Diane Naylor is an inspiring woman who decided to reduce her weight after getting motivated by a dialogue from a crime series.
And it was just a matter of time before she had lost more than half of her body weight…
When Naylor moved from Fresno to Oakhurst, California 4 years ago, she didn’t want to go outside. The 63-year-old weighed more than 400lbs at the time and had lost all the will to remain active, enjoy beautiful landscapes, and even move around.
“I felt miserable and depressed because of my weight,” Naylor said in an interview with TODAY. “I wasn’t active at all and I couldn’t do all of the things I wanted to.”
Although she had also tried several diets in past, nothing ever worked for her. But everything changed when a dialogue from her favorite television show “Castle” inspired her to strive for a better life.
“One of the medical examiners was telling the lead actress she should follow her dreams,” Naylor recalled.
“He pointed to the corpses and said, ‘All those people had dreams, but their time ran out, so don’t let that happen to you.’ It was like a light bulb went off — I had a lot of dreams, too, and I wanted to accomplish them.”
Naylor started working out the very next day and her dedication and perseverance finally saw her lose a mammoth 225lbs – more than half of her original weight.
Naylor has now revealed seven tricks that can help anyone lose their weight. They are as follows:
1. Stop procrastinating
Naylor says if you want to reduce your weight, you must start acting now. “Don’t put it off,” she says.
“No one gets any younger, and the younger you are, the easier it is. I started at 59, which proves anyone can do it. Why start six months from now? Start today!”
2. Avoid going on a “diet”
The woman recalls going on diet never helped her and she always regained all the weight that she used to lose in such manner. So according to her, you must figure out what is best for you and you must avoid sticking to a specific plan.
3. Keep trying
Weight loss journey is extremely difficult and many people give it up after some time, especially when they don’t see any noticeable change in themselves.
Naylor says: “It might take six or eight weeks for the scale to move, but during that time, you’ll see the inches coming off of your body.”
4. Find community support
Naylor lost her first 50 pounds all by herself but after that, she joined a local community group called Taking Off Pounds Sensibly. The frequent meetings and encouragement from others played a great role in keeping her motivated for her journey.
“The Monday meetings help me keep myself in check during the weekends, when I’d be most likely to cheat,” Naylor says. “If you don’t have access to a similar group — start one yourself! Find similar-minded people who will understand and support you.”
5. Eat one meal at a time
Naylor asserts eating one meal at a time is extremely important for losing weight. “Candy, popcorn and ice cream are all still temptations for me. Staying healthy is a constant, everyday decision,” she says.
6. Try new foods
In order to keep yourself motivated, you can also try out new dishes. “I learned how to eat fish,” she recalls. “I didn’t care for it before, but I bought an air fryer which helped me cook it without the grease and I actually like the way it tastes.”
7. Small changes matter a lot
Naylor says for anyone who wishes to reduce their weight, they must keep bringing small changes in their lifestyle.
For instance, in her case, she started having a morning walk and regular exercise. She also tried to keep herself active throughout the day. These little changes eventually paved the way for a much bigger change.