Hi 2bfree!
Welcome! You have good goals, and already sound like you've made up your mind that this is IT...time to DO IT FOR YOU! Congrats!
I'm pretty much a free spirit, so I don't follow anybody's specific plan or any special program. What I HAVE done over the last nine months that I have been seriously working on losing weight is take the best and most sensible and doable ideas from all of the different plans and books that are out there and create my own plan.
I read A LOT and enjoy finding out the research behind claims, programs, DVDs etc. I wanted THIS TIME to be different. I wanted THIS TIME to be successful!
Here's what I came up with in a nutshell:
1) I focus on eating a high volume of veggies to keep me full, healthy, and REGULAR (lots of fiber!).
2) I drink water instead of diet pop.
3) I weigh myself every morning after voiding.
4) I keep a journal that focuses on all the successes that I have had each day
5) I exercise every morning for an hour, sometimes more. (I cross-train instead of doing just the same thing over and over) I pick things that are fun and those that I will actually DO. I went to the library and got TONS of different DVDs and picked the ones that I liked best. Right now my focus includes yoga, Turbo Jam, dance, weight training, walking, and jump roping. I exercise during commercials in the evening and even during regular programs.
6) If I really get a craving for some food, I eat it, BUT I incorporate that craving and the eating of the food into my daily calorie count. (For example, I really felt like eating some chocolate pudding this morning. I made some fat-free- sugar-free cooked Jello pudding and had it as my breakfast! It sure was yummy! My chocolate "thing" is satisfied now, and I can move on!)
7) I reward myself with things that I like that AREN'T food. (New jeans in a smaller size, DVDs or workout videos, costume jewelry, etc.)
8) I watch the fat content of foods and also limit carbs when I can.
9) I eat half of my dinner at restaurants and box up the rest to have for lunch the next day. I tell myself that I can have ALL of the food, but I can't have it all at one time. It works to make me not feel like I am giving up anything that I really want.
10) I limit fried foods and don't eat fast food anymore. I tell myself that it is more important for my body to get EXCELLENT FUEL in the form of nutritious, healthy foods.
That's pretty much my plan! Hope that it is helpful! Good luck!
Cheryl