• I smoked
• I drank 6 coffees a day (almost half milk)
• I ate take out lunch every day while at work
• We had take out meals maybe 2-3 times per week.
• I can honestly not remember any conscious exercise I did - it was all incidental
• Had a bourbon and diet coke 6 nights out of the week
• Our staple meals at home were lasagna, pasta, big steaks, sausages - pizzas really contained the only vegetables.

now

• I don't smoke and honestly have no desire to again
• I spend my money saved from take out and cigarettes on songs for my iPod for my workouts
• I drink one coffee on the way to work and then drink green tea for the rest of the day
• I bring frozen WW meals to work and healthy snacks like yogurt, V8 juices and vegies
• I am now a member of a gym and my fitness has improved vastly over the past few months
• I love yoga and am much more flexible and atuned to my body
• I drink rarely
• Our food staples are lean protein, brown rice, steamed vegetables

Although I haven't lost stacks of weight, I have made so many changes for the better. It just dawned on me today for some strange reason.

Its amazing that these small changes over time have come to make me a better person and I know it is only a matter of time until the weight drops off if I continue this course.

How about you?

Daisy, you should be so proud of yourself, even if you had only changed 1 or 2 of the things on your list that would be great for your health, but combined is truly remarkable!

My main changes in the last year:

-I eat out at restraunts only about 1 time per week vs. 5-6 last year
-I dont eat any fast food (used to eat it weekly)
-I exercise almost every day instead of rarely

Wow, Daisy! That's truly incredible and you should be so very proud! It's hard to imagine living in those old behaviors. Way to go...

My only changes from last year:
-I quit smoking (yay!) and I agree Daisy, I'm pleased at how small the urge is
-I began running

3 years ago it was a different story.

Daisy, those are amazing accomplishments. You should feel so great about yourself!

Not much has changed with me in the past year.... seriously. Ask me again next year, I'll have a long list of things

Great changes Daisy. You make everyone hear realize that you can make lifestyle changes and stick to them. I'm with Britomart, ask me next year!

I went off of Jenny Craig. Which you may think is not a decision for the better, but for me it was. I was depending on frozen meals. I ONLY ate frozen meals. Because of that I never wanted to be social. I wanted to just sit home and eat my frozen meals. And MAYBE I was a little thinner then, but it feels good to be making my own decisions and actually working on being healthier rather than spending money to be healthier.

*I was an undergrad living in the dorms with an all you can eat cafeteria.
*Now I am a law student living on my own making all my own meals. (Probable one of the biggest helps to my weight loss!)

*I drank 4 glasses of coke a day and 1 liter of water.
*Now I barely drink pop (maybe 2 a week) and I will only drink diet. I also am up to 2.5 liters of water a day (trying to up it to 3).

*I drank a tall latte with sugar syrup every day.
*Now I drink one cup of coffee a week and I’m talking real coffee with no sugar or milk.

*Exercise was not on my mind.
*Now I try and get at least 60 minutes of exercise in everyday.

*My alcohol consumption (I love whiskey and coke) was getting out of hand.
*Now I drank for the first time since July last weekend and I was responsible about it.

It's funny you should post this today, exactly one year since the first time I met with a dietician to start dealing with my weight once and for all. Although I'm not recording it as my official weight, I just stepped on the scale and it says 221-222. So, that's about 90 lbs gone in a year. I also quit smoking 8 months ago and I don't miss it either. Go us.

Congrats to all the positive changes you guys have been making!!!

I:
1. don't eat out as often (which is usually a good thing for me...but it depends).
2. Have a happier demeanor.
3. A better attitude towards my weight and body (but I still have a long ways to go...........)
4. Don't exercise as often.
5. Don't sleep as much as I have more energy.

Wow you guys have all made some great changes! I haven't really done much sadly. I have done more exercise....walking at least 45 minutes 4 times a week. I'm trying to incoperate fruit and salads into my meals, and so far so good. Still have problems with the fastfood (because we get it free at DH work), but I try to make healthy choices...chicken over burgers, salad over fries, etc... And I drink 1 Nestea daily...I don't drink coffee at all.

I still have alot to learn!

thanks guys! it is remarkable how these small changes have made such a large impact on my life.

brito - i will definately be asking you in a year!

unfortunitely, I can't think of weight things for this time last year, since I weight a bit less than I do now! However, I do see improvements...

- I have my own apartment that I share with my boyfriend.. I no longer live with my mother
- although I weighed less, I believe I am healthier.. I am eating more veggies, and things like wheat bread and brown rice, instead of living off LeanCuisines.
- I am able to save up money for things I want, like an IPod and a car, due to the fact that we go food shopping regularly and don't have insane amounts of bills (neither of us even own a credit card). My mother never got food, so I was ALWAYS fending for myself or buying food for my family (because i love to cook), and she demanded a large part of my paycheck to help pay bills.
- Im working a job that has nothing to do with food. That in itself is bliss.

- I worked a high stress job with bad hours and crappy management
- I got off work at midnight went straight home and ate waaay too much
- I weighed 14 pounds more than I do now
- I obssessed about food.. I thought about it all the time. Now food is more of an energy resource to me (well MOST of the time) thats a HUGE breakthrough for me and its has just happened in the last several weeks
- I would have turned my nose up and laughed at the thought of working out six days a week like I do now

Wow, I'm so inspired by you ladies! I started WW about 5 weeks ago and I'm really sticking with it. I even got my mom to join. And the other week, my fiance took a picture of me and I didn't make him delete it. I actually looked skinnier!
-I drink only water and maybe a cup of decaf coffee every three days.
-No fried foods!
-I eat baked chips.
-I'm addicted to whole wheat pitas now, they are so filling.
-I try one new food idea each week. this week I had a cup of fresh berries, topped with FF cool whip and 2 crumbled low fat graham crackers. Only 3 points!