I started doing weight watchers. It made a lot of sense to me. I also stopped drinking dr. pepper (which was the MOST difficult thing for me). I have lost 34 lbs so far.

hi, i just joined as well -- have been working on losing weight for about six months -- have lost 45 or so pounds and no one in my life has noticed. it's been disheartening so i decided to join here so i could at least read about people going through the same things --

also, it gets lonely and depressing when i think of what i have done to my body --

so i am offering this advice to you: when something goes wrong, don't blame yourself -- just make a new choice next time. the more i get angry at myself, blame myself, feel ashamed, the more i stay in the spiral.

i encourage you to forgive transgressions and know that every moment you have a chance at a new decision, a chance to do better.

whatever you can do to stick with it means a lot, and there are many tools at your disposal -- but appreciating yourself makes all the tools work better.

i am very glad to meet you and wish you all the best in your journey.

I understand it being hard when you're not cooking your own meals or you're eating on the fly, but there are options that are more healthy on any menu. It takes time to read through and you may have to bypass foods that look more delicious :D

I'm not a huge Olive Garden fan (calorie counter, so I don't eat much pasta), but when I have to go there with family who loves it, they have an apricot grilled chicken served with a side of asparagus and tomatoes that always order.
I eat half of my meal because restaurant portions are big anyway, and ask for their salad with the dressing on the side so I can control the amount I use.

At any restaurant you can modify and ask for substitutions. If I haven't checked out the menu beforehand, my general rule is protein cooked appropriately (grilled usually) and a double vegetable side without sauce (you can always have your starch switched out for one more veggie).

Good luck, you can do this!! :)

Just did my weekly weigh-in...227.8 :) I have to say that was nice to see. I wasn't expecting to see a change, unless it was a small gain. Confirmation that being aware of what you are eating is a big helpful step.

Thanks to everyone for the advice and encouragement. It is so hard to stay on track. My fiance has been out of town for a few days, so I find myself not really cooking, just grazing (which is a really bad habit I have). So here's to getting back on track and cooking meals.