Thank you myfitnesspal.com - I am under 200 pounds!

Hi Kippster,

I'm not sure there is a secret, I know it isn't easy but myfitnesspal.com helped make it a LOT easier for me. I started at another website and switched to myfitnesspal.com as soon as I discovered it because it was so very much easier to use and way faster, and has a much better database of foods, and is way more convenient with the ipod app for when I was at a restaurant or traveling. I wish I had discovered these forums earlier!

Also men seem to have an easier time of it than women, sorry about that!

Some of the big things, the really key things that really helped me:
- i knew I had to be strict with myself or this wouldn't work - so I got a scale and measure / weigh absolutely everything and enter absolutely everything (absolutely no guessing)
- important for me: no junk food, no take out , make everything myself, because I am worth the effort!
- plan ahead, always keep a couple of good options for each meal in the house so I can "do the right thing", because I am worth the effort!
- always start the day with a really good substantial breakfast so I can get through the (rare!) night with hunger pangs by looking forward to breakfast, include protein which sticks with you through the day
- always end the day with a small piece of chocolate and/or a fruit smoothie (3/4 cup frozen fruit like strawberries + 1/3 banana + sugar substitute + bit of cold water in blender or bullet) to have a reward to look forward to every day

Other things that seemed to really help me:
- exercise 3 or 4 times a week - even just a really fast walk for half an hour, or when raining go up and down a flight of stairs with ipod for half an hour, anything that makes me breathe hard and sweat a bit, the reward is more calories that day!
- portion control: limited myself to 1 really good piece of bread a day, cut out most fats, way smaller meat servings smaller than a deck of cards
- eat lots of fresh raw vegetables of lots of different colours, its expensive but tasty and filling and you are worth it! you may also have to shop a lot more often but you are worth the effort!
- a piece of fruit is way better than junk food so if you have to eat something off your plan, eat fruit! a cup of tea or chicken stock or consomme also helped me with (rare!) between meal hunger pangs though these went away after a few weeks
- diet jello is a really easy and fun retro treat
- drink lots of water, I also like some crystal light and diet coke each day
- one holiday every week or two where I can eat a full normal day of calories eg. go to a restaurant with friends
- allow occasional small glass of red wine or light beer or a wee dram of single malt scotch but measure and record it!
- check out the recipe ideas on this site they are fantastic, i had no idea good-for-you food could taste so darn good
- remind yourself daily of the benefits (for me it is better health, better looks leading to better self esteem and no I'm not vain I'm normal, new clothes)
- I don't have to be stuffed to be full

My partner ate the same things except added potatoes and rice and couscous and pasta and bread and more fats.

sample menu
- breakfast : extra crispy bacon squeezed in paper towel, dark toast with scrambled egg substitute + 1T half fat sour cream + 2T salsa, 1 coffee with 1 T half and half
- morning snack: 1 piece of fruit, unlimited (but still measured and recorded!) raw colourful veggies (peppers, carrots, broccoli)
- lunch: organic vegetable barley soup and light rye crackers with a little light cream cheese with flavour eg smoked salmon, 1 fruit, unlimited raw colorful veggies, lots of water
- afternoon snack: 1 fruit or occasional small piece of light cheese on a cracker, unlimited raw colourful veggies, lots of water
- if I exercised: reward of hot air popcorn with cheese flavour powder (not microwave or oil popcorn) and way too much salt (hey I'm not perfect!)
- for dinner: small serving of meat (e.g. 100g baked chicken breast with tomato sauce and sprinkle of real parmesan) with unlimited colourful vegetables/salsa and a greek salad (lots tomato and cucumber with tiny oil, tiny feta, one olive, vinegar OK)
- evening snack: REWARD TIME! tiny piece of chocolate and/or fruit smoothie made with frozen berries + 1/3 banana + sugar substitute + cold water in blender or bullet

- alternative breakfast: 1/3 cup greek yoghurt with 1/2 cup bran flakes and 1/2 cup fresh berries and sugar substitute
- alternative quick breakfast: 1 cup bran flakes plus 1/2 banana + 1/3 cup skim milk
- alternative lunch: 2 or 3 light rye crackers with small 85g tin of flavoured tuna or sardines, consomme
- alternative lunch: huge iceberg lettuce and chopped tomato salad with 1 inch cube of sharp cheese shredded and cracked pepper
- alternative dinner: make small thin homemade extra lean burger patties 85g each, freeze most, have 1 with small soft bun and a huge baby spinach salad (tons of baby spinach plus 1/2 cup fresh or canned-in-own-juice mandarin orange wedges and 1/2 piece finely chopped crispy bacon or tiny bit of crumbled low fat feta cheese for flavour only)
- easy alternative dinner: 1/4 or 1/3 Dr. Oetker Ristorante thin crust pizza baked with added tomato sauce, veggies and italian spices, plus HUGE shredded carrot / chopped red and green pepper/ sliced zucchini salad with lemon and cracked pepper

@andermt WOW - good job!!