This post for Weight Loss Solutions contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate, I make a small portion when these links are used, at no additional cost to you.

It's been nearly five years, but I've made it to 150 pounds lost. I'm sharing several of my favorite long term weight loss solutions with you today. This has been one of the best decisions I've ever made: taking back my health. And these weight loss solutions are definitely do-able for anyone. Check them out below. 

Nearly five years ago, I started down (yet another) weight loss journey. I had no way of really knowing it at the time, but it's one that has completely stuck with me and turned my world upside down (in a good way). I never dreamed I'd lose 150 pounds (like...ever). And it's been one of the most incredible journeys that I can't imagine my life without. I've shared about my experience a couple of times, but I was excited to give you all an update on what I'm still doing, what I've changed, and what no longer worked. 

Long Term Weight Loss Solutions

If you've been following this blog for a bit, you may remember that I've shared previously about how the Trim Healthy Mama program has changed my life. I want to start out by saying that this isn't a sponsored post. I've done this program on my own, apart from blog life. But, it has worked so well for me that a year or so into it, I started sharing what I was doing...in the hopes of inspiring others to take control of their health, too. I'm sharing the latest on this 150 pound (and a few more to go) walk with you below.

And, as I've mentioned before, my husband does this with me. He's lost over 60 pounds. We still continue daily walks, as pictured above, as a major part of our weight loss (and maintenance).

Before and After Photos

Please note: this post contains an inordinate amount of photos (of myself...kind of weird and not the norm for a blog about printables). I purely included these as inspiration in the before/after situations. Personally, those are what inspire me the most when I read others' stories. They tell the visual story of nearly five years of work, so I did feel compelled to include quite a number of them. My prayer is that they inspire others. But, please be kind when leaving a comment or pinning/sharing any of these. I'm definitely a real life (vulnerable) person sharing these with you...and some of the before ones are quite raw and unpleasant (well, for me, anyway). I just ask for kindness in comments. 

Trim Healthy Mama for the Long Haul

While I won't go into detail today about what this program is, you can read my previous post on my initial start with Trim Healthy Mama here, along with my first follow up post here. Today, I'm sharing how we've continued to make this work for our life, for almost five years now. But here are a few tidbits regarding how the THM life still works for us: 

• For the most part, we still follow the Trim Healthy Mama plan and rarely deviate or cheat. You can purchase the Trim Healthy Mama plan book here on Amazon. Plus their Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook and Trim Healthy Table Cookbook. Be sure to read my initial post about the plan here before diving in...it's not for everybody (especially if you don't love cooking).
• While we follow the plan, we now do a lot of "crossover meals" on the plan, which include both healthy fats and healthy carbs. In the first few years where we had a lot more weight to use, we stuck to the two main fuel categories and rarely did crossovers. But, since we're nearing maintenance mode, and still walk a lot, crossovers fit our lifestyle quite nicely.
• While there is certainly a learning curve to this particular plan (I started and stopped multiple times that first year), once you learn it and are committed, it's definitely second nature. I rarely think about it now...it's my lifestyle that I don't plan on deviating from.

Staying With It

As many of you know, the past two years have held a great deal of loss for us. I lost both of my parents within a year and a half of one another (my mother's death in 2018 was a complete shock when she passed away moments after a massive stroke, and my father's death this past February was after a six-week Pancreatic Cancer battle). I'd be lying if I didn't say I worried about my health during those times. But, I never faltered with my plan...well, I take that back. Once, I ate a carton of ice cream shortly after my mom's death. I woke the next day with the worst "sugar/carb hangover" that I've ever experienced and that cured any other thought of going rogue. 

• I can't stress the word "commitment" enough. I'm committed to my health for life. I'm ridiculously empowered by it. And I don't let things like holidays or celebrations make me second guess that commitment. I find ways to eat my way and still make it work. Yesterday was my birthday. I had a Trim Healthy Mama chocolate cake instead of a sugar-filled bakery one. And I loved it and still felt celebrated!
• The beauty of the plan I'm on is the magic three hour window. If you do fall off the wagon, in three hours, you have this automatic restart. 

Accountability is Everything

I am held accountable by myself, along with several other people who are very aware of my lifestyle. This would not be easy to go alone.

• My walking buddy is a biggie to me. She and I meet every weekday morning at 8 am and walk for nearly two hours (in the summers, we roll it back to 7 am due to Texas heat). We even walk in inclement weather. We also challenge each other with other ab or arm or leg workouts we may text to one another every now and then. I don't know what I would do without Sandy! She's seriously one of my biggest accountability factors. 
• My husband is my other walking buddy for weekends and holidays. He also keeps me accountable (not in a bossy way or anything like that) on the menu front. My kids know our lifestyle, too. It's gotten to where they don't want to get food at places that don't have many choices for mom and dad, too...which is pretty neat of them!
• I have a therapist, too. I started seeing a grief counselor after my mom died. My weight loss is a part of our regular rotation of topics. She often asks me where I am with it and how it's going. She offers great pointers, too, which I do tend to follow readily.
• My doctors are also all aware of my weight loss and cheer me on at each visit. I'm a thyroid cancer survivor, plus I live with what is called a prolapsed uterus, so I have a few specialists I see many times a year. They are all so incredibly encouraging. I recently had a chat with my OB about extra skin and his thoughts on removing it. He told me I should wear it like a badge of honor. Not sure I'm sold on that, but he's so proud of me that it makes me smile.

Tips for Long Term Weight Loss

• Changing things up is a biggie. This was one of those tips my therapist told me that really stuck. I do hit plateaus from time to time and she's always the one I whine to about them. Changing exercise and food helps. I added in tennis this summer and this winter, I've added sit ups and push ups. I do still continue the six miles/15,000 steps a day in addition to those others. I'll also change up meal times or do four small meals instead of three regular ones in a day.
• Drink an incredible amount of water. More on that below.
• Try going dairy free for small periods of time. This always gets my system back on the weight loss train. It's not my favorite (I love cheese so much), but it does the trick. I usually just do it for a week here and there and it works like a charm. 
• Find accountability groups to seek answers and inspiration. I'm in several THM groups on FB that are all super helpful. I have several THMers I follow on Instagram, too, that are open to chat anytime. 
• Don't eat past 7pm. I struggle with this, but when I do it, it works like a charm and keeps me on track. 
• Know that the longer you get into your journey and the less you have to lose, the longer it takes. This past year, I've still lost weight, but it's been at a snail's pace since I'm getting close to my goal. 

Weight Loss Wardrobe Ideas

I get asked a lot how I keep up with clothing when my size is always decreasing. This is definitely something a clotheshorse like me kind of has to keep a tight reign on. No lie, clothes shopping is a lot more fun in my smaller sizes, but I am very mindful of the fact that I'm not at my goal weight and all of these clothes are still in the temporary form, in one way or another. 

• Since I do sew, I alter some of my clothing myself. The middle blouse above is one of my favorites (I have about a half dozen of the no-iron button blouses from Land's End that I love). These blouses are really easy to alter. I've taken them all in many inches more than once. The one pictured is a size 20 that I estimate has been altered down to a 12 or 14. 
• I shop thrift stores whenever possible. The smaller my size has gotten, the more clothes seem to be available. I look for the brands I like and know fit me. I now only wear jeans from Loft or The Gap because they fit me perfectly. I know exactly what size I wear in each and find them often at thrift stores. The outfit on the above left photo is entirely from Goodwill...the sweater is actually Banana Republic.
• I shop ThredUp all the time, as well as sell my old clothes with them (I can't resell the altered ones, though, that's against their policy). The dress on the above right is from ThredUp. I love that I can sort by size, brand, inseam, etc. If you've never shopped them, here's a code for $10 off your first order. 
• Through both ThredUp and thrift stores, I also maintain a good workout wardrobe since two hours of every day is spent in workout attire. It actually makes me feel better about myself to put on proper workout attire that actually fits and works well for me (phone pockets are a must for me!).
• My biggest expense is walking shoes since I go through them quickly doing six miles a day. But, it's an essential that I don't skimp on. 

Cooking at Home

Even prior to the pandemic, we cook our meals at home most of the time. It's so much better and we have more control over what we eat. That's not to say we don't love a good meal out, we just use that as a treat (but still stay within our plan's parameters). 

Above are a few snippets of our combined weight loss. My husband's weight came off a lot faster than mine, but I did catch up (and now weigh less than him!). Also, I never in a million years would've taken a photo in a bathing suit, but here we are. Be sure to read about my vacation tips for staying on plan in my second weight loss post here. 

Drinking Water

For awhile, I had switched to iced tea during the days, but I've found that water is better overall. I now drink two of these bottles every day (that's 128 ounces...one whole gallon). Yes, I use the bathroom a lot. But, I try to stop the water intake shortly after dinner to help with that. You can purchase this same bottle (with the motivational times) here on Amazon. 

Healthy Hobbies

One other thing my therapist recommended was adding a healthy hobby or two to my days. After a nine year absence, I found my way back to gardening. Over the spring and summer months, I get about 3,000 more steps a day when I'm tending to my gardens, composts, and flower beds. Plus, the food is the icing on top (well, not actual icing, huh?). I also grow a lot of my own flowers that I use in my home in my cutting garden. And, since I'm in Texas, I've already set up low tunnels to get a jump on things for the spring. My carrots are doing fabulously and it's only January! 

Other Helpful Tools

While for years, I've preached about my cheap step counter (it's still a good one if you want to see it here), my family bought me an Apple Watch for my birthday and told me it was time to upgrade. I'm slowly trying to transition to using it for my health and fitness. But, clearly, old habits are hard to break. I wear my old one next to it, much to my teeanagers' chagrin. I promise it's just for the learning curve. I think.

Another new item to enter my life this year is this dairy-free creamer from Califia farms. It's amazing. I used flavored Nut Pods for a while and still like them, but this dairy free half-n-half is seriously incredible (almost as good as heavy cream but without any guilt). I get mine at Walmart. I like this unflavored one, but the vanilla is also tasty. This is for my daily coffee.

And yes, I still have about 30 more pounds to go and definitely plan to get there on this plan. I hope this inspires someone else to take control of their health...it's the best feeling ever. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments and I'm happy to help.