[eratosthanes]

Last time I lost the weight it was by, as someone else mentioned, eating smaller meals more frequently. Personally I have to eat more calories a day than most (1800) because of some unique health issues, but I find that as long as I can walk 2-4 miles 3-5 days a week, and come as close to that 1800 as I can, I lose weight almost every day. Right now, that number is creeping upward because I don't have my pain pills, and lots of binging because I am so depressed about it!

I switched almost all of my foods at once, but I allowed (still do) one day a week where I could eat a couple of things that aren't so "healthy." I believe the flex-points work in a similar fashion?

[mkendrick]

I'm the opposite of you. I tried taking baby steps. Eating one healthy meal. Maybe salads for lunches or something. But I never lost weight because I'd think "I ate healthy today, I can have a McDonalds value meal for dinner." Which, of course, wasn't logical, but it's how I let myself cheat. I sometimes tried to go cold turkey and follow ridiculous diets. One day I decided to be a raw foodist and eat nothing but raw fruits and vegetables, hahaha. Yea, that lasted about two days, followed by a huge binge.

My advice is to find a meal planning website like the Daily Plate or something. Plan out a whole day of food. Aim for a low calorie range, 1200-1500 or so, and start adding decently healthy foods. You don't have to eat super organic wonder foods every meal, but make healthy choices. A turkey burger piled with vegetables, steamed broccoli, and mashed sweet potatos, for example. As opposed to a cheeseburger on a bun with fries and baked beans. You'll be surprised how much yummy food you can fit on a low cal diet.

And yes, it does take a few days to get used to it. I felt deprived for about a week, but after that, it was easy. If you plan it out, make choices that will work for you (not like my raw foodist attempt, lol), and understand that it'll take some determination to get over the initial withdrawals, it really does get pretty easy.

[melissa78]

One other thought...if you can find the time, give yourself all the time you need in the grocery store and just read every label on things you are considering putting in your cart. You might be surprised at what you have been eating, and what you realize you can maybe have more of! I know i spent 2 hours in the store the weekend after my dh was diagnosed with hypertension, and i was surprised (disappointed by some things, pleasantly by others) and that really helped a lot for me