Megan Tjelle before (left) and after her weight loss of almost 50 kilograms. Megan Tjelle
Megan Tjelle lost 25 kilograms by walking a lot and eating low calories.
She lost another 23 kilograms by taking the weight loss drug Wegovy.
Tjelle shared ten lessons she learned on her weight loss journey, including the importance of patience.
This is a machine translation of an article from our US colleagues at Business Insider. It was automatically translated and checked by a real editor.
Megan Tjelle’s weight fluctuated for over a decade. She tried dieting and lost some weight, but then kept gaining weight – often even more than before. As her 30th birthday approached, she had lost her self-confidence. She knew she had to change something.
This time she wanted to become healthier and lose weight in a sustainable way. In October 2022 she started small. Through a low-calorie diet and walks, Tjelle from Chicago lost 25 kilograms in six months, as she told Business Insider (BI).
Struggling with cravings and worried she was hitting a plateau, Tjelle visited her doctor. He suggested she try the appetite suppressant drug Wegovy (commonly known as Ozempic), which she promptly did.
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Tjelle has lost another 23 kilograms in eight months and is now taking a maintenance dose of the medication. Her training program has also progressed: she now runs a half marathon and does strength training. Those taking such medications, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, are advised to eat a healthy diet and exercise while taking them.
Tjelle’s experience reflects how approaches and attitudes to weight loss are changing. According to a report by Research and Markets, the global weight loss drug market will grow from $3.83 billion (approximately €3.56 billion) in 2023 to $44.12 billion (approximately €41 billion) in 2029. Finally, more and more people are combining medication with a healthy diet and exercise to lose weight. Before, they often had difficulty achieving their goals “naturally”.
Tjelle, now 30, shares the ten lessons she’s learned on her fat loss and fitness journey.
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1. Patience is key
Tjelle said she sometimes found it frustrating when she didn’t see rapid progress in her weight loss attempts. “I had to keep reminding myself that I didn’t gain weight overnight and I wasn’t going to lose weight overnight,” she explained.
She learned to focus on taking things one day at a time. As she describes it, it’s about looking at the step in front of you, not the entire staircase.
2. Consistency is important
Tjelle realized that she didn’t have to do a strenuous workout every day or follow an overly restrictive diet to make progress: she just needed to take a step in the right direction. “The most important (and hardest) part of the process is getting started,” she said.
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3. Liquid calories make it harder to lose fat
For some people, alcohol is a large source of liquid calories. But Tjelle discovered she was drinking too many creamy, sugary coffee drinks, some of which contained over 400 calories each. Cutting back on these drinks helped her achieve her goals, she explains. “When you’re trying to lose weight, those calories really add up. “They don’t even fill you up and offer no real nutritional value,” says Tjelle.
Megan Tjelle has developed a love for fitness. Megan Tjelle
Nutrition experts say there’s nothing wrong with occasionally eating less nutritious foods that you enjoy. But consuming them less frequently can improve your health and help you reach your fat loss goals.
4. Walking is good for fat loss
“When I first started my weight loss journey, walking was by far the most effective exercise for weight loss,” explains Megan Tjelle. When she walked into a gym for the first time in years, she felt overwhelmed and embarrassed. Still, she knew she could walk for 30 minutes every day.
“It’s great for beginners because it’s low impact and the risk of injury is very low,” Tjelle said. Walking can be very helpful for fat loss because it burns calories without making you hungry. This could trigger higher intensity cardio training for some people.
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5. Count calories
Whether you count calories or not, they have an effect. Tjelle researched the calorie content of various foods and made sure she was in a deficit. For example, she ordered meals from a healthy delivery service called Seattle Sutton. “Once I was in a true calorie deficit, I saw immediate results,” she recalls.
6. You can still eat the foods you like
Megan Tjelle learned that she can eat everything she likes in moderation – and still lose fat. To do this, you don’t have to exclude any food groups. “I’ve found that restricting too much just makes me eat more of the foods I’m restricting,” she explains.
Megan Tjelle before her weight loss. Megan Tjelle
On her weight loss journey, Tjelle celebrated milestones by eating out at her favorite places, such as sushi restaurants, because she believed it was important to enjoy life and celebrate her successes.
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7. Getting off track doesn’t ruin progress
Previously, if Tjelle had a day or even a meal where she went over her calorie limit, she would throw in the towel and go back to her old habits. But now she knows she just has to get back on track. “It’s important to remember that one slip-up or bad day doesn’t negate progress. You just have to keep going,” she says.
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8. A positive attitude towards sport helps
Tjelle exercised consistently from the moment she stopped seeing it as a chore and instead focused on the benefits. “I realized how grateful I am to be able to move my body every day and do something that makes me feel good,” she said.
9. You are your biggest investment
Tjelle used to always put exercise and healthy eating at the bottom of her priority list. But now she knows how important it is to prioritize her health. “What helped me on the really hard days was thinking about what my life would be like at my ideal weight and how different everything would be (in a good way),” she says.
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10. You won’t always feel motivated
In the first few months of her weight loss program, Tjelle didn’t feel like going to the gym. But she still remained consistent. Gradually she started to enjoy it more. “I found it really difficult to go there every day. But I reminded myself that it wouldn’t be easy, but the long-term results would be worth it,” said Tjelle.
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This article was published on May 7, 2024 and has been updated.
