Joined one week ago

Just thought I would say hi. Its has been one week and so far I have managed to lose 8 lbs.My starting weight was 288 and I am going to get down to 195 based on my height of 6'5". I have read some posts by others and for what its worth I would like to share what I believe helps me and can hopefully help others. For starters I am not focused on the long term goal as I have no control over how quickly I will get there (notice I am talking defintively as opposed to hoping it will happen). Rather for me its about making lifelong changes that are more important and if I focus on making smart choices then the long term goal will most definitely be reached. So for me I just focus on one day at a time. I dont worry about what will happen a week from now or three days from now. I think people can get really hung up on the intricacies of nutrition and unless you are planning to become a bodybuilder or professional athlete it probably makes more sense to just focus on the basics of nutrition. Keep fats to a minimum especially bad fats, include fresh vegetables and fruits throughout the day (has anyone heard of someone getting fat by eating too much of this stuff??) and dont get hung up on all protein vs all carbohydrate diet. Portion sizes and small frequent meals are the keys to success. If you imagine your body as a furnace you just need to keep the fire going steady rather than letting it burn out and then feed it a massive amount of fuel. Yes for some of us including me it means having to actually cook some meals but in the past week it really has not been that difficult especially with the abundance of quick and easy healthy eating cookbooks out there. Also for me at least I realize I am not perfect and I know I will not give up certain things so I am not going to lie to myself. Rather, if I screw up I forgive myself and just move forward - no rationalizing as this will be disastrous. So with proper eating and some excercise I believe I am on the road to a better healthier life and hope you all dont mind my sharing these thoughts. Cheers!