7 Women Share How They Overcame Their Biggest Weight-Loss Struggles
I used to let my unhealthy choices make me feel like a failure.
After sweating like a beast at the gym five days a week, eating more green veggies than you ever have in your life, and drinking water like it’s your job, you would expect that any extra weight would drop off faster than you can say, “burpees.” But, if you’ve ever tried to lose weight before, you know that’s not how it goes down.
If it makes you feel better, that’s totally normal, says Isabel Smith, R.D. “It’s hard to wait for the weight to catch up to the effort,” says Smith. The key to success, especially in the beginning, she says, is being patient and zeroing in on the results that are harder to see. For example, even if the number on the scale might not have budged, your measurements and your energy levels might have, she says. Plus, you could see improvements in your hair, skin, and nails, says Smith. Thanks, green veggies!
Many women who successfully lose the extra pounds share one common trait: They identify the real reason they’re struggling—and find a way to push past it. Here, we asked women to share the biggest challenge of weight loss and how they overcame their struggles to shed the pounds for good.
After sweating like a beast at the gym five days a week, eating more green veggies than you ever have in your life, and drinking water like it’s your job, you would expect that any extra weight would drop off faster than you can say, “burpees.” But, if you’ve ever tried to lose weight before, you know that’s not how it goes down.
If it makes you feel better, that’s totally normal, says Isabel Smith, R.D. “It’s hard to wait for the weight to catch up to the effort,” says Smith. The key to success, especially in the beginning, she says, is being patient and zeroing in on the results that are harder to see. For example, even if the number on the scale might not have budged, your measurements and your energy levels might have, she says. Plus, you could see improvements in your hair, skin, and nails, says Smith. Thanks, green veggies!
Many women who successfully lose the extra pounds share one common trait: They identify the real reason they’re struggling—and find a way to push past it. Here, we asked women to share the biggest challenge of weight loss and how they overcame their struggles to shed the pounds for good.
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“I couldn’t find the time to work out with kids.”
“I struggled with leaving the kids and getting to the gym—especially during the winter. I started trying to lose weight while my husband was deployed overseas in 2013. At the time, I weighed 260 pounds and had three children under the age of 5. I was very discouraged until I found home workouts and meal plans. I no longer had excuses not to go to the gym! It was very encouraging because that’s when I actually started to see the weight melt away. In 22 months, I dropped down to 140 pounds. I gained a bit in the last year when I started lifting weights and changing my routine, but I’m still very happy and very healthy! It’s important to find something you can do each day that you don’t dread. Take your journey one meal, one snack, one workout at a time to reach a forever lifestyle change.” —Sarah Beasley, 28, lost 120 pounds
