Don't be afraid to feed things to the dog (without making it too fat of course!)
Tonight I've shared some Swedish meatballs with my 4 hounds ~ they were so good, I could have munched them all at a sitting. They were a first time purchase, so I wasn't expecting them to be so moreish!
I don't mean flexibility to eat garbage and sit on the sofa. I mean do what you need to do to keep going, to not quit.
In the past I'd come upwith a plan and as soon as there was a problem with the plan I'd quit and gain back the weight. Allow yourself to tweak your plan or switch plans to something that works better for you because quitting is not an option.
I'd say keep in mind that something that may feel hard now, like exercise or eating, WILL get easier. things change, your taste in food will change as you continue on, your outlook will change. It's a fluid process.
In the beginning for me, eating more veggies and salads felt like a struggle, I felt deprived feeling like I had to do without certain foods I love. The word is DEPRIVATION. But really, it's all about management, and finding new foods, changing taste buds and choosing health over OVER indulgence. I'm not perfect, no question about it, and I have a ways to go. But that's something I've learned.
Same with exercise. I started out walking 6 short blocks and back for ALL my exercise, tried to do it every day. Now I go to the gym (something I thought I'd never do).
One easy tip to begin with, to directly answer your q, keep foods out of the reach of your arm that you know you can't resist eating too much of, and keep stuff that works for your food plan that you enjoy around for when you're hungry.
i just remembered another tip. Istarted using SELECT BREAD by Arnold when I makea sandwich. They're also good if you have a burger.
The package calls them sandwich thins. A lot of the bread companies make them now. They are round thin slices of bread and only 100 calories.
if you haven't tried them yet pick up a package they come in different varieties
Buy good quality scales - bathroom and kitchen. They make me feel I'm taking this seriously. (I started with old, freebie kitchen scales and saved up - it made a change from just eating my money!)
do not let yourself feel deprived if you do, you wont stick with it, at least i wont
drink lots of water, if you can't drink it plain, the walmart generic crystal light is soo good especially the fruit punch, taste like koolaid
find some fruit and veggies that you love
if you eat something you think you shouldn't don't let it play with your head, get back on track, i had chinese food last week, it was my planned cheat meal..okay i ate a lot..buffet..... i still lost weight..
okay this isn't one...but one is impossible..
and have a great support system. aka 3fc, join a challenge for accountability, start a blog etc....
I agree with everyone who said water. It's almost comical how much faster I lose when I drink 70-100oz a day, considering how long I've spent avoiding water convinced that diet soda was a sufficient replacement.
