Getting Off the Weight Loss Merry-Go-Round: 4 Keys to Success

You’ve spent a lifetime managing your career, family, and everything in between. Now, it’s your turn, just like it is mine. If you’re tired of losing weight only to have it come back, and you’re looking for sustainable weight loss and a lifestyle that brings you joy, there are four keys that can help you find lasting success: mindset, food, habits, and consistency. 

Shift Your Mindset. Your mind is your most powerful tool, and you can use it to discover the hope and courage to transform. Start by identifying your “why.” Think beyond the number on the scale. Is your motivation to travel the world, to keep up with your grandkids, or to have more energy and vitality. Visualize what your life will look like when you succeed and make that vision so powerful it becomes your north star. 

Next, align your beliefs. Many of our unconscious beliefs formed early in life and can quietly hold us back. Recognizing, understanding, and transforming these beliefs is essential to breaking free from the old ride of losing and regaining weight. 

Be a planner. Just as you’ve planned for your career and family, apply those same skills to your health. Anticipate challenges and decide ahead of time how you’ll handle stress or unexpected events. 

Finally, leverage your courage. It takes bravery to prioritize yourself, to change your thinking, and to redefine who you are being when it comes to food and health. Who you are being determines what you do and, ultimately, your results. 

Heal Your Body with Food. Your body has been with you since the beginning and deserves your kindness, compassion, and nourishment. Real transformation starts with eating whole, unprocessed foods that you truly enjoy and can easily prepare. 

Simplify your meals and make them easy by planning. Consider deciding what you’ll eat the day before, and batch cook when possible, so the right thing becomes easy. 

Learn to identify and eliminate foods that trigger you, the ones that create uncontrollable cravings or lead you off track. Understand why your transformation matters so deeply, thank those old foods for the role they once played, and then let them go. 

Most importantly, ditch the diet mentality. A slip is not failure, it’s feedback. It’s an opportunity to learn what needs adjusting and to return to your plan without guilt or punishment. 

Build Habits That Last. Sustainable change happens through small, consistent actions. Create routines for your well-being just as you have for your work and family life. Schedule regular times for meals, movement, and stress management. When these intentional actions become automatic, they form the foundation of your new identity. 

Prioritize self-care because true and lasting weight loss is about more than food. It’s about how you live, rest, manage stress, and find joy. Make time for restorative sleep, activities that soothe rather than deplete you, and fun that doesn’t revolve around eating. 

Finally, build a strong support system. Surround yourself with people who understand and encourage your goals, whether it’s a friend, a group, a professional, or a health and wellness coach. Sharing your journey and tracking your progress helps bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be. 

Be Consistent. I finally decided it was time to change for the last time. My health was declining, and retirement wasn’t far away. Using the keys of mindset, food, and habits, I lost 120 pounds and feel better than I did 30 years ago. 

Over time, I discovered a fourth key, consistency. In maintenance, my habits are largely the same.

While I get a little more food now, my lifestyle hasn’t changed. I went from a size 22 to a 2, and for the first time in my life, my clothes fit every day. I’m confident this is how I’ll live for the rest of my life. 

Sue Brown, RN, MS, MPA, NBC-HWC is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach who specializes in working with leaders and retirees who struggle with their weight. She's worked in a variety of clinical and leadership positions over the years, but it was first after losing and maintaining a 120 lb weight loss that she found her calling as a coach.

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