With 2024 already coming to a close, many of us are setting weight-loss and fitness goals for the new year. If shedding a few excess pounds is on your 2025 to-do list, you might want to take a page out of Bridget Cacciatore'sbook. The 49-year-old woman recently dropped 45 pounds by switching up her fitness routine, telling TODAY.com that she "changed her entire body."
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In her interview with TODAY.com, Cacciatore detailed her experience, sharing that she'd always maintained a healthy lifestyle—limiting carbs, sugar, alcohol, avoiding smoking, and staying active (mostly through running and cardio). So, when she started to gain weight, eventually reaching 175 pounds, she didn't understand why.
Cacciatore did note some health issues known to affect weight, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), insulin resistance, and Hashimoto's disease, as well as surgeries. Following her hysterectomy and the removal of her right ovary, Cacciatore said she "never really felt right."
"It seemed like my hormones were out of whack. I kept going to the doctor, seeing the endocrinologist, seeing the gynecologist, seeing the internist, and nobody wanted to help me. I kept gaining more weight," she told TODAY.com.
People with underlying illnesses, including those like Cacciatore's, can make it difficult to lose weight.
"Some people have underlying diseases, like hypothyroidism and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), that make it harder to lose weight," Karla Robinson, MD, medical editor at GoodRx, previously told Best Life. "Health conditions such as these can impact metabolic rates and hormone levels, which can make weight management difficult."
But in addition to her weight, Cacciatore noticed that her energy was depleted, and her clothes weren't fitting. As a result, her mental health took a turn for the worse. She went through a few more ups and downs, actually gaining more weight when she upped her workouts and used Nutrisystem.
Eventually, Cacciatore saw a weight-loss doctor who prescribed a "clean keto" diet and told her to switch up her workouts. The big change? Shifting from intense cardio to more strength workouts and walking.
While this was a struggle for the lifelong cardio lover, the change made a difference. With the help of her personal trainer and her support system at home and the gym, Cacciatore lost 45 pounds in a year.
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"We took a picture and compared it to the year before. I didn’t even look like the same person. It was a great transformation. The strength training has changed my entire body more than running ever did," she told TODAY.com. "And eating a low-sugar, low-carbohydrate, lean protein and vegetable diet has really helped me. My body just does not like sugar."
Previous studies have shown that strength training can actually be more effective than intense cardio sessions. A 2023 study published in Diabetologia found that people with type 2 diabetes who did strength training lost more weight than those who did aerobic training or a combination of strength and aerobics. They also had improved blood sugar stabilization.
This may be because strength training has prolonged calorie-burning benefits, as your muscles have to use energy to repair themselves afterward.
"Strength or resistance training primarily targets muscle growth. The more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate becomes," Andrew White, CPT, a certified personal trainer and co-founder of Garage Gym Pro, previously told Best Life. "In simpler terms, you burn more calories even when you're not working out. This process is what makes strength training an ace up your sleeve when it comes to weight loss."
