Advice for newbies- things I wish I had known starting out

Awesome post, thanks for sharing!

excellent advice

Find a good seamstress/tailor! You will need it and it's much less expensive to alter your clothing than buy new. Also, look around for the resale shops ... you can get amazing deals and also make a little money back by selling your gently-worn things. And above all, get rid of your "fat clothes!" You don't need that fall-back in your life, it makes it a little too easy.

DRINK YOUR WATER! I can't agree with this enough ... excellent advice. If I slack on my water, I feel awful and I don't lose.

People ask me how I've lost my weight and I tell them it's the "more or less" diet ... I move more and eat less. But like a lot of the other posters here, I haven't tried to cut out all the things I enjoy, I enjoy the things I love only less of them, or less often. I call it my "calorie budget" ... if I'm going to over-indulge in one thing, then I save calories in my budget by eating less at other meals. And for exercise, try teaming up with other people and doing things you like. Living in Ohio, I'm excited to have the warmer weather coming up so I can get back outside and walk because I like walking outside in the sunshine! It's not "oh, I have to exercise," it's something I look forward to. Find something you like or that makes you feel good and do it consistently!

FIND YOUR SUPPORT GROUP! Whether it's here online, at home, at work, or a combination of all of these, support is important. You don't have to do this alone. I have a great support system at home/work/with friends but since none of them have ever tried to lose a large amount of weight, it's nice to "talk" on here with people who have been through it or are going through it.

And I agree with the "take pictures of yourself" advice as well. I wish I had! I was hiding from the camera at first but am getting less camera-shy. Seeing those changes is awesome!

Don't forget to reward yourself. Not with food, but with special things for you. Maybe a spa day or just a pedicure, a short shopping trip to update some of your clothes. Maybe that belt that you've never worn.

Learn how to make MFP work for you. There are groups for everything. Get connected with others like you...

And... all newbies and oldies should check out UNOFFICIAL MFP FAQ: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/457-unofficial-mfp-faq

If you are like me and cannot do more then toast for breakfast then have on hand a low calorie snack for mid morning when the hungry monster starts knocking. I usually like to do a small yogurt (50 calorie size) or a light cheese stick to hold me over until lunch. I find that more smaller meals keeps me fuller all day but on the same amount of calories if I was just eating 3 bigger meals.

Nobody at the gym is judging you. Do not be afraid to work out in public. This is about you, and feeling ashamed of your body is useless. Rock your journey, smile at everyone you see, find your confidence, and most important, fake it til you make it.

All of the above is great advice.

A few of my own:
1) Don't make drastic changes in either food or exercise that you don't think you can live with forever. This is a lifestyle shift, not a crash course
2) Don't give up on yourself. This can be hard but sometimes we just plain make it harder on ourselves than we need to. Don't be so rough on yourself. Pick yourself up and keep going when you have a "bad" meal or a "bad" day. This is life and it will happen. Don't beat yourself up over it.
3) Find activity that you love!!!!
4) Experiment with different foods, spices, recipes. You don't have to eat steamed vegies with nothing on them everyday. There are so many spices and such that can really add to your food without adding a ton of cals.
5) Read labels. That low fat or fat free item may actually be loaded with sodium or sugar to make up for the fat. Find what trade off you are willing to make.

Good Luck all and we can do this

Thank you all for this advice! You have really helped me :happy:

Great advice! Mine:

1. Have more good days than bad.
2. What you eat in private shows up in public. I always used to sneak food as a kid so I had to keep reminding myself of this when I was alone and wanted to eat but wasn't hungry.
3. Try to exercise around the same time every day. Eventually when that time comes around, you'll feel the urge to work out. I swear!
4. Buy yourself some gear. People spend their money on their hobbies (video games, concerts, etc.). Spend your money on your new active hobbies. Buy yourself a great pair of sneaks, a good stock of workout clothes that you feel good in, and the right equipment to reach your goals, whether it's a gym membership, exercise DVDs, or a reflective vest for your late runs outside.
5. Plan your meals as much as you can. I plan for the week and buy groceries on Sundays. I also trained the bf to cook healthy meals (which he loves now) for when he gets home from work before me. Don't give yourself the excuse that you have no food in the house so you need to get takeout.
6. But....get takeout when you really want it. Just make sure it's every now and then. This goes with not depriving yourself. At a birthday party? Have a slice of cake if you want it. Thanksgiving dinner? Dig in baby! I gained 4 pounds over Thanksgiving weekend and it was gone within 3 days of my normal routine. You need to live. You need to be able to do this forever. Think you can go forever without ever enjoying another Thanksgiving?! Heck no!

Ok I'll stop now. Hopefully someone got something out of it!