What are some things that you do every day that help to keep you on track??

i have post-it notes EVERYWHERE! - bathroom mirror, fridge, bedroom door, dashboard in my car (anti-fast food-isms!)

what do you do??

Well...

It helps to come here and read and post.

I look at my current "Before" picture--the one where I thought I was looking good and thin and freaked when I saw it--I was definitely in denial.

I have a cup of decadently expensive black coffee--the kind that is so rich it seems like a treat.

I remind myself how difficult it has been to get rid of the pounds I've lost--and how EASY it is to put 'em back on again!

spanky

Coming here and reading the threads and posting my own victories and losses helps a lot. Also, tracking my calories and exercise on Fitday help me alot cause those numbers just are in your face! Also, I set very realistic attainable goals. 5 lbs in a month is so very doable and if I lose an extra lb. then that's just icing on the chocolate cake!!

Jo

I write a list of all the reasons I want to keep to my diet and exercise lifestyle and read it before bed every night. It also serves as a sort of checklist for things like "have a waist size of ___" or "be able to do ___ reps"

I keep a pair of "goal" jeans hanging on my bedroom door - it's very motivating.

I too have a pair of goal jeans hanging in my closet too. I usually use more than one pair - short term goal jeans - as I have several different sizes of jeans I can't get into. )Notice I say usually - I am a yo-yo but am going to break that cycle this time!). Once I can fit in the jeans, I pull out the next smaller size. I also look at thin people differently. I used to say - urr the #&$^# skinny girl - now I say - "Hey- that can be me!"

Now that I lost enough weight such that I need to belt every almost pair of slacks/jeans I own, my motivation comes every day from what belt-hole I can buckle up to -- now, I'm usually on the 2nd tightest hole on my 5-hole 32" belt, sometimes I can even do the tightest one, but only if I didn't eat a whole lot that day.

(I'm assuming the middle hole is 32", so that means I'm 31" now -- yes, I really need to get a tape measure). Yee ha!

I always have some healthy snack in my truck. That way when I'm out I'll eat that instead of a fast food. I dont like to cook so any figuring out easy, healthy foods has really helped me stick to a better diet.

Like ArtsyGirl, I make sure that I have some healthy snacks around for when I get hungry between meals. I used to graze the kitchen, and that always leads to eating more than I want. And I don't have certain foods in the house--the ones that tend to trigger me. It's just easier than trying to forget they are there.

Jay

I keep healthy foods in plain sight (a bowl of fruit on the table for instance). I also have plenty of exercise equipment sitting where I see it every day to encourage it's use. And of course, all those nice form fitting clothes I've bought...don't wanna give those up.

I practice positive self talk. When I look in the mirror, I always tell myself "you're on your way to skinny" or "you're becoming a skinny girl". I used to avoid the word "skinny", in fact I would go so far as to say, "Well I know I'll never be skinny, but I'd like to loose some weight." It really is amazing, what you say to yourself is what you believe, which is what comes true. Positive self talk everyday.

I have a lunch box that I stock everyday with my snacks and lunch, or breakfast and dinner depending on where/when I am going somewhere - anyway - the lunch box is one for kids so its cute and flowery and has a little picture frame on the front, I printed out "me" at my first goal weight on www.virtualmodel.com, I even dressed her in a cute outfit. Then I slid the pic into the frame and I see it every day. Seeing what that version of 'me' has helped me stay focused.

WATER . . . WATER . . . WATER . . . WATER . . . WATER . . . and then, maybe, a little more WATER.

Hey Kate! Glad to see you back on the boards! I've missed you!

ThisTimeIsMyTime - That's such a cute idea...I love it!