The secret to losing weight in a way that actually sticks is rarely a strict diet or a flashy reset. It is usually a system you can live with on ordinary days, including the messy ones. Registered dietitian and personal trainer Elizabeth Shaw frames weight loss as a long game built on balance, flexibility, and learning to enjoy movement rather than forcing it. One treat or one night out is not what derails progress, but an all or nothing mindset often does.
Shaw also shares that even with years of professional experience, it took her time to build routines she could maintain through real life demands. As a teenager, she struggled with restrictive eating, then learned with professional guidance to see food as support instead of something to fear. Later, during the ups and downs of IVF, hormonal shifts and stress led to weight gain that left her feeling uncomfortable in her body. Over roughly two years of intermittent treatment, she gained more than 20 kilograms, which pushed her to create a sustainable plan she could rely on long term.
Her first step is to stop expecting overnight change and focus on one small move you can repeat tomorrow. For her, that meant paying attention to portions and to the extras that quietly add up, like snacks that feel healthy but are still calorie dense. The next shift is building meals around balance rather than rigid rules, aiming to include enough protein and fiber so you feel satisfied and less likely to keep grazing. She also recommends making room for foods you genuinely like by finding lighter ways to prepare them, so your routine feels realistic instead of punishing.
Movement is another cornerstone, but she emphasizes that it only works when it is something you do not dread. Exercise can help increase calorie burn, build muscle, and ease stress, yet the best option is the one you will actually repeat. During IVF, she found joy in rollerblading near her home, but she is clear that it can be as simple as walking. Hitting general activity guidelines can look like about 22 minutes a day or 30 minutes on five days a week, as long as you raise your heart rate.
She also leans on routines designed for busy weeks, when work, family, and logistics make healthy choices feel harder. Simple meal planning can remove decision fatigue, and progress tracking does not have to mean stepping on the scale every day. She often uses how her clothes fit as a practical reality check, which can feel less emotionally loaded than daily weigh ins. Non scale wins matter too, like better sleep, steadier mood, more energy, and growing confidence.
Finally, she treats setbacks as part of the process, not proof of failure. When motivation drops or schedules explode, she uses a simple rule, commit to 22 minutes of any activity, whether that is a brisk walk or a quick video workout, and let momentum do the rest. The goal is not perfection but steady progress supported by food, movement, sleep, and emotional wellbeing working together.
What is one small, realistic habit you could start this week that would make your weight loss journey easier to sustain, and why?
