8 Body Transformation Photos That Prove You Don’t Have to Crash Diet to Lose Weight

Sometimes, it takes a while to lose weight. But that can actually be a really great thing.

“Slow weight loss is a sign that you’re making slow and steady changes to your behaviors that are likely to stick for life,” says Julie Upton, R.D., co-founder of Appetite for Health.

She says that losing weight slowly is also an indicator that you’re losing fat, not muscle. That’s especially good news since loss of muscle slows down your metabolism, contributing to rebound weight gain.

So how slow should you go? Ideally, depending on your size, weight, and how much body fat you have to lose, it’s best to lose no more than one to two pounds per week, Upton says. For most women, this requires eating about 500 to 1,000 fewer calories than you burn each day, which can be achieved through a combination of healthy eating and exercise, she says.

Hitting that goal is all about building healthy habits into your daily lifestyle, using a slow and steady approach. “I have my clients focus on practicing one to two small habits until they become second nature, then they can add one or two more,” she says.

No deprivation, no elimination diets, and no “quick fixes.”

Here’s how eight women kicked crash diets to the curb and lost the weight for good.