I lost 104 pounds doing one simple exercise — and making an easy diet tweak

She took steps to better her health — 10,000 a day, to be exact — and in the process, she lost more than 100 pounds.

Samantha Abreu, 25, always struggled with her weight, topping 250 pounds at her heaviest while wearing a size 22/24.

The nurse from Melbourne, Australia, would often binge eat growing up — filling up on toast and cereal after dinner — and she hated to exercise.

“As a child, I did not like movement,” Abreu told SWNS. “I’d cry if we went on a walk.”

She would also secretly order from Uber Eats before her parents got home from work.

“I’d have urges to eat so much to the point of being uncomfortable,” she explained.

Abreu labored to get through her 10-hour nursing shifts due to exhaustion, and she worried that she would end up like some of her elderly patients, who couldn’t get up after a fall.

But during the COVID-19 lockdowns, she began going on daily walks to improve her mental health.

Soon, she realized that exercise was a “blessing” for her mindset and body.

She started practicing portion control as well — and dropped 104 pounds in a year.

Now 149 pounds and a size 8, Abreu walks 10,000 steps a day, goes to the gym four days a week, runs 5 kilometers a week, and feels “comfortable and safe” in her body.

“As I lost weight, I still found myself reaching for XL scrubs, but they started to feel too baggy and would get in the way,” she shared.

“Before being a nurse I was an assistant, so it’s very physically demanding. It was very exhausting,” she continued. “It’s crazy half of these things don’t tire me like they used to.”

10,000 steps per day (about 5 miles) is often what people strive for to maintain their fitness — though studies have shown that people can walk much fewer steps and still stave off premature death.

Abreu says she moves “intuitively,” which makes her feel at peace.

She claims she hasn’t made a massive change to her diet but has reduced how much she eats.

And, rather than having a pizza, she will make a wrap pizza as a healthier version.

“I now view food as fuel,” she declared.

Abreu has shared her journey of natural weight loss, without using personal trainers or a set diet plan, on TikTok.

“It’s lovely looking stronger,” she said. “I hope other people can see themselves in me … and realize they can slowly start implementing change — that’s all I want.”

How Abreu’s eating habits have evolved

Before: 253 pounds, size 22/24Breakfast: Bowl of cereal/toast
Lunch: Sandwich/dinner leftovers
Dinner: Roast
Snacks: Cereal, toast, fast food

Now: 149 pounds, size 8/10Breakfast: Oats with fruit
Lunch: Greek chicken pasta
Dinner: Chicken wrap pizza