With all of the hype that goes into promoting weight-loss pills, diet programs, and the miraculous benefits of bone broth, it can be easy to let weight-loss myths get in the way of what you actually need to know to drop unwanted pounds. To help trim the fat, people who have lost 50lbs or more shared the weight-loss advice that helped them reach their goals.
宣傳減肥藥、節食餐，還有骨湯神奇效果的廣告滿天飛，你很容易就迷失在減肥的神話故事里，而沒有去了解減掉贅肉需要真正做些什么。為了幫更多的人減重，一些成功減掉50磅（約23公斤）或更多的人分享了他們實現目標的經驗和建議。

Don't expect a miracle
不要期待奇跡

It probably took you a lifetime to reach the size you are now, and that means it might take years to become the healthiest version of yourself, says Alicia Marie, a holistic enthusiast who has dropped more than 100lbs. It may be a long time before you see physical changes -- but don't let that discourage you.
艾麗西亞?馬里耶是個徹頭徹尾的減肥狂，她減掉了100多磅。她說，可能你用了一輩子的時間才達到現在的體重，所以也許還要好多年才能回到最健康的狀態。可能還要很久才能看到身體上的一些變化，但不要因此而氣餒。

Don't go on a diet
不要節食

Embracing an eating plan specifically designed for weight loss is a temporary measure to a permanent problem. "A 'diet' is something a person goes on, knowing there comes a time when they go off of it," says Randy Hartman, a reinvention coach who has lost more than 80lbs. "This only exacerbates the problems and ends in yo-yo weight loss. It's far better to embark on an eating plan that you can follow for the rest of your life. Consistency over the long haul is key."
遵守一個專門為了減肥而設計的節食計劃是在用暫時的辦法解決永恒的問題。蘭迪?哈特曼減掉了80多磅，把自己塑造成了一個健身教練，她說：“如果一個人堅持‘節食’，那么他就知道總會迎來擺脫掉節食的那一刻。這只會使問題加劇，最終體重減了又長。如果能制定一個可以堅持一輩子的飲食計劃會好很多。長時間堅持才是關鍵。”

Don't be drastic
不要太過猛烈

Instead of making lots of big changes, Becky Lehman, who, after losing 100lbs, is now a certified health coach, recommends making one small change a day to move yourself closer to your health goals and avoid becoming overwhelmed. "Drastic changes don't tend to stick, but the basic concepts of weight loss remain the same: move more, eat more vegetables, drink more water," she says. "Drinking one extra glass of water today will not cause the scale to drop 20lbs, but those small changes can add up to huge and lasting transformations."
貝基?雷曼曾甩掉100磅的肉，現在已經是一名經過認證的健身教練，她建議說不要做太多太大的改變，每天做一點小小的改變就能離你的目標體重更近一點，避免被過重的任務壓垮。她說：“過度的改變往往不能持久，但減肥的基本要義一直都沒有變：多運動、多吃蔬菜、多喝水。今天多喝一杯水并不能減掉20磅的體重，但聚沙成塔就會形成巨大持久的改變。”

Make fitness a priority, but go slowly
把減肥放在首位，但要慢慢來

Naomi Teeter, the blogger behind Inspire Transformation, knew it was a priority to make working out a habit when she began her weight-loss journey -- all in all, she lost 150lbs and has managed to keep 125lbs off for seven years. Yet she cautions against going too hardcore. "Too many people live by the philosophy, 'Go hard or go home,' when it comes to fitness and beat themselves to the ground when they first start out, causing them to give up more easily," she explains. "Your workout doesn't have to be insane to be good."
內奧米?迪特是“激發改變”網站的博客博主，她在開始減肥之旅的時候就知道，應該首先把健身作為一種習慣——總而言之，她減掉了150磅，連續七年體重保持在125磅以下。然而她很小心，防止自己走得太極端。她解釋說：“很多人減肥的時候都信奉‘要么努力要么回家’這個理念，第一次開始的時候就因任務太重把自己打倒了，這樣更容易放棄。你健身不一定非要達到瘋狂的地步才是好的。”

Don't ban specific foods
不要給具體的食物下禁令

Making certain foods “off limits” can tempt you even more -- and almost always leads to overindulging. According to Lehman, she eats chocolate "almost every single day," yet has still managed to keep the weight off. "Of course, willpower still comes into play here, but don't cut your favorite foods out of your diet completely."
把某些食物設在“禁區”會帶來更大的誘惑——幾乎總會導致暴飲暴食。據雷曼說，她“幾乎每天”都吃巧克力而依然保持著體重。“當然，意志力在這里依然很重要，但不要把你最喜歡的食物從飲食中完全刪掉。”

Recruit someone who will hold you accountable
找個對你負責的人

An accountability buddy doesn't necessarily need to be a workout buddy, but they do need to be someone you can talk to when you're feeling unmotivated and who can remind you of your original goal, says Kelsey Byers, lifestyle coach and fitness blogger behind Good Morning Fit, who has lost 50lbs. Byers' husband helped her stick to her goals; social media can also help you find a supportive community if you don't feel like there's anyone nearby who can help you as you try to drop weight.
凱爾茜?拜爾斯曾減掉50磅體重，現在是生活方式指導教練和“早安，健身”網站的健身博主，她說，一個對你負責的朋友并不一定必須是與你一起健身的人，但是他們確實得是你可以傾訴的對象，在你喪失斗志的時候鼓勵你，提醒你不要忘了最初的目標。拜爾斯的丈夫幫助她堅持實現了目標；如果你覺得身邊沒有人能幫助你減肥，社交媒體也可以幫你找一幫人支持你。

Stop buying food products...
不要再買加工食品了……

… and start buying whole foods. That means no more things in boxes, simple frozen meals, foods mushed into bar form, and so on, Marie says. Walk around the outside of the grocery store and don't mess with the inner isles. With the exception of dried beans and coffee, there's really not much you need in those aisles.
開始買天然食品吧。也就是說不要買盒子包裝的食品，簡單的速凍食品，壓成條狀的食品等等，馬里耶說。在雜貨店的外圍走一走就行了，不要擠進貨架里面，那兒也就有干豆子和咖啡可以買，別的你都不怎么需要。

Manage your emotions
管理你的情緒

Emotions can ruin your day, and subsequently any healthy progress you've made, Teeter warns. One bad day at work can lead to binge eating and drinking in front of the TV instead of preparing a nourishing meal and hitting the gym. When you're feeling bad, Teeter recommends paying attention to why you feel that way so you can comfort yourself in a more productive way, instead of stuffing yourself full of food until you can't move.
情緒會毀了你的一天，進而毀了所有你減肥取得的進步，迪特警告說。某一天工作中心情不好，回家就會坐電視機前大吃大喝，而不會準備有營養的晚餐，去健身房鍛煉。迪特建議，如果你心情不好，關注你產生情緒的原因，就可以更有效地安慰自己，而不是自己吃撐到走不動路。

Focus on feeling better, rather than what you see in the mirror
把注意力集中于更好的感覺上，而不是鏡子里的自己

Sometimes "looking good in a bathing suit" isn't a big enough goal, at least not if you want to keep the weight off for longer than the warm summer months. "It's important to establish the reason why you want to get healthy. Maybe it's for your kids or grandkids," Byers suggests. "Maybe you want to get healthy so you can have a family. No matter where you are in your journey, I encourage you to think about your personal 'why' and post it on a vision board where you can see it every day."
有時候“穿泳衣好看”并不是個什么遠大的目標，至少如果你希望溫暖的夏天過后仍能保持較輕的體重的話，這算不上什么。拜爾斯表示，“設立一個你為什么想減肥的理由很重要。也許是為了你的兒女或孫子孫女。也許你為了生小孩而健身。無論你處在健身的哪一階段，我都鼓勵你思考一下你的‘為什么’，把它貼在愿景板上，你每天都能看到它。”

Track your progress with pictures
用照片記錄進步

While it's important to focus on how you feel over how you look, Byers also suggests taking pictures every week so you can visually track your progress. On a day-to-day basis, you might not notice the changes that a photo will capture. "The scale can be misleading -- it doesn't know if you're replacing fat with muscle," notes Byers. "The more muscle you have, the more toned you look as long as your nutrition is on point."
盡管重要的是關注你的感覺而不是外表，拜爾斯也建議每周拍張照片，就可以看見自己每次的進步。每天都拍照的話，你也許注意不到照片捕捉到的變化。拜爾斯注意到：“變化幅度可以誤導人，因為你不知道是不是肌肉代替了脂肪。只要你營養跟上，肌肉越多，你看上去就越健美。”

Don't eat or drink anything handed to you through a window
不要接受從窗戶遞過來的食物或飲料

Yes, even coffee. Get up and go inside to get your coffee if you want it that bad, Marie suggests. Better yet, go someplace where you can control how much sugar and cream goes into it.
是的，即使是咖啡。如果你實在想喝，站起來走進去拿你的咖啡，馬里耶建議。如果你能去那種可以自己控制加多少糖和奶油的地方就更好了。

Step outside your comfort zone
走出舒適區

Embrace uncertainty, especially if you consider yourself a perfectionist. "Things will not always go your way, no matter how prepared you think you are," Teeter says. "Many folks throw in the towel after just one setback. But if you condition yourself to expect and embrace [setbacks], you'll be far happier with yourself and the progress you're making -- even during the difficult times."
接受不確定性，如果你認為自己是個完美主義者就更要去接受。“事情并不總是如你所愿，無論你覺得自己準備得多么充分，”迪特說。“很多人僅僅遇到一個挫折就認輸了。但是如果你能調節自己，預料到（挫折）并欣然接受，那么你就會為自己和自己所做的進步而感到更加高興——即使在困難的時候。”

Eat a lean protein and complex carb during each meal
每頓飯吃富含精益蛋白質和復合碳水化合物的食品

For Byers, that meant lots of grilled chicken with sweet potatoes, grilled zucchini with asparagus, and meal-replacement shakes. "One of my favorite meals is scrambled egg whites with hash browns and green salsa mixed together," she says. "Another favorite is extra-lean turkey tacos on corn tortillas and avocado slices, plus salsa."
對拜爾斯來說，那意味著很多烤雞肉加地瓜，烤西葫蘆和蘆筍，和正餐替代品奶昔。“我最喜歡的菜之一就是炒蛋白，薯餅拌上綠色的洋蔥汁，”她說。“另外喜歡的是精瘦火雞肉玉米卷餅、鱷梨片加上洋蔥汁。”

Start today
今天就開始

The sooner you start, the sooner you'll see results: "There will always be reasons to start tomorrow, or wait until your busy season is over," Lehman adds. "Fight through your excuses and do something right now."
越早開始，越早收到成效：“總有明天才開始的理由，或者等到忙季結束，”雷曼說。“打敗你的借口，現在就行動。”

Vocabulary:

exacerbate: 加劇
insane: 瘋狂的
grill: 燒，烤

來源：斯里爾斯特網站

翻譯：實習生孫美真

編輯&審校：yaning