Diane Naylor never expected an episode of the TV show “Castle” to drastically change her life for the better. At 63, she had just moved to Oakhurst, California from Fresno. There was all sorts of things for her to do in her new city, from hiking to biking to just spending time outdoors.
There was just one problem. Diane weighed over 400 pounds and wasn’t able to live an active lifestyle. Then an an episode of “Castle” changed everything.
“One of the medical examiners was telling the lead actress she should follow her dreams,” she said. “He pointed to the corpses and said, ‘All those people had dreams, but their time ran out, so don’t let that happen to you.’ It was like a light bulb went off — I had a lot of dreams, too, and I wanted to accomplish them.”
She was feeling depressed because of her weight at the time and it gave her the push she needed to start completely anew the next day. Eventually she managed to lose 225 pounds even though she was 63 years old.
This wasn’t the first time she tried losing weight, but it was the first time it worked. In order to try and inspire others to do the same, she went over the steps she took to make it all happen. Continue reading below to hear how she pulled off this amazing feat!
1. Start changing your lifestyle now.
According to Naylor, the younger you are, the easier it is to make the changes you need. But that still doesn’t mean it’s impossible for older people. “I started at 59, which proves anyone can do it. Why start six months from now? Start today!” she said.
2. Make small changes.
At first, Naylor decided that she would take baby steps to her new lifestyle. She started with just walking up and down the driveway. Even going to the mailbox was a challenge but eventually she would walk farther and farther until she started taking long walks around the neighborhood.
3. Find people to support your journey.
To surround herself with a community of people who were trying to accomplish the same goal that she was, Naylor decided to join a club called Taking Off Pounds Sensibly, or TOPS. She went to meetings every Monday and often received support from other members.
“The Monday meetings help me keep myself in check during the weekends, when I’d be most likely to cheat,” she said. “If you don’t have access to a similar group — start one yourself! Find similar-minded people who will understand and support you.”
4. Take pleasure in eating new foods.
“I learned how to eat fish. I didn’t care for it before, but I bought an air fryer which helped me cook it without the grease and I actually like the way it tastes,” Naylor shared.
5. Don’t go on a television “diet.”
Naylor’s successful lifestyle change wasn’t the first time she tried to go on a “diet”. She had previously tried all sorts of television diets, such as Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig, but she would always gain her weight back.
Instead, she decided to change her mindset. She didn’t think of the whole process as a diet, but more so as incremental changes to a healthier and longer life.
She would eat much less junk food, and much more veggies– which ended up working for me.
6. Keep going with it and don’t give up!
At times, Naylor said that she would reach points that would make her want to give up. She managed to sum of the strength to continue though, and in the end it was all worth it!
“It might take six or eight weeks for the scale to move, but during that time, you’ll see the inches coming off of your body,” she said.
7. Go through your diet one meal at a time.
Naylor says that while junk foods can be tempting, it’s important to try and only think of one meal at a time, so that you could be consistent in your lifestyle change.
“Candy, popcorn and ice cream are all still temptations for me. Staying healthy is a constant, every day decision,” she said.
Naylor is now 63 years old but feels more like 45. She loves being active and enjoying the outdoors. She even makes public speaking appearances as a TOPS member!
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