Last Updated on May 21, 2023 by Michael Brockbank
Perhaps the most influential element for success in weight loss is YOU. And I’m not just talking about trying to stick to your diet or coming up with workout plans. While those do help, it pales in comparison to the decision to make a change.
However, it takes more than just telling yourself that it’s something you want. Anyone can say they want to lose weight or look like Arnold 1.0.
Losing weight and keeping it off relies on your dedication to that decision and making life-altering changes.
What is True Weight Loss Success?
Let’s say you had 100 pounds to lose to hit your goal weight. What happens when you reach that goal? Actually, what I should ask is how do you plan to keep that weight off once it’s gone?
Losing weight is not just a short-term goal to look good on the beach or cram yourself in clothes you haven’t worn since the late 1990s. It’s a lifestyle change that requires altering your habits.
For example, I have lost 80 pounds thus far. And even though I haven’t lost anything in over a year, I haven’t gained it back, either. That’s because I no longer slam down cupcake after cupcake from Walmart.
I broke the habit of wolfing down all of those junk foods that secured me at 300+ pounds. In fact, I highly doubt I could eat that many cupcakes today.
Well, part of that is because of my age. A lot of things start to slow down tremendously after 45.
The point is that true success at weight loss means getting to your ideal weight while being able to maintain it for the rest of your life. And if you don’t learn from the mistakes that caused you to balloon up in the first place, you’re probably doomed to repeat the behavior.
This means I view myself as a success simply because I broke enough bad habits to keep me under 240. Sure, I’m working on the last bit of weight, but what I’ve done so far has ensured I would never see 300 pounds again.
How Do You Achieve Success at Weight Loss?
For most people, losing weight isn’t necessarily all that difficult. Well, from a physical standpoint, anyway. A lot of folks, myself included, have a myriad of eating disorders that make it exceptionally difficult.
It can be very tough to change your mindset about health and fitness. Especially for those who are accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle of being lazy.
But if you want to tack on more years and improve your quality of life, it’s necessary.
Make the Decision and Put Action Into Change
It all starts with making the decision to lose weight while building up the determination to see it through. As I mentioned above, anyone can say, “I want to lose X pounds this year.”
It’s this determination that will drive you forward to take action.
Case in point, I keep trying a 12-week fitness challenge to lose 40 pounds in three months. This week, I’ve decided to put in the effort to hit the goals I’ve set for myself. Sometimes, this means forcing myself to get off my ass and go for a walk.
Speaking of which, my alarm just when off to take a break…save draft.
Identify Bad Eating Habits
So, what got you to weigh as much as you do? For a lot of us, it’s a bit of a mixture, actually. Many will gain quite a bit of weight by eating poorly and then being lethargic.
That’s actually how I got to be over 300 pounds. I would eat a lot of junk and then stay tucked away in the basement at my computer without really doing anything or going anywhere.
In reality, it had a lot to do with my mental state at that point. That was when I was starting to degrade rapidly and sunk into a deep depression, as I share in A Freelancer’s Tale.
In any case, you’ll have to take a look at your eating habits and see what you can do to make changes. For me, it was simply reducing the sheer amount of food I was eating.
I still eat the same stuff I did back at 300 pounds. The difference nowadays is that I eat a lot less of it while including healthier alternatives.
Explore Long-Term Physical Hobbies
You don’t have to dedicate yourself to the gym to be a long-term success at weight loss. Just finding physical activities you enjoy could be more than enough to burn carbs and calories.
If you find something you really like, it could become a hobby that will keep you active for years to come.
The idea here is to not simply burn yourself down with a grueling exercise regimen you’ll have no intention of continuing once you hit your goal weight. Ask yourself, “how much physical activity did I get before I hit my heaviest?”
If you want a better chance at keeping off the weight, you need to make the decision to increase physical movement. Personally, I enjoy golfing, bowling, cycling, and walking around the nearby lake.
Find a Diet and Exercise Regimen that is Sustainable
Although your mindset is key to being a success at weight loss, the driving force is finding regimens that are sustainable. For instance, if you try fasting, is it something you can see yourself doing in 10 years?
Proper health and fitness is all about playing the long game. And if you want to play that game for years to come, you need to find diet plans and workouts that keep you going for the foreseeable future.
Too many people get sucked into instant gimmicks that may or may not work.
Did you know that about 90% of people who lose weight will eventually put it back on? A lot of the time, it comes down to people not making permanent changes to their eating and exercise habits. They’re in a rush to drop those pounds but then don’t learn anything during the process.
If you go back to those old habits after hitting your goal weight, you’re just going to gain it all back.
Don’t Be Afraid of Change
As humans, we’re in a constant state of evolution. Be it technological or social, life continues to shift in a myriad of ways. And some of us fight this change tooth and nail.
When it comes to your health, you can’t be as cynical. If you dwell too much on the negative aspects of those changes, you’re less likely to commit.
For many people, the change could be something like cutting back on a favorite snack. Why would you want to deny yourself something that makes you happy?
Probably because you don’t want your heart to stop in the middle of the night.
Depending on your diet, you might not even have to give up all that much. Take me, for example. I’ve lost a considerable amount of weight without really giving up the foods that I enjoy.
I still have processed sugars, sweets, chocolate, peanut butter, and everything else I had before. But as I said earlier, I just don’t pound back the same volume.
My point is that you can’t be afraid to change your habits and make serious adjustments in your life if you want to improve its overall quality.
Seek Professional Help if Needed
Lastly, there’s nothing wrong with seeking professional help. Remember what I said about eating disorders? A lot of them spawn from some serious mental health issues.
One of my problems is that I’m a stress eater. Though, I’ve curtailed quite a bit of that recently. But not everyone is capable of doing things like this on their own.
Luckily, there are a lot of mental help sites online. Or, you can seek counseling from local psychologists.
Also, keep in mind that proper eating and exercise have been known to treat a lot of those mental health problems. In fact, I know a lot of therapists that will prescribe exercise in lieu of medications for depression and anxiety.
I’m not saying a walk around the neighborhood will cure your eating disorders. However, studies show that exercise is quite effective for those facing stress, anxiety, depression, and other eating triggers.
The bottom line is that it doesn’t hurt to consult someone or look for proper guidance.
What Decisions Have I Made for My Weight Loss Success Story?
Even though I started this weight loss journey back in 2014, I still view my progress so far as a success. Why? because I’m nowhere near where I was when I started.
Sure, I still have a bit to go. But I’m literally in the best physical shape I’ve ever been in throughout my life. It’s sad to say that at 46, I have far more muscle mass than I did at 20.
So, what kind of decisions led to changes in my life?
Greatly Adjusting Eating Habits
As I said earlier, one of the biggest contributing factors to losing 80 pounds was the fact that I made a huge change in my eating habits.
Sure, I’ve tried a few different mainstream diet plans here and there. But for the most part, it was simply seeing how much I was eating and reducing my intake.
One of the biggest turning points is when I entered my “meal” from Taco Bell when using MyFitnessPal for the first time. I was eating more calories at lunch than I should have throughout the entire day!
Nowadays, I’ll still have the occasional box deal from Taco Bell. But it’s not as often and I have far healthier meals throughout the week. For instance, I love grilled chicken salad.
Finding Activities I Love
Another main element to help me lose as much as I have was getting more physical. I started to look for things I enjoyed doing that separated my ass from my office chair.
Today, I love playing the Xbox 360 Kinect (still), riding my bike around town, playing golf, bowling, and just walking around the backyard thinking of plot points for my next book.
I also gamified going to the gym by “keeping score” of my progress. I’m constantly looking to break personal records for various exercises, which is fun for me.
Pushing Myself to Meet Challenges
I’m in a constant state of self-improvement. This leads me to continuously challenge myself to meet certain goals. Even if I don’t accomplish them, I’ll set up the challenge and try again.
Though, sometimes I’ll forget what I was doing and get sidetracked. This is part of the fun of getting older. However, I’ll keep trying until I succeed, and that’s what separates me from a lot of people.
Perseverance and tenacity.
Learning What Works for Me
The best diet plans and workouts are those that you enjoy. Everyone has different needs, wants, and ambitions. This is why keto diets work awesomely for one person while another will fail.
It’s also why there are so many diets out there you can follow.
Lots of people love to run, while I would rather walk or cycle. Many will follow a strict, no-processed-sugar diet, while I still enjoy Halloween and Christmas candy.
Case in point, my friend, Sam, will lose quite a bit of weight while on Keto. I will drop weight nearly as fast if I stick with my Net 600 calorie diet.
Success for weight loss centers more around what you find to be the best method for YOU. That is as long as it’s delivering the results you want. If it’s not, then you’ll need to make a few changes.
It All Comes Down to You
For most of us, being able to shed the pounds comes down to wanting it bad enough to make changes. Whether it’s cutting down the food intake or getting more active, the absolute decision to see that change is the first step.
As I’ve said many times before, “Put in a half-assed effort, expect a half-assed result.”
How ready are you to make profound changes in your life?