If you're trying to lose weight, it can be tempting to make drastic changes in an attempt to fast-track results.
However, dramatic diet and exercise goals are often difficult to maintain long-term, and slimmers run the risk of falling off the wagon.
One woman has shared how she lost 5st and kept the weight off by avoiding this mistake.
Ianna Yvonne, who credits her transformation to healthy eating and exercise, shared why "making smaller changes over time" is the most effective weight loss method.
According to Ianna, making drastic changes can be a 'mistake' if you want long-term results
YouTube/Ianna YvonneShe said on YouTube: "The mistake I've seen people make is drastic dietary changes, which helps them lose weight, although they are not able to maintain it."
Slimmers often engage in "yo-yo dieting", which is a cycle of losing weight and then putting the pounds back on.
To avoid this, Ianna advised: "Make small changes over time, replace an unhealthy meal with a healthy one and cut down your carbohydrate intake.
"My recommendation is to make small changes you can sustain. At the end of 2025, you will see a huge difference without the strain and stress of pushing through."
Ianna encouraged slimmers to change their perspective on weight loss and view it "as an overall health and wellness journey".
She said: "When I was 15st, I was exhausted, tired all the time, and I could not exercise. I did not want to go out, and it really affected my mental health.
"What helped to maintain my overall weight loss was looking at it from the lens of health and wellness. Looking at it over the long-term as a health journey really helped me sustain the weight loss and make changes that made me feel better."
If possible, the slimmer advised training with a partner as it will make your weight loss journey more "fun".
The slimmer explained: "When you go the gym and have a friend with you, you can talk, and it goes by much faster compared to when you're just looking at the treadmill, watching the minutes tick by.
By having a partner with you, you have someone to "check in" with who can keep you on track.
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Ianna recommended training with another person
YouTube/Ianna Yvonne
Ianna added: "If they're at a higher fitness level than you, that's even better because they can teach you some of their tips and strategies they've learnt along the way."
Another woman shared how she lost 5st 6lb after giving birth to two children, crediting her success to short, intense workouts.
She said: "If you want to see results, understand that 30 minutes of a focused workout is much more effective than two hours of an unfocused one."
