I tried every diet going but finally lost 8st using 5 simple principles – you can do it too, and more really is more

AT her heaviest, Nicole Dvoracek tipped the scales at 17st 8lbs.

She was constantly dieting, bingeing in secret, crying in dressing rooms and living in a body she desperately wanted to escape.

Now, aged 40 and a trim 9st 2lbs, she is more confident than ever.

And she says it’s all down to more, not less.

“It took me 15 years to get here, but it didn’t need to take that long,” says Nicole, from Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.

“If I could go back and talk to my 25-year-old self, I’d say: ‘You’re not broken, the plan is’.

“I tried everything, and it all failed”

Nicole’s story is painfully familiar. Like many women, she entered adulthood bombarded with toxic diet culture.

“Eat less. Move more. Starve to be worthy.” That was the message.

The result? Years wasted bouncing between keto, Whole30, fasting, Optavia, HCG drops, and extreme calorie restriction.

“They all worked… until they didn’t,” Nicole shrugs.

“I’d lose the weight, feel hopeful, then gain it all back, plus the ‘courtesy 10lbs’. Over and over again.”

Eventually, she found herself trapped in a cycle of emotional eating, shame, and burnout.

Everything changed the day Nicole hired a coach, not for another crash diet, but for a custom strategy that considered her hormones, her stress, her sleep, and her lifestyle.

“That man didn’t just change my life, he saved it,” she says.

“He finally gave me the tools to stop dieting, and start living.”

Down 120lbs, Nicole is living proof that transformation is possible, without sacrificing your sanity, your social life, or your favourite foods.

Since then, Nicole hasn’t just kept the weight off for good, she’s helped hundreds of women do the same.

“The fastest way to your dream body? A slow, sustainable plan that actually works long term. Shocker, right?” she says.

Nicole’s five “no BS” fat loss rules

1. Protein is queen

“Eat 0.7 to 1g per pound of your goal weight,” Nicole says.

“Every day. No exceptions.”

This could be as simple as swapping your usual breakfast cereal and milk for Greek yoghurt sprinkled with nuts, or your pasta salad lunch for one with chicken breast or tuna.

2. Track like a ninja

“You’re eating more than you think,” Nicole says.

“Macros matter – especially protein and fibre.”

Macronutrients, or macros, are the main types of nutrients your body needs to function properly: protein, carbohydrates (including fibre) and fats.

Some experts suggest tracking macros instead of calories is a better way to losing weight.

To calculate your macros, first work out your approximate calorie needs. You can use a tool like the TDEE Calculator.

Then divide this figure into proportions for each macronutrient based on a set target. This could be:

• 30/30/40 – 30 per cent from protein, 30 per cent from fat and 40 per cent from carbs
• 40/40/20 – 40 per cent protein, 40 per cent carbs and 20 per cent fat
• 50/30/20 – 50 per cent from carbs, 30 per cent from protein and 20 per cent fat

Convert these targets into the number of grams of each macronutrient you need to eat to meet your calorie requirements.

3. Lift heavy s***

It’s time to ditch the treadmill and head for the weights.

“Cardio won’t build your dream body. Strength training will,” Nicole says.

Join a gym, or buy some dumbbells or kettlebells which you can use at home.

You can try one of The Sun’s at-home strength sessions to get you started.

After A-list abs? Give our ‘flat tummy plan‘ a go.

Want toned shoulders to look good in strappy tops and bandeaus this summer? You can get ready for sunny season with these five exercises.

And if slender legs are your goal, try these simple moves in front of the TV.

4. Walk every damn day

“Walking 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day is free, easy, and insanely effective,” Nicole says.

If you are nowhere near 2,000 steps a day, let alone 10,000, or the recommended 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, it is time to get moving.

Moderate activity raises your heart rate, makes you breathe faster and feel warmer – while vigorous movement takes it further, so you really get a sweat on.

Moderate intensity activities include: brisk walking, riding a bike, dancing, pushing a lawn mower and doubles tennis.

Vigorous activities include: running, swimming, walking up the stairs, football and aerobics.

Chores such as changing bed sheets, vacuuming, scrubbing floors and washing the car, and even standing up and walking around the house when you’re on the phone, rather than sinking into the sofa, will all add to your exercise tally too.

So if you are not a Lycra bunny, there are still ways to start fitting more movement – and more steps – into your daily routine.

5. Ditch the diet mentality

The days of hellish restriction are over.

“It’s not about less – it’s about more,” Nicole says.

“I’m talking more food, more muscle, more freedom.”

Nicole is now a no-nonsense, tough-love fat loss coach who’s become a lifeline for thousands of frustrated women battling their bodies and their mindsets.

On TikTok, she has over 1.2million likes.

Her signature program, the Fat Loss After 40 masterclass, is flipping the script on everything we thought we knew about weight loss.

Nicole’s work doesn’t stop at nutrition and training.

Understanding how often women are dismissed by traditional healthcare systems, she’s added a hormone optimisation team to her coaching services.

Quick-fix plans often leave women looking like melted candlesticks

Nicole

“We create truly customised plans, going far beyond the tired ‘eat less, move more’ advice,” she says.

“It’s the reason behind the life-changing transformations my team has produced.”

“This is the secret sauce,” Nicole adds. “It’s not just about fat loss anymore. It’s about building a foundation for lifelong health.”

She says that quick-fix plans often leave women looking like “melted candlesticks”.

“If you’re losing weight without strength training or protein, you’re just a smaller, squishier version of your old self,” she says. “That’s not toned. That’s skinny fat.”

Nicole now works with women to help them build muscle, restore metabolic health, and empower them to stp obsessing over the scale.

“Your metabolism isn’t broken. Your plan is,” she says.

And she’s clear on one thing: you’re not lazy, you’re misled.

“You’re not undisciplined. You’ve just been fed bulls***’,” she says.

“The quick fix is what’s keeping you stuck.”