one year weight loss journey

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How this woman lost more than 130 pounds by 'habit stacking'

Several years ago, Sabrina Osland took her son on a cruise to Alaska. The two were excited for one of the excursions where a helicopter would fly them to a glacier to explore it. But Osland was stunned that she faced an extra charge for the trip because she was overweight.

“If you were over a certain weight then you had to pay extra because apparently it would be taking (a seat) away from somebody else,” Osland, 41, a business sales consultant from Chanhassen, Minnesota, told TODAY. “I don’t know how 20 or 50 pounds really counts for a person. But really it was one of the most devastating things.”

Throughout adulthood, Osland’s weight fluctuated. And after getting married seven years ago, she started to gain weight again. She made quick meals that didn’t always include a lot of healthy options and she often neglected her own health.

“I didn’t always focus on exercise or put myself first,” Osland explained. “When I was gaining weight, you just don’t see yourself gaining the weight as it’s happening.”

When she returned home from her cruise, she decided to exercise at least 30 minutes every day. To make sure she moved, she set reminders on her phone and wrote a checklist of tasks to do every day. Her to-do list includes small changes, such as drinking enough water, exercising and taking vitamins.

“I’m very much type A,” she said. “It’s more of a checks and balances — like I need to get this done by a certain time but if I haven’t here’s my reminder.”

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She first started by walking once a day for 30 minutes. As her endurance improved she’d walk for an hour or twice a day. Then she added in some strength training. Soon after Osland first started, the COVID-19 pandemic hit so she had to incorporate these new habits into her work-from-home life and without a gym. But that also presented her with an opportunity.

“All the excuses that I had before where my schedule just didn’t allow it (were gone). I was like, ‘I don’t have an excuse,’” she said. “It really was about taking those small steps.”

She also changed what she ate, switching her focus from “convenient” to “healthy options.” Before she’d often eat chips for snacks and something like pizza for dinner. Now, she prepares fresh veggies for snacks or adds salads into dinner.

“It’s no more work than actually (making) a pizza,” Osland said. “So it is just changing (my diet) with protein and veggies and trying to take out as much of the carbs.”

But she also transformed how she thought about food.

“I would eat because I was either thirsty or bored and not necessarily to fuel my body,” Osland said. “I had a mindset shift that I had to stop and go back to the basics of what my body was really telling me.”

When COVID-19 restrictions lifted, she joined her local Life Time gym. She added strength training to her cardio exercises. She started working out with a group called Alpha Strong and that helps her bolster her strength training regimen and adds accountability, too.

“The strength training is a whole other beast,” she said. “The community in and of itself has just been amazing.”

In a little over a year, Osland went from 266 to 135 pounds. She likes that she can now enjoy more activities.

“There is so much more that comes with leading a healthy lifestyle. It’s not just about what you physically look like but how much it impacts everything as a whole,” she said. “(I) volunteer in our community within our local church organization way more than ever. We have been just even having friends over and hosting people.”

Osland is in the maintenance stage , which can be tough.

“I’ve struggled with my weight ever since I was young so breaking those bad habits I learned, such as being in the clean plate club … it is a lifelong journey,” she said. “I continually have to remind myself day in and day out.”

She shares advice for others hoping to create healthy habits.

1. Consider ‘habit stacking.’

When Osland started her weight-loss journey, she would change one thing at a time. So she’d walk 30 minutes a day until that became a habit. Then she’d add a new habit, such as using a smaller plate or bowl to eat smaller portion sizes.

“I was able to control my portions without having to think I’m giving up something,” she said. “Then I focused on adding (a new habit).”

That new habit might be eating more greens or protein, for example. This approach allowed her to develop healthy behaviors she can stick to easily.

2. ‘It’s progress not perfection.’

Some days, Osland’s workout wasn’t the best. Other days, she didn’t eat as many greens as she should have. That’s OK. She knows that being consistent makes a difference.

“It’s progress not perfection. That’s my motto,” she said. “If I’m not doing something 100% then I feel like I’m failing. And you just need to celebrate those successes along the way.”

3. Find support.

By working with a trainer and joining an exercise group, Osland created a support network that helps her stay consistent.

“The friendships in the community that we have developed … they hold you accountable,” she said. “Developing that community and accountability has been huge.”

Meghan Holohan is a digital health reporter for TODAY.com and covers patient-centered stories, women’s health, disability and rare diseases.

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I Lost 100 Pounds In One Year After I Realized Losing Weight Wasn't Going to Make Me Happy

"I began to accept my body as it was but also enjoyed improving it."

I've started and stopped weight-loss journeys more times than I can count. (I'm sure plenty of women can relate.) For as long as I can remember, I've been trying to change parts of my body I didn't like, or doing everything in my power to get to 'x' weight. Why? Because I believed that once I did, I'd finally be happy.

This struggle with my weight has been going on since I was a teenager. I was always searching for the best diet to get "skinny" and even resorted to starving myself at times. It didn't help that I was always told that I was a "big girl" and would never be "petite." Eventually, I accepted what people were saying as fact and began using food as both a reward and a punishment. (

This continued-treating my body poorly and eating emotionally-up until I gave birth to my second child at 29 years old. Before I got pregnant with him, I was already overweight. Then, I took "eating for two" to a whole other level: I used being pregnant as an excuse to eat anything and everything. Not to mention, I believed I needed to rest all the time, which contributed to even more weight gain.

Post-pregnancy, I knew something had to change. There wasn't one exact light-bulb moment-it was just lots of little things that added up. My family had long been urging and inspiring me to be healthier and I wanted to be a role model for them too. I wanted to be around to see my two boys grow up and live a long happy life with my wonderful husband.

So in July of 2017, I decided it was time to regain my health. I knew that this time was going to be different because I didn't make drastic changes-like try a crazy diet or go nuts in the gym-right away. Instead, I gradually made small changes and, looking back, it was those simple steps that eventually led to big changes. (

To start, I knew I had to change my attitude toward weight loss. This time, I was going to think of weight loss and happiness separately. I made an effort to find things about my body that I loved just as it was. I'd focus on those things instead of the things I didn't like-my arms. At first, it was tough. I had to try really hard to find things about my body that I appreciated because my whole life, I'd looked in the mirror and picked out my flaws. But after weeks of telling myself that I was worthy of self-love, that my body was amazing for giving birth to two healthy children, and that it was capable of accomplishing anything, it became easier and easier to find the positives and push away the negative thoughts.

I began to accept my body as it was, but also enjoyed improving it. Instead of wanting to be "skinny," I wanted to be strong and fit. Sure, the actual loss of weight also helped with my confidence and being happier and more comfortable. But I really think that the mental shift in how I looked at myself-from the beginning-made losing the weight a lot easier.

Changing my diet was part of this too, but I didn't follow a rigid plan. I decided not to make any food off-limits-and I still don't. I've found that the more you deny yourself of something, the more you want it. (That goes for anything in life, not just food.) Knowing you can eat something if you really want to kind of removes the urge to "cheat" or overindulge.

I did, however, focus on being in a calorie deficit and making sure that each and every one of my meals was balanced: I started having protein with each meal and including a wide variety of nutrient-dense whole foods like vegetables and fruit. I also made sure to include food I enjoyed eating, like the occasional chocolate or some chips. My food consumption became mindful and I really enjoyed it-mostly because I didn't feel like I was necessarily giving anything up. (Here's why eating more might actually be the secret to losing weight .)

The next step for me was to start being more active-but first, I needed to change the way I looked at exercise. I knew I had to separate my exercise intentions from my weight-loss goals. I worked hard on not viewing being active as a punishment or simply a means to lose weight. I began approaching it as a way to feel good and reward my body. It helped that, within a few weeks, I started seeing my body change. From there, I was hooked. (FYI, science found the best workout to overcome your weight-loss plateau .)

What started as a couple of at-home workouts per week turned into a routine-one that I continue to follow today. On top of running around with my two kids all day, I lift weights four times a week. (Two are upper-body days and two focus on lower body.) My diet varies but is still centered around sufficient protein and nutrient-dense foods with a good splash of what people might consider "treat food." (Here's why you seriously need to stop thinking of foods as "good" or "bad." )

Yes, I've lost 100 pounds so far-but the most welcomed change in my life has been emotional. In the past, if I was busy or stressed, exercise would be the first thing to drop from my schedule. Now, in situations like that, it's what helps keep me grounded and makes me better at handling stressful situations. Overall, I'm much calmer and I don't get upset as easily. I'm also now able to see my body as strong and capable and am so thankful for it after all it has been through.

For anyone who might feel like they've been in my shoes and are thinking of building a healthier lifestyle, I've got one small piece of advice: Make it simple. (More evidence: How Making Small Changes to Her Diet Helped This Trainer Lose 45 Pounds )

You don't have to do crazy fad diets with hard-to-follow rules. Find a diet that you can stick to-one that you can enjoy for the rest of your life, not just for a few months. A diet is only ever going to be as good as your ability to stick to it. So if you can't live without bread and a diet is telling you that you have to cut it out, it's probably not going to be good for you. (See: Why You Should Stop Restrictive Dieting Once and for All )

Also, find a supportive network that knows what you're going through, even an online community . Find an exercise that you actually enjoy, and don't just look at working out as a way to lose weight but as a time to do something valuable for your body. Finally, be patient and celebrate small victories. Remember that small achievements = big results. That's the key to creating a healthy lifestyle that's lifelong-and to actually being happy.

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This 27-year-old lost 120 pounds in 1 year by making small life changes

All her life, 27-year-old Kiah Twisselman believed she just had "bad genetics," which prevented her from losing weight. But two years ago, she proved that theory wrong and went from 285 to 163 pounds by eating healthy and exercising .

"I just started showing up and doing it," Twisselman wrote in an Instagram post. "That's it."

In the new issue of People Magazine out this week, Twisselman's incredible weight loss journey -- along with that of several others -- is highlighted.

The publication's transformation feature spotlights people who drastically changed their lives.

"I lost 100 pounds in less than a year," Twisselman told People. "It’s been so challenging, so rewarding, and I wouldn’t trade this last year for the world."

"She lost 120 pounds by making really small changes to her life that really anybody can imitate," said Charlotte Triggs, the deputy editor of People.

MORE: 5 tips from a woman who lost more than 200 pounds

In the beginning of her weight loss journey, Twisselman shared that she wanted to be healthier, so she turned to author and fitness expert, Rachel Hollis, and her five tips to thrive .

On her Instagram page, Twisselman detailed how she adapted Hollis's five daily habits like waking up one hour earlier, writing down 10 things that she's grateful for, giving up food that doesn't "bless her body" and drinking more water.

"Improving your life isn't about making some scary, drastic change overnight," she wrote on Instagram. "It's about meeting yourself where you're at and making small changes over time that you can actually stick with. Start small, stay consistent."

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By adapting Hollis's lifestyle changes Twisselman was able to shed the extra weight for good.

"She started working out 30 minutes a day," said Triggs. "She started drinking a lot more liquids which she hadn't been doing before, and keeping a diary so that she could start to feel when she was really hungry."

MORE: Man credits job as Instacart shopper with helping him lose nearly 300 pounds

Now, Twisselman is helping others as a weight loss coach and will soon launch her first ever digital course on her website to teach others how to shed pounds. She also shares motivational videos for her Instagram followers to help inspire them to make small, healthy changes in their lives.

Although quarantine has changed the routines for many, Twisselman says her life hasn't looked too different, and she's still making exercise and hydration her top priorities. She also makes the choice to stick to her lifestyle changes every day to reach her goals.

"If I can do it, you can ABSOLUTELY do it too," Twisselman wrote in an Instagram post. "Stop playing small, dream bigger for yourself and keep showing up."

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10 Things I've Learned About Losing Weight, One Year After I Started

It's been a journey!

Roughly one year ago, I decided I wanted to lose weight. I had zero idea how I was going to do this, I only knew that I needed to start. After years of writing cookbooks, hosting a cooking show, owning a restaurant and bakery, and having a cooking website, the weight had crept up through the years and my exercise/activity level had all but slowed to a stop. With the exception of walking with the dogs, I had pretty much given myself permanent permission "not to have time" to exercise because of work, scheduling issues, and any other excuse I could come up with. So last January, at my highest weight ever and with the wedding of my daughter looming in May, I just knew I had to start.

One year later, I've lost 55 pounds.

10 Things I've Learned About Losing Weight

First, to summarize the June post :

I didn't use a trainer, I didn't do Keto or Paleo or follow an official diet, I didn't eat specialty foods, and I didn't do intermittent fasting. Those things work for lots of people, which is wonderful! I just hadn't had success with them.

Here's what I did do: I ate fewer calories. I consumed smaller portions. I weighed my food. I walked and did the rowing machine. I built muscle by lifting weights and doing lunges and squats. I ate more protein, ate less sugar and drank no alcohol. I used an app called Happy Scale to track my daily weight . I switched to a standing desk and generally tried to stand and move more.

So here's what I've learned, one year later! (In no particular order.)

1. The initial, more intense, stage doesn't have to last forever.

I started my weight loss journey in January 2021 and went all-in for the first five months. After that initial stage of counting calories, lifting weights, etc., I relaxed my efforts a little bit beginning in the summer months. During those first five disciplined months, I'd developed a good sense of portion sizes, calorie amounts, and protein percentage, and I was able to go about daily life with a general sense of the choices I needed to make. If I ever had a question, I'd break out the food scale or Google the calories of a common food, but I generally put away the food scale last July and never looked back.

I was glad I'd been so strict for that first stage, because it wound up being a nice crash course that equipped me going forward. Starting out with that discipline actually allowed me more freedom later in the process.

2. Building muscle is the gift that keeps on giving.

I can't emphasize this enough: Building muscle—not just the smaller muscles in your arms, but the larger muscles in your legs and butt—will turbo charge your weight loss like nothing else and set you up for more success.

The months I spent doing squats, lunges, and dead lifts early in my weight loss process really laid the foundation for a summer and fall of more efficient calorie burning. I'm not a physician or trainer, but I can tell you that as I watched the number on the scale continue to decrease through the summer and fall, I knew without question that it was largely due to the muscle I'd built. It's like an engine that's always working behind the scenes! The great part about it is that you can have a day or two or three when you fall off track with eating or exercise, but if you have that strong foundation of muscle, you can climb right back on the bike and not feel (or see) the consequences as much.

3. My body is now accustomed to eating smaller portions.

One of the primary things I learned in the initial months of my weight loss was just how off the rails I'd been for years when it came to portion size! During the five-month period I weighed my food and counted calories, I really broke the spell of eating too much volume and during this process, I trained my body to get used to smaller—well, I should say more normal—portions. The answer "smaller portions" is so lackluster and boring when someone is asking me about losing weight, but it has absolutely held true for me. Today, as I point out below, I'm eating all the foods I love, but my body is satisfied with much less of it.

4. Alcohol, in moderation, is fine.

I knew I had to eliminate alcohol entirely during the initial/intense stage of my weight loss, but beginning in the summertime, I started having a social drink or two here and there. I avoided (and still avoid) anything that's sugary or otherwise really caloric. Off limits are frozen drinks such as daiquiris and margaritas, and sweet cocktails that include syrups and lots of fruit juice.

That said, lemon and lime juice are my friend when it comes to booze, and my two favorite drinks are Ranch Water (clear tequila, lime juice, and sparkling water over ice) and White Wine Spritzer (small amount of cold white wine, sparkling water, and lemon slices.) These sparkling water-spiked drinks are great for two reasons: First, they force you to hydrate as you ingest the alcohol or wine! Second, they keep you from drinking too much alcohol. They also spread out the calories more: In other words, you can have two drinks for the calories of one.

5. Moving every day, even if I don't exercise every day, is very important.

Starting in September 2021, when school and football started and I had lots of filming and cookbook events going on, I fell off my disciplined exercise routine a bit. I still did the rowing machine, lifted weights, and did Pilates, but I was exercising only two or three days a week, instead of the five or six days I was doing before. As I explained in #1 above, I had a good foundation of eating smaller portions and a rock solid (haha, just kidding...let's say firm) foundation of muscle, so fortunately this decrease didn't undo my hard work. However, I found that if I had a couple of days at home when I was sitting and working a lot, it showed itself both in the number on the scale and in the way I felt overall. So I made sure to stay more committed than ever to using my standing desk, stepping away for frequent breaks, and putting myself in a position to move more. Today, I'm still using a standing desk and not letting myself collect too much dust during the day.

Moving is good! (Essential, actually.)

6. It's important for me to weigh myself daily.

I realize this can be triggering for some, and I can't emphasize this enough: My decision to weigh myself every day is not about fixating over every pound and ounce. I've just found that when excess weight has crept on through the years, it has happened when I've chosen not to weigh myself. Before I decided to lose weight last January, I don't think I'd stepped on a scale for two years. I willfully hadn't weighed myself because I never wanted to know. Without seeing that number go up over time, it was easy for me to tell myself that it was probably just a few pounds. So part of my routine now is weighing first thing in the morning (before water, coffee, anything) and logging it in my now-favorite app called Happy Scale . 😊 It's good to see the trends over time! (As you'll read in my June post , Happy Scale was an incredibly helpful tool during the past year!)

Here was my weight chart on Happy Scale from January 2021 to June of 2021.

And here's a screenshot of the chart now, showing January 2021 to February 5, 2022.

You can see the intense, more aggressive period of weight loss in the first half of 2021, but you can also see how it slowly became more gradual through the summer and fall. And now, I'm settling in just below the original goal weight I imagined for myself—which, by the way, was intentionally realistic! I wasn't striving for pre-marriage, pre-baby, pre-thirties weight! 😊 Just a good weight where I thought I'd feel and look better, and where I felt I'd be able to maintain and have longer term success.

7. There's nothing on my list of banned foods!

During the first five months of my weight loss, I was more strict. I did not drink alcohol, and I largely stayed away from foods that had added sugar.

While I did eat small portions of all the foods my family was eating, I also ate a higher amount of high-protein foods such as egg whites, chicken, fish, lean beef, plain Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, Swiss cheese, and dark, leafy greens.

Now, a year later, I eat pretty much all the foods I love, with two big differences: First, my portions are much more reasonable. Second, I do still pay attention to the daily proportions I'm devoting to both high protein foods and foods with wasted calories. I'll carry this thought over into the next paragraph. (Oh! And a correction: Bananas are the one item on my list of banned foods. Ha!)

8. I try to minimize wasted calories.

I'm so grateful for that initial five months of nutritional boot camp I put myself through, because in addition to resetting my whole understanding of portion size, it also made me much more aware of wasted calories, and the importance of minimizing them as a percentage of my diet.

Foods that I consider wasted calories: sugary soft drinks, cookies, cake, potato chips, doughnuts, and the like.

In my June post, I gave this example: "If I am eating X calories today, do I want to blow 300 of those calories on a doughnut? Or do I instead want to spend 50 of them on a piece of good dark chocolate to get my fix, then keep eating things with more nutritive content?" Months later, I apply that thinking to all sorts of high-sugar, high-carb foods that don't have any nutritional value. Using the doughnut as an example, some days I eat half the doughnut. Some days I decide not to eat the doughnut. Other days I'll pinch off a bite of the doughnut. Heck, there will be a day now and then when I will eat the whole doughnut. There's no hard and fast rule, but I'm just more mindful of it now, and I try to factor the doughnut into the day as a whole. (In the old days, I might eat three doughnuts and not give it a thought. Ha.)

Another example I gave in my June post: I still eat chocolate cake; I just eat a Rhode Island sized piece instead of a Texas sized piece!

9. Steadily doing everything is so much more effective than going all-in on just one thing.

Looking back on the past year, I'm glad I started out pretty aggressively and had the wedding as an initial motivator, because it compelled me to tackle my weight loss from several different angles. I've been able to experience different approaches: building muscle, eating more protein, moving/standing more, exercising on the rowing machine, logging my daily weight, etc. I can continue all of these over time, or I can emphasize some more than others, or choose some over others. This has expanded my options and made me feel like I have more control over the inevitable ebbs and flows over time.

10. Losing weight and becoming healthy is a lifestyle change, but it hasn't changed my life. (Or has it?...)

There's something about the word "lifestyle change" that I have always resisted. I would hear people say "Losing weight is about changing your lifestyle" and I'd think, "But I don't want to change my lifestyle. I just want to wear smaller jeans." The phrase lifestyle change , to me, meant that one's day-to-day life would be totally different—and maybe unrecognizable? I think that's what always made me bristle .

Maybe it would be better to say perspective change instead of lifestyle change. Because that's what it has been for me. During the first five months (and in the ensuing months) of my journey, I experienced a seismic shift in my perspective of everything I've mentioned: Portion size, calories, daily movement, sitting vs. standing, protein percentage, muscle mass, wasted calories, and so on. I think about all of those things totally differently now.

I'm going to share a before and after pic below, not to be critical of myself, and definitely not to suggest that pre-weight loss is somehow "bad" and post-weight loss is somehow "good." But it is helpful for me to see the distance I've come, and to know that the changes have been good for me.

A year ago, my life was comprised of living on the ranch, filming my cooking show, working on cookbooks and my product line, and being a wife and slightly weird mom.

Today, my life is comprised of living on the ranch, filming my cooking show, working on cookbooks and my product line, and being a wife and slightly weird mom.

Only difference between before and after is that I've lost weight. Aside from that, my daily life really hasn't changed all that much.

Today I feel stronger, more in balance (both physically and mentally), and I have more spring to my step. I am wearing clothes I wasn't comfortable wearing a year ago, I feel better about the way I look, and I'm smiling more (yes, even more than I smiled before, which was a lot--haha) and that is a nice feeling at age 53.

After the experience of the past year, I feel better. I have more energy. I'm more motivated to take on projects and put things on the ol' calendar. Feeling good bleeds over into all aspects of my life. And that has changed my outlook.

But to come full circle...it hasn't changed my life itself. I still have cow manure in my yard, for example. It's on top of snow, and it's ruining the dreamy winter vibe. 😂 Gotta go clean that up now, but at least that'll help me get out and move!

I’m a desperate housewife, I live in the country, and I’m obsessed with butter, Basset Hounds, and Ethel Merman. Welcome to my frontier! 

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7 Healthy Habits That Helped Me Lose 170 Pounds in One Year

World-traveling author, consultant, and coach. Join me at kconstable.com

In 2007 my brother was getting married and asked me to be his best man. I was honored, and excited, until the tuxedo fitting for all the groomsmen. Everyone else fit into their tuxedos just fine, except for me.

The kind people at the store did the best they could, but there wasn't a size that would fit me. I was too big. Weeks later they called and had one specially delivered. The wedding went off without a hitch.

The problem came on Facebook after the wedding. People naturally posted pictures, and I was appalled to see how big I looked. I cried myself to sleep that night.

I woke up the next day determined to lose the weight. When I got on the scale the number I saw was 332 pounds! I was determined to lose the weight, but I didn't understand what it meant to change my lifestyle.

I went on a crazy diet where I was only allowed to eat 1,200 calories a day and exercised for four hours a day. I lost 132 pounds in six months. Mission accomplished. Right?

Since I didn't learn healthy habits I gained all that weight back plus 38 pounds that next year. Flash forward to June 15 of 2013. Again I was a best man, this time at my best friend's wedding.

It was the exact same routine. The pictures were posted on Facebook and I was even more appalled. When I got on the scale I was 370 pounds. I worked so hard the first time -- how could this happen again? On June 17 of 2013 I didn't start my weight loss journey, I started the journey to create healthy habits that ultimately changed my life.

In that journey I quit a job I hated and moved to Maui, Hawaii. I talked about that in my last post here on The Huffington Post . I lost those 170 pounds in one year. At the time of this writing I now weigh 200 pounds.

Learning these seven healthy habits helped me lose the weight and change my life. If you are struggling with weight loss or making big changes, they can work for you too.

1. Patience

Losing weight takes time, especially if it's a lot of weight. I started my weight loss journey for the second time on June 17 of 2013. All I could think about at first was that big number, 370 pounds. It's hard to look at yourself in the mirror every day and not see major changes.

The old adage finally sunk in: This isn't a race. It's a marathon. Instead of focusing on that big number I focused on taking this journey one day at a time. Every day I would wake up and just focus on what actions I needed to take that day. If I had a bad day I would go to bed, sleep it off, and wake up determined to make that day better than the day before.

By learning patience I stopped trying to get a quick win, I learned what real change means. If you're going to be successful in your weight loss journey you have to realize it's going to take time. Patience will teach you what change really means, not just how to lose weight.

2. Sacrifice

To lose the weight it meant sacrificing the things I wanted. I gave up soda; I gave up fast food and junk food. I gave up my TV time to exercise. Instead of trying some fad diet I exercised portion control with my meals.

Making any big change in your life is going to require sacrifice. Instead of focusing on what you have to give up, focus on the why behind what you're doing. When it comes to weight loss, your why is a long healthy life, it's being there for your family. Your why will give you to strength to stick with it, even through the rough times.

3. Realistic planning

Success with weight loss means having a realistic plan. I set the goal of losing 170 pounds in one year's time frame. Breaking that down meant that I had to lose 15 pounds a month. That number was a realistic number in my plan.

Don't set unrealistic plans for yourself by trying to lose too much weight to fast. Don't set unrealistic plans for any change in your life. Take some time, and put a proper plan in place before you make a big change. Stick with that plan, and you will see success.

4. Life change

You can't look at weight loss as dieting and exercise. To have success, and continued success, you have to look at this as a lifestyle change. I didn't learn that habit the first go around, and the weight came back as a result.

By making this a life change you won't just do what's necessary. You'll incorporate healthy habits into everything you do, which will give you that continued success. You won't make those same bad decisions because that won't be what you want for your new life.

5. Consistent exercise

My mother is Kenyan, and I lived in Kenya for two years. When I started exercising I chose running. I couldn't even run for a mile that first time, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I was determined to be consistent with exercising; my plan had me exercising five days a week.

Running is hard on the body and may not be your thing, but you should incorporate consistent exercise as a habit in your life. Consistent exercise gives you more energy and teaches you discipline that you can use in every other area of your life.

6. Accountability

One of the best things you can do for weight loss, and any change in your life, is to keep yourself accountable to someone else. It can be friends or family, but have someone be there to help keep you on track.

When we try to do it alone it's too easy to make excuses, and justify inaction. That accountable will eliminate that. Just make sure you seek out positive, supportive people. A negative person will feed into all the things that would normally hold you back.

7. Perseverance

Whether it's losing weight, leaving a job you hate or any big change in your life, you're going to need perseverance to get through the 1,000 times when you want to quit. The one habit successful people practice is persevering no matter what.

There will be times when you experience failure. Accept that failure for what it really is: a small bump in your journey. It doesn't mean the journey's over, you can totally over come anything that gets in your way. Determine right now that no matter what you're not going to give up.

I lost 170 pounds, and I'm not worried about gaining it back. This time around I learned what it means to have a healthy lifestyle. I've learned that it's not about dieting and exercise; it's all about having the right habits that ensure a lifestyle change.

We're eight months into 2014, long past the time when we would have made our New Year's resolutions. You may not be where you wanted to be, but this year, and your journey aren't over.

Life is too short to let regret rule your life. We only get one life to live, and time is the one resource we'll never get back. Start today. Start right after you get done reading this.

Have you struggled with weight loss or making big changes in your life?

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Weight Loss

How to start your journey to lose weight.

• Published March 22, 2021
• 10 minute read

In This Article

Whether you’re at the very beginning of your  weight-loss journey  or revisiting your game plan after hitting a plateau, a realistic and sustainable strategy is a must for your first 30 days and beyond.

To successfully lose weight and keep it off, it’s important to adopt a nutritious diet and create a calorie deficit (slightly less calories in than out through day-to-day living and exercise), add in regular movement , effectively deal with stress, make sure you’re getting enough sleep, surround yourself with a supportive community and keep your motivation up in the face of inevitable challenges and setbacks.

The good news is you don’t have to completely overhaul your lifestyle to lose weight — a simple back-to-basics plan is the way to go. That’s why we broke it down for you, week by week, for the first 30 days (or whenever you need a healthy reset).

WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY WEEK 1: CREATE A FOUNDATION FOR CHANGE

Dedicate your first week to preparing your mind, environment and routine to support healthy living.

FIND YOUR “WHY”

“It’s common for motivation to wax and wane during weight-loss efforts, so it is imperative that you establish a clear ‘why’ in terms of the reason you are engaging in the weight-loss effort in the first place,” says Katie Rickel, PhD, a clinical psychologist and CEO of  Structure House , a residential weight-management facility in Durham, North Carolina.

This increases your sense of autonomy or self-control and helps you shift your perspective from “I have to” eat healthier and exercise to “I want to” create new habits to get me closer to the life I desire, thus empowering you to make positive changes, adds Alan Chu , PhD, director of the Motivation and Performance Research Lab and chair of the Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology Program at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay.

ACTIONS TO TAKE:

• Freewrite or make a list of your “whys,” from having the energy to keep up with your children or partner to feeling more comfortable in your body.
• Create a vision board or collage of your “why.”
• Write yourself a letter from your future self (after having achieved your weight-loss goals) to your current self, describing all the ways your life has improved as a result of your efforts.
• Put up notes around your home like on your bathroom mirror or fridge with mantras, photos or reminders of your “why.”

ESTABLISH YOUR BASELINE

Setting goals and tracking progress is important for any weight-loss plan, but for realistic goals you can actually hit, you need to figure out your baseline first. “Understanding your starting point will make it easier to pinpoint where to make meaningful changes that will get you the results you’re looking for,” confirms Christel Oerum, a certified personal trainer and owner of Diabetes Strong and Diabetic Foodie .

“This is also the beginning of mindful eating, a lifelong practice that can take a lifetime to fully develop but can help you eat less and enjoy what you’re eating more as well as improve your relationship with food,” adds Audra Wilson, RD, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, a board-certified specialist in obesity and weight management at the  Northwestern Medicine Metabolic Health and Surgical Weight Loss Center at Delnor Hospital .

• Use an  app like MyFitnessPal  and  log everything you eat and drink  for the whole week without judgment.
• As you go, note your emotions about food and brainstorm other coping mechanisms for stress, anxiety, worry or boredom, such as calling a friend or doing deep breathing exercises, suggests Wilson.
• Track your movement, step count and  workouts with the MyFitnessPal app  as well.

MASTER THE ESSENTIALS

Proper sleep, stress management and hydration are essential for your overall health and weight-loss efforts. If they’re not covered, it’s that much harder to lose weight when you have to battle increased cravings for comfort foods from off-kilter  hunger hormones due to sleep deprivation  and stress or feel hungry and low on energy because you’re not drinking enough water.

• Set a consistent bedtime and wake-up time to ensure you’re getting 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night.
• Make your bedroom a sleep sanctuary that’s cool, dark and comfortable.
• Incorporate a simple morning and evening routine to reduce stress with meditation, gentle stretching or other self-care activities.
• Keep a water bottle or large glass of water on hand to drink when you first wake up.

WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY WEEK 2: SET GOALS AND PRACTICE SELF-COMPASSION

Now that you’ve built a springboard, make a nutrition and movement plan and swap perfectionism for self-compassion.

CREATE AND TRACK SMART GOALS

Focusing on progress boosts your drive and self-confidence while only paying attention to the outcome (the number on the scale) can hurt motivation when you don’t get the results you want, says Chu. That’s why progress-based  SMART goals  that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound are your secret weapon for weight loss.

With the information you collected during week 1, take a look at your baseline calorie and macronutrient intake and step count. Then, set a calorie goal for  slow-and-steady weight loss and a step count goal that makes sense for you and your lifestyle. Use the MyFitnessPal app to chart your progress so you can notice trends and make healthier choices.

EXAMPLES OF SMART GOALS: 

• Walk an average of  1,000 more steps per day  for one week with a midday walk during my lunch break.
• Eat within 100–200 calories of my calorie goal each day for one week by reducing portion sizes for snacks and dinner.

DIVERSIFY YOUR GROCERY LIST AND MAKE SMALL CHANGES

To avoid feeling deprived during your weight-loss journey, shift your focus from “giving up” high-calorie processed foods and sugary drinks to “ adding in ” tasty lower-calorie whole foods to your eating plan, suggests Rickel.

• Challenge yourself to try one new fruit or vegetable this week as a culinary adventure with new recipes and cuisines .
• Add more vegetables to your lunch and dinner by mixing them into soups, sauces, salads and more. “Any way you slice them, veggies are full of nutrients and will help you cut calories while still feeling satisfied at mealtime,” notes Wilson.
• Find satisfying swaps for some high-calorie indulgences such as banana berry “nice” cream instead of traditional ice cream or sparkling water for half of your week’s soda intake. If there’s no great substitute for an indulgence, enjoy a smaller portion size or adjust your intake elsewhere to stick with your overall calorie goal.

ADOPT A MINDSET OF SELF-COMPASSION

“For someone who has not practiced healthy habits before, it can be hard and exhausting to maintain them,” says Chu. Worse yet, if you see yourself as “lazy” for eating “bad foods,” this can zap motivation and trigger even worse habits (Think: “I already ate poorly. I might as well eat more junk food.”)

This is where treating yourself like you would a close friend — or adopting a mindset of self-compassion — can help  keep your motivation up  and protect you from negative thought spirals. Throughout this week, make it a point to notice when you’re being hard on yourself and practice self-compassion instead of toxic perfectionism.

HERE’S HOW TO DO IT IN THE MOMENT: 

• Be mindful and acknowledge your feelings (“I’m feeling really anxious and upset right now.”)
• Remind yourself that this is a common, human experience (“Everyone feels like this sometimes.”)
• Be kind to yourself (“I’m going to be compassionate with myself.”)

WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY WEEK 3: REVIEW YOUR PROGRESS AND BUILD YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM

Reflect on your first round of SMART goals, set new ones, and recruit friends and family to help you stick it out long-term.

SET SMARTER GOALS

Goal-tracking takes time, so block out 10–20 minutes each week—such as on a Sunday evening or Monday morning—to review your progress and set new goals. Rather than getting down on yourself if you haven’t met goals, use this intel to set  SMARTER  goals (with evaluation and revision), suggests Chu.

• Evaluate your progress. Did you hit your goals or fall short? How and why?
• Revise your goals to make them easier if you couldn’t reach them or a notch harder if you were successful.

CELEBRATE CONSISTENCY

Whether you met your calorie goal, increased your step count, or just managed to track both for the entire week, that’s progress worth celebrating. To boost your motivation, find ways to acknowledge meaningful wins each week regardless of whether you shed pounds, says Rickel.

• Put colorful stickers or check marks on your chart or calendar to mark days or weeks when you’ve reached a goal or hit a personal record.
• Reward yourself with a non-food prize such as new workout gear or a fun weekend activity.

If you had a challenging week, remember to practice self-compassion. Major lifestyle changes take time and research shows speaking to yourself in a positive manner helps you reach your goals faster.

FIND EXERCISES YOU LOVE AND GET SOCIAL

A  regular workout routine not only helps tip the calorie balance in your favor to make maintaining weight loss easier, but it also boosts mood levels and decreases stress. To be consistent, you shouldn’t dread your workout — instead, it should be something you genuinely love and look forward to doing. “Choose a workout that suits your routine and lifestyle, and recruit family or friends to join in,” says Chu.

• Pick a type of exercise that’s the optimal balance of challenging yet approachable, such as lifting weights once a week with a goal to eventually lift 2–3 times a week or brisk walks to gradually build up to walking or running a 5K .
• Find someone in your life who values fitness and healthy living as much as you do and agree to regular check-ins if you can’t work out together.
• On days when you don’t feel like working out, try lowering the difficulty or setting a goal just to start the workout (like giving yourself permission to stop after 15 minutes). “Once you do, you’re likely to feel good and exercise longer than initially expected,” notes Chu.

WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY WEEK 4: CONTINUE BUILDING ON YOUR PROGRESS

For the last week of month one, take a look at how far you’ve come and add structure to make healthy lifestyle changes more sustainable.

REVISIT YOUR GOALS

By now, you should have a good idea of how to set, track and celebrate SMART goals. Like the week before, take some time to assess your progress and setbacks. Then set new, SMARTER goals to tackle this week.

Keep in mind that “every 2–4 weeks, it’s also a good idea to revisit your calorie goal and make adjustments as necessary to combat weight-loss plateaus,” notes Oerum.

START MEAL PLANNING

When it comes to  healthy eating , planning ahead can help you save calories and money by reducing impromptu drive-thru trips and delivery orders. Beginning this week, designate a day for meal planning.

• Follow this basic template for the week’s grocery shopping: 4–5 lean protein sources (such as beans  and legumes, tofu, fish, chicken, eggs and turkey), 2–3 complex carbohydrates (sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, whole-grain pasta), and 4+ vegetables (mixed greens, kale, broccoli and cauliflower, asparagus, carrots), suggests Wyosnick.
• Buy pre-cut, washed and frozen produce, so it’s ready to go and easy to use.
• Use the  plate method  for healthy portion sizes at each meal (fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens, a quarter with protein and a quarter with complex carbs).

ASK FOR HELP

Losing weight is challenging, and the first month of your weight-loss plan is just the beginning of a lifelong health journey. If you’re struggling to see results, stick with a routine or battling body image issues, don’t hesitate to reach out for professional help. Depending on your needs, a healthcare provider ,  registered dietitian ,  psychologist  or certified personal trainer could help you address underlying health issues and establish the perfect plan for you.

Originally published March 2016, updated with additional information in March 2021

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How to Lose Weight When You Don't Know Where to Start, According to a Dietitian

These 10 strategies can help when you're feeling overwhelmed. Here are scientifically proven tips, plus advice from someone who's lost 50 pounds and kept it off.

Lainey is a weight-loss dietitian who helps people ditch diets, change their habits and create a healthy lifestyle that lasts. She has Master's in Nutrition Communication from the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and completed her dietetics training at Massachusetts General Hospital, a Harvard teaching hospital. She writes on a variety of topics including weight loss, gut health, pregnancy, breastfeeding and trendy diets. When she's not writing or counseling, you can find her on a run, out to brunch, or with coffee in hand trying to keep up with her two little boys.

Elizabeth Ward is a registered dietitian and award-winning nutrition communicator and writer. She has authored or co-authored 10 books for consumers about nutrition at all stages of life.

1. Embrace the Long Game

2. rely on a professional to help, 3. adopt the 80/20 philosophy, 4. understand set point theory, 5. track your food (at least to start), 6. rethink the scale, 7. track other metrics, 8. get moving, 9. focus on fiber, 10. eat protein at every meal, the bottom line.

The clickbait is everywhere with snazzy headlines saying, "Drop 10 lbs. Fast" or "Fit Back into Your Skinny Jeans." But what if you feel like you have an overwhelming amount of weight to lose, and you just don't know where to start?

You may have tried keto , celery juice , detoxes, low-carb, low-fat—you name it. You might even be pretty good at losing weight—the problem is you can't seem to keep it off.

If this sounds like you, keep reading.

"Mindset is like 90% of the work." That's what my client, Sarah, said to me regarding the 50 pounds she lost and has maintained. I'm sharing tips directly from her on how to get started—and stick with it—when you're not quite sure where to start on your weight loss journey.

Changing habits requires repeating the new behaviors over the long term, according to 2021 research in Psychology & Health . This includes setting realistic expectations .

A safe, sustainable amount of weight to lose is about 1/2 pound to 2 pounds per week. In reality, however, that might look more like 2 to 3 pounds per week in the beginning, then perhaps 1/2 pound down the next week, then up a pound the next week, then maintaining for a few weeks before dropping a pound again.

Your weight loss graph will look more like a staircase or a squiggly line than a perfectly straight line. If it's jumping all over the place, but trending down overall, you're doing all right.

This is not the time to try another detox or strict meal plan that an Instagram influencer is promoting. Those are diets in disguise—they work for the short term but not for the long term.

Long-term weight loss is about small habit changes you can keep up with over time. Those who are successful at losing weight usually work with professionals, typically, a health care professional, registered dietitian and therapist.

Yes, a therapist. "I've crash dieted and lost 100 pounds before, and I was physically thinner but not at all mentally healthier, so patience and persistence and the ability to fall down and get up over and over again are key," says Sarah. "Also, if you feel you have an eating disorder, like binge eating, seek help from a counselor that specializes in that."

This journey is hard alone. It can also be hard with close friends and family. Health care professionals provide two important things: science-based weight-loss recommendations and accountability from someone who isn't a close friend.

Weekly, or even daily, check-ins are key to helping you stay on track. "I think the most important things for me have been getting accountability that best matches my personality, always allowing the 20%, perfecting the art of moving on and always zooming out and focusing on the long game," reports Sarah.

Many insurance plans cover visits with registered dietitians and therapists, so check with yours to see if your visits may be covered.

So what is the 20% that Sarah mentioned? Think of it as all of the foods you restrict when you're dieting but eventually end up bingeing on.

Sustainable weight loss is about ditching the all-or-nothing mentality, letting go of the idea that one meal can make or break your efforts and embracing balance. Aim to follow the MyPlate guidelines about 80% of the time throughout the week and on weekends. That means trying to have three meals per day, most days, filling your plate with about one-half of vegetables and fruits, one-quarter of whole grains and one-quarter of protein with some healthy fat.

Then, don't stress about the rest. It's a "flexible structure." No guilt allowed.

The body likes balance. Body temperature stays within a narrow range of 98.6°F. The pH of blood is around 7.4. Your body has a weight range it likes to stay within too: It's called your set point.

Unfortunately, it's easier for this range to move up than it is to move down. This is for various reasons scientists are still trying to figure out. For example, a 2022 study in the journal Obesity found that a 16% weight loss decreased metabolic rate (the number of calories burned at rest) in premenopausal women. Weight loss has also been shown to increase ghrelin, the hormone that signals hunger, in breast cancer survivors, per a 2021 study in NPJ Breast Cancer .

With that said, lowering your set point is not impossible. After all, there are numerous success stories, like the people in the National Weight Control Registry who have lost 30 pounds or more and kept it off for at least one year.

So, how do you do it?

According to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) , crash dieting is not the answer. Instead, aim to lose 5% to 10% of your body weight at one time. "That's the amount of weight you can lose before your body starts to fight back," BIDMC reports on its website.

Then, and here's the hard part, work to maintain that loss for six months before trying to lose another 5% to 10%. This is the time during which people often throw in the towel or opt for the crash diet their friend is doing.

But, if you can stay the course and ride out the maintenance for six months, "You can repeat the cycle and reset your set point again by losing another 10%. Through small, gradual changes in your daily habits, you'll be able to stay at that new, lower weight for the rest of your life. This prescription is vital to outsmarting the body's natural tendencies to regain weight," according to the BIDMC website.

You may also have to reassess your initial weight-loss goal. If you reach a point where you feel great, are healthy and have habits you can sustain for months, but the number on the scale is higher than you'd like, it may be time to embrace a new number.

Research, like the 2019 study in the journal Obesity , suggests that those who track their food are most successful with losing weight and keeping it off.

While tracking isn't meant to be done forever, it can be a helpful tool until new habits stick. A habit is an automated behavior. The more habits you create, the fewer decisions you have to make and the more brain space you have to think about other things.

Starting your weight loss journey by tracking your food intake may give you a better idea about what a serving of oatmeal looks like in your bowl, or how many random handfuls of chips you munch on as you try and figure out what to make for dinner. You can track food in a written diary, by taking photos, in a calorie-counting app or a combination of these.

If you've never tracked calories, it can be a good place to start so you can become familiar with portion sizes and macronutrients (fat, protein and carbohydrates). A word of caution, though—calorie counting can become obsessive and backfire, leaving you out of touch with your hunger and satiety signals. You may be more likely to turn to an app to tell you what and when to eat, instead of listening to your body.

Work with a registered dietitian who can help you figure out the best tracking approach for you and can also review your meals so you have accountability.

A 2021 study in Translational Behavioral Medicine suggests that those who self-monitored their weight lost more of it.

Here's the caveat: Weight should not be the only metric you track. And you need to understand what the scale measures.

The scale does not measure fat—and you do not lose or gain fat overnight.

The scale is a measurement of everything in your body, mostly fluid, but also bones, organs, fat and muscle. The scale will show your weight within about a 3- to 4-pound range and goes up and down for various reasons. If you poop, it goes down. If you eat salty takeout food, it goes up (because salt encourages water retention). A strength-training workout can bump it up, due to a temporary increase in inflammation.

Daily weigh-ins do more harm than good for some people, so weighing once a week might be a good frequency. Or, for some, the scale might need to go. If you find you obsess over the number, it stresses you out too much or you're equating the number to your self-worth, ditch the scale. There are other ways to measure your progress.

Sarah was stressing so much about what the scale would say every Monday that she decided to weigh every day and found it more helpful. "Personally, weighing daily has helped because it's normalized the fluctuations for me and helped me realize when I'm averaging in the wrong direction. There are great apps that plot the average trend of your weight, which helps, but I think overall daily weighing has truly been helpful," says Sarah.

Several of my clients might not see the scale move in months, but they lose inches and feel amazing. In addition to weekly weigh-ins, consider taking waist circumference measurements and progress photos once a month.

Five pounds of fat and five pounds of muscle weigh the same, but muscle takes up less space (and adding more means you're getting stronger), so these metrics help you see body composition changes and will motivate you to keep going.

In addition to how you look, take note of how you feel. Can you walk further, run faster or do a pushup? If you know what they were when you started, have your cholesterol levels or blood sugar numbers improved? Include some goals around what your body can do, rather than how you look.

Diet matters more than exercise for weight loss, but exercise is crucial for keeping off the weight. Plus, exercise has plenty of other benefits .

If you are sedentary and then start moving, you will start burning calories, which will create a calorie deficit. "Finding exercise you love helps to maintain the weight loss," reports Sarah.

Don't know where to start? Start walking. Create small, attainable goals like 15 minutes per day and work up to 30 minutes. If you currently walk 2,000 steps per day, don't try to walk 10,000. Start with 4,000 per day and add more every couple of weeks.

Next, add strength training, using either weights or your body weight. Start with one day per week and work up to two to four times per week. Strength training builds muscle, and muscle burns calories even when you're sitting at your desk all day.

Cardio exercise, like running, biking or swimming, is great too. A good balance is daily walking, strength training two to four times per week and cardio or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) one to three times per week.

Progressively increasing your exercise frequency and intensity will help you stick to it. And the best exercise is the one that you'll keep doing.

A calorie deficit is needed for weight loss, but instead of focusing on what to restrict, focus on what to add. The body breaks down protein, carbohydrates and fat from food and absorbs the nutrients. If you're eating more calories than your body needs, the extra will be stored as fat.

However, the body doesn't absorb or store fiber. Fiber passes through the stomach and intestines largely unabsorbed, bulks everything up and then you poop it out. Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes.

By making half your plate vegetables and fruits at most meals, you automatically shift the caloric composition of your meal. For example, 1 cup of pasta or rice is 200 calories, but 1 cup of vegetables is about 30 calories. So not only can you eat more vegetables for fewer calories, but you also get the added benefit of the fiber (as well as vitamins and minerals), which moves through your system slowly, keeping you full longer.

Fiber also expands and slows the emptying of the stomach, which sends signals to the brain that you are full. Gut bacteria feed off fiber and produce short-chain fatty acids, like acetate, which plays a role in regulating body weight, according to a 2019 review in Nutrients .

Aim for 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day or about 8 to 10 g per meal. According to the USDA, 1 cup of raspberries has 8 g of fiber, 1 cup of cooked broccoli has 5 g of fiber and 1/2 cup of black beans has about 7 g of fiber.

Along with fiber, eat protein at every meal, especially breakfast. A 2021 review in Nutrients suggests that when people eat a high-protein breakfast, they have fewer cravings and eat less later in the day.

Protein suppresses the hunger hormone, ghrelin, and is digested slowly, keeping you full longer. When protein is eaten with carbohydrates, it slows the rise of blood sugar, which prevents the spike-and-crash effect that leaves you craving carbs an hour after you eat. Include protein, fiber and healthy fat at each meal.

Protein needs are based on weight, but about 20 g per meal is a good starting point. According to the USDA, a serving of Greek yogurt packs 16 g of protein, and you can pair it with berries for fiber. Three ounces of cooked chicken , about the size of a deck of cards, has about 26 g of protein. Beans are a protein-packed vegetarian option.

If you feel overwhelmed with how much weight you have to lose, start small. Don't try to tackle everything at once. In order to lose weight and keep it off, you need to embrace a long-term mentality and focus on small habit changes. Get professional help so you have accountability and can focus on the habits that move the needle most. Track other metrics, along with the scale. Finally, move your body most days, focus on making half your plate vegetables at meals, get out of the all-or-nothing mentality and celebrate your success along the way!

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Whether you’re starting for the very first time, or have tried every type of weight loss solution for the hundredth time, there are ways to prepare yourself to improve your chances of success.

Based on my experiences treating hundreds of weight loss patients, here are several steps to take before starting your own weight loss journey.

Prepare your mind

Set proper expectations.

Embarking on a weight loss journey requires recognizing that it is a process that takes time. Just as it took time for your body to gain weight, it will take time for it to shed the excess pounds. It’s important to set realistic goals and understand that weight loss is rarely a linear progression.

Initially, you may experience faster weight loss, perhaps around 2-4 pounds per week, or even more for some individuals. However, as you continue on your weight loss journey, it’s natural for the rate of weight loss to slow down. Your body adapts and becomes accustomed to the changes you’ve made, making it more challenging to maintain the same pace of weight loss.

This adjustment period varies among individuals, but it’s important to realize that it is a normal reaction from your body. As you lose weight, your body goes through changes and becomes accustomed to your initial weight loss efforts. This means that you may need to put in more effort and expect potentially slower results as you progress further.

It’s crucial to remember that experiencing a slower rate of weight loss is not a failure on your part. It’s to be expected, and it doesn’t diminish the significance of your accomplishments.

Whether you celebrate a 5-pound loss in the first week or a 1-pound loss in the 18th week, both are worth acknowledging. As long as your overall weight trend is downward, you’re still on the right track towards achieving your goals.

Be prepared for failure

The all-or-none mindset is a common trait among yoyo dieters . It implies that if you embark on a weight loss protocol, you must go all in and give it your maximum effort, or else it’s not worth doing at all. This mindset often leads to a cycle of intense dieting followed by giving in to temptations, feeling guilty, and ultimately giving up.

While this approach may result in rapid short-term weight loss for some, it typically leads to struggles with long-term weight maintenance. The pattern of strict dieting, succumbing to temptations, regaining weight, and then resorting to intense dieting again creates an unhealthy relationship with food. It also generates additional anxiety and stress surrounding eating.

Instead, it’s important to be prepared for the possibility of setbacks and failures along the way. Rather than fearing or feeling guilty about these moments, view them as valuable learning experiences. Failure can help you identify personal weaknesses and challenges, allowing you to anticipate and overcome them in future weight loss attempts.

By adopting a mindset that embraces failure as an opportunity for growth, you can develop strategies to address the specific issues that caused you to stumble. This proactive approach enables you to plan ahead, make adjustments, and find sustainable solutions to prevent similar setbacks in the future.

Remember, weight loss journeys are not always smooth and linear. They involve ups and downs, and it’s how you respond to challenges and setbacks that will determine your long-term success. By embracing the lessons from failure and viewing them as stepping stones on your path to success, you can cultivate resilience and develop a healthier relationship with both food and your weight loss journey.

Understand your motivation

Understanding your motivation is a crucial aspect of starting a weight loss journey. Identifying your reasons for wanting to lose weight and establishing a clear understanding of your motivation can provide the necessary drive and commitment to sustain you throughout your journey.

Here are some key points to consider when exploring your motivation:

• Reflect on Your Personal Reasons : Take some time to reflect on why you want to lose weight. Is it for improved health, increased energy levels, enhanced self-confidence, or to be a positive role model for your loved ones? Understanding your personal reasons can help you establish a meaningful connection to your goals and serve as a source of inspiration when faced with challenges.
• Be Mindful of Your Emotional Well-being : Acknowledge that weight loss journeys can be emotionally challenging at times. Be kind to yourself, practice self-compassion, and seek support when needed. Addressing underlying emotional triggers and developing healthy coping mechanisms can help you navigate emotional roadblocks and maintain your motivation.

It’s important to be mindful of the reasons or motivations that may not be beneficial or healthy in the long run. You should strive to be wary of or avoid these motivators:

• External Pressure : Trying to lose weight solely to meet societal or societal standards, or to please others, can be detrimental to your mental and emotional well-being. Weight loss should be driven by personal goals and aspirations, not external expectations.
• Unrealistic Body Image Ideals : Striving for a specific body shape or size based on unrealistic beauty standards portrayed in the media can lead to unhealthy behaviors and body dissatisfaction. Remember that everyone’s body is unique, and the focus should be on overall health rather than achieving a specific appearance.
• Comparison to Others : Comparing your body or progress to others can create a negative mindset and erode self-esteem. Each person’s weight loss journey is individual and influenced by various factors. Instead of comparing, focus on your own progress and celebrate your personal achievements.
• Rapid or Drastic Results : Seeking quick or extreme weight loss for immediate results may lead to unhealthy practices, such as crash dieting or excessive exercise. Rapid weight loss is often unsustainable and can have negative impacts on your health. Aim for gradual and sustainable weight loss instead.
• Fixating on the Scale : Placing too much emphasis on the number on the scale can be counterproductive and demotivating. Weight fluctuates naturally due to factors like water retention and muscle gain. Instead, focus on other indicators of progress, such as improved energy levels, strength, endurance, or how your clothes fit.
• Emotional Validation : Using weight loss as a means to seek validation, acceptance, or love from others can lead to disappointment and a negative self-image. It’s important to develop self-acceptance and love regardless of your weight or appearance.
• Punishing or Negative Mindset : Approaching weight loss from a place of self-hatred, punishment, or shame can create an unhealthy relationship with food and exercise. It’s crucial to adopt a positive mindset, emphasizing self-care, self-compassion, and nurturing your body with healthy habits.

Remember, a healthy weight loss journey is driven by internal motivations, personal well-being, and a focus on overall health. It’s important to prioritize self-acceptance, self-care, and sustainable lifestyle changes that promote long-term well-being rather than short-term fixes or external expectations.

Prepare your support

Address weaknesses.

As you embark on your weight loss journey, it’s important to gather valuable information that may not be immediately available but will prove crucial along the way. This includes recognizing and addressing weaknesses and mistakes that you may have encountered before or understanding yourself better.

Reflect on your eating habits, such as tendencies for snacking or emotional eating , which can provide initial insights. Additionally, if you have been on a weight loss journey for some time, you likely have a sense of which aspects have posed the greatest challenges for you.

Failures and setbacks can be powerful teachers, offering valuable lessons. Analyze what caused you to stumble or deviate from your diet, as this will provide critical information for your progress.

Once you’ve identified these stumbling blocks, it becomes essential to devise effective strategies to overcome them. For instance, if mindless snacking is a recurring issue, consider removing all tempting snacks from your home to regain control over your impulses. Similarly, if time constraints hinder your ability to prepare nutritious meals, seek out meal plans that can be easily prepped in advance, ensuring you have healthy options readily available throughout the week.

The more weaknesses you can pinpoint and proactively address, the smoother your weight loss journey will become. By recognizing and dealing with these challenges, you are equipping yourself with the tools and strategies necessary for success.

However, it’s crucial to remember not to lose sight of the bigger picture. While focusing on weaknesses and mistakes is important, it is equally vital to maintain a broader perspective. Keep your ultimate goal in mind and stay motivated by envisioning the positive changes you seek to achieve through your weight loss journey.

Get social support

In the beginning stages of your weight loss journey, it is crucial to establish a supportive network and create an environment that fosters your success. Don’t hesitate to communicate your goals and aspirations with your friends and family, allowing them to understand and support your endeavors.

Engaging with an interactive online weight loss community can be incredibly beneficial. These communities provide a platform for sharing personal stories, discussing challenges, and seeking advice. Seek out forums and groups that cater specifically to your situation. For instance, if you have diabetes and are looking to lose weight, find a forum where fellow diabetics are on a similar weight loss journey. Similarly, if you are following the ketogenic diet, joining a forum dedicated to ketogenic dieters can provide valuable insights and support.

It’s essential to actively participate and interact within the online community. Merely observing passively and reading about others’ experiences won’t offer the same level of support. By engaging in discussions, sharing your own journey, and connecting with others, you can tap into a wealth of support and knowledge.

When seeking social support, prioritize individuals who are not only supportive but also knowledgeable about your weight loss journey. These individuals can help keep you accountable, identify potential challenges you may face, and offer valuable tips based on their own experiences. Surrounding yourself with such individuals creates a positive and empowering atmosphere that propels you toward success.

Use the right tools

When embarking on your weight loss journey, incorporating the right tools can greatly enhance your progress and overall experience. From a wide array of options, such as calorie or food tracking apps, supplements, vitamin and nutrient injection therapies, to weight loss medications or surgeries, it’s important to identify the tools that work best for you.

Discovering the tools that complement your needs can be just as crucial as finding a suitable diet plan. For individuals seeking a more structured approach or those with limited experience in weight loss, tracking apps or specific dietary plans can offer valuable guidance.

However, it’s important to recognize that while these tools can be beneficial throughout your weight loss journey, they should not replace the core principles that underpin your success. An effective weight loss diet and an appropriate weight loss mindset remain fundamental.

Remember, these tools are meant to support you, but the ultimate responsibility for the success of your weight loss journey lies within yourself. Embrace the tools that align with your needs and goals, but always maintain a sense of personal accountability and commitment. By combining the right tools with your own dedication and determination, you can pave the way for a successful weight loss journey.

Learn more about

• 5 Tips on How To Keep the Weight Off
• 10 Common Habits of Thin People

Hwang KO, Ottenbacher AJ, Green AP, et al. Social support in an Internet weight loss community. Int J Med Inform. 2010;79(1):5-13. doi:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2009.10.003

Karfopoulou E, Anastasiou CA, Avgeraki E, Kosmidis MH, Yannakoulia M. The role of social support in weight loss maintenance: results from the MedWeight study. J Behav Med. 2016;39(3):511-518. doi:10.1007/s10865-016-9717-y

Kiernan M, Moore SD, Schoffman DE, et al. Social support for healthy behaviors: scale psychometrics and prediction of weight loss among women in a behavioral program. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2012;20(4):756-764. doi:10.1038/oby.2011.293

Verheijden MW, Bakx JC, van Weel C, Koelen MA, van Staveren WA. Role of social support in lifestyle-focused weight management interventions. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2005;59 Suppl 1:S179-S186. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602194

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The Diet and Workout That Helped This Man Lose Over 50 Pounds in a Year

"The magic you are looking for is in the work that you are avoiding."

Like many others who begin a similar journey, the 37-year-old Singapore man had spent most of his life overweight, and he had reached his breaking point.

"Physically, I was at the worst point in my life, having hit the heaviest weight that I had ever been," he says. "Mentally, it wasn’t much better, due to previous attempts at weight loss having failed spectacularly."

Before Tan found something that worked for him, he tried an all liquid, low caloric diet —as well as intermittent fasting . However, every time, he would only see minimal progress before things became too difficult and the weight would ultimately return.

As a result, he began to have very little confidence that something would be able to keep the weight off for good, and to make matters worse, he was also dealing with chronic health issues.

"In the year leading up to that point, I had already received various pieces of bad news regarding the state of my health in quick succession," he says. "I found out that I had hyperlipidaemia, reached the weight where I was obese by BMI standards, and was also diagnosed with fatty liver disease ."

So, on his wife's birthday in 2021, Tan decided to make a change for good, and sign up for a personal training program with UP Fitness . Despite his inexperience in the gym or with weight training in general, his personal trainer, Boon, helped him get going right away.

"At the beginning, I started with two sessions in the gym a week," he says. "By the end of the 50 weeks, I had grown to enjoy weight training enough to the point that I was doing five full body sessions in the gym every week, along with one day set aside for cardio, where I would either attend a spin class or go for a 1500 meter swim ."

For people starting an intense new workout routine, it can't be overstated how important it is to get your form down before injuries occur, so Tan heavily relied on his trainer, Boon, to keep him from on point.

"My trainer has been instrumental in making sure that every rep in the gym is executed perfectly, in good form, and keeping me injury free throughout this process," he says. "With regards to training, he helped me learn the importance of quality over quantity and avoid ‘ego lifting’ as much as possible."

Not only did this workout plan help Tan lose over 50 pounds of fat in under a year, but it also helped him gain over 5 pounds of muscle in return. As a result, he's feeling better than ever—not just in the physical realm.

"It’s very cliché to say so, but getting fitter and leaner has helped tremendously with my energy levels," he says. "I am much more active than I used to be and able to engage with my family and play with my 4-year old son. My confidence has of course improved massively, having finally attained a physique that I could only dream of in the past"

While his weight-loss transformation has been a continuous process, the reactions from his family have been resoundingly positive. Some of his close contacts have even said that he's inspired them to take on their own weight loss journey—one friend even lost close to 30 pounds by following the gym and diet routines Tan learned at UP.

"Oftentimes the friends and patients that I see on a regular basis have difficulty recognizing me when we meet in person," he says. "The funniest incident was when I was 10 minutes deep into a consult with a patient that I had known for years at that point, and she eventually asked where her regular doctor was and what happened to him that there was a new person taking over!"

He's also seen massive improvements in his chronic health issues . For starters, his blood cholesterol levels have all improved significantly, and a repeat ultrasound of his liver showed a marked reduction in liver fat, as compared to previous scans.

"Most importantly though, this journey has shown that my body composition is something that is under my direct control," he says. "I am no longer a passive passenger that’s just along for the ride, but the active driver and shaper of what I want to look and feel like. As someone who spent most of their life overweight, this has been the most significant paradigm shift."

After having done fat loss for close to a year, Tan is now eating at maintenance calories and focusing on muscle building with his trainer. He's also focused on getting more proficient in the more technically difficult lifts like the barbell back squat and conventional deadlift.

When asked about the number one piece of advice he has for people considering starting their own weight-loss journey, he says the following.

"The magic you are looking for is in the work that you are avoiding," he says. "Focus on keeping things consistent and sustainable. Success in weight loss and in fitness comes from doing the same, simple things well, day after day, week after week and month after month. There is no magic diet, workout or pill that can do things for you without effort, but the results will come if you are consistent."

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• Weight Management

The Most Effective Strategies for Achieving Long-Term Weight Loss

Updated March 4, 2024

In 29 long-term weight loss studies , over 80% of lost weight was regained within five years, indicating a low success rate.

However, long-term weight loss success is still possible through sustainable lifestyle changes, balanced nutrition, and regular exercise.

In this article, you will explore the factors influencing weight loss maintenance and offer practical tips for your weight loss journey.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Achieving and maintaining long-term weight loss is possible, with approximately 20% of overweight individuals successfully losing at least 10% of their initial body weight and keeping it off for at least one year.
• Several barriers to long-term weight loss exist, including biological and psychological factors .
• An individualized approach to weight loss is crucial, considering factors like genetics, insulin resistance, and personal preferences.
• Gradual dietary changes are more sustainable than extreme restrictions , allowing for the gradual reintroduction of certain foods to prevent rebound weight gain.
• Emphasizing dietary quality by choosing nutrient-dense , whole foods over processed options is essential for long-term success.
• Free consultation; program starts at $269/mo
• Checkmark Inside Circle. Customized online program and wellness coaching
• Prescription medications and supplies shipped to your door

Is Long-Term Weight Loss Possible?

Before delving into strategies for long-term weight loss, it's crucial to debunk the myth that long-term success is unattainable.

While it's true that many individuals struggle to maintain their weight loss, research suggests that approximately 20% of overweight individuals successfully achieve long-term weight loss, defined as losing at least 10% of initial body weight and maintaining it for at least one year.

Often overlooked success stories provide valuable insights into the strategies that can lead to lasting results.

Remember, sustainable weight loss is possible, and by examining the experiences of those who have achieved it, we can uncover effective paths to healthier, happier lives.

Barriers to Weight Maintenance

Long-term weight loss can be challenging due to various barriers that individuals often encounter. These barriers can hinder sustained progress and make it challenging to maintain a healthier weight over time.

Here are some common barriers to long-term weight loss:

Biological Barriers

Biological factors significantly impact long-term weight loss maintenance. Research has revealed some intriguing insights into these factors:

1. Metabolic Slowdown

Recent research on contestants from "The Biggest Loser" highlighted a significant finding: even after regaining weight, their metabolism remained substantially slower than before, making it tough to maintain weight loss.

Despite this challenge, many participants were successful in keeping off a significant portion of their lost weight over six years, defying the notion that rapid weight loss inevitably leads to greater weight regain.

2. Increased Hunger

Another study reveals a crucial factor in the biological barriers to weight maintenance: a feedback control system that drives increased appetite as weight is lost.

For each kilogram of lost weight, individuals tend to eat about 100 kilocalories more per day. This appetite increase is substantial and surpasses changes in energy expenditure.

Successful long-term weight maintenance often requires heroic and vigilant efforts to counter this feedback system, making it a formidable challenge for obesity therapies.

Psychological Barriers

Psychological barriers to long-term weight loss can be challenging, including stress , depression , and anxiety . Here's a breakdown of psychological factors that can hinder weight loss efforts:

Stress can have several negative impacts on weight loss. It can lead to overeating as individuals turn to comfort foods for relief, disrupt sleep patterns, and affect hormones that regulate appetite, leading to increased hunger and cravings.

Persistent stress can elevate cortisol production, potentially resulting in weight gain, especially around the abdominal region.

💡 Did You Know?

Chronic stress can be detrimental as it leads to physical wear and tear on the body, contributing to conditions such as heart disease, obesity, anxiety, depression, and more.

1. Depression

Depression can create obstacles to weight loss. It often results in reduced motivation and energy, making engaging in physical activity or maintaining a regular exercise routine challenging.

Depression may also lead to emotional eating as individuals turn to food for comfort, often consuming calorie-dense foods. Certain antidepressant medications can lead to weight gain, making the weight loss process more challenging.

Anxiety can hinder weight loss in various ways. It may trigger emotional eating or binge eating episodes as individuals use food as a coping mechanism to manage anxiety symptoms.

Anxiety can also lead to food avoidance and the avoidance of social situations, limiting dietary choices and potentially leading to nutrient deficiencies.

Practical Tips for Long-Term Weight Loss

Obesity and excessive weight are associated with various health problems, including heart disease, stroke , and joint issues . Weight loss tips can help individuals reduce their risk of these conditions. Here are several actionable recommendations for achieving lasting weight loss:

1. Individualized Approach

One of the most critical aspects of achieving long-term weight loss success is recognizing that what works for one person may not work for another. Consider genetics, insulin resistance, and personal preferences when crafting your weight loss plan.

For example, a low-carb diet might be more suitable if you have a genetic predisposition to process carbohydrates less efficiently.

Seek professional guidance to determine which dietary approach best fits your unique needs.

2. Gradual Dietary Changes

Avoid the temptation to plunge into extreme dietary restrictions. Instead, make gradual adjustments to your eating habits. Slowly reintroduce fats or carbs into your diet until you can maintain a level for life. This patient approach enhances sustainability and minimizes the likelihood of rebound weight gain.

For example, you mayswap sugary cereals for whole-grain options and gradually reduce your sugar intake over several weeks.

3. Focus on Dietary Quality

Emphasize the quality of your foods. Choose whole, nutrient-rich foods instead of processed and refined alternatives. Your plate should contain vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains while avoiding trans fats, added sugars, and refined carbohydrates.

For instance, you may trade out processed snacks for fresh fruits or raw nuts to boost your nutrient intake.

4. Behavioral Modification

Losing weight goes beyond your food choices; it's also about the reasons and manner you eat. Behavioral modifications play a significant role in long-term success. Learn to identify emotional triggers for unhealthy eating, set achievable goals, and develop self-control.

You may practice stress-reduction techniques like deep breathing or mindfulness to manage emotional eating triggers.

Cultivate a support network to help sustain your healthy habits.

5. Physical Activity

Incorporate regular physical activity into your routine. Exercise not only burns calories but also supports overall fitness and well-being.

For example, you may find an activity you enjoy, whether dancing, hiking, or swimming, to make exercise a sustainable part of your life.

🎉 Fun Fact:

Exercise indeed helps you lose weight. Aim for 75-150 minutes of physical activity per week ; exercise more if you want faster results.

6. Education and Support

Knowledge is a potent tool on your weight loss journey. Seek out resources on nutrition labels, meal planning, and portion control.

You can learn to decipher nutrition labels to make informed grocery shopping choices.

Additionally, consider joining support groups or working with health professionals who can provide guidance and encouragement.

7. Avoid Processed Foods

Processed foods frequently contain detrimental fats, sugars, and calories devoid of nutritional value, which can impede weight loss. Minimize your packaged snacks, sugary beverages, and fast food intake to maximize success.

For example, you can swap out fast food burgers for homemade, grilled lean meat burgers with plenty of veggies.

8. Long-Term Perspective

Finally, shift from thinking of your efforts as a temporary "diet" to a long-term commitment to healthier choices.

For instance, you can focus on building a sustainable, lifelong relationship with nutritious foods and regular exercise.

Final Thoughts

The most effective way to achieve long-term weight loss success is by adopting a sustainable lifestyle and emphasizing dietary quality by choosing nutrient-dense whole foods.

It also involves incorporating regular physical activity and seeking professional guidance for personalized plans.

Take the first step today towards a healthier you by implementing these strategies and committing to a lifelong journey of better choices and improved well-being.

Your future self will thank you for it.

FAQs About The Most Effective Long-term Weight Loss

What is the maximum weight loss achievable in one month.

You can typically lose around 1.5 to 2.5 kilograms in a month, which is considered healthy. Losing more may strain your organs, especially the kidneys, and is not advisable.

What if you can't stop losing weight?

Incessant weight loss can lead to nutrient deficiencies, increasing the risk of health issues and injuries. Ensure a balanced approach to maintain health and consult a healthcare professional promptly.

Why is long-term weight loss challenging?

Sustaining weight loss is difficult due to hormonal changes that affect appetite, decreased energy expenditure, and increased hunger, all promoting weight regain.

What are the most effective long-term weight loss strategies?

The most effective long-term weight loss strategies involve adopting a sustainable lifestyle, focusing on dietary quality by choosing nutrient-dense foods, incorporating regular physical activity, and seeking professional guidance for personalized plans.

Why is finding the most effective long-term weight loss method important?

Discovering the most effective long-term weight loss approach is vital because it ensures lasting results, reducing the risk of weight regain and promoting overall health and well-being.

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Get Inspired by These Incredible Weight-Loss Transformations

These men and women transformed their bodies through healthy eating and a dedication to fitness

Lexlee Hudson: Lost 187 Lbs.

Courtesy Lexlee Hudson; Nicole Mlakar

College was a major adjustment for Lexlee Hudson . Along with gaining more independence, she was also "stressed, working multiple jobs, and I didn't know what I should be eating." That meant she was grabbing what was easy and convenient on a college budget — a ton of pizza and any food she could get during breaks from her waitressing job. And within about a year, she had gained 180 lbs.

"I started having a lot of health issues," she told PEOPLE. "My back was hurting all the time. I had PCOS and I was on the spectrum for pre-diabetes and high blood pressure. I love to ride horses — I have my entire life — and I couldn't anymore. I became super insecure and withdrawn, and I stopped going out with my friends."

Meanwhile, her mom and grandma were both following the weight loss program Optavia and had dropped 80 and 75 lbs., respectively. They had tried getting her on board for years, and in January 2018, after Hudson finished college, she finally agreed to join the program. Hudson started setting alarms for every 2½-3 hours to remind herself to eat healthy snacks, and swapped out the pizza for ones with cauliflower crust or made Taco Tuesdays with lettuce wraps instead of tortillas.

Over the next two and a half years, Hudson consistently lost weight, eventually dropping 187 lbs. She's now a health coach, and helps people "get healthy."

"I tell people that before I felt like I had a mental cloud over my head. I didn't always put me first," she said. "My whole life has changed."

Linda Migliaccio: Lost 189 Lbs.

Courtesy Linda Migliaccio; Courtesy Grace Huang

Ever since high school, Linda Migliaccio felt like she was "battling" her weight. She started dieting at age 15, and for years afterward, the New Jerseyan, who has since been diagnosed with a binge eating disorder, would yo-yo back and forth — Migliaccio estimates she's lost and gained a significant amount of weight at least 12 times.

Her highest weight of 349 lbs., though, came at "the lowest point in my life, when my mom passed away," she told PEOPLE. While caring for her mom, Migliaccio gained 200 lbs., and after a fall in her bathroom, she tore her ACL and meniscus in her right knee. A surgeon said she was too heavy for him to repair the injury, and predicted that she would become a wheelchair-user in a year if she didn't lose weight.

"He did me the biggest favor of my life being blunt like that," she said. "It was what I needed to hear, and that's what turned me around."

Migliaccio started a nutritarian diet, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts, and didn't cut out any foods, allowing herself to have a cheesesteak or ice cream when the craving struck. That 80/20 split of healthy and more indulgent foods helped her stay on track, along with her friends and her TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) weight loss support group. In two years, Migliaccio lost 189 lbs., and didn't even need knee surgery.

"I'm finally starting to tap into what makes me happy," she said.

Ann Wulff: Lost 207 Lbs.

Courtesy Ann Wulff; Kelsey Lee

Ann Wulff felt like pregnancy was "permission to just eat whatever I wanted," the teacher told PEOPLE. Through three pregnancies, she gained more than 100 lbs. and kept going from there, eventually hitting 360 lbs.

"I convinced myself that it didn't matter if I ate unhealthily because I was already overweight," she said. "I was busy with a full-time job and three little girls, so did it really matter if I eat the ice cream?"

But Wulff started to notice little issues; she lacked the energy to walk the five minutes to the park with her daughters, she had to twist into odd positions just to get the car seatbelt to buckle and she was struggling with constant headaches.

"I was in my mid-30s, and I realized that very quickly that there were going to be things that I absolutely could not do."

Wulff joined WeightWatchers , paying for a full year upfront, and focused on losing just 5 lbs. at a time to stay motivated. With healthy dinner swaps and walks around her neighborhood, she lost 207 lbs. in just over two years.

"I feel so much lighter, and I don't mean physically," she said. "I just have so much more energy, I'm more positive, I'm more likely to put myself out there. I'm a better teacher, a better wife, a better mother. A better everything."

Crystal Benes: Lost 201 Lbs.

Crystal Benes

Crystal Benes spent most of her life overweight. She was affected by obesity as a child, and by the time she was 25, Benes weighed in at 376 lbs.

"Every choice I made regarding what I fueled my body with and how much exercised I did was all up to me," she told PEOPLE. "I had no one else to blame for my poor decisions that led me to being nearly 400 lbs."

But that changed on April 2, 2018, when Benes decided to sign up for a local weight loss program in Fort Wayne, Ind. Over 15 weeks, she dropped 100 lbs. thanks to a personal trainer , nutrition coaching and regular boot camp classes. But the hardest part, she shared, is when that ended and she had to do it on her own.

"I had to understand that this was no longer a diet, and that it had to become my lifestyle," she said.

Benes kept up her daily workouts and nutrition plan, and by January, just 10 months later, she was down to 175 lbs.

"My weight-loss journey came at a point in my life where my weight was something I faced every day and led me to a constant state of depression," she said. "Through the struggle I encountered during my journey, I came to realize that the most difficult road had led to the most beautiful journey of my life."

Marsha Parker: Lost 155 Lbs.

As the single mother of a newborn, Marsha Parker faced a lot of pressure — and it took a toll on her health. The Bronx, N.Y.-based Parker had to accept a lower-paying job with flexible hours so she could take care of her daughter, Kumari, and any money she made went to feeding Kumari healthy meals while she ate $1.25 fried chicken.

"I was stressed and I think I was going through a bit of postpartum depression without realizing it," she told PEOPLE. "Kumari would be asleep and I would be crying, eating chocolate pudding and drinking Pepsi. I would buy foods that I knew were bad, but they gave me comfort at the time."

Her weight continued to climb. By the time Kumari turned five, Marsha was up to 290 lbs., had developed high blood pressure and was pre-diabetic. It was Kumari who pushed her mom to lose weight.

"I would have headaches from the food and she would say, 'I need you to be healthy, I'm really, really worried about you. Please eat healthy.' I realized that my health was connected to her wellbeing."

Parker started taking kickboxing classes and switched to a healthier diet, drinking green smoothies with Kumari and prioritizing lean proteins like fish, chicken and eggs. That, along with a newfound love of weightlifting, helped Parker lose 155 lbs. She balanced five-days-a-week workouts with her job as an online teacher, Ph.D. classes and homeschooling Kumari.

"Kumari saved my life," Parker said.

Lindy Cellucci: Lost 150 Lbs.

After eight years of weighing nearly 300 lbs., Lindy Cellucci reached her breaking point during a vacation with friends in 2014.

"There's this place called Hopewell Rocks that goes down to the ocean floor, but you have to go down about 500 steps. I stood there and knew I couldn't do it," she told PEOPLE. "I could see them laughing and talking, and I'm up top and I said two words to myself: 'It's time.'"

The mother of two began researching healthy recipes and tracking her steps with a Fitbit and lost 82 lbs. in 16 months. That's when Cellucci noticed a suspicious lump on her chest. She was quickly diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo rigorous chemotherapy treatment.

But Cellucci was determined to maintain a healthier lifestyle. When she got the all-clear in 2017 from her doctor, she started walking again and took Zumba, boot camp or aqua swim classes. The weight kept coming off.

"I lost weight every week for a full year," she said. "I was just determined. If I put a bit on, which happened a couple of times after that first year, I didn't let it derail me. You're going to have ups and downs."

Cellucci hit 150 lbs. when she was 60 and credited her life to losing weight.

"I never would have found that lump if I hadn't lost weight," she said. "It saved my life twice. It saved me from having a heart attack, and it saved me because I found that lump."

Kimberly Brown: Lost 109 Lbs.

Courtesy Kimberly Brown; Nutrisystem

When Kimberly Brown decided to make a change and lose weight in 2015, she was coming off of a tough year. She had recently suffered a miscarriage, her childhood pet had just died and a broken ankle left her unable to walk on her own for several months.

"It got the best of me," Brown told PEOPLE.

Plus, her health was suffering; Brown had high blood pressure and frequent migraines, and her doctor thought that losing some of her 239 lbs. would help. Brown decided to join Nutrisystem , dropping 10 lbs. the first week and around 2.5 lbs. every week after. Four years later, she was healthier and 109 lbs. lighter.

"I currently weigh 130, I no longer have to take any medication for my blood pressure and I impress my doctor with my cholesterol and other levels every year on my physical!" she said at the time. "I now have confidence in myself, courage to do anything, and pride in how far I have come!"

Jennifer Riveira: Lost 76 Lbs.

Courtesy Jennifer Riveira; Isagenix

Jennifer Riveira was always tired and had trouble keeping up with her young son. When her doctor told her all of her tests came back normal, but her fast-food habit may be to blame, she realized it was time to make a change.

"In reality, I had just given up on myself," she told PEOPLE. "Everybody became more important than I did and fast-food became my way of life. It was fast. It was easy."

Riveira cut out greasy food and substituted in meal replacement shakes. She also got active, exercising regularly and keeping up with her teenage son.

"The challenge itself is to feel better about yourself, to be the best version of you, whoever you are," Riveira said.

Kristen McLaughlin: Lost 133 Lbs.

When Kristen McLaughlin "became sedentary" in college, the weight piled on , and it only got worse when she started dating a "larger guy." They would order in for almost every meal — pizzas, burrito bowls, cheeseburgers and fries — and rarely cook, which put McLaughlin at 270 lbs. She joined Jenny Craig in 2016 to lose weight, and managed to drop 60 lbs., but felt guilty that her MBA candidate-boyfriend had to fend for himself, and the weight went right back on.

Then in late 2017, five years into their relationship, McLaughlin's boyfriend became "distant," and said he had feelings for someone else.

"At that point I'm like, 'This is cheating, this is dumb, I can't do this anymore,' and I said I was leaving," she told PEOPLE.

McLaughlin broke up with him, moved out of their apartment and started a new job. It was overwhelming, but the clean slate she needed to lose weight for good. "I literally got rid of every excuse that I've ever had," she said.

McLaughlin joined Jenny Craig again in February 2017, and over the next two years lost 133 lbs. — nearly half her size — with the pre-made meals and a newfound love for group fitness classes and weight training. She now cooks for herself and maintains her weight loss.

"I think I'm more myself now, funnily enough, than I ever was the previous 30 years," she said. "I say yes to things now, I'm more outgoing, I'm more likely to be social."

Mary Jane O'Toole: Lost 135 Lbs.

Mary Jane O'Toole

When Mary Jane O'Toole got engaged in 2016, she was thrilled to marry her longtime boyfriend, but their relationship hadn't been good for her health . After six years of fast-food dinners and minimal exercise, she weighed 281 lbs. and was having knee problems — at 25 years old.

Plus, O'Toole was dreading buying a wedding dress at her size.

"I didn't want to buy a plus-size wedding dress, because they cost way more than straight sizes," she told PEOPLE. "I felt like I was paying this fat tax — I didn't have the ability to buy affordable clothes because I was bigger."

Along with her fiancé, O'Toole started tracking her meals and calories with the LoseIt! app. She dropped 75 lbs. in a year, and started incorporating exercise into her routine. By her wedding day in November 2018, O'Toole had lost 135 lbs. and was able to buy the dress of her dreams in a size 6.

"The ideal dress that I had in my head was cleavage-baring with a dramatic accent, and then I went with a long-sleeved dress that went up to my neck with a bare back. I had never pictured something fitted, but I felt awesome in it because I had done it and lost the weight," she said.

O'Toole kept up her weight loss habits, and although she was frustrated with the loose skin she had accumulated, she tried to focus on the "non-scale victories."

"The biggest one is being able to shop out of my friends' closets — I had never been able to do that before," she said. "It's so cool, it's like I have double the closets, and what I had always dreamt about doing in high school!"

Randi Vasquez: Lost 80 Lbs.

Randi Vasquez/Instagram

Randi Vasquez was a "chubby" kid growing up, but it never bothered her. "I was always feeling myself," she told PEOPLE. That is until she hit a "post-grad slump" when she couldn't find a job she loved and started drowning her sorrows in boozy brunches and fast food.

"I was getting heavier and heavier," Vasquez, who eventually hit 240 lbs., said. "I started to notice that my confidence was going down, and I wasn't motivated to do anything. It started to click that if I didn't change my life that it would just get worse and worse."

Vasquez knew that a major diet and lifestyle overhaul wouldn't stick, so she started small, and in the fall of 2014 found a gym class at her local YMCA that she loved. Within a few months, she dropped 18 to 20 lbs., which inspired her to keep going. From there, Vasquez began cooking healthier meals and started doing Kayla Itsines' popular BBG workout plan.

"Year after year, month after month, I made small little goals and just kept going," she said. "I hit 80 lbs. down in fall 2017. That was such a big moment for me."

Since then, Vasquez nailed another big goal — running a half marathon — and remained focused on maintaining her weight.

"I don't feel like my weight can hold me back anymore," she said. "I was happy before but there was so much I was held back from that I didn't even realize."

Tara McGinty: Lost 122 Lbs.

Tara McGinty would never forget the first time she was bullied about her weight. She was in 8th grade when a ketchup dispenser exploded on her clothes and she had to change into her friend's too-tight shirt.

"I never ate at school or in front of people again," McGinty told PEOPLE.

Instead, she would withhold food from herself until 4 p.m. and then go home and eat "anything and everything" in sight until bedtime. McGinty's weight kept crawling up, eventually reaching 260 lbs.

It wasn't until she was later diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and in so much pain she was unable to hug her children, that she decided to change her lifestyle. She started using Isagenix dietary supplements, going to high-intensity interval training workouts and adopting a "clean-eating" diet to reduce inflammation. McGinty dropped to 138 lbs., resulting in her arthritis pain being "under control."

"Snuggling and cuddling with [my kids] was so painful," she said. "Nowadays I get all the hugs I can and they can even wrap their little hands all the way around my body."

Alan Christiansen: Lost 317 Lbs.

At 538.8 lbs., Alan Christiansen knew his relationship with food was unhealthy. His typical lunchtime meal involved stopping at three fast-food restaurants to satisfy his cravings, totaling over 6,000 calories, and he struggled with everyday tasks.

"I couldn't stand up in a shower for 10 minutes," he told PEOPLE. "Even doing dishes and cooking required a chair."

Still, it was coming home to his 3-and-5-year-old daughters that pushed Christiansen to lose weight. He committed himself to diet and exercise and signed up for Optavia, a coach-based wellness program. In just 18 months, he slimmed down to 221 lbs.

"I'm a better man, spouse, dad, employee, son, brother and friend to everyone around me," he said. "I truly feel free from my chains that bound me for so many years — free to live the best life and take advantage of what life has to offer."

Shamirum Benjamin: Lost 151 Lbs.

At 9 years old, Shamirum Benjamin started sneaking pieces of pound cake from the fridge. The urge to hide her food continued through to her adult life when she would often order entire meals from two fast-food restaurants at a time and eat them in her car.

"I hid my worst eating habits — overeating or binging to the point of being in pain — so I couldn't be embarrassed about how I ate in front of others. But that doesn't mean I didn't feel shame," Benjamin told PEOPLE.

In February 2011, near her 29th birthday, the customer success manager for a software company hit her highest weight ever, and decided to sign up for WeightWatchers.

"I changed my mindset," Benjamin said. Along with ditching her fast-food meals and eating more fruits and vegetables, she also began walking and doing daily light exercise. Four years later, she had slimmed down from 291 lbs. to 140 lbs.

She continued to maintain her weight one day at a time and focused on eating foods low on WeightWatcher's point system or limiting portion sizes.

"I just seem to feel more alive in general," Benjamin said. "I get to be free and myself in a way I never thought I could when I was heavier."

Janine Johnston: Lost 145 Lbs.

When Janine Johnston tried on the wedding dress she had ordered online, she knew she had to make a change.

"I wanted to cry because of how I looked," she told PEOPLE. "What was supposed to be a memorable, happy moment was depressing and embarrassing."

So in June 2016, weighing in at 299 lbs., Johnston set a goal to lose 100 lbs. by her wedding a year later. She started by making healthier meals and set a daily step goal on her Fitbit.

Once the pounds started to fall off, the health services worker joined a local kickboxing gym and supplemented her walking with high-intensity cardio classes.

Five days before her wedding, Johnston met her goal. But she didn't stop there: After her wedding, she continued working out and dieting to slim down to 154 lbs.

"I'm a much happier person now," Johnston said at the time. "Buying clothes is fun, cooking is fun, and my health is at the best it's ever been."

Jenna Leveille: Lost 140 Lbs.

Although she had a major sweet tooth as a kid, Jenna Leveille always considered herself to be fit and athletic. But after she became pregnant with her daughter in 2000, the global sales director at SpaFinder continued to put on weight.

"I started trying quick fixes and that's when the vicious crash diets really started," Leveille told PEOPLE. "A few of them worked but just for a minute. I would lose 20 lbs. and gain back double."

When her weight hit 270 lbs., Leveille considered getting weight loss surgery, but first wanted to try her hand at losing it naturally. She adopted a high protein, low carb diet and began exercising. "I ditched the sugar and put on my sneakers," she said.

She reached her goal weight of 130 lbs. in 2014, and created a Facebook community called " Getting Closer Everyday ," meant to inspire people's weight loss journeys and provide support.

"The change for me has been more than I could ever dream of in this lifetime," she said. "It's never too late to change your life no matter how long you've been stuck."

Nicole Ferrigno: Lost 204 Lbs.

Nicole Ferrigno grew up thinking "that chips were a normal side dish, that pasta was a thrice-weekly dinner staple, and that fresh bread was a must for both lunch and dinner."

But by the time she was able to make more autonomous food choices, she was a "habitual eater."

"I would consume one Big Mac, one McChicken and one large order of French fries [for lunch]," she told PEOPLE, adding that she would sometimes add another medium order of fries.

At her heaviest, Ferrigno weighed 350 pounds, and when she was unpacking after moving back to her hometown, she saw an ad for Beachbody's "21 Day Fix," a program that combines portion-controlled eating with 30 minutes of exercise per day.

Ferrigno decided to try it out, and slowly but surely she slimmed down. By December 2017, she had reached her goal weight of 146 pounds. Although she primarily sticks to a diet of vegetables and small portions of carbs, "nothing is off-limits," allowing herself to splurge on bites of desserts or small bags of chips.

"I try dresses on and cannot believe that it is me," she said. "I am so happy with my decision to take care of myself."

Holly Wallis: Lost 162 Lbs.

As a kid, Holly Wallis says she was always "chubby," but it wasn't until high school that she became an "emotional eater." At home, "the rule was if you put food on your plate you had to finish it before asking to be excused from the table," she told PEOPLE.

"For more than half of my life I've been considered obese," Wallis added.

When she was 48 years old, Wallis went in for her annual doctor's visit weighing 308 lbs. Her doctor wrote on the after-visit summary that she was "morbidly obese," and suggested options for how she could slim down. "It made me feel like he really cared about my health and wanted me to be healthy," she said.

That day, she set a goal to lose half her weight by her 50th birthday.

She began a high-fat, moderate protein, low-carb keto diet and tracked her goals, eating habits and exercise in an app called " Lose It! " Wallis also opted to bike to work instead of driving and did an additional 30 minutes of exercise each day. After dropping to 146 lbs., Wallis was able to bike 29 miles and ran her first half marathon. "I feel empowered," she said. "I could have given up, but I persevered."

Scott Leopold: Lost 193 Lbs.

Scott Leopold attempted his first diet at 19 when he weighed 438 lbs. He was in college and often drank alcohol and finished the night off with foods such as chicken wings or sweets and chips. "I wouldn't think twice about eating two whole pizzas," he told PEOPLE. After he lost his first 100 lbs., he and his friends "celebrated" at a buffet.

"I ate at least eight plates full of fried shrimp, crab legs, and hush puppies," he said. "It seemed reasonable at the time."

Leopold gradually put the weight back on and reached 363 lbs. He always considered dieting again, but it wasn't until 2015 that he decided to make a lifestyle change since he couldn't catch up with his toddler. "I tried to run after her but couldn't get above a moderate walk," Leopold said. "All I could do was watch her."

He knew he wanted to be more active in his kids' lives, so he discovered Real Appeal , a digital weight loss program that provides you with coaches and support groups and helps set daily goals for diet and exercise. Leopold stuck to a strict 800-900 calorie diet, (and gradually increased it to 1,300) and went running or walking every day.

After dropping down to 170 lbs., Leopold was able to run 5Ks with his daughters and go on hikes. "I'm happier, healthier, more energetic and far more active," he said. "I can keep up with my girls and be there for them in a way I never could before."

Kara Cline: Lost 95 Lbs.

When Kara Cline started experiencing panic attacks after having her second child, she knew she needed to make a major life change to be healthier for her family.

Cline told PEOPLE she worked out vigorously in high school, but when she went away to college, her routine changed.

"I became complacent and the weight just kept piling on," the certified public accountant said. "I didn't really work out, didn't go for walks and I just hung out with my friends and ate a lot of food I shouldn't have eaten."

In September 2016, after spending a few months reforming her diet, Cline discovered Daily Burn, a health and fitness app that provides workout videos and nutritional guidance.

"They've got a bunch of different programs you can choose, but then they also have the Daily 365 workout," Cline explained at the time. "It's a 30-minute streaming workout that changes every single day. I really liked that it kept me intrigued and I didn't get bored."

Cline said she did the workouts at home in her living room three to four times a week while her young kids were nearby.

"Since they were quick workouts, I fit them in whenever I had time with little ones running around," she said. "I focused on interval training as well as cardio and body-weight exercises. The trainers always offered modifications, so it felt more personable."

After losing nearly 100 lbs., Cline was proud of her 185-lb. figure.

"That time was an emotional roller coaster. I moved to a new city. I kind of completely redid my whole entire life, but all for the better. I feel great and am no longer ashamed by my weight," she said. "It really boosted my confidence and my comfort level to just try everything and live a more active, healthy lifestyle."

Dr. Kevin Gendreau: Lost 125 Lbs.

Dr. Kevin Gendreau's motivation for losing weight was rooted in tragedy.

"When my sister was diagnosed with an aggressive, rare form of cancer, I decided to change my life," Dr. Gendreau, who had reached 300 lbs. by consuming "a diet full of bread, pasta and chips," told PEOPLE. "For me, being obese was a choice. How could I literally eat myself to death while my poor sister was fighting for her life?"

The primary care physician started on a high-fat, low-carb diet and tracked his progress through MyFitnessPal.

"As my sister's condition worsened, I became more motivated than ever to eat healthfully because I knew my niece [Sophia] and nephew [Henry] would need me to be at my best," said Dr. Gendreau. Sadly, his sister died in June 2017.

On his new whole food diet, he saw "astonishing" results by eliminating processed carbs and sticking to fruits, vegetables, nuts, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, non-fat Greek yogurt, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and non-caloric spices and seasoning.

After his weight hit a plateau, Dr. Gendreau turned to intermittent fasting, which helped him shed the last 50 lbs. of the 125 lbs. he lost. He started eating from only 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. every day. Outside of that window, he would allow himself black tea, black coffee and water.

He even began recommending his routine to patients. "Intermittent fasting has been life-changing for many of my pre-diabetic and diabetic patients," Dr. Gendreau said. But he cautioned, "Intermittent fasting is safe for most people, but not everyone. You should definitely talk to your own doctor before starting any diet or exercise plan."

Brianna Bernard: Lost 107 Lbs.

Courtesy Brianna Bernard; Ari Michelson

When Brianna Bernard got pregnant, she "used it as an excuse" to indulge in comfort foods.

"In reality, you're only supposed to eat a couple hundred extra calories a day, but I was eating 1,000 extra," Bernard tols PEOPLE for the 2018 "How We Lost 100 Lbs." issue . "I assumed it would all fall off pretty easily after the baby was born."

But after giving birth to her son, Bernard continued her poor eating habits and "didn't take the time for self-care," she said.

Bernard eventually signed up with a personal trainer at the gym, Bodies by Burgoon , and started training two to three times a week in weight lifting, plyometrics, boxing and more. She also revamped her diet, ditching her processed, carb-heavy meals for lean proteins, healthy fats and vegetables.

A year later, she had dropped 100 lbs. and started powerlifting competitively. She even became a trainer at the gym that helped her lose weight.

"I feel like a completely different person, and I am in so many ways," she said. "Not just physically — that's obvious — but the way I feel in my mind. It's hard to even look back. It feels like a lifetime ago. Now I feel like there's nothing I can't do. If I can lose 100 lbs., I can do anything."

Rachel Saintfort: Lost 121 Lbs.

Rachel Saintfort

Rachel Saintfort had never let her weight be a source of stress.

"In high school, I hit 200 lbs., but I was blessed to be a confident person," the Lakeland, Florida native told PEOPLE for the 2018 "How We Lost 100 Lbs." issue.

However, she continued to gradually gain weight and reached her highest, 291 lbs., after the birth of her daughter in 2007.

Saintfort decided to try dieting, but nothing stuck. Then, in January 2017, she got a wake-up call. Her daughter, 10 years old at the time, said a classmate had called Saintfort "fat."

"She looked so sad, and she's trying to act like it wasn't a big deal. At that moment it hit me that she's suffering, and she's being picked on or laughed at because of my laziness or my unhealthy choices," Saintfort said. "That definitely inspired me to get it together, because I didn't want her to feel that way."

The case manager decided to cut out fast food and soda and started doing daily 3-mile walks around the lake in her town.

She also started documenting her weight-loss journey on her Instagram account, @Ms100Lbs , and set a goal to drop 100 lbs.

Less than 12 months later, she reached her goal. "I cried," she said. "It was an amazing feeling."

Gwilym Pugh: Lost 93 Lbs.

Courtesy Gwilym Pugh; Dvora/REX/Shutterstock

At 280 lbs., Gwilym Pugh was out of shape and living a sedentary life.

After a "five- to seven-year" weight-loss journey, which included a lot of "trial and error," Pugh lost 93 lbs. and found a new career.

As a top model and an ambassador for David Beckham 's grooming brand House 99, Pugh told PEOPLE he focuses on a diet of micronutrients and good fats, along with manageable exercise.

"Due to injuries, I've struggled with high-intensity work, but I've found low-intensity cardio pre-breakfast has been great," said Pugh, who started seeing an osteopath and a trainer while aiming for 20,000 steps per day.

As for life as an in-demand model and social media influencer : "This life is something I had never even thought to dream of," said the London-based Pugh. "Every aspect of my life has improved, from physical and mental health to personal and professional relationships."

Mariah Stolfi: Lost 84 Lbs.

A self-described "binge eater," Mariah Stolfi reached 150 lbs. by the 5th grade.

The Wisconsinite also struggled with health issues. In her early teens, she was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and sleep apnea. "It is extremely difficult to lose weight and maintain weight loss with PCOS," said Stolfi, who hit her highest weight of 286 lbs. at age 18. "And the lack of good sleep caused me to be lethargic, which meant I didn't have the energy to work out."

In July 2017, Stolfi, who was 19 years old at the time, decided to undergo vertical sleeve gastrectomy surgery.

After losing 84 lbs. — with hopes to lose an additional 60–70 lbs. — she began sharing her journey on social media.

"Once I discovered the weight loss surgery Instagram community, I knew I had to be a part of it," said Stolfi, whose candid photos and videos have garnered her more than 20,000 followers on Instagram .

As for her best advice to those struggling with their weight: "This journey is 80 percent mental and 20 percent physical. If you don't fix your mindset you will not succeed on your weight loss journey."

Kathleen Golding: Lost 178 Lbs.

Kathleen Golding/Instagram

Growing up, Kathleen Golding had always been overweight. By 21, she had turned to food as a "coping mechanism" while wrestling with anxiety and depression.

"I was stuck in a constant cycle of daily binging," the New Bern, North Carolina resident, whose highest weight was 331 lbs., told PEOPLE. "I was eating fast food for every meal and enormous quantities each time."

She finally decided to make a change and turned to gastric bypass surgery, which she underwent in June 2016.

"For some reason, weight-loss surgery is seen as 'cheating' or being weak, but for me, I found strength in being able to say 'I can't do this on my own. I want to be healthy, but I need help,'" she said.

After the surgery, the weight began to "melt off," said Golding, who eventually dropped 178 lbs. by making healthy dietary changes and exercising.

Golding shared that she is finally at peace with her body. "I have some loose skin and it definitely has its imperfections, but I worked hard for this body," said Golding, who also documented her weight loss journey on Instagram . "I spent so much time hating it but I've realized that this is the only body I've got and I'm going to take care of it."

Bonnie Wiles: Lost 162 Lbs.

Courtesy Bonnie Wiles; Perry Hagopian

Growing up, Bonnie Wiles ate a lot of starchy foods, and by 18, she was over 200 lbs.

"I tried diets but kept gaining weight after getting married and having four children," Wiles told PEOPLE in the 2018 "Half Their Size" issue. "It wasn't until my first grandson was born in 2011 that I committed to get healthy."

The Fayetteville, Ark., resident joined TOPS, a weight loss support group, and started using MyFitnessPal.

"It tells me if I'm overeating and helps keep track of how much I walk — usually 50 miles a week," said Wiles.

After dropping to 148 lbs., Wiles shared that she is loving her new lifestyle.

"When I was heavy, I had to ask for a seatbelt extender on a plane. Now I can't wait to go with my family to Hawaii, where I can show off my favorite body part — my arms."

Jeremiah Peterson: Lost 92 Lbs.

Jeremiah Peterson/Instagram

After a family hiking excursion proved too taxing for his 290-lb. frame, Jeremiah Peterson decided to change his lifestyle.

"I remember being bent over heaving just trying to catch my breath," the Missoula, Mont., resident told PEOPLE. "When I looked up, I saw my wife and three kids [10, 8 and 7] easily hiking, talking and laughing with each other — without me. It was a hard-hitting moment."

He entered a transformation challenge for motivation. Then, switched over to a keto-based diet consisting of healthy fats, lean protein and green vegetables, started taking twice-daily hour-long hikes, and lifting weights.

Peterson ended up dropping 82 lbs. during the 150-day transformation contest, called the 1st Phorm Transphormation Challenge, and he won the $50,000 grand prize.

"I feel like I have drive and ambition like I have never had before in my life — and I'm almost 40!" he said at the time.

Robin Janes: Lost 280 Lbs.

Courtesy Robin Janes; Perry Hagopian

Robin Janes can't remember a time when she was ever small . "Not even in a baby picture," she told PEOPLE for the 2018 "Half Their Size" issue. "I was always overweight, and it continued through adulthood." By then, Janes couldn't fit on a normal scale. "I went to my friend's family business where they weigh huge industrial tubs," she recalled. "That's how I found out I was 450 lbs."

Her real turning point, though, was when she realized she could no longer fit in the desks at her college and had to put her education on hold.

Ready for a change, Janes started with Isagenix meal replacement shakes and taught herself to cook healthy meals. She also began working out slowly, with short walks and swims. When she became 280 lbs. lighter, Janes shared her love of playing volleyball and hitting the gym. She also started working on her degree again.

"I'm back in school. I can work anywhere. I'm not limited," Janes said. "I feel like before all the doors were closed for me. Now they're all open."

Melody Perdue: Lost 180 Lbs.

Melody Perdue

As a child, food was one of the few constants in Melody Perdue 's life.

"My mother wasn't able to raise me fully," Perdue told PEOPLE in the 2018 "Half Their Size" issue. "I always associated food with happiness. I thought, 'Food is not going to leave me.'"

With a diet of six to eight chocolate bars a day, fried chicken and macaroni and cheese, Perdue was 308 lbs. by age 29, was pre-diabetic, had sleep apnea and a mild form of polycystic ovary syndrome. But it wasn't until a life-threatening car accident in 2012 that she decided to make a change.

"I was on my sister's couch, and I sat there and I cried to God," she recalled. "I said, 'I'm sick and tired of feeling like this.'"

Perdue signed up for Optavia, a packaged meal plan, and learned how to eat balanced meals of protein and three servings of vegetables. That, along with 30-minute walks, helped her lose 180 lbs.

"Now I have so much energy," she said. "I was able to ride a bike for the first time at 33."

Megan Rachow: Lost 170 Lbs.

Megan Rachow remembers the exact day she decided it was time for a change.

"I had been living a life of obesity for a few years and was exhausted both physically and mentally," the physical therapist told PEOPLE. "I felt like I had gained so much weight that I would never get it back off. I still remember the day that the switch flipped for me — July 19, 2014 — and I decided I was done living like this."

The Medina, Ohio, resident says up until that point she was drinking five or more cans of soda a day, eating large quantities of food and stopping at the drive-thru daily.

"Exercise was out of the question as I could barely walk up the stairs to my apartment," she said.

Spurred into action, Rachow shared that she started small, first cutting out soda and only eating food she cooked at home.

"The weight starting coming off," she said. "I remember I lost 9 lbs. my first week. After I had lost 100 lbs., I started trying more adventurous exercises. I became fascinated by fitness and seeing what new things I could accomplish with my body. I do things that I never dreamed were possible like running races, lifting heavy weights and completing a sprint triathlon."

Mike Bauler: Lost 225 Lbs.

After Mike Bauler's father-in-law went on life support following a heart attack in 2010, the Madison, Wisc., resident said he knew he needed to change his own ways .

"At this time I was 28, had two young boys, Eli (2) and Carson (6 months)," he told PEOPLE. "I recall all of the family standing around crying and sad. This was the trigger for me as I knew if I didn't get my life together soon, I would be the next person in that hospital bed."

A few weeks after his father-in-law was admitted to the hospital, Bauler, who weighed 450 lbs. at his heaviest, signed up at a local gym. He first focused on exercising and eventually made changes to his diet, sticking to 1,500 calories a day and smaller portion sizes for one year.

After losing weight, Bauler began running every day and completed endurance competitions like Ironman and Ragnar.

"I lost most of my weight (200 lbs.) in about 18 months so I have had to stay busy to keep it off," he said. "I am extremely competitive and have an amazing network of friends and the From Fat to Finish Line (FFTFL) community. I like to join training groups and training clubs because of the friendships and accountability it creates. It would be easy for me to blow off a 10-mile run at 5:30 on a Friday morning, but I know I have two friends meeting me, who I would never let down."

Katia Powell: Lost 170 Lbs.

Katia Powell

After reaching her highest weight of 350 lbs. at 26 years old, Boston resident Katia Powell realized her own health didn't reflect her dreams of becoming a medical doctor.

Powell was overweight as a child, eating a diet full of processed foods and little water and vegetables. In college, Powell shared she dramatically gained more weight. "I walked into my apartment, stared at my reflection in the mirror and asked, 'Who is that?' It was a defining moment for me," Powell, who is now a holistic health practitioner and fitness trainer who founded the company Black Girls Nutrition , told PEOPLE.

She joined her local YMCA, gradually increasing her workouts until she was going 4 to 5 days a week for 60 to 90 minutes. She also changed her eating habits, replacing sugary sweets with fresh fruit and vegetables. Within the first six months she lost 100 lbs., and has since lost another 70 lbs.

Powell, who has kept the weight off for more than a decade, said she now loves cycling, dance and yoga, and "if I am unable to attend the gym, I run or take a walk outside, or workout at home and do a high-intensity interval training. My workout routine also includes meditation," she added.

Sara Cloutier: Lost 151 Lbs.

Courtesy Sara Cloutier; Perry Hagopian

Sara Cloutier always felt like an outsider growing up. She weighed 220 lbs. in high school, and never enjoyed shopping or playing sports with her friends.

"I cannot remember a time when I didn't feel like I was the biggest girl in the group, and I hated it," Cloutier told PEOPLE for the 2018 "Half Their Size" issue. "I was always the odd one out."

After her first pregnancy with her daughter in 2003, Cloutier hit 301 lbs. and was ready for a change. "I didn't want to die," she said. "I wanted to watch her grow up and give her healthy habits." By working out with a trainer and choosing healthier meals, she successfully lost 151 lbs. and maintained a healthy weight through her second pregnancy in 2008.

As she worked to get back into a postpartum fitness routine, Cloutier discovered Zumba and fell in love with group fitness classes. Three weeks after her first class, she became a certified trainer and started teaching classes. By 2013, the demand had gotten so large that she opened her own fitness studio and now runs it along with her full-time job.

At the time of her interview with PEOPLE, Cloutier was getting ready for another big change — her third child.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about gaining the weight back, because gaining weight is still scary, and having to purposely do it is scary," she said. "But knowing the difference between a healthy pregnancy and an unhealthy pregnancy is huge."

Katie Bolden: Lost 150 Lbs

Courtesy Katie Bolden; Perry Hagopian

Between her severe anxiety, depression and her weight — 280 lbs. at her heaviest — Katie Bolden felt "ruined," mentally .

"I hated everything about myself, and that's just a tough situation to be in," she told PEOPLE for the 2018 "Half Their Size" issue.

Then at age 26, Bolden was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome and learned she would have trouble conceiving a child. Just a few years later, in February 2013, she went partially blind in one eye and found out she had pre-multiple sclerosis.

"It lit a fire in me," she said. "I just realized that I was just existing and wasting my life away, and it was time to do something and start living."

Bolden started tracking everything she ate on MyFitnessPal and took up swimming, hiking and weightlifting. After three and a half years, she lost 150 lbs. and had her daughter. She also started a fitness blog and Instagram and even won a bodybuilding competition.

"I look back on all the stuff I did and say, 'Did I really do that?' " she admitted. "As someone with such severe anxiety, to go out and do that, I know that I've progressed, not only physically but mentally as well."

Morgan Root: Lost 128 Lbs.

Morgan Root

Transitioning out of the military and into life as a stay-at-home mom took a toll on Morgan Root 's body. She went from 145 lbs. to 255 lbs. in just two years.

"I felt ashamed of how I had changed from a veteran Army soldier into someone who I wasn't proud to be," Root told PEOPLE. "When I transitioned out of the military, I was pregnant with my son, and that loss of structure meant I was eating what I wanted to with no regard, and being pregnant I just found myself eating a lot more than usual."

When her son was 6 months old, the Richmond, Ga., resident became pregnant with her daughter and gained even more weight.

"I didn't want to be in pictures with my kids. I had trouble catching my breath; I had hip issues and a lot of body aches. I couldn't walk like I should be able to walk."

"I decided to join Nutrisystem because it gave me the structure I needed and fit with my busy schedule as a mom," explained the graduate student, who then weighed 127 lbs.

She also joined a gym.

"My kids used to be an excuse for why I couldn't work out or make myself a priority. That excuse is now my motivation for everything I do."

Jermaine Gause: Lost 303 Lbs.

Jermaine Gause/Instagram

Weighing in at 639 lbs., Jermaine Gause was terrified of dying.

"I'm not ready to leave this planet," he said during an appearance on The Doctors in October 2016. "And I know the way I am now, I probably don't have much time."

Gause was ready to make a change, and he immediately joined Live in Fitness, a residential weight loss community. There, he completely revamped his diet plan to focus on lean proteins and vegetables and started exercising. In just over a year, he lost 303 lbs.

"Since losing this weight, I'm like a new person," Gause said during a return visit to The Doctors . "Every day I wake up and I can move."

Samantha Call: Lost 125 Lbs.

In 2008, Samantha Call lost her father to heart disease. He was 48 years old and was affected by obesity.

Call, who was 265 lbs. at the time, also struggled with her weight.

"I'll never forget sitting with my [12-year-old] brother after my dad had passed, when he told me 'Samantha, I don't want you to die like daddy did,'" Call told PEOPLE. "That broke my heart but gave me the drive that I needed to start my journey."

In early 2009, Call found success with Atkins and dropped down to 132 lbs. after a year and a half. She maintained her weight loss for about seven years.

Call began cooking healthy meals at home with her partner and devoted an hour before work to exercise. Said the Callis, Maine resident: "It's part of my daily routine."

Jason Cohen: Lost 125 Lbs.

Courtesy Jason Cohen; Runner's World

Jason Cohen always struggled with his weight. At his highest, he hit nearly 300 lbs.

"My entire life I always thought I would be big," said Cohen, who ran, cycled, forged a weight-loss competition with a friend and adopted a plant-based diet to help him slim down.

A big motivator to help him achieve and maintain his 125 lbs. weight loss was a private Facebook support group dubbed the "Missing Chins Run Club."

"When I see other members post a seven-mile run in the Facebook group, I don't have any excuses," said the Lafayette, La., resident. "Time to lace up and get out there."

Jessica Beniquez: Lost 175 Lbs.

Jessica Beniquez/Instagram

At more than 320 lbs., Jessica Beniquez lived a sedentary lifestyle. "I laid in bed watching series after series on Netflix. All I did was eat, go to work and watch my shows," she told PEOPLE.

Tired of feeling "lazy," she finally committed to losing weight in February 2016. She ordered Herbalife shakes and "never looked back."

Sticking to a "strict" 1,200–1,500 calorie-per-day diet and joining a gym helped her lose 175 lbs.

At 145 lbs., Beniquez began working at the front desk at her gym with hopes to become a certified trainer. She also shared her weight loss journey on Instagram .

"I never expected to be where I am today. I was shy, but now I have so much more confidence, I have so much more energy," said the Spring Hill, Fla., resident. "Before it took me 20 minutes to walk a mile and now I can run 5 miles in under 50 minutes…It's crazy the things I can do now that I couldn't do before."

Laura Hyman: Lost 103 Lbs.

Laura Hyman 's weight reached 264 lbs. because she was used to "taking care of everyone else but myself," the grandmother told PEOPLE.

Along with her husband Myron, Hyman lost more than 100 lbs. using the Isagenix weight-loss program, which the retired Indio, Calif., couple started in 2015.

"[Isagenix] gave us a time schedule for our meals and snacks," said Hyman, who now weighs 161 lbs. and eats five times a day: two shakes, two snacks and one full meal. "This system taught us that not only the food we are eating counts but the timing of when we are eating is so important." After dinner, "the kitchen is closed," Hyman said.

The couple also started a 16-week body transformation program at the beginning of their weight loss journeys. Hyman, who was working out with a trainer 3 to 4 times per week, became a finalist in her sixth Isabody Challenge.

"I fuel my body and don't eat for emotional reasons," she said. "I feel better than I did in my 20s."

Jovana Borojevic: Lost 139 Lbs.

@jovanafit/Instagram

Although she was happy and confident in her body, Jovana Borojevic was shocked when she finally stepped on a scale.

"I never in my life imagined that I would see a '3' in front of my weight," Borojevic, who hit 304 lbs. and had developed fatty liver disease from her fast food-heavy diet, all while dealing with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), told PEOPLE. "From this day forward, something clicked in me and I changed my life around cold turkey."

The digital marketing strategist immediately cut out starchy carbs, refined foods, sugar and most packaged food. In a month she dropped almost 20 lbs. and started hitting the gym four to five times a week for weight training and cardio workouts.

A year and a half into her weight loss journey, Borojevic was down to 165 lbs., with a goal weight of about 150 lbs.

"It is SO IMPORTANT to focus on non-scale victories like how your clothes fit, how you feel, how many health issues you've reversed and saved yourself from and how happy you are!" she said.

Allie Ruby: Lost 98 Lbs.

@madam_ruby_/Instagram

Allie Ruby was determined to lose weight — and get her long-desired six-pack — after her poor college eating habits left her at 225 lbs. But 98 lbs. later, she still wasn't happy.

"I always thought that I would love to have a six-pack, and when I got there last year, it wasn't all the fireworks I thought it would be. I thought that would be a huge high, but it wasn't," Ruby told PEOPLE.

She started weightlifting, which kept her in amazing shape but pushed her weight up again, this time with muscle. Seeing the numbers creep back up the scale caused self-doubt.

"If you have ever lost a substantial amount of weight then gained some back you probably have an idea of that devastating feeling of going backward — I think those feelings were more painful at that time than when I was overweight," Ruby wrote on Instagram , adding that it's been helpful to practice mindfulness at this point in her journey. "I had to remember that a transformation is far deeper than physical."

She switched from weightlifting to powerlifting, which requires extra weight, and was much happier.

"It's so different because no one cares about your image. It's all about how strong you are," Ruby told PEOPLE. "I love it."

Janice "JJ" Jobity: Lost 120 Lbs.

Courtesy Janice Jobity; Ari Michelson

Janice "JJ" Jobity was always fit growing up, but when she was mistreated in a relationship, she turned to food to cope.

"I stopped caring for myself as much as I should have," the Toronto-based finance project analyst, told PEOPLE. "I was depressed. I just kind of tuned out of the world, and food became my everything."

By 2015, Jobity had hit her highest weight of 260 lbs. and started feeling excruciating stomach pain.

"When I went to my doctor they explained I had a stomach ulcer, and that all those years of soda had damaged my stomach," she said.

She decided to get healthy — mentally and physically — taking boot camp classes and seeking counseling to deal with her emotional issues.

Jobity cut out fried food and soda in favor of a diet focused on fruits, vegetables and lean protein. "I love salad and chicken," she said. "Salad and chicken are my everything!"

She also started working out six days a week.

"You have to fix what's going on inside before you can fix the outside," she said. "The mind is a powerful thing through the weight loss journey, more than anything else. A lot of weight loss is mental."

Naomi Teeter: Lost 150 Lbs.

Naomi Teeter had struggled with her weight her whole life and found herself weighing more than 300 lbs. by the time she was 26. She ignored her mounting health problems — painful water retention in both her knees, eczema breakouts and nightly bouts of acid reflux — until a doctor's visit that inspired her to make a change.

She began keeping a food diary and joined a gym. Teeter soon was physically capable of doing things she never thought possible, like running multiple half and full marathons, climbing a mountain and even sky diving. But it wasn't until she ran a naked 5K that she learned to truly embrace her body.

"It's not often in your life that large groups of people openly accept you and cheer for you despite what your body looks like or your physical ability," she told PEOPLE.

Teeter made healthy swaps for junk food and keeps track of her macronutrient intake. The Spokane, Wash.-based health and weight loss strategy coach was staying active with running, hiking and gym sessions.

As far as advice, Teeter shared not to stress too much about what you're eating — instead focus on how much you're eating. "I firmly believe that because I didn't have strict food rules, it was easier for me to lose the weight quickly."

Tara Kavanagh: Lost 145 Lbs.

Tara Kavanagh

The 5'7″ self-employed mom-of-three from Rapid City, S.D., weighed more than 200 lbs. when she started having children, but her pregnancy weight brought her up to 304 lbs. After having her second child, Tara Kavanagh knew she wanted to make a change.

"I wanted to be an active mother and be able to play with my kids," she told PEOPLE. "I also wanted to live my life, not just exist. I wanted to experience new things and felt my size was holding me back."

Kavanagh decided she did not want to undergo weight loss surgery after seeing relatives who ended up gaining their weight back. Instead, she focused on finding workouts she actually enjoyed and tracking what she ate, focusing on eating unprocessed, non-GMO and organic as much as possible, and following the 80/20 rule when it comes to eating. "I still need my treats once in a while!" she said.

She also swears by Jillian Michaels ' workouts. "I still do the same workouts as a fit person that I did as a 300-lb. person, I just up the intensity level now to get my killer workout!"

Kavanagh suggested finding a workout you won't get bored with, commenting that "Jillian's workouts are always fun and I look forward to doing them."

Helen Costa-Giles: Lost 90 Lbs.

Courtesy Helen Costa-Giles; Geronimo Rodriguez

For years, Helen Costa-Giles had no real motivation to lose some of her 220-lb. body weight, despite concerns from her doctor. But in 2014, her yearly checkup took a somber turn when the mom of two learned that she was on track to develop chronic health problems because of her size.

"My numbers were really off the charts and it scared the life out of me," Costa-Giles told PEOPLE. "That was exactly my turning point."

Determined, she immediately threw out all processed and preservative-filled foods and started eating a clean diet. In just six months, with no exercise, she dropped close to 90 lbs. Costa-Giles then added weightlifting to her days and fell in love.

"My body reacted very quickly to weightlifting, and I started to lean out," she said. "The scale wasn't making huge differences, but the inches were changing. I kind of got obsessed because for the first time in my life, my body was actually doing what I asked it to do."

Costa-Giles began running free exercise classes in her hometown of San Antonio at 4 a.m., four days a week, all while maintaining her full-time job in the automotive industry.

"I have two kids and a full-time job," she said. "I know many people don't start their fitness journeys because they have too many excuses. I like to share my story because it's so relatable."

Dustin LaJaunie: Lost 150 Lbs.

Courtesy Dustin LaJaunie; Runner's World

Dustin LaJaunie has come a long way from the 425 lbs. he once weighed.

He's since lost 150 lbs. and counting with the help of his younger brother Josh LaJaunie, who started the private Facebook support group called "Missing Chins Run Club."

The group is a safe place for people to share their stories and struggles and motivate one another to lose weight.

Eating plan-based and running alongside his brother, Dustin compared the Missing Chins to the trips he and his brother used to take when going hunting. "But instead of gathering to go take life, we're coming together to gain life."

Marie Byrne: Lost 70 Lbs.

The Gloucester, U.K.-based nursery manager was a longtime emotional eater who found herself reaching a weight of 223 lbs. at only 5'3″.

"My blood pressure was through the roof," she told PEOPLE . "The doctor said that I was a heart attack or stroke waiting to happen. My mum had a stroke very young, and it scared us as a family. I didn't want to put my family through the same thing, so knew I had to do something."

Marie Byrne credits doing at-home Jillian Michaels workouts and decreasing her portion sizes with helping her drop 70 lbs. She also said having a partner with Parkinson's disease inspired her to get her health on track.

"When we first got together he was going to Pilates and would walk his dog three times a day," she said. "He was way more active than me. What excuse did I have not to exercise when he didn't make any excuses?"

Byrne began counting calories and making sure she eats three healthy meals each day in addition to starting her mornings with Jillian Michaels' workouts at 5 a.m.

"Sometimes I'm so tired, but once I get into my own head, I push on regardless of how my body feels," she said.

Brittany Greenslit: Lost 109 Lbs.

The office worker weighed 236 lbs. by the time she was pregnant with her first child due to poor eating habits and a lack of physical activity.

After complications from her C-section left her depressed, Brittany Greenslit started walking and doing Pilates and yoga to help lift her mood. As soon as she was well enough, she began doing Jillian Michaels' workout DVDs.

"No matter how sore I was after the workouts, I always showed up the next day ready for more," Greenslit told PEOPLE. "Her saying 'Unless you faint, puke or die, keep going!' became my motto."

Greenslit started eating lots of fruits, veggies and protein. If she goes out, she orders a chicken salad instead of her former go-to order of a cheeseburger and French fries.

The St. Cloud, Minn.-based mom preferred mixing up Jillian Michaels' workout DVDs and running.

"When I'm challenged, I don't back down," she said.

Alicia Steele: Dropped from Size 10 to 2

Alicia Steele

Alicia Steele , the longtime on-air host, gained weight when she went through menopause.

"I thought gaining weight and feeling less active as we reached our 50s and 60s (especially after menopause) was just the way it was," Steele told PEOPLE.

She got inspired to lose weight when T-Tapp Method creator Teresa Tapp appeared on a PBS show she was hosting and decided to give her DVDs a try.

Steele dropped four dress sizes using the program and kept the weight off for more than five years. She "completely changed" her eating habits, and eats "lots of colorful, fresh food."

Beyond spending 15 to 20 minutes each day working out with the T-Tapp DVDs, Steele's weight loss tip was to try dry brushing: "This helps with exfoliation, detoxification and improving circulation, which improves fascia fitness," she said.

Megan McGee: Lost 70 Lbs.

Courtesy Megan McGee; Slimming World

Megan McGee began gaining weight when she got into an unhealthy relationship and stopped spending time with friends or going to the gym. After getting out of the relationship, she decided it was time to make a change — especially since she worked in the health profession.

"As a nurse, I wanted to be the healthiest version of myself that I could be," she told PEOPLE. "I didn't want to be a walking contradiction to my patients, promoting healthy living but not being healthy myself."

The Middlesex, England-based nurse decided to join Slimming World to take control of her health. She preferred group exercise classes and began regularly meeting with a personal trainer.

McGee also went from skipping meals and snacking throughout the day to sticking to set meal times. "I eat a lot of the same meals as before, but I've learned how to make them differently so they're healthier, like using lean meat and making sauces from scratch," she said.

Her biggest tip was to not be afraid to make a change: "There is nothing to lose and so much life to gain."

Rebin Roy: Lost 126 Lbs.

Rebin Roy told PEOPLE she "could easily down a pitcher of margaritas and 20 buffalo wings at happy hour," and smoked a pack-and-a-half to two packs of cigarettes every day for 14 years.

While she quit smoking after getting pregnant with her first child in 2003, she kept her unhealthy eating habits until she began having health problems after having her third child.

She joined WeightWatchers and dropped from 248 lbs. to 122 lbs. by watching her portions.

Roy began eating six small meals a day while allowing herself the occasional fast food burger by only eating half of it.

To stay motivated, Roy has competed in bodybuilding competitions. She also recommended using a slow cooker to prepare healthy meals. "That makes my life so much easier. I'll put some chicken in in the morning and it's done for dinner."

Hannah Jenkins: Lost 107 Lbs.

Courtesy Dana Khalaf; Ari Michelson

Hannah Jenkins shared that overeating was just part of her daily routine. "Every day I would come home from school, watch TV with my sisters and eat a whole package of snack cakes," she told PEOPLE. After dinner, she'd continue to snack on packaged foods like ramen with cheese and more snack cakes. But when she got to college, everything changed.

"The turning point for me was meeting so many new people and realizing 'Wow, I'm really actually very uncomfortable,' " the Knoxville, Tenn., resident says.

She started her weight loss journey on New Year's Day 2013. Using her My Fitness Pal app to log her food, workouts and water intake, Jenkins' daily meals included loading up on protein for breakfast by eating either oatmeal with fruit and peanut butter or a protein shake, and then sticking to lean proteins and small amounts of carbs like sweet potatoes and rice.

Jenkins' workouts focused on a hour of cardio each day plus strength training three days a week.

Tanisha Washington: Lost 103 Lbs.

Courtesy Tanisha Washington; Ari Michelson

Tanisha Washington had reached a high weight of 276 lbs. by age 21, but she had always struggled with her weight.

"I was always the big girl," the Austin, Texas, native told PEOPLE. "I even got the nickname 'Twinkie' in middle school. I have the most horrible memories because I was associated with all that weight I was carrying."

Washington successfully lost 50 lbs. in college, but gained it back when she unexpectedly got pregnant her junior year. After giving birth, she decided to get healthy for herself and her baby.

She stuck to the low-carb, high-protein Atkins diet and used strength training to tone her body.

"When I started eating leafy vegetables and proteins, I started to have more energy throughout the day, and it got easier," she said.

Hollie Barrett: Lost 124 Lbs.

Courtesy Hollie Barrett; Slimming World

Hollie Barrett , the superstore employee from Suffolk, England, had reached 249 lbs. and felt her weight was preventing her from being the hands-on mom she wanted to be.

"I felt like my weight was holding me back in every aspect of my life, especially when it came to doing things with my children," she told PEOPLE. "I once chased my daughter Imogen up the stairs to bed and was so breathless I couldn't speak properly to read her a bedtime story — it broke my heart."

That experience jumpstarted her determination to lose weight. Barrett had recently seen a friend's post on Facebook about their success with the weight loss program Slimming World and decided to give it a try.

"I couldn't believe that I didn't have to starve myself to lose weight," she said.

Barrett turned to the Slimming World food optimizing plan. "Salmon with wild rice and BBQ pulled pork are a couple of my favorites, and I still eat out regularly as well," she said.

Barrett, who stuck with long walks and jogging, advised that you should find a plan you can stick to: "I used to jump from fad diet to fad diet, and they were all so strict and hard to follow."

Sarah Goodenough: Lost 158 Lbs.

Courtesy Sarah Goodenough; Ari Michelson

At 299 lbs., Sarah Goodenough struggled with the physical demands of her job as a nurse and experienced severe body pains and asthma.

"I thought that was going to be the norm for the rest of my life," Goodenough told PEOPLE.

Then she read a book called The China Study about the merits of a plant-based diet, and cut dairy and processed meat out of her diet. In a year she lost the majority of her weight through changes to her eating habits alone.

Sticking to a vegan diet, the Rochester, N.Y.-based nurse began running five to seven miles every day along with lifting weights.

Goodenough suggested getting creative with your meals, sharing that her vegan diet "became fun because I was trying new different recipes, and everything tasted different so it was cool and fun."

Nathan & Brenda Bennett: Lost 130 & 131 Lbs.

Nathan & Brenda Bennett

In 2014, husband and wife Nathan and Brenda Bennett both found themselves struggling with their weight even though they led active lifestyles.

"We weren't eating healthy at home, so it didn't translate into weight loss success," Brenda told PEOPLE.

The Bennetts cut out sugar and processed foods from their family meals and began using My Fitness Pal to track their calories and exercise.

The couple focused on clean eating and portion control, with a goal to work out six days a week. Brenda shared that their fitness sessions are a "friendly competition."

Brenda also suggested finding an accountability when trying to lose weight: "It was a big help to cheer each other on and not let the other person run down to the convenience store and cheat with whatever you can get your hands on. We keep each other strong."

Jessica Battle: Lost 115 Lbs.

Jessica Battle

Jessica Battle , a Delaware-based paralegal, had reached 280 lbs. by the time she was 20, but it wasn't until her father had heart surgery when she was 25 that she decided to take charge of her health.

"Learning that health issues ran in my family scared me," Battle told PEOPLE. "I knew that doing some form of movement in my living room was better than nothing, so I went to my local superstore and bought workout DVDs."

She also began eating smaller portion sizes and started an Instagram account to help hold herself accountable.

Battle stuck to eating mostly vegetables, fruits and protein while counting the amount of protein, fats and carbohydrates she was eating every day.

Her workouts consisted of weight training DVDs at home.

Battle shared that her best weight loss tip is to make gradual changes. "Instead of eating an entire frozen pizza, I ate one slice of frozen pizza. For me, I knew that jumping right into eating only vegetables, fruit and lean proteins wasn't going to work," she said.

Karyl Mullins: Lost 100 Lbs.

When Karyl Mullins moved back to her hometown of Lexington, Ky., the dog groomer quickly gained 100 lbs. thanks to family gatherings that revolved around Southern cooking.

At 34, Mullins was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. "I was worried about leaving my family behind," she told PEOPLE. She joined WeightWatchers to take control of her health.

Mullins began eating small portions to stay within her WeightWatchers parameters, along with taking kickboxing classes and running a marathon.

"I take collapsible measuring cups in my purse," Mullins shared as her best weight loss tip. "It keeps me accountable."

Gillian Faith: Lost 110 Lbs.

Gillian Faith , a British Columbia-based stay-at-home mom, admitted that she "stopped caring" about her body after having her first baby at age 21. After having her second child, Faith weighed 220 lbs. and shared she was a "food addict."

After her third pregnancy and a divorce, Faith realized she needed to take control of her weight. However, she took things too far and developed anorexia and bulimia. In 2013, she started bodybuilding, which she credits with finally getting her health on track.

"Bodybuilding became an outlet for me to conquer my fears," she told PEOPLE. "There was no more hiding."

Faith worked to stay away from anything that comes "in a can or box" and avoided gluten, dairy and soy.

She was working out six days a week for an hour each time. Getting creative on the treadmill was key to Faith's best wight loss tip.

"Don't just use the treadmill one way!" she said. "I run backward and do side shuffles at an incline. It really tones hamstrings and glutes."

Rebecca Grafton: Lost 104 Lbs.

Rebecca Grafton , an insurance saleswoman, shot up to 246 lbs. after spending a pastry-filled semester studying abroad in France during college, and continued to eat lots of baked goods after graduating.

In January 2013, she booked a trip to Jamaica and decided she wanted to lose weight so she wouldn't be self-conscious about how she looked in a bathing suit.

"I hit the ground running," she told PEOPLE. "I used the app My Fitness Pal on my phone, and I plugged in how much weight I wanted to lose and how fast I wanted to lose it. They gave me a calorie target, and I followed it. I literally had to reteach myself to cook."

Grafton's diet consisted of getting enough protein while limiting her carbs, and still allowing herself wine on the weekends.

She began working out every day doing a mix of cardio and weights with her favorite exercise equipment being the StairMaster.

"Don't give yourself the option to give up. If you usually slip on the weekend, commit to a Monday morning workout," she said.

Mackenzie Walker: Lost 102 Lbs.

Mackenzie Walker , a Windsor, Ontario-based student, used to eat pizza for breakfast and drink as many as 15 cans of soda a day, reaching a high weight of 223 lbs. When her father had gastric bypass surgery, she changed her diet and began eating the small meals he was consuming.

She also used Instagram to find weight loss tips. "It turns out I wasn't eating enough protein and needed to lift weights to gain muscle," said Walker, who now has a self-published memoir and offers online weight-loss coaching.

Walker started tracking her proteins, fats and carbs while still allowing herself to drink diet soda to curb cravings. To stay toned, she turned to strength training.

"Be willing to ask for help," she said. "I learned proper exercise just from asking people in the gym and on social media."

Jana Roller: Lost 135 Lbs.

Courtesy Jana Roller/Instagram; Ramirez Creative

Jana Roller, a professional photographer who weighed 307 lbs. at her highest, decided to lose weight after a traumatic incident.

"My 'aha' moment was when I was at the park with my son," she told PEOPLE. "He ran away from me and almost got hit by a car because I couldn't catch him. I thought, 'This needs to change right now.'"

Roller decided to take up bodybuilding , and trained for two years for her first competition. Her prep involved 5 a.m. workouts and a strict meal plan.

"When I look at [photos from the competition], I see the progress that I've made, but also I can see what I can do to improve in terms of where I want to take myself in competition," she said. "Bodybuilding is amazing because you get sculpt and define yourself, and mold yourself into the person you know you've always been."

Jeanine McDonald: Lost 77 Lbs.

Jeanine McDonald

Jeanine McDonald , mom-of-four, fell into unhealthy eating habits after having kids.

"I made dinner for the boys and ate what they ate," she told PEOPLE. "I did not take the time to prepare healthy dinners, as it's very hard when you're a full-time employee and mother of four."

When one of her sons told her she looked "really fat," she decided she needed to start making health a priority. On nights she had a sitter, McDonald shared that she hit the gym, and on other nights she focused on workouts at home once her kids were asleep.

"When I started going to the gym, I made a promise to myself: 'If I'm not happy and healthy, my kids won't be either,'" she said.

Tim Kaufman: Lost 200 Lbs.

Courtesy Tim Kaufman; Runner's World

Thanks to running and a vegan diet, Tim Kaufman was able to get a grip on his health and even weaned himself off an addiction to painkillers.

Once weighing over 400 lbs., the Alden, N.Y., resident shed 200 lbs. and became part of what he calls s "tight-knit group" dubbed "The Missing Chins Run Club." The private Facebook group allows members to share weight loss struggles and motivate each other in a safe space.

"It's so cool to see new guys come in," Kaufman said. "It takes you back and makes you appreciate the struggle."

Vanetza Cines: Lost 26 Lbs.

Courtesy Vanetza Cines; Bodybuilding.com

Vanetza Cines, a military officer, took up bodybuilding to be an inspiration to her troops .

"I was supposed to be a leader of soldiers, and I could barely pass the Army physical test," Cines — who weighed 200 lbs. at her highest — told PEOPLE. "I was embarrassed. My soldiers looked up to me and I had to counsel them when they couldn't meet the standards, and yet I myself couldn't meet the standards. I just felt like a hypocrite and a fake."

In December 2015, Cines read about a Bodybuilding.com challenge and decided to take part in it. She started working out three times a day and saw real changes in her body for the first time.

"A lot of people think getting in shape is getting a six-pack, but that's not what it's about," she said. "The best part of getting in shape is the self-confidence and my overall outlook on life."

Alex Perrineau: Lost 142 Lbs.

Alex Perrineau

Los Angeles-based Alex Perrineau reached 310 lbs. at her highest weight. The self-proclaimed "emotional eater" ate fast food for almost every meal, and was teased throughout school.

"Deep down, I knew wasn't comfortable living the way I was," she told PEOPLE. So she decided to try Jenny Craig to finally make a lasting change.

Perrineau started eating Jenny Craig meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with healthy snacks in between. She worked out six days a week and ran for cardio.

"Don't commit to something that feels like a burden. I love Jenny Craig because I don't have to think about what to cook. Experiment and find what works for you," she said.

Erika Cockrell: Lost 167 Lbs.

Courtesy Erika Cockrell; Randi Berez

Erika Cockrell had struggled with her weight since high school and "used food as an emotional pick-me-up" through the years as she dealt with her parents' divorce and problems with her own marriage.

When Cockrell reached 309 lbs., she decided to turn her life around and used My Fitness Pal to log her food intake.

"I'm a firm believer in finding what works for you. For me it was all calories in, calories out," Cockrell told PEOPLE in the 2017 "Half Their Size" issue."It's like a eureka moment where you're like, 'I can do this.'"

Joanne Raymond: Lost 133 Lbs.

Joanne Raymond had lost 100 lbs. twice before she decided she was finally going to keep the weight off for good.

The Allentown, P.a.-based real estate agent realized that her yo-yo dieting was not only negatively affecting her self-esteem, but also her health. In 2013, she started feeling sick all the time; she had constant headaches, trouble sleeping and pain in her knees. Her doctor told her all her problems were weight-related.

Raymond — who weighed 249 lbs. at her highest weight — decided to overhaul her bad eating habits, replacing pasta with spiralized zucchini squash and Chinese takeout with healthy homemade chicken and broccoli.

"Even though I'll be 50 in May, my body is the best it has been in my entire adult life," she told PEOPLE in the 2017 "Half Their Size" issue. "I'm so proud."

Christina Jordan: Lost 134 Lbs.

Christina Jordan hit her low point when she was kicked off a Disneyland ride after being unable to buckle the seatbelt.

"I started reading everything I could find on holistic nutrition," the mom-of-three said in PEOPLE's 2017 "Half Their Size" issue. "I decided to stop stressing about being skinny, and just focus on being healthy — wherever my body decided to take me."

Jordan — who weighed 271 lbs. at her heaviest — began eating five to six meals a day that each include a lean protein, a complex carbohydrate and a healthy fat.

"I realized that I would be the best mom and the best wife, by being the best me."

Diana Anguh: Lost 140 Lbs.

Diana Anguh's fast food habits lead her to reach 275 lbs. when she was in high school.

"I would buy a whole box of pizza and eat it all by myself really quickly so no one knew, and [hid] the boxes under my bed," the executive chef told PEOPLE in the 2017 "Half Their Size" issue.

After being dateless at prom, Anguh decided to start working out and hit the gym every day. She also began cooking her own meals rather than binging on fast food. After 16 months of hard work, Anguh hit her goal weight of 135 lbs.

"My life has drastically changed — I feel like I'm more confident in going for what I want."

Lindita Halimi: Lost 130 Lbs.

Growing up in war-torn Kosovo , Lindita Halimi often didn't know when her next meal would be. When the war ended, Halimi overcompensated by eating whole pizzas and entire jars of Nutella.

The singer reached 250 lbs. between the ages of 17 and 20, and was bullied for her weight, with classmates calling her an elephant. When a woman on the bus mistook Halimi for a pregnant person, she decided she needed to lose weight.

The former American Idol contest learned how to get healthy by Googling weight loss tips and found healthy cooking tutorials on YouTube.

Ashley O'Reilly: Lost 135 Lbs.

Courtesy Ashley O'Reilly; Randi Berez

Ashley O'Reilly started putting on weight when she got her driver's license at 16 and began frequenting fast food restaurants, getting up to 250 lbs. in two years.

After hitting a low point during her sophomore year of college when a friend refused to be seen sitting next to her in class, O'Reilly decided to try Nutrisystem. Her new diet coupled with exercise helped her drop 135 lbs.

"I'm in so much better health now, but the big thing is I feel good about myself," the nursing student said in the 2017 "Half Their Size" issue. "I have this confidence that I never had before."

Adrienne Osuna: Lost 2 Lbs. (and Gained Muscle!)

Adrienne Osuna/Instagram

Adrienne Osuna is proof that physical transformations don't always correlate with the number on the scale.

"Women should go based on how they feel and look," the Santa Maria, Calif.-based photographer told PEOPLE. "Freedom from the scale is so liberating!"

Osuna — who weighed 182 lbs. at her highest and dropped to 180 lbs. — lifted weights four days a week and only did cardio twice a week. She also practiced intermittent fasting, which means she did not eat from 7 p.m. to 11 a.m. six days a week, although she did allow herself coffee with cream in the morning.

"I finally decided I was going to focus on what my body could do and what it's capable of instead of what it weighed," she said.

Michael Lachowicz: Lost 194 Lbs.

Courtesy Rebecca Kussmann; Robin Subar Photography

Professional chef Michael Lachowicz hit 432 lbs. thanks to a combination of unhealthy lifestyle factors .

"My addiction is food, booze and narcotics," Lachowicz told PEOPLE in the 2017 "Half Their Size" issue. "Everything worked in tandem. Drugs and alcohol reduced my inhibitions, so I didn't have a lot of remorse about eating ridiculous amounts of food."

Entering rehab and getting sober was an essential part of his weight loss journey. Lachowicz started working out six days a week while maintaining 1,800 to 1,900 calories per day.

Justin Lacy: Lost 290 Lbs.

Courtesy Justin Lacy; Runner's World

At more than 500 lbs., Justin Lacy had a wake-up call when his mother had a stroke.

"I thought, wow, I'm extremely selfish," said Lacy. "Soon my family's going to be crying around my hospital bed."

So the Dexter, Mo., resident took up a plant-based diet, cycling and running to bring his weight down 290 lbs.

He also became a member of the private Facebook group, "Missing Chins Run Club" — a place where people can swap weight loss stores and struggles — and trained for marathons.

Kim Carter Martinez: Lost 170 Lbs.

Kim Carter Martinez/Instagram

When Kim Carter Martinez hit her highest weight of 344 lbs., her mobility became limited not only because of her weight but because of her struggle with arthritis. In order to be eligible for knee replacement surgery to help alleviate her arthritis pain, the Oakland, Calif.-based labor union employee was told she needed to lose 50 lbs.

Carter Martinez made "a lot of small changes" to lose the weight, like giving up Starbucks and cooking more meals at home. Eventually, she began following a paleo diet and progressed from doing Richard Simmons videos in her garage to going to the gym daily.

"Life was really hard before — there were so many times that I had to say no to social situations because I couldn't walk around, but now I don't have to say no to things anymore," she told PEOPLE. "I can pick what I want to do and be able to do it."

Jennifer Ginley: Lost 135 Lbs.

Jennifer Ginley

Jennifer Ginley was so self-conscious about her weight that she did not want her longtime boyfriend to propose to her, because she didn't want to be an overweight bride.

In May 2015, Ginley joined the weight loss program Slimming World with her mother and sister and said preparing healthy meals in advance helped her to drop from 270 lbs. to 135 lbs.

"I reached my target weight just over a year after joining, and just before Christmas [my boyfriend] Luke asked me to marry him at Harry Potter Studios in London (I love Harry Potter)!" she told PEOPLE. "It was such an incredible feeling to be able to say 'Yes!' without even a second thought about my weight, and I can't wait to go dress shopping."

Alexa Saddington: Lost 85 Lbs.

Alexa Saddington

Alexa Saddington dropped the weight with the Cambridge Weight Plan, which sets you up with a consultant who creates custom meal plans that include ready-made healthy meals.

"It has changed my life," Saddington, who cut out alcoholic cider, chips, candy and takeout and replaced them with healthy foods, told PEOPLE.

The U.K.-based administrative assistant — who weighed 242 lbs. at her highest weight — also began working out three days a week, and losing 85 lbs. since the end of 2015.

"I feel like a different person," she said. "I always wanted to go to Ibiza but I never had the self-confidence to go, and never felt like I would fit in. I just booked to go with my sister for a week. I feel like that would be a great way to end my weight loss journey."

Emily Powers: Lost 120 Lbs.

Emily Powers

Emily Powers was inspired to get healthy for her three children.

"They deserved more," the daycare worker who was 273 lbs. at her highest weight told PEOPLE. "I could barely even take my kids for a walk. At the park, I'd sit on the bench and watch them rather than play with them."

Powers began logging her food intake using the Lose It! app and said it helped keep her accountable. She ate a lot of lean meats and vegetables and worked out three times a week.

"I like that my kids are used to hearing 'yes' a lot more," said Powers. "Before, I could never take them to the park and run around with them and be the mom that I wanted to be. Now there's no limitations."

Peggy Pullen: Lost 80 Lbs.

Peggy Pullen first put on weight due to medical complications stemming from her first pregnancy, but it wasn't until a boy at a local pool called her a hippopotamus in front of her whole family that she felt inspired to lose weight.

"It was in front of my children," she told PEOPLE. "It was horrible. I went home and cried a lot, but I realized kids learn from what you do, not what you say — and that's what kept me pushing."

Pullen decided to try bodybuilding and turned to Arnold Schwarzenegger for her inspiration.

"I started watching some of his motivational videos and using his workout videos," she said. "It really helped me because there were so many times that I thought, 'I can't do this, it's too hard."

Pullen, who was working out six days a week at the time, felt that she looked younger. "It's the secret of youth!" she said.

Katie Hug: Lost 130 Lbs.

Courtesy Katie Hug; Joe Jaszewski

Katie Hug had reached a high weight of 270 lbs. in 2012, but it wasn't until her doctor told her that she was morbidly obese that it hit her that her health was at risk.

To lose weight and get healthy, Hug began tracking her food intake and became more aware of how much sugar, fat and carbs she was consuming. But the biggest change in her lifestyle came from discovering her love of fitness.

"[When I was heavier] I didn't find any joy in it, it wasn't fun for me," she told PEOPLE.

She began doing cardio five days a week and strength training two to three days a week, and teaching fitness classes as a certified personal trainer.

"You start to feel that serotonin and dopamine and all that from exercise, and I didn't have that before," she said of learning to love working out. "I used that as the outlet for stress, anxiety, depression. That made a huge difference."

Related Articles

5 Key Lessons I’ve Learned From My Weight Loss Journey

One of the biggest goals in my life is to be on a weight loss journey and losing 40 pounds as a result. Since my sights have been set on this since last year, my weight loss journey has had some ups and downs. Last October, I took a 6-week challenge and lost 21 pounds. And currently, I’ve been on a superhero workout challenge.

These two experiences that I’ve gone through have taught me a wide variety of lessons. From general weight loss to mindsets and food choices. It’s these particular aspects that have helped me get to this point and keep me devoted to this weight loss journey that I am on.

Here are some of the biggest most important lessons I’ve learned from these experiences.

Weight Loss Is A Mixture Of Science And Math

Weight loss is a simple concept on paper. 

If you ever want to lose weight, you merely need to burn more calories than what you are taking in.

This makes sense as many other posts echo the concept of cutting calories , eating particular low calorie foods, and avoiding higher calorie count food. Not to mention being somewhat active as well.

But there is a little more to it than just math. After all, since I’ve been taking this superhero challenge, I’ve actually been gaining weight despite doing 100 push-ups, sit-ups, and squats daily.

How am I gaining weight despite cutting calories and exercising more than the average person?

It’s for this particular reason I believe weight loss has math involved, but also a bit of science. For one, muscles weight more than fat and the amount of exercising I’m doing is certainly building muscle to some capacity. 

On top of that, it’s also worth looking at the type of calories that I’m taking in as well.

Science has shown that calories from particular sources react differently in our bodies. Generally speaking our bodies will enjoy veggies, fruits and fibre than foods with added sugar or refined carbs like white rice, pasta, and pizza dough.

Understanding that there is a balance of science and math is key for any weight loss journey because it helps you to figure out what are some of the best meal plans to consider. These days there are thousands of different meal plans that are passed around like candy. Some of them are recommended by health officials and doctors, while others have been around for a long time.

Whatever the case is, it’s worth looking at the quality of those diets and seeing what the diet is meant to do and what you have to do. After all, some diets will help you out tremendously while others can straight up destroy your entire system .

Conversely, you can look into strategies that also help you on the exercise side of things. Consider this plan from BarBend .

Never Use Weight Loss As Your Marker For Motivation

One of the other cornerstones to weight loss for me has been finding the best kind of motivation. When I took the 6-week challenge, it was the opportunity of getting my money back (and I really needed my money back). For my superhero workout challenge, it’s being able to show better results to you, my audience.

But this particular lesson is bigger to me than most would think.

When I started this new year, I was determined to be losing weight and focused a lot of my attention on the scale.

In fact, the weight I gained after my 6-week challenge was over is kind of the reason for me taking this superhero challenge in the first place. 

But it was through this challenge so far where I’ve learned I was wrong to be focusing on just that weight loss. Especially since, as I said before, I’ve been maintaining or gaining weight since then.

Motivation is so important as it’s the fuel for us to keep going and pursuing our goals. This is a fundamental aspect for any weight loss journey and as such you need to have a solid marker or motivator.

It’s this reason I don’t think weight loss is a good marker because you run into scenarios like I’m in. You’re putting in a lot of effort to change and in the end, you’re barely making progress or regressing. 

It’s from these scenarios where people lose their motivation and ultimately give up.

That is unless you find a stronger motivator.

Finding a stronger motivator isn’t so simple though. In some cases, the motivator is right in your face like the 6-week challenge I took. Others may be discovered later as I found with my superhero workout challenge.

Whatever the case may be, it’s important to find something solid as it can do you a lot of good. For example, I would’ve given up my workout challenge a long time ago if I was focused solely on my weight loss. 

I recall comparing the results I’ve been getting from this workout challenge with my 6-week challenge early on and that could’ve easily derailed me.

But instead of focusing so much on the numbers, I started to look at other things. I looked at how my body is overall handling the exercises I’m going through. Not to mention looking at my overall energy levels as well as what my body looks like.

I think this is essential for people in pursuit of better health because we’re so fixated on doing things one specific way. That or we prioritize one thing.

And the reality is one piece of information can shatter everything we stand for.

Take the method that Groom & Style mentioned here . It’s a workout with good results but doesn’t require you to go to the gym. It goes to show that not all weight loss happens at the gym, despite what so many people believe.

All I’m saying is to look for your motivator and find many of them. But also not to worry if things change. Health has twists and turns, peaks and slumps. It happens.

Stay Hydrated

I don’t normally run into this issue any longer thanks to my new water bottle, but hydration is essential to any weight loss journey. It’s not out of the ordinary for a lot of people to skip over water. Most are quick to drinking all kinds of other beverages before even drinking water.

It’s gotten to the point where there is literally a one gallon challenge hovering around that people have taken. Either way drinking plenty of water is essential for our body to function and there are a widespread of benefits from drinking water. Examples are water can make us feel full after a meal, and it can flush out a lot of chemicals from our body as well.

But water can also contribute a little bit to weight loss and even help with our sleep schedule as well. And sleep is just as important as drinking enough water as improper sleep habits can contribute to weight gain too ,

This is an important lesson to me because there was a time where I wasn’t drinking that much water. I drank all kinds of other beverages that did a lot of harm to my body. There was never a point where I went to the hospital but drinking water did alter my life.

I fell in love with drinking exclusively water. Not to mention I felt more energized.

I’m sure if I was still drinking some of the beverages that I’ve had in the past, I would be in a worse state than where I’m at right now.

What You Eat And When Matters

To expand on a previous point I mentioned above, the time of day for when you are eating matters to some degree. For one, the myth that we shouldn’t be eating after 8 pm is unfounded.

There is no danger to eating after 8 pm, but you do want to pay attention to what you eat. Most in that hour binge on salty foods or high sugar foods .

Basically foods that your dietician would tell you to avoid entirely in the first place.

It’s this reason most people advise against late night eating. In fact, some push for a 14 hour fast for your body to reset overnight which isn’t that bad. But one other thing I’d add to this is to look at what you are eating in your last meal of the day.

My overall experiences of weight loss taught me to not see carbs as an enemy. Where some say cut carbs, others villainize these foods and avoid them.

But I think some of us might have it all wrong.

Yes, we should be cutting carbs but not all. One way to do that is to eat foods that contain healthy fats in our evening meal. But during the day, we eat a healthy amount of carbs. Pair that up with some protein and veggies in every meal and you have a solid diet plan.

Why do I suggest eating this way?

Aside from that type of diet working for me, it also makes sense on a body level. Carbohydrates are generally our body’s fuel. So eating carbs (Fruits, tomatoes, whole grain foods, etc.) over the course of the day will keep our body in tip top shape. But when the evening comes around the last thing our body wants is more fuel. It’s looking to burn that fuel up and start slowing down.

This is where the fat comes in as adding a little bit of it is essentially putting our body into overdrive in burning that excess energy and helping us burn fat while we are sleeping. This is better than what our body would do traditionally with carbs which are storing it as fat.

It’s why there are several articles floating around talking about eating a tablespoon of peanut butter before bed. It’s a fat food.

There’s nothing wrong with fat and it can play a vital role in weight loss. This is true especially when we know when to be eating it. This rule applies to even when we eat our meals in general .

Pay Close Attention To Your Feelings

One thing I’ve been sorta hinting at in some of my points is this particular lesson:

Pay close attention to your feelings over anything else.

I’m saying this because there is such a massive disconnection between what is out there and our bodies. And before you get angry this isn’t intentional. All of our bodies have varying degrees of reactions to certain foods. Take the blood type diet for example. This diet is specifically designed for your blood type. But as some people have pointed out, the claims are ridiculous .

Even something like the BMI scale is drastically off in some cases. For those not familiar with it, it’s a measurement of our body and height . Furthermore, there are specific numbers for what is an ideal body weight based on our height. But that measurement can be flawed in some cases, especially amongst athletes. Athletes are good examples as they are active and in shape. However, their BMI would likely indicate that they are heavily overweight. This is due to their muscles weighing more than fat.

Again, this isn’t intentional but these are still good grounds to consider the sciences, but more on feelings.

Lean on this lesson for when you are exercising but also on every aspect of food and eating as well. I rely on this because only I will understand my body the most. Sure there are plenty of professionals who know nutrition better than I do, but they don’t know how techniques or foods will react to my body.

I get stomach aches from eating pineapple for example. This is despite the fact that science proves pineapples is designed to prevent inflammation of the stomach.

My point is, just because something is stated doesn’t always mean it’s the perfect fit for you. Try it out and see how you feel. This is why I’m not claiming this stuff will work perfectly for you. It could be a hit or a miss.

A Weight Loss Journey Twists And Turns

While there is ample of evidence on weight loss there are still road bumps along the way. Not every piece of advice will work for you and for me I’m okay with that.

The road to a better healthy life should be difficult. It teaches us so many things about our bodies but also ourselves.

It’s to the point that the weight loss journey can reveal some valuable life lessons. The biggest of these lessons is this:

There are no short cuts. If you want to see amazing results you must put the time and effort to achieve it.

To your growth!

Eric S Burdon

13 thoughts on “5 Key Lessons I’ve Learned From My Weight Loss Journey”

I loved reading this- it made me realize that we are in this together, and we will get through this.

That is so true and thank you for reading!

https://waterfallmagazine.com Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with some pics to drive the message home a little bit, but other than that, this is wonderful blog. A great read. I’ll definitely be back.

Thanks, I’m glad you learned from this article. 🙂

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Glad it was able to help you Amalie! Thanks for reading! 🙂

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No problem Sophie! Thanks for reading.

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Simple 30-Day Plan for Weight Loss, According to a Dietitian

Learn 8 realistic nutrition and fitness tips to lose weight for the long haul.

Cara Rosenbloom RD is a dietitian, journalist, book author, and the founder of Words to Eat By, a nutrition communications company in Toronto, ON.

Melissa Rifkin is a Connecticut-based registered dietitian with over 15 years of experience working in the clinical setting.

Verywell Fit / Amelia Manley

• Setting Goals

Creating a Nutrition Plan

Meal planning, physical activity, hydration and sleep, tracking progress, coping with challenges.

Healthy weight loss plans include eating well, being physically active, and getting enough sleep so you feel your best now and for the long term. Health is about more than a number on the scale, so this weight loss advice looks at the bigger picture.

There are no quick fixes or fad diets that are known to sustain weight loss in the long term. These weight loss plans and fad diets are based on restricting calories or removing specific food groups. Most of the time, it's impossible to follow these plans in the long term, so weight loss is not maintained over time. That's why this article offers sensible nutrition, exercise, and sleep goals, that can be sustained for life. A healthy lifestyle can help you feel your best now while preventing chronic diseases in the future.

Instead of going "on a diet" which you eventually go "off," this sustainable plan includes realistic goals and small changes that can last a lifetime. It also includes a variety of delicious and nutritious foods, as well as exercise that's fun and enjoyable, and tips on healthy sleep.

Setting Realistic Goals

First, decide if weight loss is the right strategy for your health. It's common to have an unrealistic view of what a healthy weight really is. Use this guide to determine what your ideal weight is so you can set an appropriate goal.

If you need to lose weight, aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week (or 4 to 8 pounds in 30 days). People who lose weight slowly and gradually are more likely to keep the weight off long term compared to those who lose a lot of weight very quickly.

Set SMART goals that are:

• M easurable
• A ttainable
• Ti me-bound

A goal such as "I will lose 10 pounds" is not time-bound (no timeline is set) and may not be attainable, since weight fluctuates based on many factors, such as hydration, hormones, medications, food intake, and activity level.

A SMART goal that contributes to weight loss may be: "I will replace my daily can of sugar-containing soda with water for the next 30 days." It's more important to set goals about sustaining a healthy lifestyle than about reaching a target number on a scale. The goal of reducing sugary drinks is more realistic than "I will lose 10 pounds," which is harder to control or achieve.

Eating well plays an important role in weight loss and maintenance. A winning strategy for weight loss includes both caloric restriction and adequate exercise. While calories are part of weight control, it's too narrow to think that energy-in and energy-out is the only factor to consider in weight loss. These factors are also involved:

• Medical conditions
• Physical activity levels
• Medications
• Environment
• Mental health

Your best bet is to work with a health care professional for a personalized weight loss plan. If that is not possible, you can follow the general information in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans about the role of nutrition in weight loss. It recommends a varied diet that includes:

• Vegetables and fruit
• Grains (including whole grains)
• Protein foods

The amount (portion) of food that you should eat is specific to your current weight and your weight loss goals. Learn more about how to set calorie goals here . Even if you cut back on calories, it is important to eat a variety of foods to get all of the protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals that your body requires. It's also vital to focus on aspects beyond food. Physical activity, hydration, sleep, and other components are all interconnected in your weight loss journey.

Your body requires nutrients every day so it functions properly. The Dietary Guidelines were designed to ensure that nutrient needs are met with a variety of foods including vegetables, fruit, protein, and grains. You can plan meals using the five food groups in the USDA's My Plate model. When you plan meals, consider these plate proportions:

• Make half your plate vegetables and fruits.
• Make a quarter of your plate grains. Choose whole grains at least half of the time.
• Make a quarter of your plate protein from foods such as poultry, fish, eggs, meat, legumes, nuts and seeds.
• Have a serving of calcium-rich foods such as milk, soy beverage, or yogurt.

The exact amount of food you will need depends on your goals (see section above). In addition to eating more whole foods like vegetables, you can also cut back on heavily processed foods like fast food, packaged snacks, baked goods, and candy.

A simple meal plan may look like this. You can repeat this 5-day plan 6 times to complete a 30-day plan.

• Breakfast : Plain Greek yogurt with strawberries and low-sugar (3 grams of sugar or less per serving), oat-based granola
• Snack : Almonds and grapes
• Lunch : Tuna melt sandwich with cheese and tomatoes on whole grain bread, served with carrots, red peppers, and an apple on the side
• Snack : Cucumber and hummus
• Dinner : Chicken with brown rice and stir-fried vegetables.
• Breakfast : Chia pudding with Greek yogurt and fruit
• Snack : Cheddar cheese and an apple
• Lunch : Poke bowl: fish (or tofu) with brown rice, mixed vegetables, seaweed and sesame seeds
• Snack : Trail mix
• Dinner : Pesto shrimp and broccoli served over whole-grain pasta
• Breakfast : Mashed avocado and ricotta cheese on whole grain toast with a side of berries
• Snack : Fresh peach, granola, and Greek yogurt
• Lunch : Turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato and sweet peppers; banana
• Snack : Plain popcorn
• Dinner : Chickpea and cauliflower curry with quinoa
• Breakfast : Oatmeal with banana, peanut butter, and soy or cow's milk
• Snack : Hummus and carrots
• Lunch : Black bean and cheddar burrito in whole grain tortilla, with lettuce, tomato, sweet peppers, and avocado
• Dinner : Stir-fried chicken and mixed vegetables on soba noodles
• Breakfast : Scrambled eggs, whole grain toast, and tomato
• Snack : Medjool dates with peanut butter or almond butter
• Lunch : Chicken Caesar salad with parmesan cheese and croutons plus a pear
• Snack : Small portion of your favorite ice cream
• Dinner : Lemon-butter halibut with green beans and potatoes

It's easier to stay on a meal plan if you grocery shop and plan in advance. Learn tips for meal planning here .

Being physically active is associated with weight loss because exercise it burns calories. The CDC suggests 150 minutes per week of physical activity for health benefits. However, this amount may not be enough for weight loss. International guidelines recommend 300 minutes of exercise per week for people trying to lose weight.

Nutrition and exercise are both important factors in weight loss. Studies show that exercise only—without dietary changes — may help with a small amount of weight loss, but is not likely to result in meaningful weight loss. Diet and exercise are both important and should be paired together for the best results.

It's important to choose physical activities that you enjoy so you are more likely to stick to them for the long term. Choose a combination of both aerobic (biking, walking, dancing) and strength-building activities (weight lifting, resistance bands, push-ups) for the best benefits.

As a beginner, start by taking a walk every day and lifting light weights. Walk for longer and do more reps with your weights as the weeks go by. Consider these exercise tips for beginners .

Other factors that affect weight include hydration and sleep. When it comes to fluid and hydration, many Americans rely on sugar-sweetened beverages. However, excess intake of sweet beverages is linked to weight gain.

Water is a better choice than sweet beverages when trying to manage weight since it contains no calories or sugar. Replacing sugary or calorie-rich beverages with water can help with weight loss. Some studies indicate that drinking water before meals may decrease food intake during meals, which may help eaters feel more satisfied with fewer calories. Staying hydrated is important because studies show that consistently being under-hydrated is associated with increased body weight.

Studies also show a connection between sleep patterns and weight. Poor sleep is linked to increased calorie intake, mostly from snacks that are high in fat and refined carbohydrates. Poor sleep also may affect hormones involved in weight, appetite regulation, and metabolism.

Some evidence suggests that people who sleep less than seven hours per night are more likely to have obesity. If you don't sleep for at least seven hours per night, consider working with a sleep specialist as part of your weight loss program. Here are some tips to help with better sleep .

If you set measurable goals, it's easier to track your progress. For example, if your goal was to drink water instead of soda at lunch for 30 days, you can mark each day on a calendar to check your progress.

Some people like to keep a food or exercise journal to monitor progress or use a mobile app to count calories or steps. Make sure to celebrate your successes. If you falter, start again as soon as possible.

One caution for tracking progress: try not to gauge your progress based on a number on the scale. Making lifestyle changes such as improving your eating habits or being more active has so many benefits beyond weight control.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recognize that losing weight is not easy and is best achieved with a commitment to lifestyle change over the long term and with the help of medical professionals.  

You will have a better chance of sustaining long-term weight loss if you make slow, steady progress that includes a combination of nutrition, fitness, sleep, and hydration changes.

In order to see real progress, don't make too many changes at once. Build up slowly instead. Perhaps the first 30 days of the journey may have progress such as:

• In the first week, you drink water instead of a soda at lunch.
• In the second week, you have water instead of soda and walk 10 minutes per day.
• In the third week, you continue the first two activities and add weight training twice a week.

Remember, 30 days is just the start of this journey. Maintaining these new habits lifelong is how you will see real progress.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Losing Weight.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.  Setting goals and developing specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives .

Damon L. Swift, Joshua E. McGee, Conrad P. Earnest, Erica Carlisle, Madison Nygard, Neil M. Johannsen, The Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on Weight Loss and Maintenance . Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, Volume 61, Issue 2, 2018. Pages 206-213, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2018.07.014.

Wharton S, Lau DCW, Vallis M, et al. Obesity in adults: a clinical practice guideline .  CMAJ . 2020;192(31):E875-E891. doi:10.1503/cmaj.191707

 USDA. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. December 2020

USDA. My Plate .

USDA My Plate. Protein Foods .

USDA My Plate. Dairy .

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How much physical activity do adults need?

O'Donoghue G, Blake C, Cunningham C, Lennon O, Perrotta C. What exercise prescription is optimal to improve body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults living with obesity? A network meta-analysis .  Obes Rev . 2021;22(2):e13137. doi:10.1111/obr.13137

Teixeira DS, Rodrigues F, Cid L, Monteiro D. Enjoyment as a Predictor of Exercise Habit, Intention to Continue Exercising, and Exercise Frequency: The Intensity Traits Discrepancy Moderation Role . Front Psychol. 2022 Feb 18;13:780059. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.780059. PMID: 35250719; PMCID: PMC8894246.

Malik VS, Hu FB. The role of sugar-sweetened beverages in the global epidemics of obesity and chronic diseases .  Nat Rev Endocrinol . 2022;18(4):205-218. doi:10.1038/s41574-021-00627-6

Bracamontes-Castelo G, Bacardí-Gascón M, Jiménez Cruz A. Effect of water consumption on weight loss: a systematic review . Nutr Hosp . 2019;36(6):1424-1429. doi:10.20960/nh.02746

Corney RA, Sunderland C, James LJ. Immediate pre-meal water ingestion decreases voluntary food intake in lean young males.   Eur J Nutr . 2016;55(2):815-819. doi:10.1007/s00394-015-0903-4

Kerksick CM, Wilborn CD, Roberts MD, et al.  ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations .  Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition . 2018;15(1):38. doi:10.1186/s12970-018-0242-y

Papatriantafyllou E, Efthymiou D, Zoumbaneas E, Popescu CA, Vassilopoulou E. Sleep Deprivation: Effects on Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance .  Nutrients . 2022;14(8):1549. Published 2022 Apr 8. doi:10.3390/nu14081549

Primack C. Obesity and Sleep .  Nurs Clin North Am . 2021;56(4):565-572. doi:10.1016/j.cnur.2021.07.012

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Changing your habits for better health.

By Cara Rosenbloom, RD  Cara Rosenbloom RD is a dietitian, journalist, book author, and the founder of Words to Eat By, a nutrition communications company in Toronto, ON.

50 Incredible Weight-Loss Transformations You Just HAVE To See

When every day is #TransformationTuesday 💪.

If you’re like any of the women in these incredible weight-loss transformation stories, you’ve struggled with hitting walls while trying to drop pounds and, at least once or twice, felt the temptation to throw in the towel on the whole d*mn thing. That just means you're human.

Most of the weight-loss warriors here tried multiple avenues, from going vegan to intermittent fasting to at-home Pilates workouts, before finding the methods and eating regimes that worked with their lifestyles. And part of their success was being realistic about what was achievable in the long run. Take it from one wise woman: "I promised in the beginning that I wouldn’t want to eat or do anything while losing weight that I wouldn’t want to eat or do once I hit [my] goal, even if that meant it took a little bit longer," says @ashleys_officially_lost_it.

Finding a workout routine you love can also help keep you on track throughout the ups and downs. As one woman, @kaitlynesse, says, "Truly all of my weight loss came from working out to feel better and not to look a certain way. I just found this passion for it weightlifting I never had before," she says, noting that lifting helped her fight through a bout of depression after a breakup.

Together, these powerful women lost more than 4,000 pounds—and gained so much strength along the way—which you’ll see in these dramatic before-and-afters. Take them in as needed to stay focused, inspired, and invested in your journey toward achieving your own health goals. They did it—and so can you.

@kcantrell has lost 111 pounds since she started her journey in January 2019, and she credits Beachbody and 2B Mindset nutrition for her weight loss.

@jessmeetsthegym has lost over 130 pounds since July 2018 with consistent gym workouts and a new-found love for running.

By following a vegan diet and HIIT/circuit training, @iamrayysyymone has lost 100 pounds.

@jocelynthrivingfit has lost 166 pounds naturally following a "calories in, calories out" style of dieting and regular exercise.

@laurieforpresident is down 200 pounds after weight loss surgery in 2018. She keeps a food diary and tracks her macros.

Now a personal trainer, @jessmakesgains has lost over 150 pounds naturally by doing carb cycling and strength workouts.

@a.little.less.shannon is down 107 pounds naturally by following a "lazy" keto diet .

@tay_getting_fit has lost 114 pounds naturally thanks to running and using the fitness app Shreddy. She also cut out red meat.

@familytofunsize has lost an *incredible* 233 pounds after gastric bypass surgery in 2017 that kickstarted her transition to a low-carb, low-sugar diet.

@watchpeggyloseit has lost more than 150 pounds naturally in 13 months by getting in 5 a.m. HIIT classes at the gym and tracking her calories in the MyFitnessPal app.

@keto_allie has lost more than 100 pounds since 2017 after starting the keto diet and incorporating running into her fitness regime. She ran her first 10k in September 2019.

After reaching a place of recovery for binge eating disorder, @debiluv4health has lost over 80 pounds since she started WW (formerly Weight Watchers) and regular gym workouts.

@alicutsmyhair has lost over 105 pounds by combining intermittent fasting and keto.

After years of yo-yo dieting, @ketowithdanni weighed in at over 400 pounds. She learned how to count her macros after finding the keto diet and has lost 102 pounds in the process.

@chip0ltay described herself as a closet eater before joining WW (formerly Weight Watchers). Now, she's lost 109 pounds.

@jasminelosingit lost over 120 pounds after doing Jillian Michaels workouts and starting the 21-Day Meal Plan.

@thepaleopharmacist transformed her body after going on the paleo diet and eventually the carnivore diet. She's lost over 90 pounds.

After struggling with emotional eating for years, @alliedoesketo discovered the keto diet and added in 16:8 intermittent fasting. She's lost over 80 pounds.

@just_you_weight lost 106 pounds in just over a year naturally by using MyFitnessPal to 50 percent fruits and veggies, 25 percent protein, and 25 percent whole grains.

@kickinitwithlauren lost almost half of her body weight (a total of 120 pounds) in about two years with the help of a vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) surgery and a love of lifting weights.

@cake_2_5k used WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers) to help her lose 90 pounds after struggling with postpartum depression after she went through a devastating miscarriage.

@regan_patterson lost 80 pounds by starting to count her macros and calories and getting back into strength training. Her fave workout now? Weight lifting.

@keeshnicoletv lost 94 pounds after she started meal prepping and doing light workouts, which turned into a serious passion for running.

@stellaisstriving lost 243 pounds—more than 42 percent of her starting body weight—by overhauling her eating habits with the keto diet and focusing on fat loss (not just losing pounds).

@_jens_journey_ started out doing keto but didn't feel that it worked for her, so she stuck with intermittent fasting, a sugar-free diet, and keeping her carbs down. She dropped more than 100 pounds—then gained back about 15 of those pounds to feel her healthiest, she previously told Women's Health .

It was WW that got @sweet_pea_leigh to a place of kicking her food addiction , which had been causing her to keep gaining weight as well as numerous body aches and pains. She's lost over 150 pounds.

The Couch to 5K app was hugely transformative for @lizzy_rockz—soon after hopping on the app, she started triathlon training and subsequently ran four marathons. Meal prepping with lots of protein and few carbs was huge for her, too, in her journey to lose about 150 pounds.

@rachellsharp93 went down a little more than 100 pounds, starting with her own version of alternate-day fasting , consuming small amounts of food in between days, and then segueing into another type of intermittent fasting.

Down about 220 pounds, @losing_for_health started out doing keto, then continued to count her macros with a free online calculator.

Originally through gastric bypass surgery , @kathleeng1112 shed 179 pounds, but she kept it up by eating tons of protein and few carbs. She stays active with Pilates, yoga, and at-home workouts.

@gessisfitnessjourney hit her goal of losing 124 pounds first by trying going vegan, then vegetarian, and low-carb, but she ultimately succeeded by tracking everything—calories, steps—on her Fitbit .

It was a combination of keto and intermittent fasting that helped @gritandgrace__ lose more than 50 pounds and her status as prediabetic. Once she cut out sugar, her PCOS symptoms were more manageable, too.

@hannah_day28's big turnaround came from BeachBody toning workouts . She also began practicing clean eating and portion control. She still eats buffalo chicken, but in a zucchini boat rather than fried.

She started out with VSG surgery , but @cam_bree_uhhh kept off 148 pounds by eating a vegan diet. She now belongs to two different gyms to stick with her love of weight lifting and doing circuits.

@carlywontquit lost 108 pounds with a strict policy of no added sugar , even in her coffee. She's also a cardio fanatic and can't get enough of Zumba or Total Body Pump.

Realizing the power of a nutritious home-cooked meal turned @_iwokeupinbeastmode;s nutrition around, helping her to lose a total of 130 pounds. She started out tracking every macro, but after hitting her goal, she stopped counting calories and focused on just eating clean instead.

@laurenlosing did VSG surgery in 2013 as a tool to change her lifestyle. She kept going with eating a high-protein diet, counting macros, and weight lifting.

A new-found love of lifting heavy was a major transforming factor for @kaitlynesse. She lost 80 pounds in about a year, focusing on squats and deadlifts, which she says made her feel strong and powerful. She also put on about 10 pounds of solid muscle in the process.

Keto and kickboxing were the power duo for @thestairlady. She went down 100 pounds in a year without giving up her favorite food, pizza.

@tashpointo's weight-loss journey started with VSG surgery. She continued to drop 150 pounds through the keto diet, and then a general low-carb eating plan. She also supplemented with a hot-yoga routine to help with her anxiety and started running and amping up her core workouts, too.

Struggling with symptoms of both PCOS and IBS, @get_moefit first cut carbs and started going beast mode in the gym, and then worked with a nutritionist to do an elimination diet. She cut out some cruciferous veggies that bothered her, as well as beef and pork (but kept other types of lean meat) to reduce GI issues and lose 80 pounds.

Starting with gastric-sleeve surgery, @gi_sciortino shed 120 pounds and kept it off with intense strength-training and HIIT workouts.

Counting calories with the My Fitness Pal app was a factor for @hayleysweightlossjourneyx to lose 70 pounds. "It was the simple science of tracking calories in vs. out, mixed with self-discipline and self belief," she says.

@wokeuplikedez dropped 150 pounds after having gastric-bypass surgery, and then continued the momentum with a high-protein diet. She kept consuming fewer calories and working out more consistently than she had in the past, too. And she's currently prepping for her second body building show.

In the beginning, @ashleys_officially_lost_it tried losing weight simply by counting calories, but she needed more accountability and support, she says. She jumped on the WW (formerly Weight Watchers) bandwagon and later became an ambassador in the midst of her 120-pound weight loss, which she's maintained for almost two years. Her transformation was mostly accomplished via healthier food swaps—she loves to make cleaner versions of favorite fast-food dishes, like a chipotle chicken avocado sandwich from Panera.

Down 80 pounds from clean eating and at-home workouts, @beast_girl_22 toned up using BeachBody Body Beast. She also made a major change in her eating routine: switching from eating three healthy meals a day to eating smaller healthy meals every two to three hours, with lots of water.

After dealing with postpartum anxiety, @getfitwithmeliss discovered Andy Frisella's 75 Hard mental toughness program and lost 20 pounds. In total, with the help of calorie counting, she lost 64 pounds.

@thisiswhitneyburk struggled with my weight my whole life until she started following a pescatarian diet and doing Beachbody workout programs and lost 66 pounds.

@rose_vibes19 followed the keto diet and cut out sugar and alcohol for weight loss and lost over 60 pounds.

@shrinkingbyfaith committed to eating a plant-based keto diet and got into Peloton and Rebounder workouts to lose 60 pounds.

@shiannesmithfit used Beachbody workouts and the portion control-focused eating plan and calorie counting to undo pregnancy weight gain and lost 100 pounds.

After struggling with her weight my entire life, @nishafitness learned how to make my favorite meals using healthier ingredients and started doing HIIT cardio and strength training and lost 103 pounds.

@justdreampaige struggled with her weight for her whole life until she cut out junk food, starting following a Mediterranean diet, and began running and doing Zumba workouts and lost 105 pounds.

After a back injury, @bl11hannah gained weight rapidly. She went on The Biggest Loser and started eating a low-carb, low-sugar PCOS diet and walking for weight loss, as well as incorporated strength training and HIIT, to reach a healthy weight.

@dmarie_rochelle practiced portion control and did low-impact cardio, like walking and hiking, for weight loss after her C-section and lost 72 pounds.

@megans.mission tried Weight Watchers, followed by intuitive eating, and Orangetheory Fitness workouts to lose 100 pounds and keep it off.

@beginwithbri tried intermittent fasting and YouTube Workouts and lost 120 pounds during the pandemic.

@kaila_a_duncan struggled with her weight until she decided to get in shape for her wedding by meal prepping, doing Tone It Up! workouts, and indoor cycling, and lost 85 pounds.

@kayfit_rusiecki stopped drinking and started keeping a food journal to develop a better relationship with food, lifted weights, and lost 70 pounds.

@findingabs11 struggled with her weight her whole life until she started Weight Watchers (WW) and food tracking with iTrackBites, and began to understand portion sizes. She lost 80 pounds with her new eating style and indoor cycling at CycleBar.

@sim_on_ww used WW and walking for weight loss 5 days and lost 123 pounds in 18 months .

After years of yo-yo dieting, @imjustshica tried 16:8 intermittent fasting and began walking for weight loss and lost 102 pounds.

@so_damthicknbad cut out processed foods and did sprinting workouts and fitness boot camps to lose 85 pounds.

By using WW and the iTrackBites app and working out with an elliptical and Les Mills classes, @nomo.yoyo has been able to lose 80 pounds.

@vickinosecrets started eating a low-carb, high-protein diet and walking and doing YouTube workouts to lose weight and manage PCOS symptoms.

After gaining weight in high school, @hopebby_fit started a vegan diet and started lifting weights and doing cardio to lose 50 pounds.

By going keto, then switching to a less restrictive low-carb diet, and lifting weights, @_jerrseyyy lost 80 pounds in 10 months.

Emily Shiffer has worked as a writer for over 10 years, covering everything from health and wellness to entertainment and celebrities. She previously was on staff at SUCCESS , Men's Health , and Prevention magazines. Her freelance writing has been featured in Women's Health , Runner's World , PEOPLE , and more. Emily is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she majored in magazine journalism at the Medill School of Journalism and minored in musicology. Currently residing in Charleston, South Carolina, Emily enjoys instructing barre, surfing, and long walks on the beach with her miniature Dachshund, Gertrude.

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John Goodman shows off svelte appearance in NYC after 200-pound weight loss

John Goodman is putting his slim-down on display.

The “Roseanne” alum, 71, was photographed looking svelte in New York City on Wednesday, stepping out in a green hoodie, jeans and slip-on shoes.

Goodman’s outing comes nearly one year after he shared insight into his weight-loss journey.

The actor told Rolling Stone in June 2023 that he had lost more than 200 pounds with daily dog walks and boxing.

“It’s usually just an hour, hour and a half of hitting the mitts, hitting the bags, learning footwork,” he said at the time. “It’s great.”

Goodman continued, “I never got good enough where I would trust myself to spar. Because once I get whacked in the face, I don’t know if I wouldn’t lose it.”

However, the self-proclaimed “lazy” star admitted that his exercise routine had lapsed after the COVID-19 quarantine ended and work picked back up.

“I’m going to start … again this summer where I can get some stuff done,” he explained. “I’ve just let everything go just because I haven’t had the energy because of the jobs.”

Goodman previously told AARP in 2018 about the dietary changes he has made over the years.

After “just shoving everything into [his] mouth,” the “Conners” star began controlling his portions.

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He took the weight loss “slow” that time around, telling ABC in 2017 that he was not interested in returning to “old habits” after brief stints.

“In the old days, I would take three months out, lose 60 or 70 pounds, and then reward myself with a six-pack [of beer] or whatever,” he explained.

Goodman eventually stopped drinking alcohol and hired a trainer.

In 2010, the Emmy winner spoke to People about wanting to “live life better” by “breaking a sweat” — but not “going nuts.”

He said, “It takes a lot of creative energy to sit on your ass and figure out what you’re going to eat next. … It was a waste.”

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• April 15, 2024   •   24:07 Iran’s Unprecedented Attack on Israel
• April 14, 2024   •   46:17 The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’
• April 12, 2024   •   34:23 How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam
• April 11, 2024   •   28:39 The Staggering Success of Trump’s Trial Delay Tactics
• April 10, 2024   •   22:49 Trump’s Abortion Dilemma
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• April 4, 2024   •   32:37 Israel’s Deadly Airstrike on the World Central Kitchen
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How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam

A mexican drug cartel is targeting seniors and their timeshares..

Hosted by Katrin Bennhold

Produced by Asthaa Chaturvedi and Will Reid

With Clare Toeniskoetter and Lynsea Garrison

Edited by Brendan Klinkenberg and Michael Benoist

Original music by Marion Lozano ,  Rowan Niemisto ,  Dan Powell ,  Pat McCusker and Will Reid

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Warning: this episode contains descriptions of violence.

A massive scam targeting older Americans who own timeshare properties has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars sent to Mexico.

Maria Abi-Habib, an investigative correspondent for The Times, tells the story of a victim who lost everything, and of the criminal group making the scam calls — Jalisco New Generation, one of Mexico’s most violent cartels.

On today’s episode

Maria Abi-Habib , an investigative correspondent for The New York Times based in Mexico City.

Background reading

How a brutal Mexican drug cartel came to target seniors and their timeshares .

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Katrin Bennhold is the Berlin bureau chief. A former Nieman fellow at Harvard University, she previously reported from London and Paris, covering a range of topics from the rise of populism to gender. More about Katrin Bennhold

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