With all of the hype that goes into promoting weight-loss pills, diet programs, and the miraculous¹ benefits of bone broth², it can be easy to let weight-loss myths get in the way of what you actually need to know to drop unwanted pounds. To help trim the fat, people who have lost 50lbs or more shared the weight-loss advice that helped them reach their goals.

宣传减肥药、节食餐，还有骨汤神奇效果的广告满天飞，你很容易就迷失在减肥的神话故事里，而没有去了解减掉赘肉需要真正做些什么。为了帮更多的人减重，一些成功减掉50磅（约23公斤）或更多的人分享了他们实现目标的经验和建议。

Don't expect a miracle

不要期待奇迹

It probably took you a lifetime to reach the size you are now, and that means it might take years to become the healthiest version of yourself, says Alicia Marie, a holistic³ enthusiast⁴ who has dropped more than 100lbs. It may be a long time before you see physical changes -- but don't let that discourage you.

艾丽西亚•马里耶是个彻头彻尾的减肥狂，她减掉了100多磅。她说，可能你用了一辈子的时间才达到现在的体重，所以也许还要好多年才能回到最健康的状态。可能还要很久才能看到身体上的一些变化，但不要因此而气馁。

Don't go on a diet

不要节食

Embracing an eating plan specifically designed for weight loss is a temporary measure to a permanent problem. "A 'diet' is something a person goes on, knowing there comes a time when they go off of it," says Randy Hartman, a reinvention coach who has lost more than 80lbs. "This only exacerbates⁵ the problems and ends in yo-yo weight loss. It's far better to embark⁶ on an eating plan that you can follow for the rest of your life. Consistency⁷ over the long haul is key."

遵守一个专门为了减肥而设计的节食计划是在用暂时的办法解决永恒的问题。兰迪•哈特曼减掉了80多磅，把自己塑造成了一个健身教练，她说：“如果一个人坚持‘节食’，那么他就知道总会迎来摆脱掉节食的那一刻。这只会使问题加剧，最终体重减了又长。如果能制定一个可以坚持一辈子的饮食计划会好很多。长时间坚持才是关键。”

Don't be drastic

不要太过猛烈

Instead of making lots of big changes, Becky Lehman, who, after losing 100lbs, is now a certified⁸ health coach, recommends making one small change a day to move yourself closer to your health goals and avoid becoming overwhelmed. "Drastic changes don't tend to stick, but the basic concepts of weight loss remain the same: move more, eat more vegetables, drink more water," she says. "Drinking one extra glass of water today will not cause the scale to drop 20lbs, but those small changes can add up to huge and lasting⁹ transformations¹¹."

贝基•雷曼曾甩掉100磅的肉，现在已经是一名经过认证的健身教练，她建议说不要做太多太大的改变，每天做一点小小的改变就能离你的目标体重更近一点，避免被过重的任务压垮。她说：“过度的改变往往不能持久，但减肥的基本要义一直都没有变：多运动、多吃蔬菜、多喝水。今天多喝一杯水并不能减掉20磅的体重，但聚沙成塔就会形成巨大持久的改变。”

Make fitness a priority, but go slowly

把减肥放在首位，但要慢慢来

Naomi Teeter, the blogger behind Inspire Transformation¹⁰, knew it was a priority to make working out a habit when she began her weight-loss journey -- all in all, she lost 150lbs and has managed to keep 125lbs off for seven years. Yet she cautions against going too hardcore. "Too many people live by the philosophy, 'Go hard or go home,' when it comes to fitness and beat themselves to the ground when they first start out, causing them to give up more easily," she explains. "Your workout doesn't have to be insane to be good."

内奥米•迪特是“激发改变”网站的博客博主，她在开始减肥之旅的时候就知道，应该首先把健身作为一种习惯——总而言之，她减掉了150磅，连续七年体重保持在125磅以下。然而她很小心，防止自己走得太极端。她解释说：“很多人减肥的时候都信奉‘要么努力要么回家’这个理念，第一次开始的时候就因任务太重把自己打倒了，这样更容易放弃。你健身不一定非要达到疯狂的地步才是好的。”

Don't ban specific foods

不要给具体的食物下禁令

Making certain foods “off limits” can tempt¹² you even more -- and almost always leads to overindulging. According to Lehman, she eats chocolate "almost every single day," yet has still managed to keep the weight off. "Of course, willpower still comes into play here, but don't cut your favorite foods out of your diet completely."

把某些食物设在“禁区”会带来更大的诱惑——几乎总会导致暴饮暴食。据雷曼说，她“几乎每天”都吃巧克力而依然保持着体重。“当然，意志力在这里依然很重要，但不要把你最喜欢的食物从饮食中完全删掉。”

Recruit someone who will hold you accountable

找个对你负责的人

An accountability buddy¹³ doesn't necessarily need to be a workout buddy, but they do need to be someone you can talk to when you're feeling unmotivated and who can remind you of your original goal, says Kelsey Byers, lifestyle coach and fitness blogger behind Good Morning Fit, who has lost 50lbs. Byers' husband helped her stick to her goals; social media can also help you find a supportive community if you don't feel like there's anyone nearby who can help you as you try to drop weight.

凯尔茜•拜尔斯曾减掉50磅体重，现在是生活方式指导教练和“早安，健身”网站的健身博主，她说，一个对你负责的朋友并不一定必须是与你一起健身的人，但是他们确实得是你可以倾诉的对象，在你丧失斗志的时候鼓励你，提醒你不要忘了最初的目标。拜尔斯的丈夫帮助她坚持实现了目标；如果你觉得身边没有人能帮助你减肥，社交媒体也可以帮你找一帮人支持你。

Stop buying food products...

不要再买加工食品了……

… and start buying whole foods. That means no more things in boxes, simple frozen meals, foods mushed into bar form, and so on, Marie says. Walk around the outside of the grocery store and don't mess with the inner isles¹⁴. With the exception of dried beans and coffee, there's really not much you need in those aisles¹⁵.

开始买天然食品吧。也就是说不要买盒子包装的食品，简单的速冻食品，压成条状的食品等等，马里耶说。在杂货店的外围走一走就行了，不要挤进货架里面，那儿也就有干豆子和咖啡可以买，别的你都不怎么需要。

Manage your emotions

管理你的情绪

Emotions can ruin your day, and subsequently any healthy progress you've made, Teeter warns. One bad day at work can lead to binge eating and drinking in front of the TV instead of preparing a nourishing meal and hitting the gym. When you're feeling bad, Teeter recommends paying attention to why you feel that way so you can comfort yourself in a more productive way, instead of stuffing yourself full of food until you can't move.

情绪会毁了你的一天，进而毁了所有你减肥取得的进步，迪特警告说。某一天工作中心情不好，回家就会坐电视机前大吃大喝，而不会准备有营养的晚餐，去健身房锻炼。迪特建议，如果你心情不好，关注你产生情绪的原因，就可以更有效地安慰自己，而不是自己吃撑到走不动路。

Focus on feeling better, rather than what you see in the mirror

把注意力集中于更好的感觉上，而不是镜子里的自己

Sometimes "looking good in a bathing suit" isn't a big enough goal, at least not if you want to keep the weight off for longer than the warm summer months. "It's important to establish the reason why you want to get healthy. Maybe it's for your kids or grandkids," Byers suggests. "Maybe you want to get healthy so you can have a family. No matter where you are in your journey, I encourage you to think about your personal 'why' and post it on a vision board where you can see it every day."

有时候“穿泳衣好看”并不是个什么远大的目标，至少如果你希望温暖的夏天过后仍能保持较轻的体重的话，这算不上什么。拜尔斯表示，“设立一个你为什么想减肥的理由很重要。也许是为了你的儿女或孙子孙女。也许你为了生小孩而健身。无论你处在健身的哪一阶段，我都鼓励你思考一下你的‘为什么’，把它贴在愿景板上，你每天都能看到它。”

Track your progress with pictures

用照片记录进步

While it's important to focus on how you feel over how you look, Byers also suggests taking pictures every week so you can visually track your progress. On a day-to-day basis, you might not notice the changes that a photo will capture. "The scale can be misleading -- it doesn't know if you're replacing fat with muscle," notes Byers. "The more muscle you have, the more toned you look as long as your nutrition is on point."

尽管重要的是关注你的感觉而不是外表，拜尔斯也建议每周拍张照片，就可以看见自己每次的进步。每天都拍照的话，你也许注意不到照片捕捉到的变化。拜尔斯注意到：“变化幅度可以误导人，因为你不知道是不是肌肉代替了脂肪。只要你营养跟上，肌肉越多，你看上去就越健美。”

Don't eat or drink anything handed to you through a window

不要接受从窗户递过来的食物或饮料

Yes, even coffee. Get up and go inside to get your coffee if you want it that bad, Marie suggests. Better yet, go someplace where you can control how much sugar and cream goes into it.

是的，即使是咖啡。如果你实在想喝，站起来走进去拿你的咖啡，马里耶建议。如果你能去那种可以自己控制加多少糖和奶油的地方就更好了。

Step outside your comfort zone

走出舒适区

Embrace uncertainty¹⁶, especially if you consider yourself a perfectionist. "Things will not always go your way, no matter how prepared you think you are," Teeter says. "Many folks throw in the towel after just one setback¹⁷. But if you condition yourself to expect and embrace [setbacks], you'll be far happier with yourself and the progress you're making -- even during the difficult times."

接受不确定性，如果你认为自己是个完美主义者就更要去接受。“事情并不总是如你所愿，无论你觉得自己准备得多么充分，”迪特说。“很多人仅仅遇到一个挫折就认输了。但是如果你能调节自己，预料到（挫折）并欣然接受，那么你就会为自己和自己所做的进步而感到更加高兴——即使在困难的时候。”

Eat a lean protein and complex carb during each meal

每顿饭吃富含精益蛋白质和复合碳水化合物的食品

For Byers, that meant lots of grilled¹⁸ chicken with sweet potatoes, grilled zucchini with asparagus, and meal-replacement shakes. "One of my favorite meals is scrambled¹⁹ egg whites with hash browns and green salsa mixed together," she says. "Another favorite is extra-lean turkey tacos on corn tortillas and avocado slices, plus salsa."

对拜尔斯来说，那意味着很多烤鸡肉加地瓜，烤西葫芦和芦笋，和正餐替代品奶昔。“我最喜欢的菜之一就是炒蛋白，薯饼拌上绿色的洋葱汁，”她说。“另外喜欢的是精瘦火鸡肉玉米卷饼、鳄梨片加上洋葱汁。”

Start today

今天就开始

The sooner you start, the sooner you'll see results: "There will always be reasons to start tomorrow, or wait until your busy season is over," Lehman adds. "Fight through your excuses and do something right now."

越早开始，越早收到成效：“总有明天才开始的理由，或者等到忙季结束，”雷曼说。“打败你的借口，现在就行动。”