Stop These 20 Habits and Watch the Pounds Melt Away

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.

Jenn Clayton is a Certified Weight Loss and Nutrition Coach and social media influencer. In her viral videos, she shares tips and tricks on how to lose weight — fast. “Today we're talking about how to lose 20 pounds as fast as possible,” she says in the clip. She also reveals that she lost “just under 140 pounds” by counting macros and calories. Here is exactly how she did it.

Lifestyle Changes Can Help You Lose Weight Fast and Keep It Off

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“Losing weight is challenging whether you're trying to lose five pounds or 20 pounds, and we know that steady weight loss keeps the weight off. Fast weight loss doesn't always keep the weight off long term, but there are definitely some healthy lifestyle changes that you can make while losing weight that will ensure that you do it quickly and keep it off long term,” says Jenn.

Set Realistic Expectations, Losing One to Two Pounds a Week

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“The first thing we always wanna do when we're setting out to lose weight is set expectations that are safe and reasonable. Losing weight safely typically means about one to two pounds per week. So, anywhere from 52 to 104 pounds lost safely over the course of one year. A balanced, nutritious diet moving your body, this is how you're going to keep those 52 or 104 pounds off long term,” she says.

1. Count Calories

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“Tip number one to drop weight quickly is to count your calories,” says Jenn. “Basically, weight loss is going to occur when you take in less than you're putting out, whether that's in your day-to-day life exercise included, not exercise included because you don't have to exercise to lose weight. It's all about how many calories in versus calories out.”

Have Your Macros and Calories Done

“The best way to know what your calorie consumption would be for steady weight loss is to have your personalized macros and calories done,” she says. “I follow my own macros and calories, and that's led to my almost 140-pound weight loss.”

2. Drink More Water

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Number two is to drink more water. “Now, we hear this all the time: of course, drinking water is going to hydrate you. It's going to help with your hair, your skin, your nails, and just how you feel overall,” she says. “But drinking water actually has big benefits for weight loss.”

And, Swap It Out Sugary Drinks with It

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“Part of the reason for this is you're going to be swapping beverages with calories for water, so things like alcohol, soda, pop juices, teas, energy drinks, swap those out for water that's going to save you calories. And remember we talked about calories and calories out, and it's going to hydrate. You flush everything out of your body, which leads to weight loss. The other great benefit of water is it's going to help you keep full. Water sits in your belly, takes up space in your belly, so it's going to help keep you fuller for longer,” she says.

3. Amp Up Your Protein Intake

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“Number three, and this is probably the most important of all of this, and this is to increase your protein intake,” says Jenn. “Protein is king when it comes to weight loss. Again, your protein intake is going to vary from anybody else. The protein that you need every day is specialized for you, and that is part of that macro and calorie calculation.”

Protein Is Harder to Digest, So It Burns More Calories

“Protein is the hardest macronutrient for your body to digest, so it's harder than carbs. It's harder than fat. And when our body is digesting protein, it's burning calories. The act of digesting food burns calories. So, if it takes longer to digest protein, we're going to burn more calories in the process. And I don't know about you, but burning calories just digesting my food sounds pretty good. Not to mention, protein will keep you fuller for longer and satisfied between meals. So make sure that protein is part of every meal and snack,” she says.

4. Reduce Refined Carbohydrates

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Number four is to reduce your refined carbohydrate intake. “Now, this doesn't mean eliminating carbs altogether or restricting carbs. We really want to focus on slow-digesting carbs. Those are going to be the carbs that have fiber,” she says.

Slow Digesting Carbs Should Be 80 Percent of Your Carb Intake

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She recommends things like rolled oats, sprouted bread, and quinoa. “Those are slow-digesting carbs. They should make up about 80% of your carb intake, and then that other 20% sitting over here can be some of those fast-digesting carbs like rice cakes, chips, crackers, and cookies. Those types of things are okay to have in moderation. But if we reduce those processed carbs and really focus on unrefined slow digesting carbs, again, it will keep us fuller for longer, and it takes our body longer to digest, therefore burning more calories,” she says.

5. Lift Weights

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Number five, start lifting weights. “I can't stress how important this is. Now, this doesn't mean that you have to go to the gym and do a 150-pound deadlift. You can actually focus on lightweights with high reps,” she suggests.

You Will Build Lean Muscle

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“This is going to build lean muscle. Lean muscle burns calories at rest. So the more lean muscle you have on your body, the more calories you're going to burn, doing absolutely nothing. So, sitting around watching TV, you're burning calories with that lean muscle, and the only way to build lean muscle is to lift weights. Not to mention, when we're experiencing a calorie deficit and we lose weight, remember that weight is made up of water, fat, and lean muscle. We're going to lose some of our lean muscle. So we want to make sure that we can maintain and build as much as possible while losing weight. And remember, the amount of lean muscle in our body decreases as we age. So lifting weights is even more important as we get older,” says Jenn.

6. Eat More Fiber

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Number six, eat more fiber. This goes right along with eating more protein. It's going to help keep you fuller for longer. And when we have a higher protein diet, we can have issues going number two, and by eating enough fiber that's going to alleviate those issues.

Here Are Some Great Sources

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She also points out that fiber fills you up. “Not to mention the benefits of keeping us full. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, these are all amazing sources of fiber,” she says.

7. Follow a Sleep Schedule

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Number seven, follow a sleep schedule. “Sleep is so important for weight loss, maybe even as important as being in a calorie deficit. When we lack sleep, our body wants energy. The energy we would have gotten from getting enough sleep increases the cortisol levels in our body, which makes us crave foods that give us energy. And what are those foods? Fast digesting carbs, cakes, cookies, crackers, candy, sugar, things that give our body instant energy,” she says.

Practice Sleep Hygiene with These Tips

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“Some tips to improve your sleep are getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night, practicing a calming bedtime ritual before bed, such as reading or taking a relaxing shower, going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, even on the weekends,” she continues. “Limiting screen time before bed, minimizing your intake of caffeine and large meals before bed, and reducing sources of light noise. And lastly, keep the room where you sleep at a cool temperature. These are really, really important facets in getting in your sleep, which leads ultimately to faster weight loss.”

8. Set Goals and Stay Accountable

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Number eight, set a reasonable goal and stay accountable. “Consistency is key. Consistency over perfection,” she says. “Whatever goal you have for yourself, it should be reasonable, and it should keep you motivated. When I was in the bulk of my weight loss journey, I always had a goal of reaching the next weight decade, 190 pounds two, a hundred eighty-two, a hundred seventy. That was my goal.”

Reward Yourself

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“Every time I reached a new weight decade, I rewarded myself with something not related to food that helped keep me motivated, helped keep me accountable, and I was very consistent in not only the foods that I chose but also moving my body regularly,” she reveals. “Set realistic and small goals that eventually lead to a big goal because that's really what's going to keep you motivated. Consistency over perfection. That's the key to weight loss.”

9. Add Cardio to Your Routine

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Number nine, add some cardio to your routine. “This doesn't mean you have to go to the gym and sweat it out for hours upon hours. You can do some simple cardio that's going to help burn extra calories and remember, calories in, calories out. That's how we lose weight.”

RELATED: 11 Signs Ozempic Is Not for You

Here Are Examples of Cardio to Do

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“Some great examples of cardio that you can add to your day are things like walking, running, jumping, rope, rowing, hiking, and biking. Maybe 20 minutes three times a week is a great place to start. Just moving our body overall not only helps with mobility, flexibility, maintaining lean muscle but also helps with weight loss,” she says.

10. Eat Slowly and Mindfully

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Number 10 is to eat slowly, is to eat slowly and mindfully. “Don't be distracted when you're eating. Turn off the tv, and put your phone away. Really focus on your food. Take small bites and chew them really well. I know that I'm a fast eater, so what works for me is setting my silverware down between bites. That way, I actually have to focus on chewing what's in my mouth, swallowing that, and then picking up my silverware again for the next bite. It's actually recommended to chew your food about 20 times before swallowing,” she says.

Eliminate Distractions

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“Eliminating any distractions is going to lead to mindful eating, and you're going to enjoy your food. Eat it slower, which sends a signal from your stomach to your brain that you've consumed. Food keeps you full, you don't overeat, and it's a great way to really enjoy the amazing foods that you're eating,” she points out.

Losing 20 Pounds Is Stressful, But Doable

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“Losing 20 pounds or really losing any pounds is very, very stressful. It can be very frustrating, but there are some things that you can do in your day-to-day life that not only speed up your weight loss but help you keep it off long term,” she says at the end of the clip.

Talk to Your Doctor First

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“Make sure that you talk with your doctor before starting any new exercise routine. And remember consistency over perfection. We're not going to be perfect on our weight loss journey. Really, truly, 80% of eating on plan and 20% of eating off of plan are going to lead to amazing quick results with weight loss,” she continues.

RELATED: 5 Ways to Speed Up Your Metabolism

Be Patient

Finally, be patient. “Patience is the key to determination and motivation. Remember, setting small goals that lead to a big goal will keep you motivated, get the weight off, and keep it off long term,” she says. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.