{"id":47601,"date":"2016-02-16T07:15:43","date_gmt":"2016-02-16T12:15:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=47601"},"modified":"2021-11-18T10:18:34","modified_gmt":"2021-11-18T15:18:34","slug":"losing-weight-loss-secrets-success-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/losing-weight-loss-secrets-success-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Real-Talk Moments Nobody Told Me About Losing Weight"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Losing weight is all about trial and error \u2014 and learning from your mistakes along the way. (Don\u2019t make us bring up juice cleanses<\/a>\u2026) And nobody knows that better than these fitness experts, Instagram stars and Daily Burn users who\u2019ve managed to shed anywhere between six and 99 pounds.<\/p>\n

Now, they\u2019re doing you a solid so you don\u2019t have to hit the same speed bumps on your journey \u2014\u00a0no matter how much weight<\/a> you\u2019d like to lose. So without further delay, here\u2019s the one thing they wish someone had told them before<\/em> day one of their diet.<\/p>\n

12 Things You Should Know About Losing Weight<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. You don\u2019t have to live in the gym.
\n<\/strong>\u201cNo one told me I didn\u2019t have to spend hours in the gym every day to start seeing results. I most definitely would have started earlier if I knew that moving my body for 30 minutes a day<\/a> \u2014 in my own home and without any equipment \u2014 could be just as effective.\u201d \u2014 Daily Burn 365<\/a> participant <\/em>Adrienne O’Connor<\/em><\/a>, 36, lost 30 pounds<\/em><\/p>\n

2. It\u2019s all in your head.
\n<\/strong>\u201cLosing weight is 100 percent [about] a change of mentality. Sure, getting together an eating plan that works<\/a> for you and figuring out how to properly execute a deadlift<\/a> is important. But it\u2019s a moot point if your brain doesn\u2019t drastically change\u2026If you nourish your body, and exercise out of a place of self-love, you will find motivation, inspiration and self-acceptance.\u201d \u2014 <\/em>Lifestyle consultant and fitness Instagramer <\/em>Chinae Alexander<\/em><\/a>, 30, lost 70 pounds<\/em><\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> The Weight Loss Secret 90 Percent of People Are Missing<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Losing weight isn\u2019t everything.
\n<\/strong>\u201cI wish someone had told me that\u2026it didn’t mean that I would be happy. There are still days when I look in the mirror and I see the old me\u2026But keeping progress pics on my phone at all times helps. It helps remind me of how far I\u2019ve come.\u201d \u2014 Fitness instructor and figure competitor Diane Haro, 27, lost 99 pounds<\/em><\/p>\n

“Exercise is fine, but you can\u2019t just up your exercise and not change your diet and expect dramatic results.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

4. You\u2019re never totally done.
\n<\/strong>\u201cI wish I’d known that once you lose weight, you’re still going to have to watch what you eat for the rest of your life if you <\/span>want to maintain it<\/a>. When I got started, I guess I never thought about what would happen after I lost the weight!\u201d <\/span>\u2014 Social media manager at Daily Burn<\/a><\/em> Theodora Blanchfield, 32, lost 50 pounds<\/em><\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Overindulged? Here\u2019s How to Get Back on Track in 24 Hours<\/a><\/p>\n

5. \u201cNo pain\u201d doesn\u2019t equal \u201cno gain.\u201d<\/strong>
\n\u201cI was 25 when I started working to lose weight and my body was fairly resilient, so I focused on lots of exercise so I could keep up the youthful partying. That took a bit of a toll, however, and I’m certain some of my middle-aged aches and pains are due to overdoing it [back then]\u2026Being a little more careful with my diet<\/a> could have allowed for the same pace of weight loss, while also being more moderate with my exercise regimen.\u201d \u2014 <\/em>Syndicated fitness columnist <\/em>James Fell<\/em><\/a>, 47, lost 50 pounds<\/em><\/p>\n

6. Your goals are always changing.<\/strong>
\n\u201cAt first I set a weight goal and thought when I reached it I would be happy \u2014\u00a0and I wasn’t. I realized I needed to do more than just lose weight. I had to shape my new post-baby body<\/a>. Now that I have a daughter looking up to me, my goal is to be healthier. Otherwise, I’m hurting her and myself in the process. Honestly I’ll never be done setting goals. It’s fun to see myself change and grow muscle \u2014 and see confidence in the mirror.\u201d \u2014 Stay-at-home mom and fitness Instagrammer <\/em>Amberly Good<\/em><\/a>, 27, lost 53 pounds<\/em><\/p>\n

7. You can\u2019t out-exercise a bad diet.
\n<\/strong>\u201cI wish someone had told me it really boils down to eating habits<\/a>. Exercise is fine, but you can\u2019t just up your exercise and not change your diet and expect any kind of dramatic results. And you can\u2019t exercise extra and think that permits you to eat whatever you want. Exercise to feel good and be fit, but curb your intake for weight loss.\u201d \u2014 SVP and director of professional services Safiya Edwards, 59, lost six pounds<\/em><\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Gym Time or Meal Time: What Matters Most for Weight Loss?<\/a><\/p>\n

8. The scale isn\u2019t the bottom line.
\n<\/strong>\u201cI wish I knew to be patient and put the scale away. <\/span>Body composition<\/a> and how I felt was a much better gauge of my health and fitness. Plus, since I was lifting and gaining muscle, it was even harder to make the scale move. Knowing that, six months later, I\u2019d see crazy changes even if the scale wasn\u2019t much different, would have made the process easier.\u201d <\/span>\u2014 <\/em>Nursing student and fitness Instagrammer <\/em>Leah Martin<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>26, lost 20 pounds<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cTake care of yourself spiritually, emotionally and mentally, and the physical will follow.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

9. Your metabolism really does slow down.
\n<\/strong>\u201c\u2018Slower metabolism\u2019 was something I thought most women used as an excuse for gaining weight; I thought they really just didn\u2019t have time to exercise. Then, seemingly overnight, it happened to me. Why didn\u2019t anyone warn me that this happens to (I think most) women?\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Certified court interpreter Michele Galasso, 49, lost 12 pounds<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

10. If you focus on being healthy, weight loss will come.
\n<\/strong>\u201cYou can go on a crash diet<\/a> and lose all kinds of weight, but if you don’t establish healthy eating habits and fuel your body the right way, you will most likely gain everything back. I’ve lost weight in the past, but it wasn’t in a healthy way or by learning to eat healthier foods and I inevitably gained the weight back<\/a>. This time, I’ve focused more on just being healthy and the weight has come off and stayed off.\u201d \u2014 Daily Burn<\/a> user <\/em>Amy Avery<\/em><\/a>, 35, lost 80 pounds<\/em><\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 7 Days of Clean Eating, Made Simple<\/a><\/p>\n

11. Every little bit of activity counts.
\n<\/strong>\u201cKeep moving. The body is intended to move, not to sit for long periods of time. So if I have to sit for a while at work, or driving, I make a conscious effort to get out for a few minutes and walk\u2026Get up, get the blood flowing, and move around. Walk the dog, play with your kids, clean the house, have a dance party. It all adds up.\u201d \u2014 Development director for <\/em>Girls on the Run<\/em><\/a> Lauren Psimaris, 35, lost 35 pounds<\/em><\/p>\n

12. You have to love yourself.<\/strong>
\n\u201cTake care of yourself spiritually, emotionally and mentally, and the physical will follow. Loving and accepting myself allows me to find peace. Obsessing over what I look like now as compared to what I looked like before stalls my efforts at maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In the past, I would do drastic cleanses that made me tired and gave me headaches and did not necessarily deliver on the promise of weight loss, or at least, not sustainable weight loss\u2026Take each day, each meal, each opportunity to exercise as exactly that, an opportunity.\u201d \u2014 Talent acquisition relationship manager for Quest Diagnostics Naa Yirenkyi, 43, lost six pounds<\/em><\/p>\n

Note to reader: Some of the content in this article relates to the core service offered by Daily Burn. In the interest of editorial disclosure and integrity, the reader should know that this site is owned and operated by Daily Burn. Always talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise or weight loss program. Daily Burn users who worked out for 30 minutes or more at least five times a week for 60 to 90 days reported an average weight loss of about one pound per week.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s time to get real about losing weight. We asked 12 people who\u2019ve shed pounds what they wish they\u2019d known before starting their get-fit journeys. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,18],"tags":[41,89,341,343,285],"class_list":["post-47601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","category-weight-loss","tag-diets","tag-success-story","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2exercise","tag-weight-loss"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47601"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47601\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}