American woman who struggled with her weight reveals how she lost 50LBS in less than six months after moving to Europe

An American woman who struggled with being overweight for most of her life has revealed how she lost 50 pounds in less than a year after moving to Europe. 

Kayleigh Donahue, who is based in Boston, Massachusetts, has more than 100,000 followers on TikTok, where she opens up about how living abroad changed her life. 

The content creator, who uses the handle @kayshaynee, bought a one-way ticket to Ireland and spent four years working across the pond before returning to the U.S.

Donahue went viral after sharing a slideshow detailing how she dropped 50 pounds without trying during her first six months living in Europe. 

She first credited her weight loss to 'easy access to fresh, local food.'

'The difference I felt after living on European quality produce was shocking,' she explained. 'Not only was the food quality better, but it was also more affordable.'

When dining out abroad, she noticed that the portions were half the size of the ones she had grown accustomed to in the U.S.  

'I never realized how massive American portions were in restaurants,' she admitted. 

'Since getting used to European dining, I have never been able to finish a full meal at an American restaurant. The overconsumption is real.'

She noted that eating at a restaurant abroad is more of a 'social experience' in which you take your time to 'slowly digest your meal instead of chowing down without ever being present.'

Not only did Donahue change the way she ate when she was abroad, but she also drastically increased her daily movement by constantly walking and biking.  

'I didn't ever think I would be that girl that would choose walking over driving, but that quickly changed once I moved over to Europe,' she explained.  

'I went from someone who would complain about the walk to the car in the parking lot to someone who thought a 45-minute walk to the store or a restaurant was no big deal. 

'Walking became a part of daily life and helped to improve not only my physical health but my mental health as well.'

Donahue said if she had to get somewhere quickly, she would hop on her bike instead of drive, which was 'truly the last option.'    

'The infrastructure made it so easy to get anywhere via bike,' she said. 'So many people would be biking every day to work, friends' houses, the grocery store, you name it.'

She recalled how there were days that she would go to the gym, bike three miles to work, walk around at lunch, and then bike back home.  

'The healthy lifestyle came effortlessly once I adapted to the European lifestyle,' she explained. 

Donahue added that the work-life balance she had in Europe also improved both her mental and physical health. 

She started her job with 29 days of paid vacation that she was 'actually encouraged to take off.'  

'You do not realize how much a good work-life balance can impact your physical body,' she said, noting that lower stress equals lower cortisol levels. 

'I felt like I was able to unplug, relax, and live life. Physical and mental health go hand in hand.'

In another video, Donahue shared how she has maintained her 50-pound weight loss since she moved back to the U.S. 

She acknowledged that that most people can't drop everything and move to Europe, but her healthy habits can be done anywhere in the world. 

The content creator first advised walking as much as you can while recalling how she walked everywhere from the grocery store to the bar in Ireland. 

'I know that you can't walk everywhere in America, but increase your steps where you can,' she said. 

'Wake up early, go on the treadmill, go for a walk, park far away in the parking lot when you're going grocery shopping. Find a way to work the walking in.'

Donahue also recommended being 'mindful with your eating' and watching your portion sizes in the U.S.

She recalled how she was raised to finish what was on her plate, which led to her ignoring her body signals when she was full. 

Since returning to the U.S., she has taken what she learned abroad and become a certified integrative nutrition health coach.  

Finally, Donahue said people need to find ways to reduce their daily stress. 

'The body can't lose weight when you are chronically stressed,' she explained.

She noted that Europeans do get stressed, but they have more time off from work to relax and reset, whereas Americans are 'constantly in that stress cycle.' 

'Trust me, I was stressed at my job in Ireland all of the time, but I took my time off. I reset. I found ways to destress. I did five minutes of meditation in the morning,' she said. 

'So finding something that works for you and getting your body in a calm state can really help. If your mind's not right, your physical body is not going to be right either.'