Was from my Weight Watchers leader. She actually had lots of great advice, but my favourite thing she ever said was in regards to a Mars bar mini that I wanted. Someone had given it to me, and I was practically foaming at the mouth, while looking for someone to stop me. She stared down at it, and then looked at me and said "that's not the last piece of chocolate in the world."

She explained that she meant that we're adults...we decide what to eat and when to eat it and how much we want. Just because there was a free chocolate bar up for grabs, didn't mean I HAD to eat it. There would be chocolate bars in the future. I didn't need to eat that one. Free doesn't mean you should eat it. Cheap doesn't mean you should eat it. A holiday doesn't mean you should eat it. We don't need Christmas to have a turkey dinner. I know so many people - myself included - who have a tendency to binge over the holidays, because they (I) get so excited about the food. But we can have that food anytime. I can make a turkey dinner tonight. And have pumpkin pie, if I'm really jonesing for it.

Anyway, I loved what she said, and I've used it several dozen times since then, when I had the chance to eat something that wasn't going to do my body any good. It usually works. "Yeah, those Doritos look amazing, but I'm gonna try to skip them. If I'm still thinking about them in three hours, or tomorrow, I will deal with that then. Because there will not be a sudden worldwide depletion of Doritos. I don't have to eat those ones".

What's the best weight loss advice you all have ever received?

I think it was being told that I CAN do it. Bc I seriously didn't think I could. Oh, and the whole bit about all the s**t you have to go through in regards to weight loss is really about loving yourself, and that is the only way you'll do it.

My useful nugget of advice is just an amalgam of things people have said on these boards. Moderation and consistency = weight loss. There are those that follow different plans that work for them, but I honestly feel that the majority of us on the boards follow this mantra. I know it's worked really well for me. When I practice portion control and have a regular exercise schedule, my weight loss is not a problem. I find that I stall or gain when either of these don't happen (i.e. eat too much, don't exercise). It's frustrating to have "up" blips or not lose, but it's good to know exactly why that's happening.

"I"ll do it tomorrow"

A poster on these boards (and now I'm so sorry I can't remember her name) posted something about "I'll do it tomorrow". She decided to use how we tend to procrastinate about putting things off until "tomorrow" and use it to her advantage. So she said the next time she wanted something high-calorie/donuts/chocolate/whatever she would just say "I'll eat it tomorrow". I thought that was brilliant, and it works! That was seriously one of the best little tidbits I have heard in a long time.

~CGH~

Plan Ahead!

That's the best advice for me I've heard. Planning what I will eat and scheduling exercise is making a difference. If I have a full fridge and no plan, I'll end up with an empty fridge and a full self.

Charliebaby, that was one of the best pieces of advice I received too, and it's stuck with me ever since. Want some fresh bread? Tthere will still be fresh bread available to buy or bake tomorrow. Want some chocolate cake? You will still be able to buy or bake it tomorrow, next week, next month...just because you pass up on a treat today, doesn't mean you're deprived forever...

Another good piece of advice....DON'T save the best bit till last...eat it first instead! That way you can have the bit you like and stop eating when you're done...you don't fall into the trap of eating more than your body needs just because you've still got your favourite part of the meal still on your plate.

I think that's Amanda (Mandalinn82).

That I didn't have to do it perfectly or be perfect. That I could carry on after having a bad hour or a bad day.

That's what's behind the oft-repeated advice about slip-ups. I'm not sure I'm getting the wording exactly right, but it goes something like: "Just because you tripped on one step & nearly fell, doesn't mean you have to throw yourself the rest of the way down the stairs."

Worth its weight in gold.

If I never get another thing from the site, I got that to carry around with me.

Yes! I believe that's akin to something Oprah said once - "if you slip up and eat one Oreo cookie, it doesn't mean you automatically have to eat the entire box of Oreos!"

Two things really affected me (and I can not remember whose they are--some one let me know if you recognize it) was:

"You'll be glad a year from now that you started today"

and also thats its OK to tell yourself no, and that being an adult didn't mean that we could have whatever we wanted.

I love this comic:

http://xkcd.com/418/

If you hover your mouse pointer over it, there is a funny message that appears.

Parked - I often repeat that to myself. I know at least one person on here has that in their signature, and I absolutely love it.

I like the various variations of "a moment on the lips, forever on the hips," similar to "nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels." I repeat that to myself if I have some morsel of deliciousness staring me in the face.

Sure, that Mars bar would taste fanfreakingtastic, sure....for like 30 seconds. But I get more of a "high" when I get on the scale and see a loss. The eating experience only lasts a few seconds, maybe even minutes. Sure, it tastes good, you swirl it around in your mouth, and swallow, all comforting feelings, but really? What's so glorious about it? It just lasts a minute. On the other hand, losing a pound or two or several is a big change. It changes how we look, feel about ourselves, what clothes we get to wear, our health, etc. I prefer that.

Hahaha, that's great! But it's totally legit, too. Even though I was always a heavy kid, I hardly ever got candy bars or cookies or restaurant food or anything. When I realized that I could eat chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, candy bars all day, chocolate chip cookies for lunch, pizza and chinese take out for dinner, and half a cake for dessert just because I felt like it opened a whole new realm of bad decisions for me, lol.

Someone on here once said about having a bad meal or bad day about picking up and getting back on track. She said that if you trip down a couple of stairs, you aren't going to go and through yourself downt he rest of the flight - no, you are going to stand up, brush yourself off and continue on as you were. That analogy has helped me to not feel guilty about a bad moment. And to not follow a bad moment with more bad moments...

I also like the WW leader who responded when asked about counting points for carrots - she said that none of us were there from eating too many carrots.