Amanda York was only 11 when she learned that she had a brain tumor the size of a golf ball.
While undergoing surgery saved her life, it also came with significant downsides — like extremely early menopause and a surge of weight gain.
“I went into menopause when I was 11,” York recently told Today.com.
“They told me I would have hormonal complications, but my family and I had no idea what that would mean. I went into the hospital at 98 pounds, and went home at 160 pounds. A year after surgery, I was 250 pounds,” she said.
Despite exercising with a personal trainer and trying to maintain a healthy diet, York’s weight remained between 200 and 250 pounds for much of her adult life.
Now 38, York’s ongoing battle with her weight is finally over — and the secret to her success hasn’t been intense cardio or a trendy diet.
York’s turning point came in 2016, when she decided to join the health and fitness club Life Time — a move that led to a complete shift in mindset.
Previously, she had leaned heavily on high-intensity workouts — now she realized that while it was beneficial for her to have something that got her heart rate up, she also needed something that brought her stress levels down.
“I started taking yoga and seeing incredible mental health and wellness benefits positively impacting my life,” she told Today.
“Now, I’m focused on my strength. I’m focused on my overall mental health and mind/body awareness. Yoga keeps me grounded so I can better deal with stress in daily life,” York added.
Research has shown that yoga can improve balance and flexibility, reduce anxiety, enhance heart and lung function and improve sleep quality.
Some studies have even linked practicing yoga to weight loss, largely thanks to the activity encouraging more mindful eating.
By 2018, York was taking the correct hormonal drugs and working with a doctor who put her on a year-long diet that cut out processed food and focused on protein and leafy greens.
It also limited her carb intake to only 30 grams per day — the trick translated to a small baked potato, a cup of mashed potatoes or one sandwich on whole grain bread.
Studies have shown that an extremely low-carb diet like this one can lead to significant weight loss by prompting your body into a state of ketosis in which it burns fat for energy.
However, keto diets are not for everyone, as they can lead to changes in gut bacteria and make it harder to get all of your nutrients.
That’s probably why York told Today that this was a meal plan she “would never do long term” and emphasized that “it was done under [her] doctor’s supervision.”
But it worked. She lost 130 pounds and has maintained her new weight since 2020 — even with cheat meals.
“If I want to have an ice cream sundae, I’m not going to worry about it,” she said.
