Transformative Weight Loss Journeys of My Friends
I want to share the experiences of two friends who lost significant weight and kept it off. The first, my best friend, developed her own set of rules after analyzing why her previous attempts had failed despite her efforts. It all started with a burning desire, a sense of hopelessness, and the belief that she could succeed. She concluded that not eating in the evenings wasn’t working for her, and she began to suspect her big breakfasts. So she decided to skip food until noon, drinking only water, tea, or coffee without sugar. I think not eating until lunch is a useful habit—it gives the body a break from what was consumed the day before and lets genuine hunger set in. Still, her body was telling her that evening eating was unnecessary, and her rule became: “Don’t eat until noon and after 4 PM.”
Being the smart woman she is, she transitioned her entire family to a healthier lifestyle: nuts, dried fruit, olive oil, and so on, and she added one fasting day a week (just water or tea without sugar). According to her, her favorite jeans fit comfortably within a week, no longer requiring her to lie down and suck in her stomach. These were her first steps toward gaining control over her habits. Then she added yoga to her routine, and within two months she went from 161 pounds to 121 pounds. Now, two years later, she has maintained her weight at 121 pounds.
She’s amazing—strong and brave. She believed in herself enough to reach her goal without veering off course or losing hope. Her efforts have paid off in spades—she’s beautiful, slender, youthful, and confident. She’s the pride of her husband and their four-year-old son! And, of course, mine too! 🙂 But it’s tough to stick to such strict boundaries. You can lose weight quickly, but your skin can suffer. It’s better to take it slow and steady.
My second friend’s experience was less radical: she had one rule—”Don’t eat or drink after 4 PM.” That meant nothing after 4 PM— not even water. As she jokingly put it, “I just taped my mouth shut!” She also focused on healthy eating and picked one exercise for each major muscle group, doing them every day for 50 repetitions: for abs, crunches; for legs, basic squats; and for her waist, twists without lifting her feet. What a smart approach. It was tough, but over three months (which happened to be the entire summer, so she had plenty of fruits and vegetables) she lost 44 pounds. Now, no one would believe she ever weighed that much.
P.S. Some might call this nonsense, but not everyone can eat whatever they want in huge quantities, skip exercise, and still look great. For many people it takes tremendous effort. Those who have been through it know it’s absolutely worth it.
