I start my new fantastic job in five weeks! I'm very excited, but really want to lose a good few pounds before I start.

I generally eat healthily, eat lots of fruit and vegetables and lean meat/fish - it's my portion sizes that are out of whack I guess (plus when I'm bad, I'm very bad).

So...what tips do you have:

a) for me to lose the most weight I can in the next 5 weeks (and beyond) without being unhealthy or faddy
and
b) for me to conquer my issues with portion control and keeping on track for more than a few days at a time

I'm feeling positive and am really looking for little tips and tricks that have worked or are currently working for you.

Thanks for any comments and ideas!

To lose as much weight as possible quickly, stay as on plan as possible. No cheating. No extra bites, no tasting. Drink lots of water. If you really want to be strict, cut out all the "white" stuff, flour, sugar, etc.

Unfortunately, I think a lot of us still struggle at times with not eating more than we should and all that. Just measure out whatever you eat, and only eat that. Willpower's the only thing that can really help you there.

watching calories, and watching carbs works for some people. keeping trigger foods out of the house if possible. otherwise just measure things and have your meals planned ahead and eat only that.

congrats on your new job!!!

you already eat lots of veggies- that's great. eat even more! i'm like you- i eat healthy foods, but too much of them, especially carbs like pasta and bread. i don't think these foods are bad, but it's hard for me to be moderate. i pretty much cut these things out while i'm losing weight. i use thinly sliced zucchini instead of pasta, eat lots of big salads with every color and crunch of veggie (and protein, like eggs or tuna and nuts). make sure you never get really hungry- for me, at least, that triggers me eating too-big portions, or eating whatever i can grab instead of thoughtfully planned and prepared meals. i also like to make soups, either chunky with lots of veggies and some beans, or pureed so they are creamy. instead of thinking about the foods i can't eat, i spend more time thinking about the delicious veggie-based meals i'm going to make and eat. plan ahead the foods you want to eat and the portions that are right. i also drink lots and lots of seltzer water.

good luck and keep us posted!

With you starting a new job, IMO, the easiest thing you could do would be to portion out your meals ahead of time and ONLY take those w/ you to work. I do it every day. I take my lunch, my drinks (3 bottles of Propel and my 1 large glass of sweet tea made w/ Splenda), my snacks (usually an apple or some carrots w/ ranch dressing) and I leave my wallet in my locker so I'm not tempted to order out.

Thanks guys - yes, staying on plan for the full 5 weeks! Genius! Since reading your opinions I have redefined what "on plan" means and have set myself daily food and exercise targets to ensure I know what I'm working towards.

Thank you