Day ONE!

carolemack

Welcome Amy!

First I am going to say something that you probably hear over and over again ...you have such a beautiful face!

Then I want to say that although everyone is wishing you 'good luck' and they mean it in the most positive way, luck really has nothing to do with it. Commitment and dedication are the tools you need to be successful...commitment to logging everything (yes, I mean everything) that you eat each and every day; dedication to yourself and your goals.

What I found helpful in the very beginning was to not worry so much about 'dieting' the first week but rather logging everything that I ate and then after a few days looking back over my logs to see where did I think I could make changes and better choices. Just being really aware of what, and how much, I was eating was very helpful.

I could go on and on (and usually do) suffice it to say the most important things to remember are:

* weigh all your food
* log everything, everyday
* get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day
* break your long term goals into small chunks to celebrate early successes

I also find it helpful to read the success stories on MFP when I am struggling. You won't be perfect, none of us are. You will have bad days where you will feel like you blew it...don't let it derail you (this I speak from experience), just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and remember tomorrow is a new day. You will be successful and MFP will help!

Enjoy the journey, it will be one of many ups and downs, but also of much self discovery. You CAN DO THIS.