Sarah, everyone has different things that work for them, but these are the things that worked for me and helped me to lose 80+ lbs and keep them off after many failed attempts.
1) Realize that this isn't temporary. There is no being "done" with the "diet". You're changing forever. The old life is gone.
2) One mistake is not fatal. It doesn't make you bad, or a cheater or a failure. You haven't blown it. You get right back on the horse the next meal (not next week or next month!)
3) Face the reality that the weight isn't going to disappear over night. There are weeks where you will do everything right and not lose. There will be weeks you will do everything wrong and have a big loss. It happens. There is no explanation for it. It's not a reason to quit or give up. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
4) Go to meetings! I know not everyone is a fan of them, but I think studies have shown those who go to meetings are much more successful at losing and keeping it off than those who don't. Sometimes they are insightful, some days they are boring, but getting weighed will help you to stay on track.
5) Write EVERYTHING down. Those "tastes" while you were making the spaghetti sauce, the left over crusts from the kids sandwhiches, the handful of nuts, the spoonful of this or that. It all counts.
6) Drink your water. It helps.
7) Cut down on eating out, prepared foods and junk. Yes, you can have potato chips and cookies and frozen meals. But they just don't give you much bang for your buck. You will be more hungry and your points will disappear quickly. Have them once in a while if you must, but not all the time.
8) Move! Exercise is important. Walk, do a tape, join a gym, dance, swim whatever. But do SOMETHING.
9) Plan, plan, plan. It's so much easier to stay on the program if you have your day planned ahead of time and have the foods you need. Things don't always go as planned, but having a framework will keep you in line much more than waiting until lunch, when you're already hungry and being tempted by what others are eating or whatever.
10) Have fun with it. I know most people don't look at it as fun, but if you look at it as this big burden and whatever, you will likely fail. I have fun now looking at labels and going to the store and browsing to see if I can make a great low point discovery or finding a new excerise tape or equipment and best of all shopping for new clothes and doing things with my family instead of sitting on the couch. It's worth all the effort you put in and then some.
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New here and so ready to be a big fat loser!
I have been heavy most of my life and have been a yo yo dieter for most of my adult life. Now I am ready to finally change my life and begin a healthy lifestyle. I would appreciate any tips or words of wisdom you may have for me. I am really looking forward to this new experience.
So for now I will just use the information I have from ebay and the great tips and advice given here. I have already found many recipies tips that I know will help. Thanks for all the encouragement and kind words. It really means alot to have support from people who can relate and do not judge.
