I love this thread and hope bumping it will revive it.

My latest secret weapon is the Jedi Mind Trick: These aren't the foods I'm looking for.

Ha ha. OK, that's a dramatic rendition of it, but truly, it's been all in my head. Viewing myself as the type of person who doesn't sneak out at midnight for cookies, as the type of person who is disciplined enough to work out every morning ... that's what's worked for me lately.

3fc.com and fitday.com!! Without these two websites to help me know what to do, i'd never have lost a pound. I have learned sooooo much from this website. And fitday helps me to know how many calories i am eating and if i am eating enough protein/carbs and not so much fat.

Having my size 16 pants start to feel loose and seeing my jawline for the first time in a long time is what kept me motivated. But without the first two tools mentioned, i never would have seen my jaw line or pants fit looser. I am always telling people about this website. If i wrote a book about losing weight, one of the chapters would definately be about 3fc.com!!! Hmmmm....i see an idea forming....I should write a book!!

I totally love this!!!

Other than moving away from temptation and the occasional bout of amoebic dysentery, I would say that what has helped me the most is realizing that I can live the rest of my life this way. I don`t mind at all.

Recording what I eat every day and tracking calories.

Planning my meals.

Every time I slack off on doing one of those things, I notice I start getting off plan.

For the people upthread who talked about planning for maintenance - what exactly did you do? (Maybe this discussion is better in a different thread/forum?)

Love the Jedi mind trick.

3FC has really helped so far.

I've given up quite a few foods and cut back on some others, but 3FC has been my biggest motivator... how can you possibly fail when there's a whole community losing weight with you? I love this site so much.

Goals
Planning
3Fc
Fitday
My doctor asking me if I'd like a heart attack now or later...........

Water
3FC
The Daily Plate
Running....something other than my normal walking
The feeling of not wanting to be jealous when someone cute and skinny walks by my hubby.....I want to be that cute skinny person!

3FC
Water
Learning how to cook
Educating myself about food
Walking to school
Treadmill
Looking at myself in the mirror, I know this one seems a little strange but when I look at myself I realize how far I've come and where I would like to be.

I know that is more then one.

3FC...I know it sounds corny..But you guys don't know how many times I have started "diets" only to binge two or three days in and give up. This place has literally been what keeps me going...It's funny how days I go off plan I lay low because I feel embarrassed to post LOL. This place is my motivation, because you guys actually care..you take this seriously..you take ME seriously. And it feels good

Well for me, it's been a definite change in attitude-I've convinced myself that I want, that I MUST be thin. There's no excuse for being heavy or overweight by any means. I convinced myself that "thinner is the winner"; I want to be a winner. If I'm fat, I simply cannot exist. When I'm out and about I observe others around me intentively and wonder why so many people lack self-control, and then to think that they've the audacity to complain about it. Really, being thin is all about control and mind-set. You eat to live, you DO NOT live to eat.

I don't believe it's "audacity" that makes people complain about lacking self-control: often it's more like a cry for help. If "self-control" were as easy as you're saying, no one would have a weight problem. No, scratch that. No one would face ANY sort of temptation. The only reason overweight people have a bad rap in the "self-control" department is that their problem (overeating) manifests itself in ways that others can easily see (i.e., being overweight). It may SEEM that people who have never had an eating problem have more self-control, but in truth, oftentimes food is just not a temptation to them or not as big a temptation. Their vices may be other things (e.g., over-spending, smoking, etc.).

Hey Briana!

At your current weight, you are already in the "normal" range. At your goal weight, you would be "underweight."

Underweight can be unhealthy, too.

Have you visited our Chicks in Control forum? You may find some interesting information and ideas there.

Jay

Change in mindset. Taking each day one day at a time and pretending that dieting is something fun to do rather than a *horrific* chore. Changing the idea that I could have cheat days. Every calorie that goes into my body counts. My body is something important to take care of.

Definately 3fc - I've learned sooooo much here! The Really Big Thing that has helped me this time around is entering everything I eat in Fitday. Everyday. This has helped me in 2 ways. One, it keeps me accountable. Two, it helps me to see the big picture - OK I bombed one day but that doesn't mean I'm a complete failure.