How to Lose Weight Successfully (Even If You Have 50+ Pounds to Lose)

How much weight do you want to lose? 10, 20, 30+ lbs?

At Fitness Collectove, we help all sorts of people reach different types of goals. We mainly help people with injuries or limitations who want to lose weight and live a longer, higher quality life.

One of the most common mistakes I see? People trying to achieve

their overall goal all at once. They set an admirable goal like, "I want to lose 45 pounds."

This is very doable. But they might lose 5-10 lbs, then hit what we call, "The Endless Plateau." They still feel like they are on a diet, making no progress, and constantly feeling guilty. Their weight fluctuates, and they feel stuck.

It's like doing a running motion at a walking pace. Seems hard!

Ask yourself:

Are you on the endless plateau right now?

When you're trying to lose significant weight, plateaus are inevitable. Plus, weight loss gets more difficult the less you weigh.

Here is how you get yourself out.

Option 1: Strategic Maintenance

First, you need to assess if you're mentally ready to push yourself toward a lower weight, or if you need to go into a maintenance phase.

A maintenance phase means you still work out hard and keep your habits, but you eat the same amount of calories you burn. This allows you to enjoy some "guilty pleasures" and not feel like you're constantly dieting.

The key?

Mentally accept that you're not actively trying to lose weight right now! Enjoy this phase. You'll likely feel stronger, have more energy, and crush your workouts because you're fueling your body to stay at your current weight. Just make sure you don't start creeping back up on the scale. If you do, you may need to adjust your calories down a bit.

Option 2: Incremental Pushes

Next, stop trying to lose all the weight at once! See your weight loss in

10-15 lb increments. You can healthfully lose 1-2.5 lbs per week depending on your starting point.

We see the best results when people make a push to lose weight for

4-12 weeks. Pick your timeframe, and be intentional. You can go hard for 4-12 weeks, then purposefully go into a maintenance phase to catch your breath, recharge, and then push to lose another 10 pounds when you're ready.

The Bottom Line:

Sustainable weight loss isn’t about suffering longer—it’s about being smarter with your approach. If you’ve been stuck on the endless plateau, it’s not because you’re failing or lacking discipline. It’s likely because your body (and brain) need a more strategic plan. By alternating intentional fat-loss phases with purposeful maintenance, you give yourself the chance to make real progress without burning out. Break the big goal into smaller wins, respect the seasons of pushing and pausing, and you’ll find that losing 10–15 pounds at a time is not only more achievable—it’s far more sustainable long-term.

--Written by Fitness Collective Owner, Joey McDonald