Lose Weight and "Change Your Life" with These 5 "Non-Extreme" Habits

Do you want to lose weight and keep it off? Dr. Nina Ellis Hervey is a health expert and influencer who shares about “healthy lifestyle, weight loss, natural hair care, confidence, self-esteem, education & more.” In a recent viral post, she shares about what she did to drop weight. “Losing over 100 pounds over 17 years ago and keeping it off has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” she says, adding that there were “some real innocent mistakes that I was making that I didn't even realize. So today I wanna share the nine habits that I stopped in order for me to lose over 100 pounds and keep it off for good.”

Choose Which Habits You Want to Give Up

“Now, if you do some of these things, don't feel bad. Instead of giving up altogether, just give up some of these bad habits I'm gonna mention,” she says. “Now, let's get into these practical solutions.”

Understand That You Can’t Change Your Diet Overnight

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“The attempt at changing my diet overnight was a big no-no for me,” she says. “I used to lie to myself, tell myself that all these bad food habits that I had, I was gonna get rid of them by tomorrow, or better yet next year, or that I was gonna clean out my whole kitchen, get rid of all the junk food and change everything about it by the next day and replace it with healthy food. More lies.”

Make Sustainable Changes

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She learned that the point was “to make changes that I could live with in my life for today,” she says. “I wanted to make sure that I was making lasting eating and fitness changes that could last the rest of my life. And so here's a few of those things that I used that were quick fixes.”

Make Healthy Swaps

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“I learned that eating healthy is not all about the foods that you take away. It's about eating the foods that you can have that are healthy, that you're adding into your life abundance,” she says, suggesting “small, steady, and realistic changes,” like swapping out 2% milk for 1% or unsweetened almond milk, or switching out processed bread for a multigrain version. “Once you ease into that, add in a nice serving of fruits and vegetables each day,” she says, noting that “adding small changes that make a big difference over time. Things that you can live with that are not extravagant and overboard that you're more likely to stick with.”

Pair Diet with Exercise

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“Only dieting and not exercising was almost the death of me,” she admits. “You can lose weight through diet alone, but it is super hard.” She learned “a little bit more about exercise and how I could use it to lose a little bit more weight, but also to eat a little bit more,” she says. “Plus, there's a lot of great physical and mental benefits to it, like feeling better in your clothing or looking the best that you would like to look, as well as your muscle tone and body frame.”

Keep It Simple

“Here's my quick fix here: Keep it simple, stupid,” she says. She explains that you don’t need to devote a lot of time to “long workouts and all this strenuous stuff.” Instead, “you need to just figure out how to make fitness work for you. I didn't start off working out all day long. I didn't start off with long, hefty workouts. I had to start off small in just 10 minutes. 10 minutes is all you need in order for you to see some changes in your fitness journey. So get on that elliptical, get you a hula hoop, a little bit of jump rope. Just move a little bit. You're going to see a difference and do it for yourself.”

You Can’t Outrun a Bad Diet

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“I had to also stop putting so much of an emphasis on my exercise as well. Here's the hard truth: What I was eating and how much I was eating had much more of a significant impact on my body, my weight loss, and my weight gain than exercise ever did. In short, you cannot outrun a bad diet. I was ignoring bad food choices because I was working out so much,” she adds.

Working Out Too Much Can Backfire

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“Now let's talk about working out so much. For me, it was bad because it limited my recovery. And when you limit recovery, you end up with more injuries, which kept me out of the gym more, which meant I was in a bad cycle of gaining weight,” she said. She was constantly “sore and tired,” which led to emotional eating. So, she “slowly creeped up in my exercise and changed the way I was eating, which led to good weight loss. This also helped me with pushing through hard plateaus. Whenever you hit those marks, but then you stop, you slow down in your weight loss. And instead of gaining weight or not losing any weight, due to lack of diet care, I was losing more.”

Stop Giving Up On Yourself

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She also had to stop giving up on herself. “Most of us fall short. We skip out on workouts. We're not eating the healthiest, we're not making good decisions. However, you know, we dust ourselves off and we try again.” What she “learned over time is that those pounds kept dropping off because I kept showing up. Even though I didn't always know what to do, I had to forgive myself from my past mistakes. And I also had to figure out ways to use those mistakes as learning lessons to move forward. So here are some of my quick fixes here. I had to learn that perfection has no place here. You deserve it and you are worth it. When you make a mistake or you feel like you're not making significant progress, keep going anyway. Do not give up. Change requires time and old habits, they don't go away easy. Try to reach out for some support and don't wait until next week or next year to jump back on the bandwagon. Do it right now. You can do it.”

Don’t Eliminate Food Groups. Instead Practice Moderation

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She also reveals that she tried to give up on certain foods altogether, explaining that she would “get around certain foods” and had zero willpower. She tried eliminating food groups, but “I was even eliminating the things I actually enjoyed,” she says. “And what I learned is you have to have a diet that includes things you enjoy for you to sustain it for the rest of your life. So I would go around cutting out bread, sugar, pasta, everything, and I would lose weight for a little minute and I would lose it sharp. But then as soon as I would add that thing in, let it rip, and I would gain that weight back real fast. So here are my quick fixes with that: Everything in moderation. And I try to eat more of what I know is good for me. And I also try to get proportioned items that allow me to eat what I want, but within a certain controlled portion,” she says. And this also stopped my all out binges and being weak around foods that I needed more willpower around because I had more of the treat that I desired.

Don’t Overindulge on Cheat Days

“Overindulging on those cheat days had to stop for me,” she says. “What would happen is I was literally just binging out on food. And so then this would lead to me feeling bad about myself. I would be in a bad mood, which would lead to more bad eating. That made me feel even worse. So here are some of the things that I use as quick fixes. Keep in mind that for some people, especially at first, and when you're struggling with self-control, which is not a horrible thing, it takes time. Maybe it's just an excuse to binge on food instead of actually having a nice reward day. If you can have a cheat day and be reasonable with it, then you're fine. But if it leads to you just eating foods over and over that make you feel bad about yourself leading to less restraint on your eating, then this ain't for you.”

Portion Control Treats

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She recommends portion controlling your treats. “This way you feel more good about your choice and your decision, and you also feel a bit more satisfied. So it leaves you with both feelings of not feeling bad about yourself, but also getting what you want out of the deal,” she says.

Stop Confusing Healthy with Low Calorie

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“I had to stop confusing healthy with low calorie,” she continues, explaining that she used to buy

“healthy buzzworthy” food. “Research even shows that people who grocery shop are more likely to buy the stuff that says stuff like gluten free, organic, low fat, without even thinking about whether it really means that it's low calorie. And a lot of the stuff on these packages is a whole lie.” She claims that most of it isn’t actually low calorie. “Read the front of the package very carefully and flip it over. And look at the nutrition facts. Look at all the things from the calories to the fat, to the cholesterol, the carbohydrates, all of that. That's gonna give you a rundown of what you want inside your diet or what you're having. It's not that you're calorie counting per se, but it's good to know the ingredients that's in your food so you actually know what you're consuming.”

Read Restaurant Menus Carefully

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“Restaurant menus are super suspect as well. They love to put in that section that says healthy options and healthy choices. And when you look at the calorie count, sometimes it's just as high as the other food that's on the menu,” she continues. She recommends looking things up on MyFitnessPal.

Eliminate Unrealistic Expectations

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“I've had to stop it in the past with unrealistic expectations. And what I mean is, reality stars and TV and infomercials make weight loss look like a breeze. So when I actually lost my weight, I had to realize how hard, definitely hard it is. And that's why I share with y'all the struggles and the triumphs. It's not all cute peaches and cream. Sometimes you're gonna have downs. Sometimes you're gonna have ups, and sometimes you're gonna have wins and losses.”

There’s No Quick Fix

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She also says that fads are too good to be true. “When I would try to lose the weight super quick, it would come off quick for a while, but then you can't sustain that. It's not consistent. So I had to find something to stand in to make me more stable,” she says.

Make Small Goals

“Changing my mindset was the major tweak when it comes to expectations. Instead of me expecting that I would lose 10 pounds in a week, expecting that I could lose one pound and reaching that goal helped me to be more likely to stay on track and feel good about myself because I was reaching the goals I set out to do and they weren't too hard for me. Losing one or two pounds per week, or even half a pound is something to be celebrated. It's very much healthy and realistic, and it also leads to a lifetime of watching your health,” she says.

Here Are 5 Problem Solving Methods

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“I had to stop forgetting to use problem solving methods in order to stop bad habits. A lot of times we think it's easy for us to stop things and pick up new habits, but actually it's very difficult. And when it comes to weight loss, there are some specific things I try to stick with,” she says. “Number one is replacing bad habits with good habits. Two, finding your bad habit triggers. Three, managing those triggers. Four, enlisting a friend or family member to help with the positive changes. Five, making avoiding bad habits easier by removing those things out of your way and out of your life.”

Create Good Habits

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If you change your behavior, you have more of a chance of sustainable weight loss. “Create good habits so that you can last longer. Give yourself some room,” she says toward the end of the video. “Things that you can add to your life that will be even better for you on this journey.”

Follow Her on Social Media

You can follow Dr. Nina Ellis Hervey on social media. Here is her YouTube, Instagram, and X. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.

Have you ever felt frustrated watching the scale creep back up after losing weight? Do you find yourself caught in an endless cycle of restricting food, then giving in to cravings, only to start all over again? You're not alone. What if the secret to lasting weight loss isn't about trying harder but trying smarter? That's what Mayra from LowCarbLove discovered on her remarkable journey. As a mother and wellness enthusiast who naturally lost over 135 pounds through low-carb and keto approaches, Mayra has maintained her weight loss for over 15 years. "Weight loss is already a difficult journey," she shares, "but I would definitely say that the most difficult part of losing weight is actually maintaining it." Read on to discover the game-changing mistakes she fixed that could finally help you break free from yo-yo dieting and achieve lasting weight loss success.

Stop Over-Restricting Your Foods

"When you restrict down to tiny portions, that's not sustainable," Mayra warns in her post. She explains that drastically cutting calories might work temporarily, but it's a recipe for failure. Your body needs proper nutrition to function, and according to Mayra, trying to survive on 1,000-1,200 calories usually leads to binge eating and metabolic slowdown. "Our bodies are super smart," she explains, "and when you lower your calorie intake down to let's say a thousand calories, your body is going to adapt very quickly." This adaptation often leads to what many call a "messed up metabolism."

Focus on Health Instead of Dieting

"There is so much more to us than our weight and looks and the size of our jeans," Mayra emphasizes. She suggests shifting from a diet mentality to a health mentality. "We just live in a society that really glorifies being skinny. It puts these unrealistic beauty standards that that's what beautiful is, which is obviously the farthest from the truth." Rather than obsessing over reaching an unrealistic number on the scale, focus on nourishing your body.

Build Strong Habits Before Adding Treats

While Mayra believes in enjoying life, she cautions against introducing cheat meals too early in your weight loss journey. "If you have a cheat meal too soon, you haven't developed those core habits, that really strong foundation yet," she explains. This can create a weekly cycle that undermines progress: "Hey, I did good all week. Woo, it's the weekend. Let's go see what we find."

Break Free from Scale Obsession

"Our body weight fluctuates so much throughout the day," Mayra shares from experience. She admits to previously having an unhealthy relationship with the scale: "That number on the scale would either make my whole day or ruin it. It was really that serious." Instead, she recommends weighing yourself once a week at the same time and focusing more on how your clothes fit and how you feel.

Plan Ahead for Success

"If I am not prepared, if I don't have the foods in my refrigerator that I need to eat, I'm going to eat whatever," Mayra admits. She emphasizes the importance of keeping healthy snacks, proteins, and even homemade desserts ready. "Find the things that are healthy that you actually enjoy eating, and then just make sure you always have them on hand," she advises.

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Create a Sustainable Lifestyle

"Don't diet it, make it a lifestyle change - it's a hundred percent true," Mayra emphasizes. She shares her own evolution from strict keto to a more sustainable low-carb approach: "I was doing keto at one point. It was sustainable for me, but it wasn't sustainable for life because I love to eat certain foods once in a while."

Set Realistic Goals for Long-Term Success

According to Mayo Clinic, setting achievable goals is crucial for sustainable weight loss. They recommend aiming to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week, which requires burning 500 to 750 calories more than you consume daily. Starting with a goal of losing 5% of your current weight can significantly improve your health and reduce the risk of conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Make Healthy Food Choices a Priority

The Mayo Clinic underlines the importance of enjoying nutritious foods while losing weight. They recommend eating at least four servings of vegetables and three servings of fruits daily, choosing whole grains over refined ones, and incorporating healthy fats in moderation. "Focus on eating fresh foods. They have more nutrition than processed foods," the experts advise.

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Stay Active for Lasting Results

While Mayra's story shows the importance of proper nutrition, the Mayo Clinic confirms that regular physical activity is crucial for maintaining weight loss long-term. They recommend working up to at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week, combined with strength training exercises at least twice weekly. Simple changes like taking stairs instead of elevators or parking farther from entrances can also help increase daily movement.

Embrace the Journey with Patience

Lasting weight loss isn't about quick fixes: "It's not enough to eat healthy foods and exercise for just a few weeks or months. To keep off extra weight, you should make these healthy changes a way of life," says MayoClinic. This professional advice aligns perfectly with Mayra's experience of maintaining her weight loss for over 15 years through sustainable lifestyle changes. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.

Kayla Cox of Six Miles to Supper (@SixMilestoSupper) is a YouTuber who shares her weight loss journey on social media to help others achieve the same success by learning how to “lose weight sustainably and keep it off for good.” In a recent viral video, she revealed that some of the things she believed were keeping her from achieving her weight loss goals. “Back when I was obese, I was unhappy about it, and I wanted to change, but there were some lies that I believed that were keeping me stuck,” she says in the clip. In today's video, I'm going to take you through each one of them and show you the truth of the matter.”

Lie 1: You Need a “Major Overhaul”

“Lie number one, you need a major overhaul,” she says in her post. “You know, when you're in a place where you do feel like there's a lot of weight to lose, it can feel overwhelming. It can feel like there's going to be so many changes I have to make that I don't even know where to start.” However, she maintains all you have to do is just make “some small habit changes that you stick with consistently over time.”

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Small Habits, Big Changes

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“A lot of people put the weight on really gradually, and in the same way, the weight can kind of just come on gradually because of these tiny little habits. The same thing is true in the reverse. It's really just about getting into little good habits that you implement over time, and that can lead to major change,” she says.

Lie 2: You Need to Find a “Miracle Drug”

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“Lie number two, you just need to find that miracle drug that will melt the pounds away,” she continues. “This is something that I really wanted to be true for a very long time. I wanted the pill. I wanted it to be easy. I wanted it just to be like, I, give me the shot, give me the pill, and just let me be thin.”

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Instead, Try Walking and Fasting

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“I realized through this process that those types of things, first of all, they're not worth it,” she says. Not only are they expensive, but “they don't even work,” she says. She adds that by fasting and walking, “the weight loss part is actually free” because “you'll be buying fewer groceries and you're just walking around, and that means that you never have to worry about what's going to happen if I ever have to go off this drug,” she says. “You can just go about your life, lose the weight naturally, and then never have to worry about those things.”

Lie 3: You Have to Exercise to Lose Weight

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“Lie number three, you have to exercise in order to lose weight,” she says. “The thing about exercise is it's great. It helps you get in a positive mental headspace, and that is very helpful when it comes to weight loss. But it can also make weight loss harder. If you're working out really hard, your appetite is going to increase, and if your appetite increases, it's going to be harder to be in a deficit. Uh, so it's kind of a double-edged sword.”

Walking Is the Perfect “Compromise”

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“I personally found that walking was a great kind of compromise because it didn't increase my appetite, but it kept me moving, and because it kept me moving and everything, I was just more positive and optimistic, which is really important when it comes to just being able to stick to your plan,” she says. “But ultimately, weight loss simply comes down to eating less food than your body burns. And so if you do that, it does not matter. Even if you exercise, not at all, you're going to lose weight. So don't let that be a thing that's holding you back.”

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Lie 4: You Are Too Old to Lose Weight

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“Lie number four, you're too old to lose weight,” she says, revealing that when she was 29, she thought she was too old to lose weight. “I was looking at the scale. I saw that I was obese, and I thought, ‘But the thing is, I'm too old now. I've waited till I'm almost 30. And now it's going to be impossible,’” she says, citing that people told her that at 30, your metabolism “tanks.”

You Can Lose Weight at Any Age

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“What I have learned is that first of all, you can absolutely lose weight at 29, but by just talking to people on this channel and then in the comments section and people emailing me, I've heard of people much older than me, losing weight successfully and keeping it off,” she says. “People even in their seventies have emailed me to let me know that it works for them. You're never too old, and it's never too late. You just have to start.”

Lie 5. You Have to Change What You Are Eating

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“Number five, the one that I think is the most pernicious and pervasive of all the lies out there, is you have to change what you're eating if you wanna lose weight,” she says. “I especially hate this one because I think it holds so many people back from losing weight because they think, ‘Oh, well, if I wanna lose weight, that means that I can't have chocolate cake anymore.’ Or I have to totally just eat the foods I hate and not the foods I love.”

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Instead, Focus on Eating the Right Amount of Food

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“The truth is, it all comes down to just eating the right amount of food,” she explains. “If you wanna eat really rich high-calorie foods and that's just what you like and that's what you want in your life, guess what? You can still lose weight. You just have to eat less of that food. You have to be in a caloric deficit.” And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.