Angelina Marie, who has 300,000 social media followers, shared how cutting one thing from her diet helped her drop from 14.9 stone to 9.1 stone in a 12-month period
Ian Craig Social Newsdesk Content Editor
06:00, 02 Jan 2026
At this time of year lots of people are looking for ways to lost weight (stock image)(Image: Getty Images)
A woman who shed an impressive 81 pounds in a year has shared the secret to her success – eliminating one common item from her diet. As we enter a new year, many are considering shedding some weight or making lifestyle changes for better health and fitness.
Angelina Marie, boasting a combined following of 300,000 on Instagram and TikTok, frequently shares insights into her weight loss journey. At the outset, she tipped the scales at 209 lbs (14.9 stone) and managed to slim down to 128 lbs (9.1 stone) within a year.
Her secret? Cutting out one particular thing that most of us consume daily. In an Instagram post, Angelina confessed: “I didn’t realise how bad I felt… until I finally felt GOOD.
“The inflammation, the bloating, the cravings, the exhaustion… I thought that was just adulting. Then I cut out sugar and..
“Seven days: 11 lbs gone. Seven months: 75 lbs gone. And the craziest part? I did LESS than ever before and the inflammation was melting off of me. No restriction. No starving. No crazy workouts. Just real food and consistency.
“My insulin resistance reversed, my hormones got back on track, my energy was on another level, and I’ve truly never felt better. I spent years doing everything ‘right’… and the thing holding me back was the damn sugar.”
Medical professionals overwhelmingly support limiting sugar consumption, with the NHS advising that adults should have no more than 30 grams daily, reports the Mirror. Research from Spire Healthcare indicates that cutting back on sugar can help maintain a healthy weight and prevent energy crashes by ensuring a consistent release of glucose into the bloodstream.
Additionally, it can enhance skin quality, lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, support oral health, and decrease the likelihood of liver disease. people who consume excessive amounts of sugar also face heightened risks of heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, and elevated blood pressure.
There are numerous strategies for reducing sugar intake, including eliminating fizzy drinks and sugary breakfast cereals.
Whilst some, including Angelina, advocate for the carnivore diet – which consists solely of meat, fish, and other animal products such as eggs and dairy – as an effective method to eliminate sugar and shed pounds, medical professionals caution against it, highlighting its deficiency in essential nutrients such as carbohydrates and fibre.
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The British Heart Foundation says scientific evidence regarding the long-term advantages of this diet remains “limited and inconclusive”. The charity stated: “The carnivore diet is not healthy and may have serious consequences for your health. One of the main issues is that it’s high in saturated fats due to its high amounts of red meat and dairy.
“Too much saturated fat can increase levels of bad cholesterol (known as non-HDL cholesterol) in the blood. Processed meat can also be high in salt, which can increase your risk of high blood pressure.
“Both high cholesterol and high blood pressure raise the risk of developing coronary heart disease and having a heart attack or stroke. That’s why the NHS recommends eating 70g or less of red or processed meat a day.”
The BHF suggests the Mediterranean diet as a healthier option, which features an abundance of fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, and seeds, whilst steering clear of sugar.