Oh there were lots of parts that were difficult at first. Oddly enough though, calorie counting was not one of them. I knew when I was devising a plan that calorie counting would HAVE to be part of it. I knew having that budget to keep to was the only thing that would force me to stop overeating.
It was hard not giving into cravings. At first. It was hard not eating *whenever I felt like it*. At first. It was hard not eating when stressed, or mad, angry, happy, bored, tired, etc. At first. It was hard figuring out new foods to make and eat. At first. It was hard getting my family to make the healthy switch with me. At first. It was hard socializing when everyone was eating this and that and I wasn't. At first. It was hard having all the right foods on hand. At first. It was hard packing up food with me and taking it with me where ever I went. At first.
I guess in the beginning it all seemed hard. But then again in ways it didn't. I was so determined to lose the weight that whether it was hard or not was inconsequential. It just didn't matter. Since I wanted it so badly, being hard or not didn't really enter my mind. And then it just got to be what I do and IT became my new normal and my new habits and my way of life and now it's just what it is. I could never imagine NOT doing all these things . What seems difficult and foreign in the beginning, eventually seems quite easy, doable and natural - rather quickly in fact.
And none of it was nearly as hard - ever - as the hard of being morbidly obese. Now THAT was hard. And never got any easier. It just got - harder and harder and harder still.