A woman who shed 81 pounds in just one year has shared the simple change she says transformed her body, revealing that she achieved the dramatic weight loss by removing a single item from her diet.
As the new year begins, many people are thinking about losing weight or making lifestyle changes to improve their health and fitness.
Angelina Marie, who has a combined following of 300,000 on Instagram and TikTok, regularly shares updates about her weight loss journey. She said she weighed 209 pounds, or 14.9 stone, when she started and dropped to 128 pounds, or 9.1 stone, 12 months later.
She attributed the dramatic transformation to cutting out one common ingredient that many people consume daily. In an Instagram post, Angelina said: “I didn’t realize how bad I felt… until I finally felt GOOD.
“The inflammation, the bloating, the cravings, the exhaustion… I thought that was just adulting. Then I cut out sugar and..”, according to Wales Online.
“Seven days: 11 lbs gone. Seven months: 75 lbs gone. And the craziest part? I did LESS than ever before and the inflammation was melting off of me. No restriction. No starving. No crazy workouts. Just real food and consistency.
“My insulin resistance reversed, my hormones got back on track, my energy was on another level, and I’ve truly never felt better. I spent years doing everything ‘right’… and the thing holding me back was the damn sugar.”
Health experts widely support reducing sugar intake. The NHS advises adults to limit sugar consumption to no more than 30 grams per day. According to Spire Healthcare, cutting back on sugar can help maintain a healthy weight and prevent energy crashes by keeping blood sugar levels stable.
Reducing sugar may also improve skin health, lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, support better dental health, and reduce the likelihood of liver disease. People who consume high amounts of sugar also face increased risks of heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure.
There are several ways to cut down on sugar, including avoiding fizzy drinks and sugary breakfast cereals.
While some people, including Angelina, promote the carnivore diet — which focuses on eating only meat, fish, and animal-based products like eggs and dairy — as an effective way to eliminate sugar, medical professionals urge caution. Experts warn the diet lacks essential nutrients such as carbohydrates and fiber.
The British Heart Foundation said research into the diet’s long-term benefits remains “limited and inconclusive.” The organization warned: “The carnivore diet is not healthy and may have serious consequences for your health. One of the main issues is that it’s high in saturated fats due to its high amounts of red meat and dairy.
“Too much saturated fat can increase levels of bad cholesterol (known as non-HDL cholesterol) in the blood. Processed meat can also be high in salt, which can increase your risk of high blood pressure.
“Both high cholesterol and high blood pressure raise the risk of developing coronary heart disease and having a heart attack or stroke. That’s why the NHS recommends eating 70g or less of red or processed meat a day.”
The BHF instead recommends the Mediterranean diet as a healthier alternative, emphasizing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and seeds while limiting sugar intake.
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