Aussie woman shares the ‘key’ shift that helped her lose weight

Zoe Lewis spent years caught in an exhausting cycle – losing weight through strict diets and intense workout plans, only to gain it all back as soon as she stopped.

But when the scales hit almost 236 lbs, she knew she needed a different approach.

Over 14 months, she shed about 93 lbs, not through fad diets but by adopting a sustainable, long-term approach to a healthier lifestyle.

Now 23 and a fitness influencer, she’s inspiring and educating her nearly 40,000 TikTok followers with her story, hoping to encourage others to lose weight the right way.

The day everything changed

“I have always been an overweight person, with my weight fluctuating between 85-100kgs [about 187-220 lbs] most of my adult life,” the Gold Coast woman told news.com.au.

“I was following fad diets and workout plans which would bring me down to a lower weight, and as soon as I stopped them, I’d jump right back up to 90-100 kgs [about 198-220 lbs].

“I hated the way I felt and looked, and I wanted to be better for myself. So the day I hit 107kgs [about 236 lbs], I decided to quit the fads and begun my 14-month weight loss journey to 65 kgs [about 143 lbs].”

Despite being at her heaviest, Ms Lewis said she was still fit in some ways and attended circuit training gyms, albeit inconsistently.

However, she believed the main issue was that she didn’t consider herself to be an inherently “active” person.

Educating herself and building healthy habits

“I never found a routine that worked. I would make it to the end of a six-week challenge, then go right back to old habits,” she explained.

“I never walked and would instead take the opportunity to lay in bed when I had free time.

“My diet was atrocious and consisted mostly of take-out, easy-made meals from the grocery store and sweets, and I never found myself cooking. I barely had vegetables, and my gut health was incredibly bad.”

Unlike her past attempts, when Ms Lewis became serious about losing the weight, she made sure to really educate herself, ensuring her diet wasn’t restrictive and she had proper knowledge about how food worked in the body.

“I learned why protein, fats, and carbohydrates are important and why walking and strength training were the best ways to lose weight,” she said.

“I continually adjusted my diet and routine throughout the process to ensure I continued to lose weight healthily.”

Walking was the key to her weight loss journey

One of the biggest shifts in her journey was her approach to movement.

Instead of relying on intense, short-term challenges, she made daily walking a non-negotiable part of her routine.

“It played a huge part,” she revealed. “One thing I say is walking is the key to fat loss, strength training is the key to maintaining fat loss”.

She started with an achievable goal of seven to eight thousand steps a day, and she now does around 12-to-15,000 a day on average.

It wasn’t just about weight loss, though. Walking became a way for her to clear her mind, stay active without burnout and prevent slipping back into old “lazy” habits.

“I take every opportunity I can to get my steps in. They don’t all come from straight walking,” she said.

“I walk around the office as much as I can, filling up a smaller water bottle and taking the opportunity to talk to people instead of calling.

“I use my lunch breaks to walk and eat when I get back to my desk. By the time I’m home from the office, I’ve usually done 10,000 steps or close to it.”

On days she works from home, she has a walking pad under her desk to prioritize her steps, and she also goes for a walk after work and in the mornings on weekends.

Of course, even with a strong routine, there are days when motivation wanes, and that’s where discipline comes in.

“I just have to remind myself of my goals,” she said.

“Change doesn’t happen without change! Discipline to me is more important than motivation, as motivation isn’t always going to be there.

“You have to teach yourself that doing nothing won’t get you any closer to your goals. Now walking is a part of my routine I couldn’t live without.”

Tips to make walking fun

To make a walk more enjoyable, she has a few tips up her sleeve.

“I do things I like to call ‘color walks’ where I will pick a color and try to find as many things on my walk that are that color and take a photo,” she said.

“It really makes the walk fun and more mindful. A good podcast, audiobook and playlist will also never fail you.”

She also ensures her walks are no longer than 45 minutes to keep them entertaining and enjoyable.

Looking back, Ms Lewis wishes she understood that transformation takes time.

“I’d tell anyone looking to start their weight loss journey that there is no quick fix or hack – it is all about diet and exercise and letting time do its thing.

“Your weight will fluctuate slightly and that is normal and okay. At the end of the day, to really start, it’s all about priorities and education.

“Educate yourself on why food and exercise are important, change your mindset that food is fuel, and regularly remind yourself of your goals.”