By K. Aleisha Fetters for DETAILS.
Experience is the best teacher. So who better to get weight-loss advice from than guys who have actually shed a few (or even a hundo)? These three men have done just that. Read their stories, learn from their tips and start your own weight-loss success story.
MARIUSZ OWCZAREK, 30
Before: 305 pounds
Now: 200 pounds
He couldn't tie his shoes. He bent down, lifted his foot, but, one day, Owczarek just couldn't reach his laces. And that was it. In the course of the past three years, the Chicago finance guy quit the cigs, ran his first marathon, and stopped eating anything that "isn't food," as he calls it.
Never drink another soda.
"I lost about 30 pounds in the first few months, just by not drinking soda," says Owczarek, who is actually more energized now that he isn't riding the effects of caffeine and sugar all day. "It's such a small thing, but it has an enormous effect on the body."
Know that the cravings will stop.
"When I gave up fast food, I would wake up craving McDonald's in the middle of the night. I didn't know if it would ever stop," he says. "Now, the smell of French fries makes me want to hurl."
Get addicted.
"Every time I wanted a cigarette, I went running," he says. The endorphin boost helped fill the void and, over time, it was fitness, not nicotine, he was addicted to. When trying to kick a habit, it's actually very common for addicts to transfer their addictions onto something else. Make sure your "patch" is a healthy one.
ZAC MARION, 29
Before: 236 pounds
Now: 155 pounds
Working as a sales rep for a medical-supply company, Marion was desk-bound and his body showed it. Then, five years ago, he started running to lose weight. "The only reason I chose running was because it was quick and easy," he says. Now, he has lost more than 80 pounds, is an ultra-marathoner, and runs with sponsorships from sports brands including Altra, Ultraspire, VFUEL, Migö Headware, and Westwood Sunglasses. He's also studying physical therapy at the University of Utah.
Do something active every day.
It doesn't have to be a marathon or even a mile, Marion says. "As long as you do something every day that gets you outside and moving, you will feel the benefits."
Don't give yourself a time line.
"Saying you are going to go on a diet for X amount of time or for a certain deadline is a mistake," he says. "Your mentality has to be, 'From here on out, this is what I'm doing.' The goal shouldn't be the result. It should be the lifestyle."
Eat your favorite foods--however how unhealthy they are.
"I have a sweet tooth like no other. I could eat cake for every meal and be a very happy but fat person," Marion says. He knows that for him, like most guys, trying to eliminate guilty-pleasure foods entirely would just set him up for cravings, binges, and yo-yo dieting. So, in addition to having an occasional splurge every now and then, he always keeps a bar of dark chocolate in his fridge. He breaks off a square and moves on with his day.
BEN EDWARDS, 33
Before: 190 pounds
Now: 165 pounds
After little success managing his increasing weight on his own, Edwards enlisted the help of a registered dietitian. She set him up with a food tracker, and they quickly discovered he was eating way more he thought. "I realized how much what I ate was dependent on how much was available to eat, not on hunger," says the Barry University law professor. "I was stealing candies from coworkers' desks several times throughout the day. When I ate out, I downed whatever was on my plate." Now, not so much.
Break your chopsticks.
Restaurant portions are huge. So, as soon as he starts feeling full, he puts some trash on his plate, drops his fork on the floor or, if he's at a sushi restaurant, breaks his chopsticks in half.
Forget willpower.
"Trying to do it by willpower alone is about impossible," Edwards says. Instead, focus on your environment and what triggers are driving your unhealthy behaviors. Do you stress eat? Miss out on sleep? Do you always wind up pigging out with certain friends? "Put in place a plan and structure, so that you don't have to fight temptation," he says.
Don't "make it up."
"If you make a mistake, don't feel like you have to make it up somehow. Don't try to skip a meal to make up for overeating," he says. It'll make you miserable and totally misses the point.
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