Weight loss can change a person’s life and boost health, especially after years of struggling with obesity.
No wonder losing weight is among the top 2026 New Year’s resolutions for Americans, along with healthy habits such as exercising more, eating healthier, and improving physical and mental health, according to a YouGov poll.
Many people will turn to GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound to shed pounds; others will try to slim down on their own.
No matter which option you choose, it can be a challenge. Here are simple weight-loss tips from people who found success and were profiled by TODAY.com in 2025:
Take Photos of What You’re Eating
Alexandra Briceno gained 100 pounds while raising two children, and juggling academics and work. Busy to the extreme, the single mom made sure her kids had nutritious meals, but didn’t prioritize her own health.
She’d eat processed food and rows of crackers, amounting to 3,000 calories a day, while going days without consuming fruits or vegetables.
But one simple habit helped Briceno stop “eating like crazy.”
She began taking photos of everything she was eating — not to post on social media, but to privately analyze her diet mistakes.
“I just started being mindful through the pictures. And then being gentle with myself,” said Briceno, 36, who lives in Miami, Florida. “It became awareness followed by self-compassion.”
Reviewing the images helped her figure out she wasn’t eating a healthy breakfast and consuming foods that didn’t nourish her.
Briceno now eats balanced meals throughout the day. Half the plate is always fruits and vegetables, the other half includes a protein and carbs. She gradually resumed regular exercise and lost the extra 100 pounds.
Be Consistent Most of the Time
“If you mess up one meal, then you don’t get down on yourself and just completely quit because that is literally 1-365th of the year,” Samantha Hager advised.
“Treat every single meal as an opportunity (to eat healthy). … You had one bad thing that you weren’t supposed to have. Who cares?”
Hager lost almost 240 pounds after she started running, got rid of unhealthy snacks and focused on fueling her body. If she was tempted by junk food, she’d ask herself one simple question: “Would a runner really eat this?” Her diet now consists of complex carbs, lots of vegetables and very little meat.
If it’s a special occasion, the 29-year-old, who lives in Boise, Idaho, may indulge a bit, knowing that she’s consistently eating a healthy diet the vast majority of the time.
Find a Healthy Go-To Routine
Tom Carroll lost 132 pounds by eating a Chick-fil-A Spicy Southwest Salad every day for lunch, his big meal of the day. He liked the taste and wasn’t bored eating the same thing every day.
“I was really lucky that I found the thing that works for me,” said Carroll, 32, who lives in Lincoln, Rhode Island.
“Once you find your routine, it’s the thing that you can always go back to. You can tell yourself, ‘Yes, I had a cheat meal, but it’s OK because tomorrow I’m going to snap back into the thing that I know works for me and get back on my path.”’
He also stopped drinking alcohol and soda, and started exercising.
There’s no magic ingredient in the salad — it’s just much healthier than what Carroll was eating before, a dietitian explained. Plus, eating the same meal every day can have advantages like having control over the number of calories consumed and being on autopilot.
Don’t Make Weight Loss Complicated
Singer Jelly Roll, who has lost about 200 pounds, has a no-frills weight loss strategy.
“I’ve been thinking of ways to make it sound cool, but I can’t,” he said. “I’m eating a lot of protein, vegetables and walking. That’s what I’m doing.”
He’s also been running, participating in a 5K race, and taking steps to overcome what he called his food addiction.
“If you’re really battling obesity, you got to start at the dinner table, man. The walking’s great, all the other stuff’s great, but you got to fight that addiction at the dinner table,” he said.
Prioritize Protein When Taking a GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drug
Registered dietitian Jennifer Lynn-Pullman began using Wegovy after struggling with her weight. The GLP-1 drug mimics a hormone the body produces after eating, which decreases appetite and helps people feel full.
To avoid eating too little and losing muscle, Lynn-Pullman consumed very small, frequent meals, which she called “eating episodes,” and prioritized protein.
She has protein every time she eats — whether it’s chicken, turkey, salmon or a protein shake — consuming that food first, then fruits and vegetables. Any starchy food is last, if there’s even room for it.
Lynn-Pullman lost 60 pounds in 10 months and has maintained that weight.
Take 1 Tiny First Step and Keep Going
Ludovic Zamor, 30, is a concert pianist who lost 100 pounds with intermittent fasting and exercise. When he started, he was determined to use one cardio machine in particular.
“Hitting the gym was daunting, but I made it my mission to conquer one thing: the StairMaster,” Zamor told TODAY. “I started with one minute the first day, then added 30 more seconds the next day and the day after that.”
He also gradually incorporated weight lifting into his routine to build strength.
