WANTED: Your Top Five please..........

AquabearGO

Im just starting my WLJ(weight loss journey) and would love to hear from members in the group their Top 5 Pieces of Advice on their own WLJ. What worked for you , what didnt,; any and all advice, hints , words of wisdom would be welcome.........Noww something about me: 6'1 398 44yo single , Im currently swimming 3x a week, training myself to be able to swim a mile nonstop by end of the year, also starting training to wog a 5k by Thanksgiving by wogging 2x a week. Not lifting yet, probably wont until Jan.
Diet ok, but still working on portion control

Railr0aderTony

Great question. I think you will find as many different answers as you can imagine.

#1 Never quit, a bad day or a bad week is fixable quitting isnt.
#2 Learn as much as you can about nutrition and your body, There are thousands of people on here giving advice, find out for yourself what is the "right" way. here is some good info:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

#3 eat enough to fuel your workouts and lose at a comfortable pace. Bigger deficits are not always a good thing, ask anyone who has been stuck for any amount of time due to Metabolism damage(raises hand).

#4 Do not try to do this fast, You did not get heavy overnight and you are not going to lose it over night. Working out like a mad man will just destroy your knees and joints. Walking and swimming and non impact exercises are your friend.

#5 Take lots of pictures now, You might hate the camera now but when you see yourself later you will be able to make some great before and after pics. and get a measuring tape because fatloss does not always = weight loss.

AquabearGO

See, this is why your our leader.......a wise man giving real advice. I WILL take this advice as I consider you knowledgeable in this field seeing as how you lost 122 pounds..........one more question though, what exactly is metabolism damage and how to avoid it.
Thanks again and ALL HAIL THE HAT!!

MKLAMAN

1. You can do this without missing out on the things you like to eat. Don't deprive yourself. I drink beer, almost daily and eat pizza every Friday night. I make my day work with what I want to eat/drink.

2. Invest in a good food scale and monitor your portion sizes. This was the biggest eye opener for me.

3. Keep doing C25K. It may seem impossible, but you can do it. I did it. If you're not friends with BeingKevin. Do so and ask him about C25K.

4. Plan your day in advance. I plan my meals every morning. That way I know if I'm going to have pizza and beer that night, I can adjust my breakfast/lunch so that it works into my calories.

5. Set goals for yourself. Like, I want to lose the first 25 lbs by Christmas, the next 25 by Easter, etc. Celebrate when you hit those goals. It's something to look forward to.

Railr0aderTony

See, this is why your our leader.......a wise man giving real advice. I WILL take this advice as I consider you knowledgeable in this field seeing as how you lost 122 pounds..........one more question though, what exactly is metabolism damage and how to avoid it.
Thanks again and ALL HAIL THE HAT!!

Thanks but I am not the leader, Hoss is, I am but a sargent in this army. I agree with Mark above, friend BeingKevin if you want some of the best motivation on MFP that guy is amazing.
here is a link explaining a bit about metabolism damage(adaptive thermogenisis)
Here is good info:
on Adaptive Thermogenisis:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1077746-starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss

mheebner

I am still learning as I go.. These guys who have answered, as well as those they have mentioned are all leaders and points of inspiration !!
The one single piece of advice that needs to be tattooed on your brain is that it is a marathon, not a sprint. That single phrase has been echoing in my brain since I started, and some times is all that gets me through tough days.