If you are wondering how to lose 30 pounds AND keep it off, this post is for you! Not only will I share my tips and experiences, but I will also be sharing 15 helpful habits I have learned from some of my readers who have been able to keep it off after their 30 lbs weight loss.
A few weeks ago, I rediscovered the book 7 habits of highly effective people. I am sure you heard of this book considering it has been around forever. Anyway, I didn’t read the book again but the title did get me thinking…
When people are learning how to lose 30 pounds, what are some of the habits that have effectively helped them sustain that weight loss?
The key part of that sentence is “sustain that weight loss”. As someone who has lost over 30 pounds, I can tell you that losing weight in my opinion is easy compared to sustaining it. But, I have sustained my weight loss for 10 years now!
I know the habits that work for me and share everything I know on Organize Yourself Skinny. Check out the healthy lifestyle category.
But, I was curious about what other people do or have done to sustain their weight loss. So, I decided to ask this question in the Organize Yourself Skinny Facebook Group. Many responded and gave some great responses!
Before I share a summary of the responses, I want to talk about an observation I made as I was reading all of them.
I found it very interesting – though not surprising – that not one person mentions a fad diet or strict diet program when talking about losing weight and/or sustaining their weight loss. A couple of people did mention Weight Watchers but I think that the program does work for a lot of people because it focuses on lifestyle and habits.
I personally don’t think paying for a program like Weight Watchers is necessary but, out of all the programs out there, I think it is the most realistic.
Anyway, my point is that almost every single habit that was talked about was free and did not require a restrictive “plan” or “program”.
Now, of course, this is not a scientific study by any means but only what I found by asking people who follow the Organize Yourself Skinny Facebook page.
How To Lose 30 Pounds: 15 Helpful Habits From People Who Have Kept It Off
Are you someone trying to learn how to lose 30 pounds healthily and safely?
Then, I think you will feel relieved and pleasantly surprised –or not – to find that all 15 of these habits are real everyday habits that anyone can implement into their lifestyle.
All without sacrificing yourself or any of the food you love! These habits don’t require a monthly fee, for you to buy special diet foods, or the need to follow a list of complicated rules.
Please note: These habits are not in any kind of order. All of them are equally important. I summed up all their responses into 15 habits, added my thoughts, experiences, and resources if available.
1. Do not eliminate foods or deem certain foods as bad or “off-limits”.
With all the restrictive diets flooding our TVs and computer screens, you would think the only way to lose 30 pounds would be to completely eliminate food groups and only live off kale and water. Well, that is not the case.
Most people who lose weight and sustain their weight loss do not do so by removing certain foods completely from their diet but finding a way to fit them into a healthier lifestyle. It’s more about portion-control than depriving yourself of the foods you love.
For weight loss to be sustainable, your lifestyle needs to be sustainable.
Here are some additional resources:
2. Develop routines and make it your lifestyle.
Losing weight has everything to do with creating healthier habits.
To do this, you need to switch up your routines. Basically, if you do what you always do, then you are going to get what you always get. Once you have created new routines and stick with them, those routines will eventually turn into habits and become your new lifestyle.
Keep in mind that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. So, don’t give up on those new routines so quickly. Also, don’t try to overhaul your life in one week. Slow and steady friends! Too much too soon will cause you to burn out and get discouraged.
Here are some additional resources:
- Morning Habits to Organize a Healthier Lifestyle
- Habits to Do on Sunday for a More Productive Week
- Habits to Do Before Bed to Help You Lose Weight
3. Eat clean(er) foods.
When you are on the journey to learning how to lose 30 pounds, you probably hear or read that you should eat “clean foods”. But, what does that exactly mean?
Basically, clean eating means eating foods that are minimally processed, if processed at all, and closest to their natural state. When you eat clean foods, your body receives more nutritious foods, which means it will be nourished and satisfied longer.
Here are some additional resources:
4. Have an accountability system.
Accountability systems are so important when losing weight. They help you measure success, identify issues, and motivate as you move forward. I personally use my scale to hold me accountable. That is what works for me!
I also pay attention to the way my clothes fit and how I look in pictures. I know the picture thing might sound weird but for many years, I hid behind my kids in pictures because I hated the way I looked. One reader suggested always looking at yourself in a mirror, front, and back. I think the picture and mirror tip comes down to not hiding from yourself.
Now, I am not suggesting that you become obsessed with the scale or mirror. Not at all! But, having an accountability system is very effective in helping to lose weight and sustain that weight loss.
Here are some additional resources:
5. Practice portion control.
Once you embrace and learn the concept of portion control is when you realize no food is truly off-limits. The saying “everything in moderation” absolutely rings true in the world of sustainable weight loss.
Here are some additional resources:
- How To Control Your Portions At Home
- How To Control Your Portions In A Restaurant
6. Learn to track your food.
Next to portion control, tracking food is one of the most powerful tools when you are trying to lose 30 pounds.
In order to make any changes with food, you need to know what you are eating and more importantly how much. Some people will say that counting calories or tracking food is tedious and too time-consuming.
Yes, it does take a little time upfront- however, the rewards in my opinion far outweigh any inconvenience. Plus, once you become more aware of the food you are eating you may not need to track as much. However, I have ALWAYS found it helpful to fall back on tracking whenever I have gotten off track.
Here are some additional resources:
- 5 Small Weight Loss Habits for Big Results
- 6 Tips to Stay on Track All Weekend
7. Try to prioritize exercise.
In order to reach your goal weight and sustain that weight loss, you have to prioritize exercise. When you combine a healthy diet with exercise, you will see results.
Not only will your body change and look better but your mood will change and you will have much more energy. Now don’t get scared because I am not saying you need to run marathons or spend hours in the gym. But, you do need to get sweaty a few times a week. Find what works for your lifestyle and make a commitment to exercise 3-4 times a week.
Here are some additional resources:
8. Eat every few hours.
I hate being hungry.
When I am hungry, I tend to get headaches, crabby, and become totally fixated on food. It really is not a pretty sight.
So I have learned that instead of eating 3 bigger meals with long periods of time in-between, I do much better with eating 5 smaller meals a day. This helps keep me satisfied all day and prevents me (most of the time) from making bad food choices.
Here are some additional resources:
- The Best Store-bought Keto Snacks
- Healthy Snacks Recipes You Can Freeze
9. Find healthy substitutions for favorite foods.
I think the biggest myth with losing weight is you must give up your favorite foods. This is not true at all! In fact, I have found it to be the exact opposite.
If you want to lose weight and sustain that 30 lb weight loss, you need to find a way to continue enjoying the foods you love. Once you start to feel deprived is when your efforts to create healthier habits will crumble. You want to create eating habits you can live with forever!
Here are some additional resources:
10. Stay hydrated.
I never really concerned myself with hydration. I always thought I drank enough water but I was wrong!
However, once I started drinking green smoothies in the morning, I realized that maybe I was not properly hydrated before.
Because when I drink smoothies, I feel alert all day, never get headaches, and have a ton of energy that lasts me all the way till night. When I don’t drink them, I feel the opposite.
Drinking my smoothies not only gives me a good dose of fruits and veggies but it also gives me a lot of water and liquid to hydrate my body. For me, it is difficult to fully hydrate my body by just drinking water all day. If that works for you, great! But, I have found smoothies to really help with hydration.
If you find yourself tired all the time and not having energy, try doing more to hydrate yourself because that could be the issue.
Here are some additional resources:
11. Meal planning, Meal Prep, and Freezer Meals
Creating a menu plan and preparing your foods ahead of time helps you become more intentional with the food you are eating. When you are intentional, you think before you eat and most likely will make better food choices.
Both of these tools – used together – serve as the roadmap and vehicle for a healthy lifestyle. Without either of them, I would never know what I am eating and certainly would not have the food available when I am ready to eat. And you know what happens next? Yep, take out or quick unhealthy snacks.
Taking the time to menu plan and then preparing the foods that you can ahead of time make such a big difference with your weight loss efforts.
Here are some additional resources:
- Beginners Guide To Menu Planning
- Healthy Meal Planning Guide
- Meal Prep Guide
- Freezer Meals for New Moms
- Easy Freezer Meals to Batch Cook
12. Have a cut-off time every day with eating.
This has been one of my go-to weight loss habits when I was on my journey to lose 30 pounds!
Late-night eating has always been an issue for me as I am sure it is for other people too. By giving myself a cut off time, I am able to control my nighttime calories.
This habit, as with others I have mentioned, keeps my intentional with my eating. My personal cut off time is 7:00 pm so I know if the clock says past 7 pm and I am eating more than likely I am eating unnecessary calories.
Now your cut-off time can be whatever works for you. I know some people work crazy schedules and 7 pm does not work for them.
The point is to stop eating by a certain time to prevent overeating. It has work wonders for me and I believe it can really help you in meeting your weight loss goals.
Here are some additional resources:
13. Have a max weight for the scale.
This is not something I have practice but I think I will start. I know some people do not like using the scale but for me, it works.
I weigh myself every week to keep me in check and try to post my weekly weigh-in on my FB page and blog every week or so. Sometimes, I am a slacker and go a few weeks without posting. But, I will tell you when I start to see the number go up and up that is enough incentive for me to refocus and get back on track.
I love the idea of having a max weight because then it gives you a little flexibility but always you are giving yourself a limit.
14. Cook at home.
One OYS reader wrote, “Weight loss begins and ends in the kitchen”. I absolutely loved this and couldn’t agree more.
Early on in my weight loss journey, I learned that if I wanted my weight loss to be sustainable I needed to learn to cook real food at home. Trying to lose weight and survive off boxed diets meals was not sustainable.
When you cook at home, you control the ingredients, portions, and are able to prepare food that you enjoy.
Here are some additional resources:
- Meal prep recipes For Starting a Weight Loss Journey
- Meal Prep Dinner Ideas With Minimal Cooking Time
15. Never stop!
Even though I did not put the other habits in any kind of order, I did want to put this one last. I want you to leave with this.
Losing weight and sustaining that healthy lifestyle is a process and journey. It is never over.
I have said this many times before but I will say it again – there will be times where you think you got this whole weight loss thing down, then there will be other times where you eat a box of thin mints and feel like you lost all control. But, no matter how bad you think you “slipped up”, never stop trying.
Always keep moving forward!
Those are the 15 habits I came across from people who have effectively lost 30 pounds or more. I hope you find these encouraging and helpful as you move through your weight loss journey!
Are there any other habits you think should be added to this list that have worked for you? Let me know in the comments.
Ashley says
I would definitely agree with these habits. I lost 40 pounds doing all of those items and have hovered between the 40 and 50 lb weight loss mark for the last 3 years. Doing these habits was not something I consciously started. Day 1 was talking to a nutritionist and buying a semester long cardio class pass. As my fitness evolved, I started incorporating those habits from above (I didn’t know that then) based on how I was feeling and what was working. Now, I have completed a half marathon and am training for another. For a college girl at 5’1″, going from 180 lbs and uncomfortable in my own skin to 130-140 and considering myself an athlete is the most amazing feeling in the world. I refuse to give that feeling back.
Jess says
Thanks!!! I am sharing this with my accountability group today! We are wrapping things up this week and I think these are great lessons to post on our last week! I myself have lost 30lbs since June and have changed every. single. one. of these habits! Thanks for putting it into words!
Megan says
I’m on a journey as most of us find ourselves at one stage or another. So far I’m down 24kgs and 87.5cms and I’m still going. But there is one thing that I didn’t see you mention which has been a big one for me……your mind set.
It is incredibly easy to allow an injury, a binge of food or just a flat energy level due to illness or something else to get in the way and stop you from achieving but I’ve learnt this year that it doesn’t have too.
When a head cold takes over and my energy is low I focus on my nutrition. When I injured my shoulder I still went to the gym and worked my legs and abs until I was right again.
These little hurdles appear in all our journeys but what I’ve come to realise is it’s how you face them that makes the difference.
Tammy Kresge says
This is so true and I could not agree with you more. I will be focusing a lot more on mindset in 2015! You are reading my mind.
LovesToFly says
I lost 40lbs in 2010, and another 20 in 2013. I use a lot of the techniques you do!
1. I track to lose weight and keep it up at least 6 months into maintenance. When the scale starts to get close to my max weight (which is 5lbs more than my ideal attainable weight) I go back to it for a few months.
2. I post pictures of myself on my blog and Facebook a lot…knowing people are seeing me and will notice if I start gaining motivates me to keep it up.
3. I have a repertoire of healthy foods/recipes I love the taste of, and am always adding to it.
4. I rarely keep junky stuff, sweets, etc, in the house. I will indulge with a serving out of the house for special occasions, but not at home.
5. I prioritize exercise.
6. I do not eat after dinner (including a light dessert if I choose to have one) or after 7pm except for the very rare evening out.
7. I prepare a big bag of fruit to take to work the next day for snacks every night.
8. I am realistic. I am a 41 year old full time working mother. I am not going to be “skinny”. I don’t have to be “skinny” and if I ever did get there I am sure I would not be able to maintain it for long. So I focus on being slim enough to wear the clothing I like, within the healthy BMI range and fit enough to do the activities I like and mean my fitness goals. I have taken “smokin hot body” out of my goals…it is too much pressure.
Cynthia sassy says
I lost 25lbs ans didn’t keep it off because I stopped following many of the 15 guidelines…one of the things that is an issue for me is snacking late like 930at night….I have become vey selective on what I snack on…cold sliced apples, one string cheese diveided on 6 small crackers. I mentioned to my doctor about 3 months ago that I was eating out of control at night and she said if snacking at night is getting later and later, to go to bed,based on being tired is impeding my food judgement… It never occurred to me! So now with my better snack choices I am also getting ready for bed by 1030 lights out by 1045 instead of 1230…I am feeling better…I have diabetes so the changes I make MUST be made…I am getting more on track with the 15 guidelines…thanks for putting tha. Out there
Teresa says
Thank you for your helpful tips. First, I want to say keep it up everyone-never quit is so important. I committed myself to eating healthy for one year and start exercising. I was 100 lbs overweight. So far I have lost 62 lbs by eating a clean diet of 1300 calories per day and walking a mile 3 or 4 days a week. I educated myself on nutritional eating and exercise. My life has been transformed. I cannot imagine going back to my old habits even though I know it is possible. Good luck to you all-keep up the good work!
Crystal Miller says
Struggling with some inner demons here! Can’t seem to find my strength and convince myself that i dont need to give up and i can loose weight but something inside me keeps bringing me down. I feel at a lose here feel like im drowning and nobody will save me! im an emotional and a bored eater. I pray that something gives!
Lindsey says
Hey, I know how you feel. I’ve been 10 lbs away from my goal weight and on the right track only to give up, I don’t know, something scares me about succeeding.
Brittany Burges says
Definitely can relate! Being someone who has lost 30+ pounds, the struggle, for me, really comes down to the food – that is where I see all the noticeable changes. Going to the gym is great and I thoroughly enjoy my time there, however, it doesn’t do you any good if you spoil your workout with food. It was very hard for me to re-adjust! Being a stay-at-home mom of 2 toddlers, it was so easy to just want to buy hot pockets or eat a bowl of cereal,if I even made time to eat at all. Making a routine and sticking with it, truly made a difference!
uno ritchie says
First you must start loving yourself. Love your body and all it does for you daily. Compare to others who are severely disabled to know how blessed you are and don’t take it for granted. Love your body and treat it as your most valuable temple to cherish and nourish in the best way possible as if your whole life depends on your choices. It does. Nothing is more precious than health and once that is lost or not a priority, your entire life will be impacted. Love everything about what your body has done for you over the years and treat it the very best you can. Friends stricken with diseases have taught me to appreciate health and treat yourself with care. You will never regret treating yourself better, appreciating your health and caring for your body, so it can care for you. You are so worth it! Make good choices to create the best life for yourself. It’s your choice what you eat and how you spend minutes each day. Just keep improving every day, little by little. Be proud of even your sample achievements. You can do what you set your mind on, so focus on your health.
ralph drake says
best pin i’ve read today.I agree completely.I have lost 60 pounds within the past year with this mindset about my body with a diet change and exercise.
Tammy Kresge says
Awesome! Thanks so much for the comment!
maria says
I would add “live the Secret”. Once I learned to believe in the new me was it possible to achieve it! We can become who we dream about!
Brittni says
I really enjoyed reading this, especially how you talked about being hydrated and establishing a cutoff time. I was wondering though if anyone had any advice on a post-gym cool off drink or snack? I work till 1130, get to the gym about 1145 and a half hour drive home. Thank you friends and keep up with your goals and hard work!
Amber says
Chocolate Milk!
Kelli says
Thank you for the 15 habits. I teach at a 7 Habits Leadership school. I hadn’t thought about putting them to use in my health/nutrition. I love the 15 different ways to become healthier. Just like the 7 Habits of Highly Effective people, the health habits will become a way of life.
One thing that I would add to the list is prayer and meditation. I believe that prayer is a vital part of any life-change. Thank you again. I look forward to following your blog.
old aggie says
Those looking for a sweet no-calorie snack might try Licorice Spice Herbal Tea, by Stash. It’s sold in grocery stores here in the midwest, or you can find it online. It tastes more like anise cookies than actual licorice, so you might like it even if you always gave away your black jelly beans like I did. 🙂
Turns out licorice is naturally sweet and historically may even have been used as a sweetener.
This is the only tea I can drink without adding sugar or splends…it’s really good.
Someone told me that licorice spice tea is popular in Europe – anyone know if that’s true?
I have tried other brands of licorice spice tea, but did need to add sweetener to them, so now I’m sticking with Stash. Hope you like it too!
Wanda says
Stash is my fav. brand of tea. I love the Salted Toffee. I add low fat milk, but no sweetener (it has a subtle sweetness in the tea). This tea has now replaced my morning coffee (never thought I could give up coffee!)
kayc says
I’ve lost 41 pounds in over a little more than 4 years. I did weight watchers for the thousandndth time but I really stayed under the max points every day-took it very seriously. What do I do? Eat fruit when hungry. I get luscious fruit from a fruit cart-saved me many hungry times. I don’t let myself get hysterically hungry. I count points every day. I weigh myself every day. for the last 10 pounds or so, I became a vegetarian. I cook a lot, less grains, more greens. Don’t eat much potatoes, pasta, rice. Walk 15 miles a week. I love the veg diet and all the cooking, I’m lucky there. Praying this time it stays off. (ps, my bmi is about 22-23, have gotten a few negative comments, to my great surprise)
weight lose problem child says
Great inspiration, I too have done the weight watchers and stopped. I am on the lose weight thing again. I want to lose 35 pounds in 2 months. So any foods that can be recommended I would appreciated it.
Elizabeth Forbes says
These could be distilled into three principles
1) Monitor yourself
2) Monitor your food
3) Maintain your good habits
Useful post, thanks.
Amethyst says
Curious? What are your thoughts on the book ‘Trim Healthy Mama’ – it is listed in the top 10 on Barnes and Noble. My mom needs to lose approximately 70-80#. She is 61 and it seems that with every year the climb gets steeper and the mental fortitude lacks more. There are things that she cannot enjoy and the emotional and mental “strongholds” seems worse than the physical struggles with her weight.
Amethyst says
*seem
Tammy Kresge says
I never read the book so I am not sure. I agree the mental is so hard – much harder than the physical for many people. I always suggest to start slow and work on 1 habit at a time. Don’t focus so much on the weight loss. have her focus on habits then the weight loss will just come naturally. Good luck!