Some things I've learned...

I've been trying to lose all this extra weight for about 15 years now(and I'm only 24)!! I've been doing a lot of thinking about how far I've come lately, partly because I've been struggling so much. I guess you could say I'm an experienced dieter. Thought I'd share some things I learned along the way-and I'm still learning everyday.

1. Fad diets do not work. You can't deprive yourself of something because the moment you do, that is all you'll be able to think about.
2. If you're craving something, eat it, but count the calories.
3. Don't let dieting ruin your life. Go out and have fun, but make sure you get right back on track the next day. You can ALWAYS start over after a mistake.
4. Slow and steady wins the race, it took a long time to put the weight on, it won't come off quickly.
5. Strength training is awesome!!!! It makes your body look so much better and speeds up your fat loss.
6. Do your best not to let others sabotage you. Some do it on purpose and some don't, but there will always be someone!
7. Stay away from food days at work. No one ever brings healthy things and it's too tempting- I eat at my desk on those days.
8. Don't weight everyday. I often break this rule, but it's so much better if you don't.
9. Take measurements. You lose inches even when the scale doesn't budge.
10. Cardio makes you feel awesome even if you hate it while you're doing it. I believe exercise is a must if you really want to have a healthy body, plus you feel so much better and have so much more endurance and strength.
11. Find something low calorie you enjoy drinking when you get tired of water. A cup of coffee or red diamond sugar free tea has saved me many times from eating. It's a nice treat.
12. Track every single thing you put into your mouth. You don't realize how much you are eating until you actually track it. I was shocked when I first began!!
13. Find a nice support group, rather it be close friends/family or MFP.
14. Find a lower calorie version of your favorite foods so you don't feel deprived. Pizza is my favorite, so I buy a few lean cuisine pizzas to get the taste. 100 calorie ice cream is also great. Something to help you get through without totally ruining your calories for the day.
15. Always, always, always remember this...If you are unhappy with your weight today and you do nothing about it, you'll still be unhappy 6 months from now. If you are unhappy with your weight today and you do something about it, you'll be much happier in 6 months than you are now. That is one thing that always keeps me going. I look back and say hey if I had just kept going I'd be at my goal now. Instead I chose to quit and I'm still in the same boat. SO this time that has really kept me going.

Well I hope that helps some that are just starting out. I know it helped me to sort out a few things in my head!!!!