Keeping It Off: A Guide to Weight Loss Success

Hi SoS readers! I’m Theodora from Losing Weight in the City, and I’m guest posting for my girl Heather while she snuggles with her new little one. We first met when we roomed together at the Healthy Living Summit a few years ago, and Heather’s been one of my favorite blog friends ever since, so I’m happy to be posting here.

I may not be a Registered Dietitian like Heather or a personal trainer like some of you, but I do know a few things about losing weight and keeping it off.

January 2009

January 2012

In February 2009, I decided enough was enough. I was going to be in my friend’s wedding in Aruba that summer, and I was 26 years old. Too young to be hiding out under my towel hoping nobody looked at me. Too young to be so unhappy about how I looked (although I learned there’s never any age when you should be that unhappy about how you look.) And so I changed my life. I started going to a personal trainer who taught me how to love exercise and healthy food.

Within 6 months, I’d lost 35 pounds, and by a year later, I’d hit my goal weight–for a total of 50 pounds lost.

It’s been nearly two years since I hit that final goal weight, and I’ve managed to keep all of the weight off, save for the occasional 3-5 pounds that comes and goes sometimes.

Here’s how I do it:

1. Weighing myself–and not making excuses. I made so many excuses when I hopped on the scale before I lost weight. My clothes were heavy, I’d just eaten, I must have had something salty the day before. Sure, I hear about the girls that said they’ve ditched the scale and have never been happier–and kudos to them–but I can’t do that. I need to have an idea of where I stand so that I don’t slip. I don’t weigh myself everyday, but I weigh myself probably 1-2 times per week and cut back a bit if I see the number rising.

2. I found exercise that doesn’t feel like exercise. I discovered running, and I fell in love. It’s not always easy, but running mostly feels like fun to me, and it’s a great way to push myself. I started off with a 5K two and a half years ago, and became so hooked that I’ve run 9 half-marathons and 2 full marathons since! Maybe you’re not into running, though. Find what feels like fun to you and keep doing that. (But also make sure to keep pushing yourself.)

3. Reminding myself I chose this lifestyle. Believe me, I don’t always want to eat healthy and work out. Most of the time I enjoy how it makes me feel, but I also enjoy laying on my couch, drinking beer and eating nachos sometimes. (Not all at once.) When I’m dragging my feet to go to the gym, I remind myself that I don’t have to go, I’m going because I care–about my body and about my goals–and that usually convinces me to go.

4. Setting goals that aren’t just tied to the scale. Yes, I do still weigh myself consistently, but if I just set scale-related goals, I’d be miserable. I set goals for myself like more strength training, hitting a goal race time and eating in more.

5. I sweat with friends. Hell, I even ran a whole marathon with a friend. (I digress.) While I definitely still go out to eat and for drinks with friends, I find ways to make exercise as social as possible and make gym and running dates with friends.

6. I’ve made it a lifestyle. For me, this means I make healthy decisions at least 80% of the time, but don’t stress about the other 20%. It also means I do what fits into my own lifestyle, not someone else’s.

If you’ve lost weight, what’s helped you maintain it?

Tagged as: health tips, maintain weight loss, success story