I’m a weight loss coach – here’s how I lost 100 pounds and kept it off

She’s keeping it 100 by revealing the sacrifices she made to lose 100 pounds — and kept it off for 17 years.

Tameika Gentles, who describes herself as a holistic weight loss coach, says she weighed 230 pounds in her 20s thanks to yo-yo dieting. She was unable to enjoy walks in the park and struggled to fit into airplane seats.

The Toronto native lost 100 pounds in 2007, reducing her waist size from 38 inches to 24 inches.

On Instagram last month, she shared four “realistic” dietary “sacrifices” that kept her on track. Gentles says she eats just one “fun” meal a week, reserves alcohol for special occasions, avoids mindless snacks and limits her sugar intake.

Eat just one ‘fun’ meal a week

“I love my pizza and will never take it off lol,” Gentles wrote in her July 17 post. “I thoroughly enjoy the meals I eat throughout the week, and I realize that 1 meal of food isn’t going to derail my entire process, so I allow myself to indulge without feeling guilty about it.”

Nutritionists are divided on the benefits and consequences of “cheat days” or meals. Advocates say it can help a person not feel deprived and can temporarily increase metabolism.

Research has found that your body increases production of the energy balance hormone leptin by up to 30% up to 24 hours after an extremely large meal.

But critics say cheat meals can trigger a harmful cycle of fasting and foster an unhealthy relationship with food.

Limit alcohol on special occasions

“I cut out booze on special occasions,” Gentles wrote to her 234,000 Instagram followers. “I would limit myself to just a few drinks, keeping in mind the sugar content.”

Alcohol can make weight loss much more difficult due to its caloric content (especially in cocktails) and its ability to slow down digestion while increasing appetite.

Quit mindless snacking

“Instead of buying chips, cookies and crackers at the grocery store, I became more intentional with my meals and chose things with protein and fiber,” Gentles said.

“I also limited the sauces and oils I used in my meals,” she continued. “It really helped me get through stubborn plateaus.”

Nutrition experts recommend limiting condiments such as mayonnaise, which can be high in calories and fat, barbecue sauce, which can be high in calories, sugar and sodium, and ranch dressing, which is often high in in calories and fat.

Reduce added sugar

“My sugar [dependence] it was honestly holding me back,” Gentles admitted. “As much as I wanted balance here, the addiction was real. So I created a limit here (less than 25g) and stuck to it.”

The US Food and Drug Administration recommends limiting added sugar to 50 grams per day.

A study published last month found that eliminating added sugar from your diet can lower your biological age, which is the age of your cells and tissues.

This number, which is influenced by genetics and lifestyle habits like diet and exercise, can differ from your chronological age, which is the number of years you’ve been alive.