Tarah Blake Saylor: Three Habits That Helped Her Go From 84 kg to 57 kg in Five Months

Many people struggle to stick to diets because they are overly restrictive, too complicated or simply impractical in everyday life. Tarah Blake Saylor’s story points to a different approach: less pressure and more intelligent routines. Her three habits sound almost ordinary, yet they helped her go from 84 kg to 57 kg in just five months.

Why radical diets so often fail

Strict eating plans may promise rapid results, but they commonly create frustration instead. Giving up favourite foods, living with a constantly rumbling stomach and feeling excluded when eating out with friends are difficult to sustain for long. Eventually, many people relapse, often with the accompanying yo-yo effect.

Tarah wanted to escape precisely this trap. Rather than following a conventional diet, she asked herself what small changes she could make in daily life without turning her entire life upside down.

Her approach: no bans, but adjustments. Not less living, but smarter choices each day.

First habit: keeping favourite foods in a smarter form

Tarah’s most important move was refusing to ban her enjoyable food moments. Crisps, ice cream and burgers all remained on the menu; what changed was the version she chose.

Replacing bans with sensible swaps

Instead of telling herself, “No more crisps ever,” her rule became: “Different crisps.” She chose options with less fat, more protein or a better ingredient list. She applied the same thinking to dessert: ice cream was still fine, but perhaps one with less sugar, more protein or in a smaller portion.

Here are typical swap ideas that can reduce calorie intake without creating a feeling of deprivation:

• Vegetable crisps, pulse-based crisps or oven-baked crisps rather than standard fried crisps
• Protein ice cream or frozen yoghurt instead of sugar-heavy cream ice cream
• Homemade burgers using lean meat or veggie patties rather than fast-food versions
• Wholemeal burger buns in place of white-flour buns
• Water flavoured with lemon or berries instead of soft drinks

The psychological benefit is substantial: people are more likely to remain motivated when they know their favourite foods are still allowed. Eating habits change through repetition rather than force.

Tarah’s message, in essence: do not stop enjoying food - learn to enjoy it differently.

Second habit: movement that does not feel like exercise

Movement was the next element of her success, though not in the form of an intense training regime. There were no 5 am workouts and no punishing gym sessions. Instead, she looked for ways of moving that fitted her life.

Fitting the timing and type of movement around daily life

Tarah soon realised that rigid rules such as “exercise only in the morning” did not work for her. So she built activity into times when it felt natural: after work, during breaks or in the late afternoon.

One notable detail is that she spends around an hour each day on the treadmill while scrolling on her phone. Watching programmes, using social media and reading the news all happen on the treadmill rather than from the sofa.

For many readers, this could look like:

• Watching programmes only while walking on a treadmill
• Taking phone calls standing up or while out for a walk
• Getting off one stop earlier and walking the remaining distance
• Scheduling brief 10-minute walks after meals
• Taking the stairs instead of the lift when time permits

Her motto: find a form of movement that does not feel like exercise - then do it consistently.

Third habit: mental imagery - how a vision board can support weight loss

Perhaps the most unexpected part of her method is mental. Tarah uses a vision board, a display of images representing her aims and wishes. She put it somewhere visible and looked at it every day.

How a vision board shapes everyday decisions

Her board showed how she wanted to feel in the future: lighter, healthier and more content. Whenever she was close to eating out of frustration or boredom, she looked at the display. It reminded her that her long-term priorities mattered more than the brief satisfaction of a burger.

Alongside this, she kept a diary addressed to her future self. She wrote about the person she wanted to become, the clothes she hoped would fit again and the energy she wanted to have. This technique strengthens personal motivation and can help people avoid seeing setbacks as failure.

Every note and every image on the board was like a small contract with her future self.

Every decision matters: the simple but difficult truth

During her journey, Tarah developed a clear outlook: every small everyday choice shifts the scales a little in one direction or the other. She fully absorbed this way of thinking.

In many situations, she asked herself: does this choice serve my present self or my future self? Do I reach for quick fast food now, or make something better? Do I drive, or walk?

This shift in perspective can have a powerful effect without requiring a single list of forbidden foods.

How to bring the three habits into your own daily routine

Habit	Practical way to put it into action
Eat smart	Find and try a lighter alternative for each favourite meal; do not attempt to change everything at once.
Everyday movement	Pair daily phone use or programme-watching with walking, and block out regular “movement slots” in the calendar.
Mental clarity	Make a simple vision board and keep a short diary written to your future self.

What to consider: limits, risks and realistic expectations

As inspiring as the story may be, losing 28 kg in five months is a great deal. Bodies do not all respond in the same way, and no two starting points are directly comparable. Anyone with existing health conditions or significant excess weight should seek medical advice before making major lifestyle changes.

Crash diets, severe calorie restriction and excessive exercise can slow the metabolism, disrupt hormones and encourage disordered eating. Tarah’s approach is particularly interesting because it focuses more on lasting behavioural change than on radical restriction.

Anyone wishing to introduce similar habits can begin with small steps:

• Make one meal each day deliberately “smarter”
• Plan five- to 10-minute blocks of movement rather than immediately expecting an hour
• Create a simple vision board from magazine cuttings or printed images

Why small routines can have such a major effect

The heart of Tarah’s success lies less in spectacular methods than in consistency. Small choices, repeated continually, can change body weight, energy levels and self-image. It may sound unremarkable, but it works far more often than the latest fad diet.

Anyone who does not want to overhaul their behaviour completely can take plenty from this story: enjoyment can remain part of life, movement is allowed to feel easy, and your personal vision deserves daily attention. This combination of enjoyment, structure and mental clarity helped Tarah change her weight - and her view of herself along with it.