5 Women Who Lost Weight and Kept It Off for Good

Before: 275 lbs.

"I was miserable in the hot, humid weather in D.C., which motivated me to lose weight. I tried many diets in the past and nothing seemed to work. Then I thought about what my mom did back in the 70s. She counted calories, so I did the same. It also worked for me. Cooking at home helped me. I also started taking Jazzercise. My husband was very supportive and also lost weight with me."

After: 175 lbs.

Kept off the weight: Six years

"I weigh myself every day. I still count calories and sometimes take a month or two off, but I get back into it when I see my weight go up. I do kettlebells, aerobics, hiking, kayaking and snowshoeing. Resistance training also seems to help. I walk 10K steps a day and have learned to move around constantly throughout. If I start gaining weight, I go right back to what worked for me. It's a great feeling when you're able to participate in life."

Before: 165 lbs.

"I lost weight going from a high-carbohydrate raw vegan diet (I was on it for six years, then a year vegetarian) to eating low carb, mostly raw. I included non-factory farmed meat and pasteurized eggs. Meat keeps me satisfied while carbs made me hungry for more. It also doesn't stimulate insulin (like carbs), which triggers your body to store fat. It took about two years for me to lose the weight."

After: 130 lbs.

Kept off the weight: Seven years

"I keep a food journal, which I recommend because it makes you aware of what you're eating. I walk an hour almost daily — in nature, or purposeful walking to get somewhere. It's important to find exercise you love to do. I also love yoga. I do not like lifting weights, but I do the bare minimum to keep my muscles toned. I love to hike, and do that as well. I also like to tear up the dance floor!"

Before: 218 lbs.

"I decided to lose weight after I realized I could not keep up with my kids. I wanted to set a better example for them. I started going to the local Y and took a Body Pump class, which included weight lifting. I did that two to three times a week and also did the elliptical for 20 minutes. When I couldn't get to the gym I'd jog with my kids. I also measured and weighed my food."

After: 141 lbs.

Kept off weight: Three years

"I'm now a Body Pump instructor and personal trainer and wear a T-shirt with a picture of myself at my heaviest, which keeps me in check. Another huge thing that keeps me from falling off the wagon is measuring my food – I don't eye it. I've also learned what calories keep me full longer. For example, I switched from low-fat yogurt to full-fat, which keeps me more satisfied. I drink lots of water and never skip breakfast. If I do, I'm hungrier later on."

Before: 170 lbs.

"I've always had a positive relationship with food and was a social eater. I would try losing weight by pushing off eating as long as I could. Then I started paying more attention to what I was eating, like peanut butter and cheese. I didn't follow a strict diet but would cut back on cheese one week, bread another and then add more vegetables the next week. The weight came off slowly over five years."

After: 130 lbs.

Kept off weight: Three years

"I stay away from the scale. For me, tracking numbers on the scale can be depressing. I work out five to six days a week, partly because I need to be around people since I work out of the house. I take classes, run twice a week, do Pilates once a week, and take a weight class. The little things add up. I walk once or twice a day, each time for 15 to 20 minutes, for example. I limit wine to just weekends. I'll never be back to where I was."

Before: 275 lbs.

"I was always overweight but not obese until I got into college and started stress eating. I decided to lose weight after medical school, when I started counseling other people about their weight. I was eating a lot of fast food. I cut out the fast food and made most of my plate a big salad with a small portion of lean protein, no starches. And I started food journaling. I lost weight slowly but surely."

After: 150 lbs.

Kept off weight: Two years

"Half of my plate is either salad or veggies. If I have bread, I won't have rice. I mostly make my own food and bring my lunch to work, usually cut up veggies with a piece of grilled chicken or a turkey burger. I eat grains sparingly and earlier in the day. I eliminated sugary processed food. I work out five to six days a week and have even done a few half marathons. You have to change your diet for life, keep track, and have fun and change it up once in a while."