This is just what I needed to read this morning. One week into a new life style and it is hard to make changes. Thanks for the reminders and a few new tips.

"Filter" what you read and hear... even on this thread... and find what works best for you, as long as it is healthy. Learn to research and think for yourself and develop a healthful eating plan that you can learn to love and stick with. For me, some of the stuff posted here I don't agree with (for me) and won't do... some I find great advice and most of it I could have written myself. Especially "hunger is not an emergency" and break the night eating habit.

Personally I would add cut out the processed food which is loaded with chemical, sugar, fake sugar, salt, and a ton of addictive substances which just keep you craving more.

Your grandmother was right... eat your fruits and veggies.

^^^^^ This stuff!

Trial and error.

Find what works for YOU.

Research.

There is no ONE way, or RIGHT way to live/eat/exercise/lose weight.

And really the most important and only hard and fast "rule" is don't give up.

Hunger has quite little to do with calories. This is how it started for me.

What is working for me this time:

Track your food to be both mindful and accountable of your eating.
Know your portion sizes, it's so easy to eat twice the calories you'd planned on (or more!)!
Read labels before buying anything.
Research restaurant nutrition info before ordering anything.
Avoid added sugar and processed grains as much as possible.
Take lots of photos, you'll want to compare later!
Focus on the positives.

Everyone is going to have different needs of course but I believe the last one is crucial for long-term sucess.

Plan! Plan! Plan! Healthy eating doesn't "just happen".
Always make sure you have healthy meal/snack option on hand. If youdon't it is way to easy togo though a fast food drive through or order pizza. Also, go online and check out local restaurants. Figure out whatitems are "doable" on your plan. Make a cheatsheet, carry it in you billfold/purse. That way when you go out you know what is "safe"to order.


Measure your food. In the beginning do it with EVERTHING. You need to relearn what a portion reaal is, you maybe surprised!
Log, journal, track (whatever word you choose) your food.

I love this thread. Everyone is so spot on. Number one for me is to plan, measure, track and count everything I eat every day. These all ring true for me too:

I've been gone for...hmm, a year or so, I guess? I've gained back about 20 of my hard-lost pounds and have found some of my old bad habits creeping back along with them. Here's what I've learned:

1. It's tiring making choices all the time, and it's easy to let yourself drift with what others are doing. Resolve to treat each choice as a new opportunity to make one that gets you closer to your goals without punishing yourself for the ones that took you in the other direction.

2. If you're 5'2", you shouldn't be matching your husband bite for bite; smaller people need less fuel, even if the "fuel" is so tasty you just want to keep eating it.

3. If you regain lost weight, learn from it instead of using it as a bludgeon with which to beat yourself. You don't deserve such harsh treatment.

4. Focus on becoming healthy rather than on reaching a certain number by a certain date. It doesn't matter if the number's a weight or a dress size, it doesn't define you.

5. It's never too late. I'm catching myself now while my jeans are uncomfortable and before I can't wear them at all. If I'd waited until next week or next month, though, it still wouldn't be "too late."

Don't deny yourself from having something, but deny yourself having too much of it.

^ This! Wonderful advice.

Yeah I like this advice too. My success this time around (this is the absolute longest I've taken care of myself consciously) has been partly driven by the fact that I did not deprive myself. Since July, I have had a small dessert practically every day with no negative effects on my health or weight loss...and I've lost a TON since July. They were small, but they were enough to satisfy me.

Find the intersection between foods that are healthy and foods that you love -- and stay in that zone.

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This is a really excellent point and can be applied to many aspects of life.

My best advice is to keep being accountable to yourself.

I've discovered that I'm pretty clever when it comes to differentiating between accountability and giving myself excuses. I gave myself plenty of excuses last week when I wore myself out and decided I had to reevaluate my plan. Well, I've been overeating, in the meantime telling myself that I'll get back on track on Monday.

Well, it's Sunday night, and I'm not motivated! I've done a ton of food prep today and made a time with the husband to walk/run with him at the gym tomorrow. But I didn't really care until I tried something new:

I went into Google Calendars and made a weekly goal that gives me daily reminders to 1. stick to my dinner calories (my biggest challenge) and 2. doing 1 strength training workout this week. The reminder will show up on my phone each day at 4pm, which is about the time I start slipping from my daily goals.

So, to recap, my best advice is to keep up being accountable to yourself. In reality, you're the only one you have to answer to, and you deserve to accomplish your goal.

Everything in moderation except green veggies.

Count calories

Do not drink calories

Exercise. A lot.