Maria Kirkeland lost 159 pounds over the course of two years without the help of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic but with the aid of TikTok instead. The 37-year-old from Oslo, Norway, had tried every play in the book, from cutting out “bad” foods like sweets to restrictive dieting, but Kirkeland explained that those methods often led to binge eating and excessive weight gain. In 2022, Kirkland adopted a new approach to working out and dieting, and she’s been able to sustain her tremendous weight loss since.
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In an interview with Business Insider, Kirkeland opened up about her relationship with food, which grew complicated when she was bullied for her weight as a young teen.
"I didn't know how to deal with the emotions that I was having related to the bullying and the negative thoughts. So I turned to food as a comfort instead, and that's when I got into secret eating,” she explained.
During the COVID pandemic, Kirkeland began experiencing feelings of depression and isolation, which she believes led her "to have a horrible relationship with food and eat very poorly."
Like many of us during the pandemic, Kirkeland turned to comfort foods and sweets. But over time, that led to weight gain, and Kirkeland soon found herself in a “binge-restrict cycle.”
“I would eat a lot of snacks, ice cream, chocolate, very high-calorie food, and then I would feel terrible about myself," she said. "Then I'd say: 'I'm going on a diet. I'm not going to eat any ice cream. I'm never going to eat chocolate ever again. I'm going to lose the weight.' And that lasted about a few days, and then you crack."
In July 2022, Kirkeland learned about counting calories and strength training via weight-loss coaches on TikTok. Hesitant but motivated, she decided to give both a try and hasn’t looked back since.
Kirkeland said she was “very scared” to try calorie counting given her history but noted that it actually strengthened her relationship with food and inspired her to learn more about nutrition.
"Before, when I'd tried to lose weight, I'd done more guesswork, and I think that led me to undereat, which would then lead me to break because I got so hungry," she said.
She made an effort to not restrict herself from certain foods, including sweets. Instead, she leaned more on vegetables, fish, and lean meats for sustenance.
As a result, she said, “ "I didn't feel hungry ever, really, which was nice, and I still lost weight.”
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Kirkeland wanted to feel good on the inside and outside, so she also got into strength training. Having previously focused on cardio exercises, she altered her workouts to be about building muscle instead.
"I got more comfortable in the gym and added weights," she shared. "In the last 12 months, I've really focused on getting strong, doing deadlifts and trying to challenge myself."
And it’s paying off. "As I've seen that I've been able to push myself, I've been able to do things that I thought were difficult before; it's given me such joy and a sense of achievement," she added.
The weight-loss journey has had a positive effect on her mental health, too.
"I feel more free," she said. "And I am not so scared of trying new things."
