Starting diet tomorrow...any suggestions?

stuff your house with TONS of healthy food & get rid of anything that you should'nt be eating. then when you need something to eat right away you won't be temped to eat cookies or chips. go to costco & get lots of fruit & vege's and have basic staples so you can always throw something together. i always have shrimp & costco stir fry vegetables.

Hi. Try not to look at it as a 'diet'. That sounds like a punishment. What are your goals? What do you need to look out for? I am diabetic so my challenge is limiting carbs and protein. I love breads and cheeses so that's my problem!

One suggestion, dont call it a diet!! Its a life style change!! When we call it a diet it means we can quit if its a life style change then its something we are committing to for the rest of our lives.

Ok with that said, log everything that passes through your lips even if it is bad for you, it holds you responsible for everything you do.

Add as many people as possible to your friends that way you will have the encouragement you need and never be afraid to ask for help.

Best of luck and add me if you want to!!

1. Don't completely cut out your favorite foods. Instead, make lighter versions of your favorites. Replace fatty ground beef with lean ground turkey, replace whole milk with skim milk, butter in baking recipes with applesauce or bananas, pasta with whole wheat pasta or veggies, white bread with light wheat bread, cheese with fat free cheese versions.

2. Do not buy into the reduced fat phase of processed foods. Reduced fat cheez-its, peanut butter and oreos are slightly lower in fat, but the fat is just replaced with salt, sugar and unhealthy carbs.

3. Measure all foods with a food scale or with measuring cups. (You would be surprised at how big a serving really is!)

4. Try to make most of your meals with lean meats, steamed vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains and healthy fats (such as almonds, peanut butters and canola oil)

Don't call it a diet. No, I'm actually serious. This was a rule for me from the day I started on MFP and it's the first thing I tell anyone that I recommend the app to. "Diet" has a horribly negative connotation to it and not only weighs on your own mind as to what you're really trying to do but people around you may also react differently if they hear the word. I hated when people would try to give me ahard time if they saw me eating something sweet or having something they somehow decided I shouldn't be and they'd say the infamous "What about your diet?" Though, my least favorite is "Aren't you on a diet? You aren't allowed to eat that."

I just told/tell everyone that I'm working on eating healthier and making a lifestyle change for both weight loss and general health. And when people throw out the latter statement, I very plainly tell them, I'm not a on diet. I can eat whatever I want, and I do, I just do it in moderation. That typically shuts them up.

As far as food advice, that's much more difficult without knowing what you like or dislike and what your daily life/schedule is like. Every person is different and it's not always an easy journey. But remember that the weight didn't all appear instantly and it's not all going to come off instantly.

For keeping it from getting boring, the best I can say is variety. Don't eat the same exact thing every single day (unless it's something you really, really, really love, like me and my Wow Cow. lol). I generally go through cycles where I may eat sorta similar menus each day but I'm constantly adding, changing and trying new thing all the time. I've never gotten bored with the food I eat and actually get excited getting to go to markets and shopping to find new and interesting things and figuring out ways to put them all together. I even decided to make my Project 365 this year all about food. Every single day I take a picture of at least one thing I've eaten and post it up to my Flickr, there are themes that can be seen, but you can also see that I keep things fun http://www.flickr.com/photos/wolfchild59/sets/72157625743758624/

Let's be honest, its not necessarily a "diet" you're going on; that's so temporary. You're changing your life for the better and CONGRATULATIONS!!!

What's works for me is watching my portions and eating healthy foods. (For me, healthy foods aren't the "diet foods" some of those come with a high price of sodium and honestly get my body out of whack. Healthy foods are simple foods, mostly found in the produce department.)

Oh yes, let's not forgot.... being smart about what you feed your body is only a part of journey. Be smart about what you feed your mind. What I mean is in two parts, feeding knowledge about weight loss and feeding your mind with positive motivation. Obviously, you posted the question and you're on a great start about wanting to learn.

There are a lot of people here, from all over, with various goals. Check in regularly, not only to keep your diary up to date, but to learn more from everyone else. This site is awesome for that.

Finally, there's no time like the present. Start NOW, tomorrow can be your first full day. Make the choice of starting right away. You'll find out that every step (big or small) will be a choice you make on your journey. What path will your choices lead you?