The 3 Main Tips That Helped Me Lose 60 Pounds

I consider myself a pretty determined person. If I ever had to drop a few pounds in the past, it wasn't a problem. My willpower was enough. But after turning 40, I hit a wall. I joked that my scale was "broken" because I was exercising and eating well—but I wasn’t able to bust through my plateau.

I was beyond frustrated, and I wasn't willing to risk my health by remaining overweight. I was already on blood pressure medication, which was bad enough, and the thought of getting a new prescription for high cholesterol put me over the edge.

I reached out to a friend who hooked me up with a local personal trainer near where I lived. I began working out with her twice a week in the spring of 2013, and within a few months the weight melted right off. Even better, she helped me get off my blood pressure medication and avoid cholesterol medication altogether.

In my opinion, lifting is the secret sauce of weight loss. Stubborn about listening to my trainer, I believed cardio was the magic pill. But when my treadmill broke, I was forced to add weights into my routine—and it really did work. After a week, I was down 3 pounds in seven days. I decided weights would get me to my goal faster and began a love affair with barbells. Weight-bearing exercise is also really important when it comes to avoiding bone loss.

It’s been four years since I reached my goal, and hiring a personal trainer was the best investment I've ever made in myself. My husband wouldn’t let me quit when I’d start to feel guilty about spending money on myself, and eventually I decreased from twice-a-week sessions to once a week to fit my budget better. Finally I decided to "fire" her (I mean that affectionately!) and take what I learned to maintain a fitter version of myself. It was a temporary monthly expense to save on future medical expenses.

My doctor always reminds me how great I'm doing with my health during my annual appointments. I give myself a window of 3 to 5 pounds, but once I exceed that number I come back to these three life-changing tips I learned from my personal trainer.