10 Weight Loss Tips From a Personal Trainer Backed by Real Success Stories

ABSTRACT

Discover 10 proven weight loss tips from a personal trainer, inspired by real success stories. Learn how calorie tracking, meal prep, goal setting, smarter workouts, and habit-based changes can support sustainable fat loss and long-term results.

Research-Based Citations

1. App-based self-monitoring + feedback supports weight loss (relevant to tracking/logging and accountability).
   Burke LE, Sereika SM, et al. The Effect of Tailored, Daily, Smartphone Feedback to Lifestyle Self-Monitoring on Weight Loss at 12 Months: the SMARTER Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research (2022).
   https://www.jmir.org/2022/7/e38243

2. Behavioral weight-management interventions (goal setting, self-monitoring, structured behavior-change components) produce clinically meaningful weight loss—supports your “small changes,” “concrete goals,” “vary workouts,” and habit-based approach.
   Madigan CD, Graham HE, et al. Effectiveness of behavioural weight management interventions for adults delivered in primary care: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ (Published May 30, 2022).
   https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj-2021-069719

3. Alcohol intake is associated with overweight/obesity risk (supports “ditch the daily drinking”).
   Association between alcohol intake and overweight and obesity: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies. (Published 2021; indexed in Europe PMC / MED).
   https://europepmc.org/article/MED/33998940

Key Topics

• weight loss tips from a personal trainer

• weight loss success stories

• how to lose weight sustainably

• personal trainer weight loss advice

• calorie tracking apps for weight loss

• meal prep for fat loss

• exercise motivation for weight loss

• alcohol and weight loss

• setting realistic weight loss goals

• does tracking calories help weight loss

• how meal prep supports weight loss success

• best habits for long-term weight loss

• personal trainer tips for sustainable fat loss

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Does tracking calories with an app help with weight loss?

Yes. Research shows that consistent self-monitoring of food intake improves accountability and is strongly associated with greater weight loss and long-term adherence.

2. Why is meal prep effective for fat loss?

Meal prep reduces decision fatigue, limits impulsive eating, and improves dietary consistency—three factors strongly linked to sustainable weight loss.

3. How important is exercise enjoyment for weight loss success?

Enjoyable workouts increase adherence. People are more likely to maintain physical activity over the long term when they find activities they genuinely enjoy.

4. Can reducing alcohol intake support weight loss?

Yes. Alcohol adds significant calories with minimal satiety and can impair fat metabolism, making moderation a key strategy for weight loss.

5. Why do small changes work better than drastic diets?

Incremental habit changes are easier to sustain, reduce burnout, and lead to better long-term outcomes compared to extreme, short-term approaches.

6. How does goal setting improve weight loss results?

Concrete, emotionally meaningful goals increase motivation, consistency, and resilience during setbacks—key drivers of long-term success.

7. Should workouts be varied during a weight loss journey?

Yes. Varying workouts help prevent boredom, support overall fitness, and improve adherence without requiring extreme intensity.

8. Is motivation different for each person?

Absolutely. Successful weight loss is often driven by personal, emotionally relevant motivations rather than generic fitness goals.

Weight Loss New Years Resolutions / Photo: Ketut Subiyanto

Introduction

The success of these ten guys inspires my personal training clients and me. It would help if you heeded these weight loss tips as you approach your resolutions in the new year. The tips apply to women, too!

Personal Trainer TIP #1: USE AN APP TO TRACK YOUR DIET

Name: Ben Whalen
Age: 30
Weight lost: 165 pounds in 9 months

Using an app to log his diet was a game changer for Ben Whalen. He says seeing the calories add up as he entered his meals held him accountable, which helped him stay motivated and on track.

He used Livestrong’s MyPlate Calorie Tracker app, which is free, but there are countless similar apps out there.

When Whalen thinks about a cheat meal, he says he sometimes plugs it into the app in order to kill the craving. One night, he was hankering for macaroni and cheese.

“A one-cup serving came out to I think about 500 calories,” he says. “That’s all it took to make me not have any.”

Personal Trainer TIP #2: KEEP HEALTHY SNACKS ON HAND

Name: Xan Barksdale
Age: 34
Weight lost: 26 pounds in 2 years

Too much time on the road led former Atlanta Braves catcher Xan Barksdale to pack on the pounds.

After leaving the professional game to become a coach, Barksdale found himself working 80-hour weeks and resorting to fast food all too often.

“It’s easy to do what’s convenient,” says Barksdale. “But what’s convenient isn’t usually the right thing.”

Barksdale figured out a way to make healthy options almost as convenient as the drive-thru, though: He keeps a cooler full of chicken breasts, hard-boiled eggs, and bananas in his truck at all times.

Nutritious options are always within reach, so he’s never tempted to hit up the fast-food chains.

Personal Trainer TIP #3: FIND A WORKOUT YOU ACTUALLY LIKE DOING

Name: Lionell Dixon
Age: 32
Weight lost: 145 pounds in 15 months

When Lionell Dixon first started heading to the gym, he didn’t know where to start.

He tried cardio machines like the StairMaster, elliptical, and treadmill. But he wasn’t getting the results he wanted.

It wasn’t until he enlisted the help of a gym-rat friend that Dixon started trying new things like weightlifting and jumping rope. His body began to change.

“Jump rope is one of my favorites,” says Dixon. “Sometimes I’ll speed it up for 30 seconds or a minute straight, then rest for 10 to 20 seconds and hop back into it.”

It took Dixon over a year to find his groove in the gym, but he says he’s finally found a routine he looks forward to doing every day. Aside from jump rope, Dixon also lifts weights and hits a heavy bag.

Personal Trainer TIP #4: SET A CONCRETE GOAL

Name: Patrick Hollingsworth
Age: 24
Weight lost: 15 pounds in 6 months

Patrick Hollingsworth had just gotten married when he was deployed to Thule Air Base in Greenland for one year away from his wife.

The separation bummed him out and drained his motivation to stay healthy. He put on weight.

When he realized he would see his wife again in 6 months, he snapped back into action. The idea of being reunited with her pushed him to get in the gym and start shedding the weight during the second half of his year at Thule.

“I didn’t want her to see me like this,” Hollingsworth says.

By the time he returned home, he was a new man—in a good way.

Personal Trainer TIP #5: CHANGE ONE SMALL THING AT A TIME

Name: Jonathan Coffman
Age: 28
Weight lost: 302 pounds in 2 years

Jonathan Coffman’s heart doctor said he’d be surprised if Coffman made it to age 35 because of his weight. Coffman clocked in at 510 pounds at the time.

Coffman had tried to lose weight before, but this time, he started small.

“I used to have a candy apple dipped in caramel and chocolate a few times a week,” says Coffman. “I quit doing that, and I saw the scale go down.”

After that, he gradually cut out other indulgences like mayo, pizza, and pasta one at a time. Now, he has an egg and fruit for breakfast, a protein and vegetable for lunch, and a salad for dinner.

Those incremental dietary changes, combined with running, helped Coffman drop more than 300 pounds during the course of two years.

Personal Trainer TIP #6: USE THE POWER OF MEAL PREP

Name: Kenneth Frierson
Age: 29
Weight lost: 100 pounds in 14 months

When Kenneth Frierson made the decision that he’d do whatever it took to lose weight, a health-nut friend introduced him to a myriad of tricks. The one that had the biggest impact: Meal prep.

“Meal prep allows you to be on top of your diet,” he says.

Every Sunday, Frierson prepares a week’s worth of meals that usually include chicken, broccoli, and beans. Then, in the morning, he just puts it in a bag and ships off to work.

Frierson often works 10-hour shifts, so having his meals ready to eat makes the difference between a healthy dinner and a quick, calorie-laden fix.

Personal Trainer TIP #7: VARY YOUR WORKOUTS

Name: Joshua King
Age: 37
Weight lost: 175 pounds in 1 year

When Joshua King decided to start losing weight, he began with 15 minutes on a stationary bike and 5 minutes on a treadmill.

He kept that regimen going for about a month, but eventually, he got bored.

To keep his motivation level high, King started varying his routine: Now he rotates through different workouts such as running, basketball, stair-climbing, and step classes.

“It keeps it fresh,” he says. “It keeps my body going.”

Personal Trainer TIP #8: DITCH THE DAILY DRINKING

Name: Mike Briscoe
Age: 42
Weight lost: 76 pounds in 9 months

Mike Briscoe used to come home after work and have three or four beers. Then he’d have a glass of wine late at night with dessert.

That’s about 703 calories every day from alcohol alone.

“Now, I don’t drink every day,” says Briscoe. “If I do drink, I have a glass of wine with my wife at dinner.”

Briscoe says putting away his self-proclaimed “party animal” past was the most important step toward ditching 76 pounds in 9 months.

Personal Trainer TIP #9: FIND YOUR MOTIVATION

Name: David Steele
Age: 34
Weight lost: 33 pounds in 1 year

After his daughter died just one day after her birth, David Steele had a hard time. His go-to coping mechanism: food.

To find the motivation to take care of himself, he made his workouts a time to remember his daughter. He’d pull her picture up on his phone and keep it in view and listen to a song that reminded him of her while he exercised.

“That’s my time with her,” Steele says. “I look at her and blow her kisses. We know she’s in heaven.”

Steele makes it his goal to burn 528 calories each workout in honor of the day his daughter was born: May 28.

Personal Trainer TIP #10: START WITH SMALL GOALS AND WORK YOUR WAY UP

Name: Anthony Flores
Age: 31
Weight lost: 90 pounds in 1 year

One day, Anthony Flores was trying to climb a staircase when he found himself having a hard time breathing. That was his turning point.

The next day, he went to the local YMCA and started running.

“I lasted 10 minutes,” he says. “I would never run during the daytime. I didn’t want to be seen.”

But he pushed himself to improve bit by bit.

He signed up for 5K “fun runs” and watched the other runners to see how he could get better.

“I would mimic what they always did,” he says. “I turned out to be pretty fast.”

Eventually, Flores worked his way up to participating in official races. Now he’s competed in several big-name races, including the USA Triathlon.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: MICHAEL MOODY, PERSONAL TRAINER

As an author, a personal trainer in Denver, and podcast host, Michael Moody has helped personal training clients achieve new fitness heights and incredible weight loss transformations since 2005. He also produces the wellness podcast "The Elements of Being" and has been featured on NBC, WGN Radio, and PBS.

Michael offers personal training to Denver residents who want to meet at the 2460 W 26th Ave studio….or in their homes throughout LoHi (80206), LoDo (80202), RiNo (80216), Washington Park (80209), Cherry Creek (80206, 80209, 80243, 80246, 80231), and Highlands (80202, 80211, 80212). Michael also offers experiences with a personal trainer in Jefferson Park (80211) and Sloan's Lake (80204, 80212).

If you’re looking for a personal trainer who can curate a sustainable (and adaptable) routine based on your needs and wants, Michael is the experienced practitioner you’ve been looking for. Try personal training for a month…your body will thank you!