You see them in magazines, on TV and on the web. Weight loss success stories seem to be everywhere. But, if you’ve always struggled with your weight or with eating a healthy diet, they can be frustrating. They can make you feel like you’re the only one who can’t find success.
But, as we learned in “11 Takeaways from a Retiree’s Weight Loss Journey – Part 1”, by reading about weight loss successes, and failures, can give you the lessons and motivation that helps you turn your own story around.
While many success stories are plainly untrue, you can usually spot the real ones. When you do, instead of looking at the overall story and comparing it to your overall experience, try to find something, anything, that you feel might work for you.
As an example, we looked at a story about a woman who, at 66 years old, lost 80 pounds. Even just scanning the story reveals lots of great tips and insights into what worked for this person. And one or more of them might work for you.
In addition to those we showed you in Part 1, here are six more excerpts from the article that can become chapters in your own weight loss success story.
1. “After dropping 50 pounds, she started exercising” and “before I lost 50 pounds I was too self-conscious to go to a gym.”
We bet if you added 50-pound weights to all those slim and trim fitness models you see on TV, it would make it difficult or impossible for them to exercise too.
Yes, exercise is not something that works for you now, whether that’s because it’s too difficult, you don’t like it or because you’re self-conscious – or all of them. But know that, as you lose weight by taking some of the steps outlined above, things can change. Especially if you get proper nutrition, you can have more energy for extra activity.
2. “At first, she struggled to walk on the treadmill”
And Reuer says she couldn’t do a push up or squat when she started, and had a racing heart. Sound familiar? But by transforming her diet, maintaining her nutrition and sticking with it, Reuer got over those obstacles.
3. “I thought it was the funniest thing I had ever heard”
The suggestion of participating in a Tough Mudder event, which is an obstacle course of physical challenges, was so ridiculous to Reuer that she found the idea laughable. But her perseverance paid off and she completed the course.
4. “… she saw a t-shirt that said, ‘Forget skinny, get fit’”
Reuer found the motivation to lose weight and do things she thought impossible from four words on a t-shirt. Even if the idea of ‘getting fit’ doesn’t motivate you, the point is she found something to motivate her. Whether it’s the looks you get, or that you avoid doing certain things you’d like to try, or you simply don’t like what you see in the mirror, try to find your motivation for losing weight.
5. “…she started working with a trainer…”
Again, maybe a fitness trainer isn’t for you. But the tip here is that Reuer sought the support of someone who could help her reach her goals. Getting rid of extra weight might be one of the most difficult things you do. And it might be a long-term project. Doing it on your own makes it even more difficult than it already is. By finding the specialists who can help, both in taking the first steps and in continuing to live at a lower weight, not only gives you a way to reach your goals, but it just might help you reach heights you never thought possible.
6. Two Years
It took two years for Reuer to lose 80 pounds. The lesson here is that healthy, sustainable weight loss doesn’t come from a 30-day diet.
This Is Just One Person’s Story
Regardless of how true it is, how much weight was lost or what she was able to achieve, Reuer’s story still might not resonate with you. But it’s just one person’s story that we use as an example. If you take only one small part of it to heart, it’s a step in the right direction and you may be able to find other steps in other weight loss stories.
Herbal One’s Weight Loss Success Stories
If you’re looking for more true stories of real people who have lost weight and continue to live a healthier lifestyle, be sure to check out our Success Stories page. You will find dozens of examples of people who had the same weight loss issues as you, but who found the motivation to overcome them and got the support of our nutritional consultants to make it all happen.