This was originally posted two years ago and a lot of things have changed at Arena Fitness since then, including the introduction of the TakeDown LifeStyle nutrition coaching program (which is a game-changer for losing weight, reducing body fat and adding lean muscle).

BUT…I’m not here to talk about that.

Sometimes I think it’s better to hear suggestions from people who aren’t in the fitness business, who have been in the weight loss trenches and who have been successful in their pursuit of losing weight. And these tips are still valid. So take what resonates and discard what doesn’t.

Below, you will find tips provided by Arena Fitness members who have lost weight (and, of course, you will also find my “expert” analysis on the tips). Take these strategies to heart! They have been tested and proven effective by real people. Not every strategy will strike a chord with you; different approaches work for different people. But take some time to read through these and you will certainly find a hidden gem, or a “Gosh, I already knew that but I’m not doing it!” strategy that will inspire you to get back on track!

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1. Gary M – 25 lbs

My top weight loss tip is to establish habits – train at specific, predetermined times of your day, make it part of your schedule and don’t leave it up to chance. Likewise with nutrition, limit your options for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner to get into a routine and eliminate the choice to put something unhealthy in your body. Start small, focus on establishing healthy, manageable habits and celebrate the small wins on the road to your longer-term health goals.

(Jonathan: “Adopt fitness as a lifestyle and make it a priority in your life.”)

2. Loren F – 40 lbs

Logging food in my fitness pal along with the fit bit- for me, logging food was the most important thing in that it held me accountable to make sure that I was on track as well as finding foods that were just sabotaging my overall fitness goal.  The fit bit got me to set a daily goal of 10,000 steps and with it working in conjunction with my fitness pal was an added bonus of not having to worry about how many calories I was burning as part of my overall daily calorie max.

(Jonathan: “Technology is your friend. To see how, go to www.myfitnesspal.com and www.fitbit.com”.)

3. Carole – 7 lbs

The way I keep my weight down is to count calories and eat most of them before evening, when one tends to burn less calories.

(Jonathan: “To be clear, she’s not suggesting that your digestive system slows down during the evening, but that you tend to move less in the evening. Don’t pig out during the time of the day that you’re most likely to lay around watching “Duck Dynasty.”)

4. Dustin – 15 lbs

If structured diets don’t work for you (they would never work for me!), get into the habit of always thinking about what is in the food you are eating / are about to eat.  Before joining Arena, my eyes would dart to the tastiest-sounding thing on the menu, and that’s what I would end up ordering.  Once I joined Arena and had a goal of weight-loss in mind, if that tastiest thing on the menu was chock-full of sugars and saturated fats, I would skip it in favor of the NEXT tastiest-sounding thing on the menu, and so forth until that item I was choosing sounded like it was at least a moderately healthy thing to eat!  Combine that with a few days a week in the gym, and you should see results pretty fast!

(Jonathan: “Be mindful of your desire for health, and how what you eat either serves or injures that desire.”)

5. James S – 60 lbs

Stayed inspired, and surround yourself with people that push you both mentally and physically.

(Jonathan: “Join Arena Fitness. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s what I heard….”)

6. Cheri – 15 lbs

My one tip would be to always keep moving. You’d be surprised how many extra burned calories you can sneak in a day by standing up to take a phone call, using the stairs instead of the elevator or pacing while chatting on the phone.

(Jonathan: “Exactly! A rolling stone gathers no moss, a body in motion remains in motion and all that! That’s not quite what she’s saying, but anytime I can sneak a cliche in, I will.”)

7. Tina – 45 lbs

If I had to pick just ONE tool to get you there, it is definitely weighing & tracking your food.  In my humble opinion, you can’t get to your destination if you drive blindfolded.

(Jonathan: “Weighing AND tracking are two things, despite what Ms. Bourdelais says. But, hey, this isn’t a math quiz and the point is still valid. Plus, she re-establishes credibility with the whole driving blindfolded thing.”)

8. Caroline – 13 lbs

It was definitely using the myfitness pal tool, putting a goal of 1200/1300 calories/day and logging all my food. Made me take consciousness of how fast it adds up and forced me to exercise more so that I could eat more…and it worked!! I think it is really a matter of learning what food are too heavy in calories and the ones you can eat freely.

(Jonathan: Beautifully said! And it sounds even better in a French accent.”)

9. Robynn – 35 lbs

Surround yourself with others that keep you motivated. ie Arena, weight watchers…Track every day, every bit. You learn so much about yourself and why you overeating when you track your bad days, then you can try to fix it.

(Jonathan: “Become a part of a community that cares about your commitment.”)

10. Elena – 20 lbs

I noticed the biggest change when I combined 2 tricks-they catapulted my weight loss when together than they did on their own. I stepped up my cardio to include outdoor trail runs and hiking and changed my diet to include fruits and veggies in EVERY meal, to the point of going meatless over 50% of the time. When I did these things together, the weight melted off.

(Jonathan: “True story; running is a GAME CHANGER, and no one is getting fat eating fruit and veggies.”)

11. Will – 73 lbs

Patience. To understand that change can and does take time. What you want may not happen in 1 week, a month, or even a year. As long as you make the effort and never give up understanding that one day the change you want will occur eventually, then all the sweat, all the hours suffering during your workouts, all the pre-planning of meals, thats when you understand why you went through all of it. Thats when you learn to never give up because hard work and determination does pay off.

(Jonathan: “Forget the rapid weight loss programs. The only ones that work and are sustainable are systematic and gradual. Be patient.”)

12. Sophie – 32 lbs

Ordering small or a la carte really helped when I went out with friends. At home, I strived for simplicity in my meals. I love quinoa because it is so versatile. I also like to keep an apple/tangerine in my bag so my eyes don’t wander. 🙂

(Jonathan: “Carrying food around is a great tip. If you let yourself get hungry you’ll soon be driving through the Golden Arches and crying in disgust after.”)

13. Brianna – 27 lbs

It was using swapportunities! Using yummy flavored yogurts, yogurt raisins and pretzels or whatever instead of the bad thing you wanted.

Also filling up on carrots, celery or any veggies before going out or if you wanted something bad to eat, mostly you’re full after and decide against it in the end.

Lastly speaking out, you all keep us moving forward and not getting caught in guilt, today’s over, tomorrow will be better!

(Jonathan: “Swapportunities! Boom!”)

14. Tony – 18 lbs (and counting)

Besides working out 4 days a week, I have lowered my carbohydrate intake. The first two years the rule was “nothing white goes in my mouth.” Now I eat more carbs and am not losing weight nearly as quickly.

(Jonathan: “Sugar and processed foods are linked to hormonal changes that cause you to store body fat, especially in the abdominal area.”)

15. Paul Z. – 15 lbs

Work out at least twice a week, weigh yourself monthly not any sooner.

(Jonathan: “Jumping on the scale every day is a disease that will drive you mad. If you define your self-worth by the three digits that show up on the scale every day you’re setting yourself up for a whole lot of self-loathing.”)

16. Rochelle – 82.5 lbs

I guess mine was I like to eat and after many fails at doing it my way I need to be accountable so I go to a nutritionist, it can be weight watchers or any where you are accountable.  I can sell myself into cheating so fast that I do not trust myself.  It never goes away.

The other thing is since I like to eat I can reach that with eating almost all the veggies I want with protein, no carbs. A treat for me is fruit.  All food accomplishes the same result being of full.  One you have no shame with and that is good enough.

(Jonathan: “Accountability! Enlist the help of a nutritionist, friends, family, weight loss clubs or organizations, you need support! This dovetails nicely with my belief that if you are your own personal trainer, your personal training program sucks.”)

17. Bill H. – 20+ lbs

I have lost 20+ lbs. while at Arena for a total of 65+ lbs. lost so far.  My weight loss is a direct result of guidance that I get from regular visits to a Registered Dietitian.  My wife (thanks Rochelle!!) and I see the same Dietitian.  This is a POWER MULTIPLIER!   There are other very important contributing factors… but Registered Dietitian is #1 in my weight loss efforts and successes.

(Jonathan: “See above.”)

18. Mark T. – 45 lbs

Dedication:  Make the commitment.  No matter how early or how cold it is, it’s important to show up.  Once you’re in the gym the magic happens… but making the commitment to the workout is very important.

(Jonathan: “You’re not always going to want to train, you’re not always going to be excited to train. In fact, it’s likely that you will NOT want to train more often than not. The people that succeed in their fitness, who look and feel great, are those who pay no attention to the Two Deadliest Questions in the World and show up to train anyway.”)

19. Allyson N. – 20 lbs

Number one weight loss tip: showing up!  If you get your butt to the gym it helps everything else fall into place.

(Jonathan: “See above. Just do it.)”

20. Melanie G. – 28 lbs

The number one thing that has helped me lose weight is switching my focus from numerical goals to performance goals. I know this is easier said than done. I obsess over numbers as much as anyone. Perhaps more than most, even. It’s easy for me to get caught up in data, but the scale is not a very useful measure of progress in the short-term. Weight fluctuates naturally from day to day. I’ve gone up and down as much as six pounds in a week. Especially in the early stages of weight loss, my weight was constantly in flux as my body composition was changing more and my body was adjusting to the new demands being placed on it. It was all too easy for me to let my number of the day, whether up or down, dictate my mood. However, when I focused more on how much further I could push myself each day–something within the realm of my control–the mental results were more positive as were the physical ones. I try to push myself to row 100 more meters or run an extra 30 seconds or hold my plank for another minute. I can’t force my body to be two pounds lighter today than it was yesterday, but I can use heavier weights, get an extra round out of my AMRAP, or run to and from class instead of driving. I also know that now matter how frustratingly slow the weight loss journey might feel, I’m not a medical anomaly: With consistent exercise and a cleaner diet, I will lose weight, and more importantly, my body will be capable of doing much more than it could before.

(Jonathan: “Yes, yes, yes, focus on performance over body weight. Set a performance goal, design a strategy for reaching that goal, and there’s a good chance that you’ll make improvements in your weight as a byproduct of your efforts.”)

I hope you enjoyed this post!

Jonathan Aluzas, Membership Director

If you would like some help applying these strategies or would like to try One Week of Personal Training and Group Training at Arena Fitness for only $20, click below!