If you could give someone a pointer which you have learnt on all your weight loss travels what would it be? anything that particularly helped you on the road to success and something which you wish you had known ages ago..
Thanks

So many lessons to share! But I'll just keep it to the two big ones for me.

1. Surround yourself with the right people to support you. There were a lot of saboteurs in my life (not just me!) and I can remember a time when I started exercising and finding success and my fitness buddy (my husband) completely flaked on me when I started losing inches and other men started to pay attention to me. So, 20 years later, he just left me after I dropped 50 lbs. Now I'm committed to fitness with all the right people around me!

2. Stay away from restaurants, alcohol and all processed foods. Eating clean is the best way of avoiding excess calories.

Georgia

Well I'm not there yet but my advice would be that even the tiniest bit of exercise you do is worth it, for the health benefits and just for feeling good (same thing holds for each food choice and every measly # lost). I think this would have gotten me to enjoy exercising much more, much earlier in my journey

ditto on the need for support. Every other time I tried it was without support. This time i have support and feel encouraged and motivated!

Baby steps.

I wish I would have known long ago that I am strong enough to take this journey.

the only thing i could say is : 3fatchicks.com/forum
I wish i had known this site longer and much longer so i didn't have to go through so many diets (which mostly based on skipping meals). This site truly opened my eyes about weight and weight loss, healthy and stay maintenance and still feel sexier everyday - AND the most important thing this site taught me was "eating DOES mean losing - it's not NOT EATING".

1. Stop the expectation of perfection, and the self-loathing.

2. Accept this lifestyle-change journey as non-linear.

3. Never give up; never surrender. To be slow and stubborn is just as vaild and just as worthy of celebration as those who complete the journey quickly through radical change.

4. Find your own path and stick with it.

Kira

I wish I realized earlier that when I say "I'll start tomorrow," tomorrow never comes. Now I say I will start today, and right now.

I also wish I realized that messing up one weekend or one week, will not completely ruin your weight loss efforts.. you can get back on the wagon today, and it will all STILL be worth it even if you messed up in between.

Another one is that while eating healthy may be more expensive, it doesn't even compare to the price of losing quality of life, mobility, or even your life itself.

[QUOTE=kiramira;2818555]1. Stop the expectation of perfection, and the self-loathing.

This for me would be biggest. I always thought I had to be perfect,w/expectations too high. This is the reason I am still doing this.
Now my new motto is: Persistance Not Perfection!

I'm not there yet either (in fact, just started) but 3FC has turned my world around. The thing I wish I had known earlier is that PLANNING is crucial. Without planning diet, exercise, how to deal with things out of the routine, etc., it is waaaaaaaay too easy to let things slide until tomorrow becomes the next day and the next day and before you know it, years have past with no improvements...

Also some form of ACCOUNTABILITY to see how reality meshes with your plans. I use FitDay to track my exercise and every food consumed. It has helped immensely.

I'm not on a diet, this is how I will need to eat for the rest of my life.

It's not just about the number on the scale. Focus on the NSV's as well, like how much easier it is to do things, how things fit, how much better I feel about myself.

Exercise everyday. Even just a 20 minute walk is better than no exercise at all.

I wish I had known sooner just how many calories are in most foods at fast-food places and restaurants. Had I realized I could eat a whole day's calories for LUNCH and not even know it, I would have done things differently!

Jay