Some things that I have learned this time around:

1. Hunger is not a crisis. I will not starve to death if I don't eat right now.
2. Once I balance my blood sugar out by avoiding excess and simple carbs, I don't get those crazy food cravings anymore and eating healthy is a LOT easier!
3. There is so much more to life than eating. I've developed new hobbies and interests that don't involve food. Before I would struggle to think of what to do in an evening or event without it being centered on food. Now I have lots of things to do and frequently forget about food.
4. My body feels really good when I exercise it. I don't have to be an athlete or do what everyone else is doing, but just moving my body makes me feel more confident in it and proud of what I've done.
5. Once new eating habits and exercise habits became really ingrained in my lifestyle, losing weight became easy. It's just a matter now of my body adapting to the new calorie balance. I don't focus so much on the lbs lost, but on other things that make me happy. The weight just takes care of itself now.
6. When I am faced with a food that I want to eat, I am aware of how easy it is to get back into that sugar cycle and know how good I feel now - and it's not even tempting. Nothing is worth giving up my new body over. Especially not food.
7. Water is really good for me and has made this process a lot easier as well. I drink A LOT of water - probably close to a gallon a day. It keeps my skin, teeth and hair pretty and my tummy full. Diet coke tastes "chemically" to me now and I don't really like it. (Coming from a person with a former 8 can a day habit!)
8. Life is a lot easier when you weigh less. I could fill up an entire post just on this one, but it really is incredible. Just knowing this makes resisting junk a lot easier. The momentum of losing weight is increasing because I feel like I know what it means now.
9. One of my favorite quotes on 3FC is: If you want it, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse. It took a divorce and radical lifestyle change being forced on me to take the time to make myself a priority. It's sad to me that I let so many years go by not taking care of myself and always full of excuses. I don't have time for this or that or I have to eat what everyone else is eating. My answer to that now is that you do have time and you can eat what you want. If you find yourself making excuses, recognize they are excuses and challenge them. If you want this, find a way. (I've also found that this quote works for so many things in life - not just weight loss.)
10. I gave myself permission to be important. This was a big one for me. No one else is going to make your health a priority. I am the only person that can do this for me. If I don't do it, it won't happen. If you let people take your time and energy that you could spend on yourself, they will. But, if you set aside some for yourself, they will adapt.

For anyone else just getting started, my best advice is to Just DO IT! Jump in, make yourself important, get going and don't look back. There are AMAZING things ahead for you!! :hug

Very nice!! So true! It is much easier to stick with it if you stick with something that works with your own lifestyle, and your own schedule, rather than try to adapt to what works for someone else.

How true is this? This is definitely one to remember the next time I see no progress. Sometimes no progress is better than lost progress.

I also love the quote, if it hasn't already been said, "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels." That's an excellent one to keep in mind when you're aching for something you know you shouldn't, or if you allow yourself the indulgence, and want to over indulge.

I just wanted to say that this thread is amazing and that I find motivation in each post!

Hugs

"I've come too far to take orders from a cookie."

In this age, which believes that there is a short cut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is, in the long run, the easiest!
I lose weight at a very slow rate but i find it okay; i know i will reach my target within no time.

My biggest insight probably is: Weight loss isn't all or nothing. You wouldn't commit suicide because you didn't get that job you wanted would you? No. Well, eating 100 cals over is no reason to eat 1000 cals and make your diet commit suicide. Day by day, mess up by mess up and success by success, weight loss will happen if you only work for it.

this is along the same lines as what I would say. If your plan isn't working and it's a big struggle to stick with it, find a different plan.

I finally found the perfect plan for me and I can't believe how easy it is to stick with compared to any other time I've tried to diet before.

These are great!

I am trying to lose weight and keep it off for the umpteenth time in my life, and this time I am going into it happy with each lb lost. I used to be discouraged if I did a ton of work and saw little results on the scale. But now, I need to look at it differently and realize it's one lb at a time. If I lost 1 lb a week and stuck with it forever ago, I would be where I want by now. New attitude for me.. and I plan to stick with it! :)

I've found that, for me, the best thing its walking. I can keep it up longer than any other workout routine and I can do it anytime. I drop the pounds like crazy when I walk everyday

That "Goals" are important but are not likely to be obtained without "Implementation Intentions".

Examples of "Goals"

I want to eat less.

I want to drink less.

I want to exercise more.



Examples of "Implementation Intentions":

I will eat X calories a day.

I won't drink at least three days a week, and on days I do drink, it will fit into my calories goals AND not be over what health officals consider a safe and reasonable amout.

I will go to the gym at 6am at least 5 days a week.

I LOVE THIS!