djmommy I am new to this thread also but not new to the desire to wanting to lose the weight. Okay I will tell you what is helping me.
1) Re-reading

BFFM.
2) Re-writing

my goals.
3) TRULY believing that I am capable of doing this. Not just
hoping that I will be but
knowing that I will WITHOUT A DOUBT!!
4) Making daily goals which are guaranteed to take me one step closer to my ultimate goal.
5) Absolutely not accepting any excuses not to follow through on those daily goals. Unless of course one of the boys is ill or I am in ICU.
6) Making a committment to feeling and looking like I envision.
7) Making progress and forgetting about perfection.
8) Reminding myself that it took me a year to gain these 40 pounds and if it takes me a year to lose them as well as lowering my bodyfat which is what I am mostly interested in then so be it, what is the alternative? Staying this way...........uuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmm NOT!!!
9) Staying as optimistic and juvenile as I can get away with as a 43 year old.
10) And always reminding myself that the way that I look as nothing to do with how I am as a person. Thighs might be flabby right now but it doesn't mean that I can't make my patients laugh or have my kids think that I am totally

out of my mind.
So you come up with your 10 and make sure that you use positive words, make your statements in the present tense and repeat them every single day.
Oh another suggestion..........find an outfit that you were able to wear before and want to get into again and hang it in different places around your house. Every time you change the placement it will remind you of what your goal is, by putting it in the kitchen your family will think that you are totally whacked out (which is wonderful) and it will be a visual cue as to why you are eating

cleanly, drinking more water than a water buffulo and working

out as hard as your body can take.
Hope this helps and go into this with the mentality that it is for a life time not just until you weigh a certain number on the scale.
You set your mind to it then you will achieve it!!