Tina Bogart had nearly abandoned all hope of shedding any weight.
At the beginning of last year, weighing in at 294 pounds, she found herself at her heaviest. As she sat in her car, the stay-at-home mom of two felt she was beyond help.
"Food was my happiness," said Bogart, who resides in Ontario, Canada. "I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and turned to food for comfort... I felt completely alone. I thought I was too far gone and that trying was pointless."
For Bogart, food provided solace, and as a busy mother to her five-year-old daughter, Paisley, and two-year-old son, Bodyn, she kept her health challenges hidden.
The reality of her overeating was clear: breakfast was a bagel with cream cheese and jam, followed by a hefty footlong sandwich and chips from Subway. Sugary cereal, fried chicken wings with fries, and a nightly indulgence of chips, beer, and occasionally liquor completed her day.
"Altogether? 4,300 calories a day," Bogart revealed.
'I knew I was gaining weight, but I didn't realize how much until I tracked it. I was disgusted with myself.'
With an indulgent holiday season fast approaching, the idea of losing weight amid the festivities seemed lofty at best. Still, she decided she had to try.
Her motivation, however, did not come from a 'new year, new me' mentality. Rather, it began with a small step and a promise to herself.
'Walk 20 minutes every morning. That's it,' she said. 'Not a diet, not a crazy workout plan - just something I could follow through on.'
The big interventions, including a gym membership and a diet overhaul, were daunting, but week by week, she accumulated healthy habits. Daily walks gave way to protein-filled meals just two weeks later.
The combination of cardio and healthier eating caused the weight to fall off, all without the help of GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy.
'Discipline doesn't come when you feel motivated, it comes on the days you don't want to do it,' she said. 'There has never been a walk I regretted. Not once.'
But for Bogart, the holidays remained the toughest time of year.
'Christmas used to terrify me,' she said, noting she feared weight loss would strip away her primary source of joy - food.
Her journey included moments of binge eating and tears, but she consistently chose to forgive herself and start fresh.
She now relies on essential strategies for getting through the holidays: take a daily walk, even if it's just 10 minutes, drink water before eating so you don't mistake thirst for hunger, include protein with each meal, avoid keeping tempting snacks at home, and forgive yourself right away for any minor setbacks.
They are straightforward enough for anyone to follow, which is good for her one-on-one clients who lean on Bogart for help in their own weight-loss journeys.
She has since started a coaching business designed specifically for busy moms facing 'the most tempting months of the year.'
'You do everything for everyone else - your kids, your partner - and forget about you,' she said. 'You deserve to feel confident again.
According to her social media, she created what she calls the 'MILF Method' - which stands for move daily, intentional eating, lifestyle habits, feel confident.
"It's not about extremes or restriction, it's about building confidence, strength & loving yourself again,' she wrote in an Instagram caption about the method.
Today, the contents of Bogart's kitchen are a far cry from when she was at her biggest.
She has traded foot-long subs for chicken breasts and veggies, sugary cereal for cured meat sticks and Greek yogurt with fruit, fried chicken for rotisserie chicken and boozy nightcaps with sugar-free cranberry ginger ale.
The realization that she would be capable of such a feat - 94lbs lost in around 18 months - was astounding.
'My old self would never believe this is me,' she said.
Her accomplishment has inspired other women struggling to beat cravings, quell appetite and quiet food noise without a prescription.
While effective, GLP-1 agonists come with distressing side effects that have compelled roughly 13 percent of the 31 million people taking them to stop.
Side effects range from mild to severe nausea and diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, heartburn, dizziness and headache. Some people, however, experience far more severe effects, including stomach perforations that can lead to deadly sepsis, gallbladder disease, kidney injury and pancreatitis.
But Bogart said she is evidence that such medications are not the end-all-be-all in weight loss.
For those struggling like she was, Bogart offered some advice: 'Life will always be busy, and temptations will always exist. Start now. Go for a 20-minute walk today. Just one thing. That's enough.'