo-yoing.
“I’ve struggled with my weight my entire life,” Cohen, now 29, told Business Insider.
After arriving at college, Cohen no longer recognized herself. She decided to change course and go on a fitness journey, but wanted to do things differently this time.
Cohen, who lives in San Diego, ate one high protein diet in a gentle way calorie deficitand followed the 80/20 principlemeaning she cut nothing out of her diet and enjoyed treats and alcohol in moderation.
Although Cohen didn’t lose any weight for three months, she remained consistent and lost 50 pounds in a year. She maintained her weight for seven years.
General Cohen lost 50 pounds over the course of a year.
General Cohen
Cohen started dieting when she was 12
Cohen grew up in a small town in Connecticut where health wasn’t a priority, she said. She was active and played sports, but she and her teammates always went to McDonald’s afterward.
Cohen remembers going on her first diet at age 12, which she now realizes contributed to her negative body image.
When she went to college in San Diego, being able to eat out for every meal was a novelty. She did just that, and she also stopped exercising.
“I ended up gaining about 30 pounds and just couldn’t figure out how to get it off,” Cohen said. “I felt frustrated, I felt sad, and I felt really misled by the media and the weight loss industry because all I read was, ‘Eat 1,200 calories.’ cut out carbsdon’t eat fats, buy these protein shakes or supplements,’ but it seemed like the more products and quick fixes I tried, the more damage I did.’
She would lose 10 pounds, then gain 15 pounds back, lose 20 pounds and then gain 30 pounds back, she said. Her experience mirrors what research shows about how unsustainable weight loss methods can put stress on the body, leading to weight gain.
“I would eat very large amounts of food and then feel physically terrible afterwards because I was missing a certain amount of self-love,” Cohen said.
Cohen’s 21st birthday was a turning point
For Cohen’s 21st birthday, her mother flew to visit her. They went to a beautiful viewpoint and took some photos, but when Cohen looked back at it afterwards, she was shocked by how she looked.
“I physically felt my heart drop into my stomach because I really didn’t recognize the girl looking back,” Cohen said.
She went home and got on the scale for the first time in a while and saw that her weight had increased to 205 pounds.
Instead of going to bars, as many Americans do to celebrate turning 21, Cohen spent the rest of the night crying on the bathroom floor, feeling upset, disappointed, confused, lost and scared.
“I thought, if the weight could gain so quickly without me really being aware of it, when would it stop?” she said. “Because I had tried to lose weight so many times, I assumed I was a lost cause.”
But Cohen realized she had a choice. “I could sit on the bathroom floor for the rest of my life and just accept my fate, or I could try again,” Cohen said.
Cohen decided to ‘love himself and stay healthy’
The next day, she and her mother went to the mall to buy workout clothes, protein powder and a blender.
She knew she had to do things differently, so she started educating herself and devouring information about nutrition, fitness, and mindset. This time there would be no quick fixes, gimmicks or cuts.
“I promised myself that instead of hating myself against skinny, I would love myself against healthy,” Cohen said. ‘Any other time I would have tried lose weight, I tried to do it for a man, for a holiday, for a special event, for New Year’s, and this was the first time I really did it for myself.”
Cohen meal prepared and eaten in a slight calorie deficit
Gen Cohen before and after losing 50 pounds.
General Cohen
Cohen knew she would need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, but unlike many of her previous attempts, she decided not to cut her calories too low because she wanted it to be sustainable (and that’s what she did). dietitians and nutritionists usually recommend this).
Instead of cutting out carbs or fats, as she had previously tried, Cohen aimed for a healthy balance. She also focused on egg whitegiving her a good hit with every meal — protein helps your muscles hold and makes you feel full — and started meal prepping.
Cohen had never cooked a chicken breast before, so she learned about cooking and nutrition at the same time.
Every Sunday morning, Cohen wrote down a meal plan for the week, went to the grocery store and then came home to prepare dinner.
She kept track of, weighed and measured everything. Counting calories Weighing food can be a useful educational tool and help you learn what different foods provide and how much your body needs. However, it is not suitable for everyone and not the only way to lose fat.
Crucially, Cohen wasn’t too strict with her diet, aiming to follow the ’80/20′ principle. This meant that 80% of what Cohen ate was nutritious and balanced, and 20% was whatever she wanted. Dietitians recommend this approach because it means you won’t feel deprived of what you enjoy, and again, it’s more durable.
An injury prevented Cohen from doing any serious exercise, but she was consistent with her diet.
Cohen didn’t lose any weight for three months
During the first three months of her new lifestyle, Cohen didn’t lose a single pound.
“I was devastated, I was confused, I felt betrayed,” Cohen said. “I had blood work done, I had my thyroid tested, I explored all these different avenues and options.”
Cohen made the decision to use her birth control copper IUD – removed, even though her doctor told her it would not affect her weight. Within seven days of it being removed, Cohen had lost 10 pounds.
Copper IUDs, also called copper IUDs, are non-hormonal contraceptives and weight gain is not listed as a side effect. While there is some anecdotal evidence from women claiming that the device has led to weight gain, scientific evidence is missing.
Cohen doesn’t know if removing her IUD played a role in her weight loss or if it was a coincidence, as it can sometimes take some time for weight loss to be visible.
Cohen, who is now a certified nutrition coach, suspects that her body was in a high-stress state after years of yo-yo dieting, which took a while to recover.
Over the next nine months, Cohen lost another 40 pounds. “I still say it took me 12 months to lose the weight because I had been working on it months in advance,” she said.
Cohen has maintained her weight loss for seven years
After losing all the weight she wanted, Cohen moved on maintenance, which wasn’t easy. It took some trial and error to figure out how much could properly fuel her body and keep her weight stable, she said.
Learning how to make healthier versions of her favorite takeout meals helped Cohen enjoy treats while managing her weight, and she worked on her mindset and self-love, which allowed her to enjoy all the foods and not feel guilty afterwards .
She enjoys alcohol in moderation, but has learned to make lighter choices as she loses weight. For example, a shot of tequila instead of a margarita, or a vodka soda instead of a Red Bull vodka slushy, she said.
Since recovering from her injury about a year after finishing her weight loss, Cohen has started weight training two to three times a week and walking.
“I’m not the typical fitness girl who has to go to the gym six or seven days a week,” Cohen said. “Gym is not my therapy. Gym is my insurance policy.”
Her most consistent form of exercise is simply walking.
“I walk every day,” Cohen said. “It’s a big part of my life.”