So I've got this new attitude that I'm not trying to diet here, I'm trying to change my lifestyle, sand I've come to the conclusion this has to be done gradually. One day I ate some cookies and freaked and my coworker (who is 5'10 and skinny) was like "everything in moderation, don't cut yourself off..." I really took this to heart and now when I want something off my plan I weigh it out, how badly I want it, how the rest of my program has been going, and then make a decision. I've found this is going much better than trying to not eat anything with a calorie in it then bingeing for a day, its a more adequate way of changing my lifestyle permanently than changing it for a month and giving up. Anyone else feeling this way?

Yes. Through this whole thing I've never felt like I was on a diet - I've just changed the way I eat/live. I say just like that was a small feat...but in the past when on a diet, I always felt deprived. Now if I want a cookie, I have one. But I have ONE not the whole box. And I make sure it fits in with the rest of my eating.

I'm in this for the long haul, I have to be doing something that I can keep up for the rest of my life.

I cannot give up cookies for the rest of my life.

Yeah I agree. I don't wanna get skinny and then gain it all back. And I don't want to feel deprived forever and ever. I want to adjust to changes so like a year from now I'll be maintaining happily! It's a hard adjustment though!

I'm on the same page as you. I truly love food...I love to bake and to try new things, so for me I can't say that I will never again have cake or something similar. So once I get through the basic beginnings of breaking cravings and stuff, I hope to have some of those things again..once in awhile. Not everyday or close to it like before.

I am also looking at this as a lifestyle change as well. Someone around here has a great quote in their signature that says it all. When I find it I'll post it here.

I am counting calories though, just to keep myself in check. I know that without it I would have given up by now. I figure by the time I reach my goal weight I will have a good enough grasp of what I'm doing (considering I have 160lbs or so to go ) that it will be habit enough that I will keep doing the right things.

Definitely. For me, it's all about changing my relationship with food...I eat for survival not pleasure. When I changed my lifestyle I decided I could eat anything, but it had to be in moderation and within my calorie range. Of course I also made the decision to not eat 'bad' stuff and I can't remember the last time I had soda (I think maybe Halloween?). It's all about making conscious choices with food.

Found it. Hope it inspires you!

Oh I absolutely agree with the lifestyle change. I've done so many wackado diets over the years, and ya they worked but only temporarily. This round I'm just trying to change my lifestyle as well, and its working much better!

I realized I cannot live of f shakes a day and a sensible meal, or without dark chocolate or birthday cake. I need to learn how to live in the real world with all the terrible food that's out there, and just make sensible decisions.

I work in a small dental office and it seems like everyone I work with is on a diet. One follows "a shake plan" and the other that 30day body makeover or whatever it is, annnnyway...my point is I'm doing so much better than them! I watch them slip up all the time off their rigid plans. Granted I'm much younger so my metabolism is probably better, but I also think its their constant yo yoing thats preventing their real progress.

I'm in the same boat as well!
I'm not on a diet, this is a lifestyle change and it's going to be like this for the rest of my life!
As I sit here writing this, I'm chowing down on meal #2 of the day, some oatmeal (not the pre-packaged stuff, but real oatmeal with a little sucanat, cinnamon, and raisins added), and I'm actually starting to enjoy it!
My 'lifestyle change' that I started about 4 months ago is me eating as clean as possible for the rest of my life!
I'm following the guidelines in Tosca Reno's eat clean diet, I eat 5-6 smaller meals every 2-3 hours and try and make sure none of my meals include any additives, any preservatives, or anything processed and that they have a good balance or protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats.
I don't every go hungry and am getting more and more used to it each day, this has to be my lifestyle change and not looked at as a diet, or else I'm falling off the wagon and will repeat the cycle over and over again!

This is how I look at it - I don't have a choice.

My grandmother had heart problems, my mom developed cancer, my dad's family (most recently my dad) has severe liver issues. All of these could be traced back to poor lifestyle choices combined with a genetic susceptibility. I know about all of these issues - it is completely reckless and idiotic of me to continue on with an unhealthy lifestyle. My family history basically screams at me to take care of myself, so that's why I'm on this path.

Now sometimes I want to whine and carry on that its not fair. And its not. But life isn't fair. If I want to live a high-quality life, I HAVE to do this for myself.

Its kind of tough love for me, but it works

I'm trying to do this too, and find it a little difficult - more difficult than actually losing weight. Some of the articles in the maintainers section are helpful. It really is a process, a constant adjustment

It really is a lifestyle change. I even posted a thread over at the Maintainers forum and asked what the transition between losing and maintaining was like. They said they really didn't do anything differently. Maybe bumped calories up by 100-200 daily or gave themselves a few days off of work outs. But really, once our bodies settle down at a weight, if we start eating more or going off plan, we'll gain again.

Personally, for me, I wanted to do a complete lifestyle revamp, while at the same time making changes that I would continue for the rest of my life. I personally knew that I would not be able to force myself to count and record every consumed calorie for the rest of my life. So I don't do that now. I knew that I couldn't go through the rest of my life never eating pizza or cookies or cake or anything again, so I continue to enjoy those things just in a vastly different way. I went to a pizza party last week and enjoyed a piece of cheesy bread and two pieces of pizza. I had a great time, loved the food, but I was in control the whole time. Old Megan would have had my own order of cheesy bread and several pieces of pizza. I still had a 1.5lb loss for the week.

I think that's the key to success. Find what you can maintain. I'd rather lose .5lbs/week and be able to maintain that lifestyle forever than lose 50lbs in four months on a stylish fad diet and gain it all back in a year.