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.
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!
Chris Sapienza says
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS! Great post. Have to say, all of the points covered are exactly what Weight Watchers teaches. I see your point about not spending the money on it if you feel you can do it on your own, but there is great value in attending the meetings and get the motivation and support from the leader and the others in the class. For me, it’s worth the $13 a week. But you’re correct, if you follow these tips….success will be with you in sustaining your loss.
Lesa says
Thank you so much. I was sitting here in tears and some how I found this blog out of nowhere. I have been struggling with losing 30 lbs. I keep gaining weight every six to eight months I gain 5 to 10 pounds. I can not exercise like I could, not even walking. I have pain issues and I am so depressed. I hate my body! I never would have ever said that out loud but I am at the end of my rope. I am going to try all you have said. If I can get 10 off it would be a miracle. Maybe it would be an incentive to keep going! Just blowing off my steam right now. Thank you for being here. Maybe you saved my life. I am so depressed. Thank you for doing this for people you will be truly blessed.
Sierra says
Such great tips. Hydrating is a hard one for md as well, so great suggestion on the smoothies 🙂 a tip I would offer would be to not snack while doing something distracting- like watching tv. It feels like you never ate because you were never truly focused on what you were eating, it is also easier to ignore when your body is trying to tell you it is full. Take find to simply sit and eat your food. Thanks for this post
Sheila says
Been struggling for 30 years..More ups than downs.Joined WW 20+ times.
Started with a Nutritionalist.Reading Intuitive Eating .i
I’m working to understand myself..On day at a time?
This is a new Journey for me.I found 5hese 15 ideas helpful tools I will use.
Many Thanks,
Sheila
Amy says
Loved really this blog. I have started my weight lost journey again. I’m suck at 20 pounds off can’t get past that. Any advice….
Rob Broekhof says
Great stuff, especially the last point: Never stop!.
Many people do not realise that it’s an addiction that can be compared with other addictions such as the addiction to drugs.
Note that some kind of foods are exactly like drugs. Basically since the food industry found out that it generates more revenues (hence, point 3 above is to be take very serious). In a sense we might need the equivalent of the AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) for people that are addicted to certain food & eating habits.
My additions to the list of 15 habits is less instrumental and more on a mental level: accept yourself and take care in giving your own health the highest priority. Do not interrupt your disciplines to stay healthy because you feel obliged to fulfill other people’s needs. It’s good to be needed (or feel needed) and it’s easier and better to be that way in a healthy state.
By the way, I am still struggling to find a way to lose weight (again for the fourth time) and stay healthy. Although the disadvantages of my current lifestyle are very obvious, it’s still extremely difficult to give up the advantages.
So my final addition to the habits is: be ready to give up the advantages of your current lifestyle!
Victoria Pannell says
The cut off time for eating is a habit I developed while I was losing weight also. (30 pounds, kept off now for two years) But, that said, maintaining that habit was hard for me since I love to snack in the evening. My remedy: brush my teeth at the cut off time. If I brushed my teeth at that time, I would know that if I ate again I would have to redo my teeth brushing before bed. It may sound crazy, but it worked for me. Maybe this idea will help someone else. It’s so worth it to lose that extra weight. Feels Great!
Barb Irwin says
I like the cut-off and brush your teeth idea. I also like another free website that agrees with much of this, called sparkpeople.com. I have combined them with weight watchers, and am going to add your site to my repertoire. I know I’ll learn some more helpful ideas. Thanks!
Britt says
After almost 20 years of trying to lose weight I simply started to cut down on my portions. I have lost 25 lbs easily. I ate a reasonable amount and before I finish what is on my plate I ask to myself… “am I satisfied?”
I seldom go for seconds and if I do… I go for veggies first. The “bliss factor” is most important. I might want a brownie … but really only need a bite or two… you do not have to finish what is on your plate for fear it will go to waste. Putting unneeded calories in your body is the same as throwing food out. It still goes to waste and your waist. I can now buy a sandwich and eat half… or take off the top slice… I still feel satisfied and sustained and not worry about tossing the rest or saving the other half. Also what was difficult in the past is if I were in a hurry to buy groceries for a meal
Pauline says
Love the statement about eating unneeded calories is putting food to waist. I’ve been following a personalized version of the Paleo diet cutting sugars, I’ve lost 25 lbs over the summer eaten really well. I’m eating natural foods. I still have cheese … I’m exercising and enjoying it… Gave up soda .. But when we went to New Orleans .. I had French bread with my escargots and a bit of Creme brûlée … I exercised .. Drank a lot of water .. And still lost weight. Losing and keeping the weight off is critical. My beloved dad died from diabetes and heart disease at 71 this year.. I may still die in my early 70’s but I will look fabulous and won’t be on a pile of pills because I couldn’t stop eating. My mom is headed down the same path trapped in her body. Not me … Thank you for the blog this will be part of my success …
Erin says
I have to say that preparing food ahead of time is vital. I haven’t been so good at that the last few weeks and I have found myself eating a lot of fast food and junk food… definitely not helping! I need to make a few things this weekend and prep myself for eating only at home for a while. I also need to be eating a lot less junk food. It’s bad habit. But, I am getting back into the habit of working out! So it is coming together. I just need to it. Great advice!
Cindy says
Love & use the 15 habits. I lost 40 pounds & have kept it off for 4 years. I also wear a new balance pedometer daily. I try to log. 10000 steps daily. An addition to the steps, it lets me know how many calories I’ve burned so if I want to splurge, I make sure I’ve burned enough calories to offset it.
Maria Gurunlian says
Very interesting, I lost about 15kg during the last 4 months still have some kg to loose, and like to thank you for the tips you offered felt like persosonal message, some of the points I apply in my routine, as for relapsing I as on the verge of doing that yesterday until I held my horses back, this blog just appeared to reinforce my will, and concerning the last point I do believe that following a balanced eating should be a lifestyle, if a person is convienced by this then he/she has no problem. Thanks again and good luck in allyour encounters
Kate Woodham says
Very VERY true!! I wish more people understood these things. I lost 60 lbs doing the exact things you wrote about. I started tracking my weight/eating and began running. As my running evolved and I became an athlete, I began training for a marathon. I decided that I didn’t need to track my eating/weight during this time since I was burning so many calories all the time. It wasn’t until recently (5 months after my marathon) that I started noticing my clothes fitting tighter. Forcing myself to step on the scale, I noticed that I had gained back 15 lbs. Now that is small compared to the 60 I lost before, but it taught me the valuable lesson that it really is never over! Even though I’m still exercising 5-7 days/week and training for my first triathlon, my metabolism has adjusted to this new level of fitness. So I’m back to the grind of weight loss and doing all those things you wrote above. 🙂
Catina Pollard says
Thank you…This is so valuable♡
Julie says
Love this! My most obvious problem is the snacking in the evening after all three kids go to bed. It’s my way to unwind, it’s a drug! And chocolate is my drug of choice! I need to put a cut off time. I think 7pm might be a bit drastic for me to start… I might do 8 (or 8:30pm!) and see how that goes for a week, and then maybe the next 8:15pm, etc. 🙂
anne says
I had a satsuma last night I was desperate for chocolate but on eating the satsuma I realized it was just as sweet if not sweeter than chocolate and the chocolate craving left me! Have you ever thought of slicing a banana and freezing it and eating it instead of chocolate! You can also do this with grapes bluberry’s and satsuma’s Hope this helps.
charlynn says
I really liked you 15 healthy habits. I started to change my habits 8 weeks ago and I am starting to see results. I have lost 15 pounds by walking every day and paying more attention to the food I eat. What also really helps me is staying positive. If I do not have a positive attitude about the changes I am making then this will not work. Being negative never really accomplishes anything.
Emmy DeLight says
There are some great tips here! I would also add, do not let the numbers on the scale fool you. In fact, I wouldn’t even bother to look at a scale – too often have I had friends begin a new diet and exercise program and begin to shed pounds then watched that number go back up as they lost excess fat and gained muscle mass. That was disheartening to them, despite myself reminding them that muscle weighs more than fat. It wasn’t until I pulled out a measuring tape and said, “Hey, let’s measure you this week and then again in ten days, and compare the difference.” Not everyone notices loose clothing based on what they may or may not have in their wardrobe, but you will notice inches begin to decrease if you measure yourself every few weeks when trying to lose weight. Too many people, women in particular, get so focused on that number on the scale they lose sight of the bigger picture and let themselves get discouraged by that same number.
Kristy says
Emmy, I couldn’t agree more. I have just yesterday decided I am no longer going to look at the scales & concentrate only on the measurements. I get so disheartened by being “good” only to see more on the scales. I know that it is only fluid retention etc… BUT I still kinda give up then. So hopefully this will help me get the better of my weight issue once & for all.
ruth Vandevander says
I couldn’t agree more, i have been trying to lose the weight i gained after my pregnancy but since i suffer from hypothyroidism it is hard. In 2 years trying really hard i have lost just almost 20 lbs. I weight 181 lbs but i am a size 12! I am a perfect example of how the scale can full you..i am more muscle than fat, i have been lifting weights all my life and i have never be enabled to track my progress through the scale.
Patty says
Muscle does not weigh more than fat. A pound is a pound is a pound. A pound of muscle is more dense than fat and takes up less room, however. When you workout you muscles retain water to help them repair and that is the gain you see on the scale.
Alyssa says
I have been reading your blog for a few months now and I enjoy it a lot. There are some great thoughts on here and by reading this I know I’m not alone in weigh loss struggles. One thing that I have learned over the last few years on my journey is that EVERYONE is different. What I do may not work for so and so. All the habits listed above can be customized. Thank you for your blog. I stay motivated to keep on my life style change.