‘I Used Calorie Counting And Powerlifting To Lose 90 Pounds In Just Over A Year’

My name is Rachel Faye Robbins (@rachelfayeak), and I’m 27 years old. I’m from Anchorage, Alaska, and I’m the owner of Perfectly Imperfect Photography. I struggled with binge eating until I started taking care of myself by counting calories, practicing portion control, and powerlifting.

My binge eating was my biggest struggle with food and weight growing up. I fought with it since my preteen years, and it really took over in a serious way after I had kids.

I was 26 when I reached 267 pounds. At that weight I was constantly dealing with lower back pain and high blood pressure complications. Worst of all, I wasn’t loving the woman I saw in the mirror.

But my turning point didn’t come until after I left my marriage in November 2019. I began the process of rebuilding a home for myself and my two boys. In learning how to parent alone, I decided that I deserved so much more than the low standards I had in the past. And most of all, my boys needed a strong and stable mom.

So that’s what I did. I also cut out all fast food and started to drink only water.

Here’s what I typically eat in a day now.

• Breakfast: Avocado toast with hard boiled eggs and bacon
• Lunch: Rice bowl with chicken and veggies
• Snack: Bell peppers and cream cheese with ham
• Dinner: Egg salad wrap with cheese and fruit
• Dessert: Dark chocolate squares

Moving and staying active is what kept my motivation high.

Seeing the body changes and strength improvement was huge for me. I first started off doing 20-minute HIIT workouts and yoga six days a week. As the pounds came off, I took the leap and got a membership at a local gym.

I started powerlifting and fell in love with it. Now, I lift heavy three days a week at the gym and do daily cardio workouts at home for my mental health.

These three changes made the biggest difference in my weight-loss results.

• I stopped “earning” food. Food is fuel, and I realized I needed to change my outlook about “earning” certain foods and treats. And that also means not eating junk all the time. I only give my boys and myself the very best, without forgetting to have a treat every once and a while.

• I found support through a fitness family. Surrounding myself with support and people who push me to be better really helped me. Before, I didn’t realize how much having a fitness family could help me thrive and stay focused.

• I chose to love myself at every stage in my journey. This body is amazing! It created two healthy boys, and it can lift heavy and run fast. It does everything I need it to (and more). Just remember to enjoy the process and not the result.

I have lost 90 pounds in a year and three months.

I was the most unmotivated person before all of this. And I never truly believed that the power to change my life was in my hands the whole time. It took a lot for me to deal with my demons and face the fears I had been pushing down for so long. But I’m so glad I did, because my life has changed in the most amazing way.

Now I’m a powerlifting gold medalist, business owner and someone my kids can be proud of. Just take that first step, and I promise you will end up somewhere amazing.