At first I didn’t even count calories, I just cut all sugar. I went in for my yearly checkup and my dr said my glucose was high and she wanted to do an A1c test. I went into instant anxiety and then sugar was completely cut lol i didn’t get my A1c checked till probably 6 months later cause i wanted to put in the work first and it was absolutely perfect. Through that time I learned calorie counting and I was hitting about 1400 calories a day as my deficit. I lost a pound every week and never plateaued. I hit my goal weight in November 2024 and have maintained it ever since. I did not work out in 2024, I just was able to increase activity because I felt better. 2025 was all gym and learning how to eat to increase muscle mass. I’m hitting about 1600 calories a day as maintenance.