These Woman’s World Readers Lost 448 Lbs.—Here Are the Weight Loss Tips They Wish They Knew Sooner
These inspiring women lost up to 245 lbs. each—here’s the real advice they wish they knew sooner
It’s easy to get discouraged if you’re trying to lose weight. From being too busy to exercise to not seeing the numbers drop on a scale, your progress can start to feel slow or even nonexistent. But staying motivated is possible with the right mindset and support. That’s why we asked Woman’s World readers to share the one piece of advice they wish they’d known before starting their journey. Their weight loss tips—which helped them shed up to 245 pounds each!—are not only easy and encouraging, but backed by experts as powerful ways to keep your momentum going.
The best weight loss tips: straight from readers, backed by experts
Since progress looks different for everyone, finding what keeps you on track is key. “Embarking on a weight-loss journey can be transformative, but many people struggle with misconceptions that make the process harder than it needs to be,” says Ashley L. Pittman, MS, RCEP, exercise physiologist at Pritikin Longevity Center.
Here are the smart tips Woman’s World readers have learned from their own successful weight loss plans that can make a real difference.
Woman's World Answers
1. Make relaxation a daily habit
More often than not, getting proper sleep and managing stress are overlooked in weight loss programs. However, they play a significant role in regulating hunger hormones like ghrelin and satiety hormones like leptin, explains Jennifer Habashy, NMD, MS, assistant medical director at Claya.
Poor sleep and chronic stress can lead to overeating, cravings and fat storage, especially around the abdomen.
“I wish I had known that the scale is a total drama queen and doesn’t measure my worth or even my progress.” —Mary Alexander
“You could be doing ‘everything right’ with food and exercise, but without sleep and stress care, your body may not respond the way you expect,” says Nina Crowley, PhD, RDN, LD, director of clinical education at Seca.
“Habits are everything!” says Traci Strauser Day, who lost 245 pounds. “When I focused on my habits, everything else fell into place.” And while getting regular physical activity and eating healthy foods are likely already part of your routine, getting into the habit of reading, meditating or simply thinking positive thoughts for a few minutes at the end of the day can go a long way toward easing stress and making it easier to sleep.
And this is the advice Woman’s World readers wished they’d gotten the most before starting their weight-loss journeys. Almost 30 percent of you said so!
2. You don’t have to starve yourself
Too many people buy into the idea that drastic calorie restriction is the key to weight loss, but Pittman notes that deprivation often backfires. Instead, strive for a balanced, nutrient-rich diet that supports metabolism, energy levels and long-term adherence to healthier eating habits. (That’s something more than a quarter of Woman’s World readers have learned through their own weight-loss journeys.)
Not getting enough nutrients can lead to the loss of muscle mass and hamper your overall metabolic health. “When you lose lean body mass, you’re also losing strength, energy and your body’s ability to burn calories efficiently,” says Crowley.
Day put her own spin on this smart weight loss tip by planning out what she wants to eat to ensure she’s never starving. “Meal prep is key for me—I do it twice a week,” she says. She precuts all her fruits and vegetables, premakes her salads and cuts lemons and limes for water. “This always sets me up for success.”
3. Strength training is just as important as cardio
When it comes to your workout, you may want to grab the weights. In fact, Crowley says strength training may be more important than cardio for long-term weight management, especially for women.
“Cardio helps improve cardiovascular fitness and burns calories, but strength training helps preserve and build skeletal muscle. This supports metabolism, bone health and independence as we age,” says Crowley.
One way to get started? Join a group challenge. “I’ve participated in fitness challenges through my Apple fitness app—it’s such a motivator!” says Woman’s World reader Debra Ramos, who lost 118 pounds. “On days when I feel like skipping out, it keeps me going. I think that if you say you’re going to do something, you feel compelled to do it.”
4. Celebrate the non-scale victories
Weight is only one marker of progress. “Improvements like better energy, deeper sleep, looser fitting clothing, improved mood or increased strength are just as significant—and often more meaningful,” says Dr. Habashy. Acknowledging these wins helps you stay motivated and keeps your focus on your overall wellbeing.
What’s more, “body composition measurements can reveal meaningful improvements, such as gaining muscle or reducing visceral fat, which signal that your metabolism is responding positively, even before you see a change on the scale,” Crowley says.
This is a big thing, especially for Ramos. “Don’t get me wrong, the number is important as it relates to reaching our goal weight, but it isn’t the most important as it relates to day-to-day life outside of our ‘diets.’” She suggests focusing on victories that happen every day, such as being able to walk farther without feeling out of breath or sizing down when shopping for clothes.
Mary Alexander, a Woman’s World reader who lost 85 pounds, also heeds this advice. “I wish I had known that the scale is a total drama queen and doesn’t measure my worth or even my progress, and that weighing constantly wasn’t helping,” she says.
5. Progress isn’t linear
It can be challenging to keep pushing through when you hit a weight loss plateau or feel like you’ve taken a step backward from your goal, but weight loss fluctuations are normal. Hydration levels, muscle gain and hormonal shifts can all impact the number on the scale, explains Pittman. “Instead of getting discouraged, it’s essential to focus on consistent healthy behaviors that compound over time.”
Alexander says this helps her keep track of what’s really important. “My advice is to keep the journey simple, make it fun and really lean into it. It’s not a race—it’s a lifestyle.”
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