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3 tips that helped this college student lose 100 pounds

Lori Odegaard set a goal of losing 100 pounds. She didn't care how long it took, she was determined to succeed.

When Lori Odegaard was visiting her parents over Thanksgiving break in 2016, she struggled to walk up their stairs. As she stood at the top of the 10 steps gasping for breath, she worried that something was wrong.

“I couldn’t catch my breath back again and it was very alarming to me because I was like, ‘There’s no way I should be struggling to get air,’” Odegaard, 24, a student at North Dakota State University, told TODAY. “That was a bit of a red flag for me and it was at that point that I was like this has just gotten out of hand. I’ve got to do something.”

Lori Odegaard lost weight when she was in high school but gained it back, plus more.
Lori Odegaard lost weight when she was in high school but gained it back, plus more.Courtesy Lori Odegaard

While Odegaard had always been overweight, she lost about 30 pounds when she was a junior in high school. But then she gained it back “plus 30 or 40 more pounds.”

When she felt winded walking up the steps, she decided to lose weight. Starting at Christmas break, she cut her portions in half and started walking 30 minutes a day. But returning to college complicated her plan.

“It was really hard because my friends would eat whatever they wanted and I really had to stay on track. I would try to eat a salad with every meal,” she said. “I thought that cutting out bread and starches and junk food … (would work).”

When Lori Odegaard first started losing weight, she simply cut portion sizes, which helped her lose about 40 pounds.
When Lori Odegaard first started losing weight, she simply cut portion sizes, which helped her lose about 40 pounds.Courtesy Lori Odegaard

It did. She lost 40 pounds. While she changed how much she ate, she also exercised more. But then she experienced some health complications. Odegaard showed signs of polycystic ovarian syndrome, and doctors also suspected she had fibroids or endometriosis. She underwent surgery and doctors discovered she had a blood clot “the size of a baseball that was decaying in my uterus.” During this experience, she didn’t focus as much on exercise and eating.

“I had been complacent and plateaued for eight months,” she explained. “After that surgery I started feeling good again.”

She started exercising again and tried various weight-loss plans. They didn’t work and actually caused more problems.

“It created really unhealthy eating habits for me honestly because I thought that eating nothing was better,” Odegaard said. “It was just a learning lesson.”

When Lori Odegaard starting counting calories, she developed a healthier relationship with food.
When Lori Odegaard starting counting calories, she developed a healthier relationship with food.Courtesy Lori Odegaard

She started counting her calories. She often swaps foods, such as ground turkey instead of ground beef or sugar-free condiments for regular ones.

“That has been the most successful thing I have come upon in my weight-loss journey because it has taught me a good relationship with eating food,” she said. “I can eat wholesome foods and when I’m out and about I can go to Starbucks and get coffee. It’s allowing balance and really eating in moderation.”

Odegaard also changed how she exercised. At first she shied away from lifting because she thought it would make her look “bulky,” but she now incorporates it into her exercise routine.

“That whole thing is completely false,” she said. “I do about 10 to 20 minutes of cardio and then I do the rest of the time with weight training.”

When her weight loss stalled, Lori Odegaard started counting calories and lifting weights, which helped her lose more weight.
When her weight loss stalled, Lori Odegaard started counting calories and lifting weights, which helped her lose more weight.Courtesy Lori Odegaard

She shed another 60 pounds, losing 100 pounds in total since she started.

“When I started four years ago I set the goal … to lose 100 pounds,” Odegaard said. “Now that I’ve hit this I’m like, ‘Wow, I can do anything I set my mind to and it doesn’t matter how long it takes.’”

Even though she’s pleased with her success, she is setting more goals. She might try to lose another 30 to 40 pounds and she wants to run a half-marathon.

“I’m really happy where I’m at,” she said. “I don’t know how long it’s going to take me to (train for a half-marathon) but that is my next goal.”

Taking a lot of pictures kept Lori Odegaard motivated because she was able to see how her body changed during her weight loss.
Taking a lot of pictures kept Lori Odegaard motivated because she was able to see how her body changed during her weight loss.Courtesy Lori Odegaard

Odegaard shares advice for others hoping to lose weight.

1. Be kind to yourself.

While Odegaard set her goals, she didn't force them into a timeline. She simply wanted to lose 100 pounds. Soon after starting, she realized that gaining weight took a long time and so would losing it.

“It’s really hard no matter how much you lose and it takes a lot of strength and determination,” she said. “Just don’t be too hard on yourself.”

2. Count your calories.

While a health emergency first stalled Odegaard’s weight loss, she also plateaued because what she was doing when it came to eating no longer worked. That's when she focused on having a calorie deficit, making sure she ate fewer calories than she needed.


Today Odegaard is setting new goals, like running a half-marathon this year.
Today Odegaard is setting new goals, like running a half-marathon this year.Courtesy Lori Odegaard

3. Take a lot of pictures.

When Odegaard was at her heaviest weight she didn’t want to see any pictures of herself. But she started taking them to see if she could notice progress. Seeing the difference in her “before” and “after” pictures kept her motivated.

Lori Odegaard is in college to become a food and consumer sciences teacher.
Lori Odegaard is in college to become a food and consumer sciences teacher. Courtesy Lori Odegaard

“When I first started I was so embarrassed of myself. But now looking back I wish I would have taken more,” she said. “When I was feeling down I would take a picture and put them side-by-side and remind myself, ‘This is how far you’ve gotten. Look how much you’ve done already.’”