Hi! I'm an emotional eater, I always turn to food for comfort, so this will probably be very difficult for me. I know that I want to lose the weight and keep it off, so I'm going to buckle down and go low-cal. I've been keeping a food diary since yesterday (not very long, I know ) but it's a big step for me

Any suggestions for a beginner? Any would be greatly appreciated!

Hm, guess my suggestions are try to use labels for everything. While I know a lot of people love Fitday and other online calorie counting things (which I think are still good) labels can sometimes be very different from what online estimates give. I keep a physical journal myself, though I think you should go with whatever you want to do. I also think diet and exercise are as equally habit forming as coffee or chocolate, so you just need to work it into your routine and find some aspect about it that you enjoy (planning, number crunching, creating meals, etc). Good luck on your journey

I love food journals! I just love writing stuff down...I keep food tips and nutrition information and recipes in there also. I use fitday, I calorie count, I excercise (not extremely often, but I always like to keep moving) I would say set realistic goals, small ones and take it day by day, dont get discouraged if the scale doesnt move like you want it to, evaluate and make changes, find a "diet" that is going to work for a lifetime and make it work. Indulge once in awhile as to not deprive. Dont give up everything right away or you will end up having an eating breakdown one day. You can do this!

I recommend signing up for fitday.com and that way you can keep track of all your calories, fat, protein and carbs. I love entering all my food info to that...it helps keep me on track and know where I am at for the day. Good luck!!

Hello. You have come to a great place. I'm not one for face to face meetings but I need something/someone/someplace to remain accountable. I haven't been here that long and I haven't posted much (I read 2 sometimes 3 times a day though) but I have found that the motivation is still here. It's become part of my routine.

Two pieces of advice. First, don't try to go to fast. As others have pointed out you need to take it one day at a time. If you aren't ready to make a complete meal change then don't. If it's a big move for you to add one veggie to dinner then pat yourself on the back and know that you are making huge strides to a better and healthier you. That's what it's all about.

Second. Don't feel guilty for anything you eat. I believe it's guilt that keeps us from being able to make changes. You have to feel good about something before you can let it go. Sounds sappy, I know, but it's how I quit smoking (almost 2 years now) and how I got back on track after feeling sooooo deprived. It's all about choices and if you are making a choice because of shame, it's doomed for failure. If you make the choice because you honestly want the better choice for the better you then you can eat it without the feeling of deprivation. I hope that makes sense. I guess I'm just trying to say...relax and enjoy.