Top Model Winner Attributes 50-Pound Weight Loss to Three Simple Habits

‘America’s Next Top Model’ Winner Reveals Three Keys to Her 50-Pound Weight Loss Journey

India Gants, winner of season 23 of “America’s Next Top Model,” has shed 50 pounds through what she describes as “very little effort” by implementing three key lifestyle changes: quitting alcohol, increasing protein intake, and embracing weightlifting.

The Seattle-based model recently shared her weight loss journey on TikTok, emphasizing that weight loss wasn’t initially her goal. “It was kind of an afterproduct … a byproduct of quitting drinking … [that] kind of kick-started everything else,” Gants explained.

Her sobriety journey has been so transformative that it led her to launch “The Sober Scoop” podcast, where she helps others navigate life without alcohol. In an interview, Gants was candid about her reasons for quitting.

“I quit drinking because I had a drinking problem, but I stay sober for so many reasons beyond that,” she shared. “Alcohol is a class 1 carcinogen, it slows our metabolism, it affects our brain health and it destroys our internal organs.”

Beyond physical benefits, Gants credits sobriety with improving her overall quality of life. “When you’re a heavy drinker, you give up everything for alcohol; but when you’re sober, you give up alcohol for everything else,” she said. “Everything in my life got better, and I feel like everyone deserves to meet their sober selves.”

While acknowledging that “not everything about sobriety is rainbows and butterflies,” she maintains that “sobriety is worth the upfront investment” and encourages others to discover sober activities that bring them joy.

The second pillar of her transformation was increasing protein consumption, an approach she found psychologically easier than restrictive dieting. “For me personally, wrapping my head around eating more of something is so much easier than saying, ‘I’m not eating carbs, I’m not eating sugar,'” Gants explained. “I didn’t cut out anything.”

This additive rather than subtractive approach to nutrition allowed her to still enjoy treats while focusing on protein, which helped keep her fuller longer and supported muscle building. “Protein is so good for you, and it’s such an easy thing mentally to wrap your head around,” she noted.

The third component, weightlifting, became what Gants calls the “life hack to fitness.” She explained that just 15 to 30 minutes of weightlifting three days per week led to significant changes in her body composition.

“You can do your Pilates, your yoga, your walking … but the weightlifting is truly life-changing,” she said. “You have never seen your body as good as it can look until you’ve tried weightlifting.”

Gants also highlighted that strength training supports longevity, suggesting that combining weightlifting with regular walking complements her other lifestyle changes.

Medical experts validate many aspects of Gants’ approach. Dr. Peter Balazs, a hormone and weight loss specialist in New Jersey, explained that “weightlifting together with a higher intake of protein creates more muscle mass. Additionally, muscle mass memory can come back easily when you stop drinking and live a healthier life.”

Balazs elaborated on how alcohol consumption directly undermines weight loss efforts by adding empty calories, halting fat burning, encouraging fat storage, increasing appetite, and reducing inhibitions that lead to poor food choices. Alcohol can also disrupt sleep cycles and hormone production, further complicating weight management.

Dr. Sarah Towne, a family medicine physician with PlushCare, emphasized the importance of a balanced approach beyond Gants’ core strategies. “You need protein but not just protein; you also need whole, plant-based foods,” the North Carolina-based expert noted. “Cutting out junk food helps curb cravings and reduces the onset of metabolic disasters like diabetes and hypertension.”

For sustainable weight management, both experts recommend a comprehensive approach that includes whole foods, lean proteins, and combined exercise routines featuring both strength training and cardiovascular activity.

Gants’ story illustrates that sustainable weight loss often comes from positive lifestyle changes made for reasons beyond physical appearance—changes that create compound benefits for both physical and mental wellbeing.