I'm new and I'm having trouble starting.

The only thing you have to do in the beginning is be honest with yourself. Put every bite down in your food diary. And then before you know it, you'll notice patterns of eating too much at a certain meal or certain time of day. Then make smalllllllll changes accordingly.

I just think that making any big change right away makes it way to hard to stick with it. We are creatures of habit, aren't we? Then once you get a handle on what you've been putting in the tank, you can decide what kind of exercise works for you.

Add me as a friend.

I concur - just start recording everything. No one has to see what you're eating unless you open up your diary to them, so it's all about a reality check.

I like that I can record having just walked a few minutes. If I don't want to walk half an hour or sweat to the oldies for 90 minutes, I don't have to. Every little bit counts.

Good luck!

Hey there--

What helps me get started is structure. I, too, have a hard time determining when I'm hungry (and full) until I've stayed on plan for a little while. I understand that new research points to a substance in our fat cells known as leptin for that--the heavier a person is, the more leptin they've got, and it screws up the ability to determine true hunger and fullness.

STRUCTURE
As far as structure, I map out my meals like this:
Breakfast
Snack
Lunch
Dinner
Snack
Herbal tea (peppermint is a great calorie-free beverage, as is chamomile, that can satisfy a sweet tooth--really.)

Take the recommended calorie allotment this site tells you and either divide equally among all eating slots if you're a grazer and don't mind not eating at established meal times, or make breakfast, lunch, and dinner relatively equal and then plug in the snacks, adjusting for your total daily allotment.

For meals, a good plate for me looks like this:

1/2 plate veggie (any kinds you like BUT potatoes, and watch the butter--the plainer the veggies, the better; salsa is a good topper for veggies that doesn't break the calorie bank)
1/4 plate starch (rice, potatoes, bread, etc.)
1/4 plate protein (meat, beans, etc.)

A serving of meat is about the size of your palm, and a serving of starch is about 1 cup, or the size of your fist.

EMOTIONS
Now, what you may experience the first two or three days is not representative of eating healthier altogether. When I got started, I got headaches and some depression/emotional sensitivity (more than normal--ha), but they passed within three days (today is Day 3 for me). Spreading out your calories evenly throughout the day will keep you feeling happy and satisfied. And eventually, you'll get hungry around mealtimes and snacks and will be satisfied after eating them. Magically, the urges to binge eat on anything start to get fainter, so it's easier to resist temptation.

I also like to remind myself that just because there's something really delicious in front of me, it doesn't mean I have to scarf as much/as many down as possible because they will always be there tomorrow. We live in a plentiful world here in the U.S.--there's food all over the place, so don't worry about scarcity. It will be there again.

I also need to build in rewards. I save my sweet treat for after dinner: A cup of thick and rich cocoa made with milk. It's no ordinary cocoa, either--it's Dagoba hot cocoa that I have to order online. It actually has little bits of chocolate in it, so the bottom of the cup tastes like a melted candy bar (it's gooood). Anyway, I save 160 calories every day to be able to enjoy that (70 for the cocoa + 90 for 1 cup of fat-free milk). What I'm saying is, what helps me keep on track is to know that I can have an awesome reward at the end of the day that doesn't derail me.

The first week is the hardest. You may need to sleep more, you may need to cry; everything might seem really wrong--but it's just your brain playing tricks on you as it goes through sugar-salt-fat withdrawal. This, too, shall pass, and after a few days and a few pounds off of your body, you'll get some motivation to keep making positive changes.

LASTLY
If you start tracking and you fall, get right back up. The longer you let yourself slide, the harder it is to get back and stay on track.

You deserve it!
You're worth it!

Commit to it for five days or a whole week--and don't put it off: Start tomorrow (not next Monday, or next month, or when school ends, or...). You'll already see positive changes by the end of that week that will help keep you going.

You can do it--don't be afraid!