50 Weight Loss Secrets from People Who've Lost 50 Pounds REAL TIPS FROM REAL SUCCESS STORIES.

1. 50 Weight Loss Secrets from People Who've Lost 50 Pounds
REAL TIPS FROM REAL SUCCESS STORIES.
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Whether you're looking to shed five pounds or 50 pounds,
losing weight is never easy. At times, it may seem
impossible, but there are everyday people, just like you,
who've had huge success slimming down and they have
secrets to share. Of course, everyone's weight loss journey
and path is going to be different, but there are a lot of things
that anyone looking to lose weight can learn from those
who've already done it. Here are some of the best weight loss
tips from those who've lost at least 50 pounds. So read
on—and for more secrets to slimming down, read up on The
Real Reason Weight Loss Is Hard After 60.

2. 1Make a food plan that works for you.
Woman Tasting Food {Weight Loss Secrets}
The Essential Keto Cookbook (Physical)
In order to lose weight and keep it off, you need to "make a
permanent change in [your] eating habits," writes Tom
Dell'Aringa, who lost 50 pounds right around his 50th
birthday. "No fad diet is sustainable [so] you have to craft
your own eating plan."
2Develop good habits.

3. What helped Megan lose 50 pounds in less than year was
consistency in her daily activities. "I remained consistent
and the daily actions turned into habits," she writes.
"Ultimately I made… a major lifestyle change."
3Make the time.
Lean Belly 3x -

4. "I started walking for 45 minutes during my lunch break,"
says Melissa Leon in an interview with Health. By making
time every single day to complete her workouts, Leon was
able to lose 53 pounds and gain 100 percent more
confidence. And if you need more reasons to turn your lunch
break into a walking session, then read up on the 30 Reasons
Why Walking Is the Best Exercise.
4Be realistic.
Weight "took time to come on and it will also take time to
come off," writes Amber Alexander, a weight loss warrior
who lost 50 pounds in just four months. Though she had
tried to lose weight several times before, what finally helped
her be successful was taking things slow and realizing that
"there is no quick fix" when it comes to losing weight. (Oh,
and WW, formerly known as Weight Watchers. Amber swears
by WW.)

5. 5Log what you eat.
Food Log for Weight Loss {Weight Loss Secrets}
The Encyclopedia of Natural Remedies- Brand New
Oklahoma City hairdresser Kay Franklin began logging her
meals into Everyday Health's My Calorie Counter and simply
seeing the sheer amount of calories that she was consuming
opened her eyes to the changes she needed to make. "The
numbers really opened my eyes and it made it much easier
for me to focus on my goal to lose 50 pounds," Franklin said.
6Treat exercise like a form of therapy.
Woman Running {Weight Loss Secrets}
Shutterstock

6. Mother-daughter duo Jane Dent and Sarah Gallagher found
weight loss success after learning how to use exercise as a
stress reliever. "I've learned to exercise instead of eating
when I'm stressed. I've started walking two to three miles
outside two to three times a week. The fresh air instantly
puts me in a good mood, and I think of it as time to unplug,"
Gallagher tells Woman's Day. And if you haven't yet found a
workout you enjoy, then try these 30 Workouts That Burn
More Than 500 Calories An Hour.
7Don't eat emotionally.
Custom Keto Diet⚡
woman eating cake unhealthy {Weight Loss Secrets}
Shutterstock
Another one of Dell'Aringa's weight loss tips is to "remove
emotion from eating." Not only does emotional eating

7. contribute to overeating and weight gain, but it also "does
not solve your problems," he writes.
8Bring your workout clothes everywhere.
Workout Clothes {Weight Loss Secrets}
"Every trip I have taken this year I have included my workout
clothes and made time to get a sweat in," writes Thomas
LaRock about how he lost 50 pounds in five months. Since
the IT professional is constantly away for work, always
having workout clothes with him allows him to "work out
when I'm on the road."
9Form a new relationship with food.
The Two-Week Keto Challenge

8. Washing fruits and vegetables
Shutterstock
Writer Gary Drevitch didn't want to subscribe to normal diet
rituals. So, rather than keeping a food diary, Drevitch simply
adopted a healthier lifestyle. "I adopted a low-carb, not
no-carb, menu. I converted my breakfast to a bowl of bran
flakes and dried cranberries. My lunches and dinners were
plates half covered with vegetables and filled out with
healthy portions of protein. My snacks: rice cakes with
hummus, peanut butter or low-fat cottage cheese, or
handfuls of nuts or raisins," he tells Next Avenue. Instead of
putting himself through a series of fad diets, Drevitch instead
chose to change his entire relationship with food—and that
ultimately helped him lose over 50 pounds.
10Find a workout class that you actually like.

9. exercise classes can help couples relax together
At the beginning of 2018, Megan Buchanan was able to
successfully lose 50 pounds, and she attributes this to a
combination of eating right and finding a workout that she
loves in Orange Theory. "It's the first workout I've actually
enjoyed," says Buchanan. "I like that it's different every day,
but is still a full body workout. I don't have to worry about
how long to run or which exercises to do when—I just do
what they tell me to do and it gets me the best workout
possible."
11Replace restaurant meals with home-cooked ones.
Plant-Based Cookbook

10. Couple Cooking in the Kitchen {Weight Loss Secrets}
Shutterstock
"I think what really kept my weight loss going was that I
completely cut out national fast food and sit-down chain
restaurants and started cooking for myself," says New
Orleans resident Taylor Bevilacqua. By making the foods that
she loved rather than buying them, Bevilacqua was able to
lose 60 pounds in just eight months! And if you're new to
cooking, make sure you avoid these 17 Ways You're Using
Your Kitchen All Wrong.
12Make mental changes in your life, too.
Keto After 50 - High Converting Keto Offer

11. Business Man Meditating {Weight Loss Secrets}
Shutterstock
Though David Ezell, CEO of Darien Wellness, tried many
times to lose weight, he says that what helped him become
successful was "focusing on my thoughts as much as
exercise and diet." When he realized that his thoughts were
just as important in his weight loss journey as his body, he
was able to lose over 100 pounds. "Once I broke the hold on
my thoughts about food, hunger, and myself, I was able to
take off and never look back," he says.
13Eliminate nighttime snacking.
CINDERELLA SOLUTION

12. weight loss tips
Shutterstock/kryzhov
"I lost 70 pounds in 2018 by doing little more than shifting my
schedule to eliminate nighttime eating," says Michael A.
Liner, Esq., a lawyer with Liner Legal, LLC. "I was in a bad
habit for many years of working until 12 or 1 a.m. and most of
that work would take place in my kitchen. By going to bed at
a decent hour—9 to 10 p.m.—and waking up early to do my
work instead, I cut out the extra eating and the weight flew
right off." And if you want to stop being a night owl, then try
these 17 Things Happy People Do Every Morning.
14Be your biggest cheerleader.

13. Woman Laughing on her Phone {Weight Loss Secrets}
Shutterstock
At the end of her weight loss journey, Paige Jackson of New
Orleans found herself at 155 pounds, down from 220. She
tells Health she attributes her success in part to hiding
motivational quotes and photos in places she knew she'd
see. "I always have my phone background set to a
motivational quote," she said. "Words of wisdom, like 'If you
want it, work for it,' offer a little pick-me-up every time I look
at the screen."
15Use resistance training.

14. Couple, elderly couple
Gail Lind is a 70-year-old personal trainer at Anytime Fitness
who lost 50 pounds. She says the best way to lose weight
and fight aging is to head to the gym—specifically, Lind says
resistance training helped her age in reverse. "Using
resistance while working out can improve your balance and
lessen the risk of heart disease," she explains. "Resistance
training also helps prevent the natural loss of lean muscle
mass that can come with aging and lead to loss of mobility."
And for more anti-aging advice, check out these 100
Anti-Aging Secrets for Looking and Feeling Younger Than
Ever.
16Don't avoid your favorite foods entirely.

15. ice cream
Shutterstock
When Bevilacqua was in the midst of her weight loss journey,
she didn't completely avoid her favorite sugary sweets—she
just wasn't overdoing it when she did eat them. "Making sure
I can eat whatever dish I want is what stopped me from
'cheating' because there was essentially nothing I couldn't
eat," she explains.
17Make time to be active every day.

16. walking is the best exercise
Shutterstock
Especially for those getting older, finding the time to move
your body each and every day can actually help slow down
the hands of time and drop the pounds. "Whether it's at
home or at the gym, engaging in a small workout everyday
maintains overall health and can slow the breakdown of
tendons, ligaments, joints and bone density—which helps
prevent or reverse osteoporosis," Lind says. These workouts
can be as simple as an afternoon walk, or as strenuous as an
hour at the gym—both will inevitably benefit your body and
make it easier to lose weight or keep off the weight that
you've already lost.
18Watch your portion sizes.

17. Older Woman Eating Fruit {Weight Loss Secrets}
Shutterstock
A common trend among people who have successfully lost
weight is not watching what they eat, but how much they eat.
When Harold T. Stokes, a professor at Brigham Young
University, tried this approach to weight loss, he lost 50
pounds and six inches off of his waist in less than a year. By
giving himself a 1,900 calorie cap every day, he was able to
make more informed decisions.
"I didn't want to reach 1,900 calories too fast," Stokes writes.
"I stopped putting syrup on my oatmeal for breakfast. It
would save me 100 calories and allow me to eat a little bit
more for dinner. I wanted to save the calories for the things I
really liked eating."
19Take photos every single day.

18. Older Couple Taking a Selfie Photo {Find Happiness}
"I started taking a picture a day without really planning to. In
my first photo, I didn't recognize myself, so I decided to take
a picture every day until I saw a person I recognized,"
Justine McCable tells Women's Health about how she was
able to shed 124 pounds. "I soon began tracking my weight
loss through the pictures, and it was a great way to keep
motivated."
20Make the decision and stick with it.

19. happy man living his best life {Weight Loss Secrets}
Shutterstock
According to Dell'Aringa, a weight loss journey is only
successful if you actually "make the decision" to lose the
weight and decide that your health is more important than
your cravings. "I wanted to be healthy and fit more than I
wanted to stuff my face with candy, pasta, and pizza," he
writes. "You have to be all in."
21Measure your success in goals, not pounds.

20. Woman Running Up the Stars {Weight Loss Secrets}
"Throughout my journey, I have always relied on active
goals, like running a 5K or building muscle, to measure my
progress," Jackson tells Health. "Working toward real-life
results is way more rewarding than obsessing over a number
on the scale."
22Focus on building muscle.

21. Couple Lifting Weights
Shutterstock/Kzenon
Lind also credits her weight loss to consistently building
muscle mass through weight training. Doing consistent
weight training improves your posture, ensures that your
body retains a full range of motion into your golden years,
and burns fat long after you've left the gym. And, because of
this improved range of motion, working out on a more
frequent basis won't do as much harm to your body. If you're
new to building muscle, try these 40 Great Exercises for
Adding Muscle Over 40.
23Don't feel guilty about a few slip-ups.

22. chocolate chip cookies
Shutterstock
"A cheat day? What does that even mean? I'm not here to
feel guilty about the decisions I make," writes Suzanne
Kvilhaug, who was able to lose 50 pounds and successfully
keep the weight off. "If I eat something that isn't the best
thing for me, I move on. I don't regret my decision or sulk in
guilt."
24Find healthy foods that you actually enjoy.

23. Greek yogurt with nuts
Shutterstock
"Success comes not from denying yourself pleasure and
good food, but by forming habits that are more pleasurable
with food that you really like that causes you to become
healthy and fit," writes William Anderson, LMHC, a licensed
mental health counselor. Once he found healthy foods that
he actually loved, he was able to overcome his battle with
obesity and lose 140 pounds, bringing him down to a healthy
180.
25Take your weight loss one step at a time.

24. People running on the treadmill at the gym.
Shutterstock
For Shanna Fichera, losing weight was "a very gradual
process." "I began walking or jogging for 15 minutes a day,"
she explains to Cosmopolitan. "I worked up to 30 minutes,
and then increased it again." When you're on your weight
loss journey, it's important to realize that it's a marathon, not
a sprint.
26Form a strong support team.

25. boot camp workout class
Finding a health coach and a community to provide
"nonjudgmental encouragement and accountability … can
make all the difference," Jeverna Michelle King tells
Prevention. "For so long I tried to lose weight thinking I could
do it on my own, only to fall back into unhealthy thinking and
destructive behaviors." Thanks to her support system, King
was able to lose 82 pounds, and she's even now helping
others find their own success as a certified health coach.
27Don't make excuses.

26. Family Having Dinner {Weight Loss Secrets}
"Stop using your kids as [an] excuse to not be healthy and
use them as [an] excuse to live a better healthier lifestyle,"
says Instagram user Penelope Walker. Once she started
using her family to her weight loss advantage, the "fit mom"
was able to lose 50 pounds—and she's still going!
28Drink beet juice.

27. Beet Juice {Weight Loss Secrets}
According to musician Joey Giambra, drinking beet juice
helped him lose weight and keep it off as well. Frequently
sipping on beet juice has actually been proven to improve
your stamina during workout sessions, allowing your body to
shed the pounds more efficiently. And not only that, but
beets possess key nutrients that work to lower your blood
pressure, slowing the hands of time with each sip.
29Focus on the health benefits of weight loss.

28. blood pressure test Lower Blood Pressure
Shutterstock
There's so much more to losing weight than looking
good—and when you think about these health benefits, it
makes it much easier to stick to your goals. "My bootcamps
are about so much more than losing weight," writes Alyssa
Uriarte, a fitness coach who was able to successfully lose 50
pounds herself. "We focus on the things there are to gain
when you put your heath first. Self love, confidence, healthy
habits, and empowerment over your choices are just a few of
the things you can look forward to gaining." And if you're
struggling to take those first weight loss steps, here are 20
Science-Backed Ways to Motivate Yourself to Lose Weight.
30Find healthy alternatives for the foods you love.

29. "Find healthier alternatives to what you love," writes Nancy
Habibi, a health coach who's down 64 pounds and counting.
Before her weight loss journey, Habibi loved the Caramel
Frappes from McDonald's, and now she is able to curb that
craving without derailing her diet with the much healthier
Herbalife Cafe Latte.
31Don't fall victim to fat-burning pills.

30. Pills {Weight Loss Secrets}
Shutterstock
"Fat burners don't do anything," warns Xavior Ureno, a
fitness enthusiast who "went from chunky to funky" after
losing 150 pounds and reversing his type 2 diabetes
diagnosis. "No pill or supplement will make you lose weight.
Losing weight is only done through hard work."
32Keep your diet interesting.

31. couple at a cooking class date night ideas
Shutterstock
When Branda Peebles, chief visionary officer at Prestige and
Prosper, first began her weight loss journey, she made the
mistake of making her diet too regimented. She eventually
realized her mistake when she fell off the wagon after only
three months on such a strict diet. Upon "changing it up a
bit," Peebles was able to add more foods that she genuinely
liked into her diet, like guacamole and grilled chicken,
making her weight loss more effortless and enjoyable.
33Use your weight loss victories to motivate you to keep
going.

32. Chinnup Exercises {Weight Loss Secrets}
Shutterstock
Though Instagram user Amy of @aimsandgains never
particularly cared about her back muscles, she notes that
"seeing the changes through training and better nutrition just
spurs me on to be better." As you get further and further into
your weight loss journey and your body begins to change,
use that progress as motivation to keep going.
34Know that no workout is too small.

33. tendon exercise squat frog stretch
Peebles struggled to fit her workouts into her busy
professional and personal schedule, so she did what she
could. "I did 10 squats every time that I went to the bathroom
because it was an easy exercise to add into the day," Peebles
says. That simple workout—along with her changes in food
habits—helped Peebles shed the weight without wasting any
of her precious time throughout the day.
35Find a plan that feels right for you.

34. healthy woman
Even if you know a friend who had success with the Keto
diet, don't immediately assume that the same plan is going to
work for you. In order to lose weight and keep it off, you need
to do "what feels right for you, not what you think you should
do," says body image expert Laura Fenamore of Skinny Fat
Perfect. She's been inspiring others since she lots 100
pounds years ago.
36Drink plenty of water.

35. Woman Drinking Water
Shutterstock
Peebles also notes how drinking more water helped to keep
her hydrated through tough workout regimens. According to
Peebles, drinking at least 64 ounces of water a day helps
"speed up your metabolism and helps hydrate you." Not only
that, but constantly sipping on water throughout the day can
curb hunger pangs and provide you with a limitless source of
energy for all those workouts.
37Celebrate small victories.

36. Man is Excited {Weight Loss Secrets}
Shutterstock
If anyone understands just how overwhelming the idea of
weight loss can be, it's Matt Schiffman. Not only does he
work as the vice president of brand management at RSP
Nutrition, but he's also lost over 100 pounds himself. His
advice? "Focus on making tiny daily improvements. Have a
big picture goal, but focus daily on taking baby steps
towards the goal and celebrate those small victories every
day."
38Get an adequate amount of sleep.

37. Woman Sleeping in Bed
Power lifter Jade Socoby says her weight loss would not
have been possible without sufficient rest between workouts.
Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule became important
for Socoby, who worked rotating shifts at her job at the time.
Catching those z's made losing weight all that much easier.
39Eat something before you go out.

38. Brazil Nuts
Shutterstock
"Don't let yourself get too hungry before you go out," says
Rachael Thompson, who was able to lose 50 pounds with the
help of Ultimate Performance. "Have a protein shake or big
glass of water—or both!—before you get to the event or
restaurant so your stomach isn't empty." And if you're
unsure what to fill up on, then try The 5 Best High-Protein
Snacks for Men.
40Make meal prep part of your routine.

39. Meal prep {Weight Loss Secrets}
For Sarah Grant, planning her meals out in advance helped
curb her desire to eat out at restaurants or reach for a
second helping of food. It was portion control in its simplest
form. "Especially as a working mom, having healthy,
portioned out meals ready to go in the fridge is one of the
most critical habits that sets me up for success while
dieting," Grant says. "I set aside a couple of hours one day a
week—Sunday for me—and make this a priority. It helps me
stay on track no matter how busy I get during the week."
41Take ownership of your past, present, and future.

40. weight loss tips
Shutterstock
"Believe with every fiber of your being that you can
accomplish this," says Schiffman. "At the end of the day, you
are responsible for your actions and everything that happens
to you, so take extreme ownership of everything in life that
happens to you and do whatever it takes to make real
change."
42Cut out processed foods.

41. getting rid of sugar in your diet can get rid of wrinkles
Shutterstock
By cutting out 98 percent of the processed foods containing
sugar, flour, and other grains from his diet, Tony Schy—an
entrepreneur, CEO and executive coach—was able to reduce
those cravings that were caused by big swings in his blood
sugar. This small change allowed Schy to lose a staggering
70 pounds that he's kept off to this day.

42. 43Try intermittent fasting.
Schy also credits his weight loss to his reliance on
intermittent fasting. "Most days, I fast for 16 hours. This
helps maintain your metabolism," he says. Combined with
exercising three to five times a week, Schy believes that this
fasting helped him lose the weight as efficiently as possible.
And intermittent fasting isn't just good for your
waistline—read more about how Science Says That
Intermittent Fasting Could Extend Your Life.

43. 44Start the day with a high-protein breakfast.
Breakfast {Weight Loss Secrets}
People often say that breakfast is the most important meal of
the day, and nobody embodies that more than Umar Malik,
who lost 170 pounds with the assistance of both Ultimate
Performance and many a high-protein morning meal. "I no
longer eat a full English breakfast, which was my go-to
breakfast when I was overweight and weighed 400 pounds,"
he says. "Now I count my macronutrients for most of the
year, so I'll typically have steak and eggs in the morning
because it's high in protein and contains healthy fats."
According to Malik, this meal provides the energy and fuel he
needs to stay satiated and revved up for the first half of his
day.

44. 45Get a smart watch.
woman with smart watch
Shutterstock
For extra motivation throughout the day, investing in a smart
watch like a Fitbit can help you set achievable goals for
yourself on a daily basis, says Lisa Warren, creator of the My
Military Spouse Life blog. "My watch motivates me to stay
active throughout the day. Now that I've met my weight loss
goal, it continues to motivate me to maintain what I worked
so hard to achieve," Warren says. Seeing your daily progress
on your wrist helps you stay on track and makes it harder to
ignore your weight loss goals.

45. 46S.O.S.—shrink our stomachs.
olive oil
Stan Chlebowski cut out salt, oil, and sugar in what he refers
to as the "S.O.S diet." Upon making this change in his diet,
Chlebowski soon realized how much of these ingredients
were in the food he was eating and why it was so important
to make the lifestyle change that he did. And it
worked—Chlebowski has lost more than 100 pounds!

46. 47Don't make it more complicated than it has to be.
watching tv at gym
"Keep it simple when you're starting out," says Laura
Micetich, a bodybuilder and health coach who was able to
lose more than 100 pounds just by going to her local Gold's
Gym. "There are a million different buzz words in the fitness
industry," but Michetich feels that the secret to weight loss
success is ignoring the flashy workouts and diets until
you're well past the starting line.

47. 48Stay away from enablers.
Shutterstock
For IT professional Liz Rodriguez, spending less time with
friends and family members who enabled her unhealthy
habits was a great place to start in her weight loss journey.
By surrounding herself with healthy, happy, and positive
people, she was able to both lose the weight and maintain a
more confident sense of self and purpose.

48. 49Avoid excess alcohol.
people drinking wine at dinner
Shutterstock
When Tyler Stewart, an IT. professional in New York, gained
far more than your average freshman 15 in college, he found
that he was able to lose the weight quickly by eliminating
alcohol almost entirely from his diet. By the time he
graduated, Stewart was down more than 80 pounds, and
today, he happily enjoys the occasional glass of wine without
repercussion.

49. 50Find ways to make room for your favorite foods.
older couple dancing {priorities over 50}
Shutterstock
WW ambassador Kendra Vernon has lost 83 pounds so far
on her fitness journey, and she lets herself indulge as long
as she plans to burn off the calories. "You can earn FitPoints
[on WW] if you are dancing to exchange for food," she notes.
"There are all these different options for you… to have
whatever you want." And if you want to burn the most
calories possible, read up on How Music Helps You Burn
More Calories.
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