7 Important Lessons Real Women Have Learned from Failed Weight-Loss Attempts

“I’ve gained and lost probably 500 pounds in my lifetime.” 

Women's Health

Losing weight can be an exercise in trial and error: Try a diet, and see if it works. And as any weight-loss warrior can attest, a lot of the time, it doesn’t.

Though it’s a tedious process, the mistakes can teach you a lot about what a sustainable diet and exercise routine should look and feel like—and what you should stay far, far away from (we’re looking at you garcinia cambogia).

To help you steer clear of weight-loss fails before they happen, we spoke with seven women who’ve been there, done that, and found what works. Check out what they discovered about losing weight the hard way (so you don’t have to).

“My experience on the Master Cleanse was nothing short of terrifying. I thought, ‘The longer I do this, the better the results will be,’ and stuck to the diet for a full 40 days. I lost some weight at first, but around day 20, I totally plateaued and didn’t lose anymore. While living on water, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and maple syrup, I started to feel low on energy, dehydrated, and depressed. Then, I started hallucinating. I started seeing these dark shadowy figures. It was really scary. On top of that, I started to forget everything; my brain just didn’t work.

“Afterward, I realized that the physical, emotional, and mental torture of doing a cleanse is not worth the water weight and muscle I lost—and I might actually end up gaining the weight back in the long-term. Working out, eating a wholesome, nutrient-rich diet, and even giving myself some wiggle room for treats are the best things I did for my body. The pounds just fall off, no deprivation required!” —Antonia Donato, 27

“When I was trying to lose weight before a wedding, I decided I needed to cut out carbs to reach my goal. I still ate plenty of fruits and veggies, but I cut out starchy vegetables like potatoes and, of course, bread, pasta, and crackers. Within a couple of days, I was seriously dragging a**. I couldn’t complete my usual workouts, and some days, I couldn’t even get to the gym. I probably was burning fewer calories than I was before.

"Though I managed to lose a couple of pounds, it was all water weight. As soon as I ‘caved’ and ate a piece of bread, I gained it all back. After all of that, I decided that I could benefit by minimizing how many refined carbs I eat, switched to whole-grain bread and pasta, and stayed away from processed cookies and crackers as much as possible—within reason. Now, I actually have the energy to complete my workouts, and I don’t have the post-carb comas I used to get all the time. I’m losing real weight. It’s slow, but it’s steady.” —Sheila Ray, 23