As a fitness trainer, what I love most about weight loss success stories from celebrities is that they motivate people to work out.
Tessa Brooks is a well-known YouTube vlogger who recently underwent a noticeable weight loss transformation, dropping 20 lbs. This got fans curious about how Tessa lost weight.
Hoping to learn something from her approach and motivate my clients, I spent a couple of weeks studying Brooks’ weight loss journey, her before and after photos, and her YouTube videos.
Here’s what we dug up.
Quick Summary
- Tessa Brooks’ weight loss journey allowed her to attain a weight of 123 lbs, and maintain a hip size of 36 inches.
- Brook lost weight through cardio training, weight training, and eating a healthy diet.
- Tessa also avoids junk, eats in moderation, and takes plenty of water.
Tessa Brooks’ Weight Loss Journey

Before we dive into how Brooks lost weight, let’s take a minute to understand what sparked her desire to transform.
How She Started Out
In one of her videos, Brooks mentioned that she’s always had a tiny body type from her youth.
So any junk food would easily reflect itself in the form of a noticeable increase in body weight.
Soon, this became a bigger problem because she couldn’t control her eating habits.
Brooks shared that she often experienced stress growing up and that her go-to method of coping was stress-eating.
She shared the story of her weight loss journey on social media back in 2019, but we noticed that she considered it back in 2016 when she tweeted, “How am I supposed to lose weight when the best part about life is mozzarella sticks,” implying that carbs were her go-to comfort food [1].
“My body type has always been muscly and tiny. I am the person that eats my feeling away, and so that’s when I kind of started to gain weight, and it just stayed like that for a while.”
- Tessa Brooks, American YouTuber, Model
As the pounds from the extra calories began to add up, Brooks gained weight easily. When she got to a point where she realized she'd taken it too far, she decided it was time to lose weight.
Tessa Brooks’ Stats
Let’s first take a look at her stats and measurements [2].
- Date of Birth: April 5, 1999
- Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
- Weight: 123 lbs (54 kgs)
- Chest: 34 inches (86 cm)
- Waist: 25 inches (63.5 cm)
- Hips: 36 inches (91.5 cm)
- Dress Size: 8 (US) or 40 (EU)
How She Lost Weight

Unlike many fitness transformation stories, Brooks' did not involve going to the gym or having a personal trainer.
In fact, she shared that the gym wasn't for her and that she wasn't “into that.” Because of this, Brooks was able to keep her routine short, simple, and effective.
Here’s exactly what she did to lose weight.
Brooks’ Workout Routine
Brook’s workout consisted of cardio, yoga, and weight training.
Brooks’ Cardio Training
Brooks did most of her cardio outdoors. According to her social media, she reported going on hikes, walks with her friends, attending a regular pilates class, and dancing at home.
Given that dancing is one of her hobbies and an activity that can easily be done in the comfort of one’s home, it’s safe to assume that she chose this as her primary form of cardio.
Before her yoga and weight training routine, Brooks would do 30 minutes of cardio to break a sweat and warm up for her lifts.
Brooks’ Weight Training
Now, we’ll get into Brooks’ exercises to build muscle and lose weight more efficiently after her cardio session.
While Brooks never shared all the details on her weight training frequency and routine, we’ve decided to recommend what worked best based on our experience.
Perform the following cycle three times a week on alternate days:
- Abdominal crunches: 3 sets x 20 reps
- Cycling: 3 x 5 minutes
- Planks: 3 x 2 minutes
- 20 push-ups
- Band bicep curls: 3 sets x 12 reps
- Tricep extensions: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Shoulder press: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Jumping lunges: 3 sets x 15 reps
- 30-minute yoga session
“Cardio is the biggest part ... I never want to lose my muscle, so that's why I do all these other exercises.”
- Tessa Brooks, American YouTuber, Model
Brooks’ Workout Principles

Tessa Brooks’ weight training and cardio routine offer us a couple of key workout principles.
Daily Cardio at Your Pace
The essence of cardio training for fat burning doesn’t necessarily have to be about losing weight immediately. Brooks chose what was convenient for her and lost weight doing cardio at her own pace.
What’s also important to note, based on her choices, was that she seemed to have fun doing her cardio. Walking with her friends and dancing were ‘easily-accessible’ and enjoyable forms of cardio.
I tend to use this principle with clients who seem to lack the motivation to do their daily cardio. You simply give them something they enjoy and have them do it at a comfortable pace.
Building Muscle
Brooks’ weight training also helped her lose weight. While gaining muscle mass might sound counterintuitive in terms of losing weight, you should keep two things in mind:
- Muscle is heavier than fat, but you don’t gain it as quickly as fat. However, that weight will only show on the scale, and it can only improve your appearance.
- Muscle is much more metabolically active than fat, so building muscle and losing weight go hand in hand [3].
Also, building muscle assists in weight loss because it improves your muscular endurance, enabling you to do longer and more intense cardio.
Her Diet

Like her workout routine, there’s nothing overly complicated about Brooks’ diet. It didn’t involve grueling fasts or eating anything special.
Brooks’ Diet Plan
Based on her social media posts, here’s a list of all the initial healthy foods Brooks ate to lose weight:
- Salad
- Chicken tacos
- Assorted vegetables
- Celery juice
In addition to eating healthy foods, Brooks drank plenty of water between her meals to keep her from eating outside of meal times.
In a YouTube video, Tessa Brooks mentioned that a big part of her diet was avoiding unhealthy or high-calorie meals such as:
- Chips
- Sour cream
- White rice
- Other dairy (especially cheese)
- Corn
- Anything with trans fats
Here’s how you can incorporate Brooks’ meals into your diet plan:
- Breakfast: Smoothie
- Lunch: Chicken tacos and vegetables
- Snacks: Healthy, low-calorie snacks
- Dinner: Grill chicken and celery juice
Brooks’ Diet Principles

Regarding eating healthy food, Brooks focused on a few important diet principles.
Drinking Plenty of Water
Any person who’s lost weight will tell you drinking water is important.
Many studies show the correlation of increased hydration with weight loss [4].
This is because drinking water, especially before meals, can help suppress your appetite and increase your metabolism [5] [6].
Brooks stated that stress-eating increased her appetite and made her gain weight.
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Eating in Moderation
Eating in moderation is a straightforward and effective way to lose weight [7]. As we’ve seen from her diet plan, Brooks neither starved herself nor gorged on low-calorie meals. She picked regular foods and ate them in moderation.
Avoiding Junk Food
All the healthy food in the world won’t help if you don’t cut out the junk. In Brooks’ case, she avoided junk and dairy food as these unhealthy foods made her gain weight over time.
Implications on Tessa Brooks’ Weight Loss

Tessa Brooks’ weight loss has a few takeaway lessons for all those looking to lose weight, build muscle, and gain more energy.
Keeping It Simple
First, working out and losing weight doesn’t need to be complicated.
Keeping things simple doesn’t mean taking them lightly. Brooks strictly followed all her dieting rules and attended all the workout sessions she planned.
Coping With Stress Through Exercise
Second, Brooks promoted healthy eating habits, especially after sharing that she struggled with stress-eating.
It seems that Brooks decided to cope with her stress with exercise. And studies show that regular exercise is associated with decreased stress levels [8].
Working With What You Have
Lastly, Brooks didn’t need a fancy gym to achieve her weight loss goals. She did most of it in the comfort of her home.
Her diet and exercise routine showed us that losing weight doesn’t need to be a daunting task. Simply work with what you have and build from there.
FAQs
How Long Did Tessa Brooks’ Weight Loss Journey Take?
Tessa Brooks’ weight loss journey took around one to two years. That’s because she went on and off her diet until she finally decided to be strict with herself.
How Much Did Tessa Brooks Weigh at Her Heaviest?
Tess Brooks weighed 143 lbs (65 kgs) at her heaviest. Now that she’s lost 20 lbs, she’s maintaining her weight loss.
How Does Tessa Brooks Maintain a Constant Weight?
Tessa Brooks maintains a constant weight by taking vitamins and drinking celery juice every day. She’s able to maintain her weight loss despite not following a super strict diet as before.
Did Tessa Brooks Take Any Supplements to Speed Her Weight Loss?
Yes, Tessa Brooks took vitamins to speed up her weight loss. She never reported taking other weight-loss supplements, but we can’t say for sure.
Did Tessa Brooks Use the Help of a Personal Trainer to Lose Weight?
No, Tessa Brooks did not need the help of a personal trainer to lose weight. As far as we know, she went through her weight loss journey without any help.
Start Losing Weight Like Tessa Brooks
We hope Tessa Brooks’ weight loss journey helps you appreciate how losing weight doesn’t need to be complicated.
However, exercise and a healthy diet may not always be enough to burn off extra fat. That’s why I usually advise my clients to incorporate the best fat burners for women in their weight loss strategy.
We’ve personally tested these products and found they help burn extra fat, control cravings, and boost energy levels, so you work out at peak performance.
They’re not magic pills, but they will speed up your weight loss by helping you burn fat at a healthy pace.
References:
- https://twitter.com/TessaBrooks/status/782102623902019584
- https://celebsfitnes.com/tessa-brooks/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3661116/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4901052/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25893719
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14671205/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25544317/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4013452/
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