I want to be a success story.

I find that I have to put control measures in place because I can't trust myself not to make bad choices (I absolutely love all food, good and bad). I never buy chocolate/crisps unless it's for a specific purpose (kids packed lunches sometimes) and when I am at work I take lunch and leave my purse at home so I can't go to the vending machine! I also plan ahead - there is lots of lean meat and frozen veg in the freezer and lots of fresh veg and fruit as well as low fat yoghurts and dairy in the fridge. I make sure I don't run out of food so that I can't be tempted to have a take away (although I probably do once a week). I am saying all this but I still don't always stick to it!! Weekends are my problem because I have a really good social life and a couple of drinks in the afternoon usually results in a boozy evening and a meal out followed by a cooked breakfast somewhere the next day to aid recovery!! Needless to say it's going to be a slow journey for me!

This app has helped tremendously! The logging, support from others...everyday! And I feel, you have to develop a passion for it all. .become totally obsessed with it. You don't want to ruin all your efforts on bad choices. Keep going! You WILL get there!!!

im only 4 days in, but today I chose to buy a piece of smoked salmon and a can of coke zero instead of a cup of tea and a piece of cake at a café (I was at the café ready to order, and changed my mind, left and went to the supermarket instead purchasing the fish and coke...this was all in a big shopping mall)
I guess little choices like this helps in the long run....

im nuts about smoked salmon and coke zero, so I was more than satisfied with my choice...and the lower calories. hehhe.

Skmellyg wrote: »

What has helped you achieve your goals? I have all the tools I need to lose weight. I understand that my main issue is my eating. That my diet is what is limiting me from actually losing weight. That I really need to focus on that. I can work out till the day I die but if I am not eating the right foods and tracking my calorie intake there will be no change. I meal plan. But I meal plan to what is easy and fast. What tools that has helped you achieve your goals? How did you start?

A food scale. Number one tool to help you succeed. Weigh all of your solid foods, log them and stay consistent with sticking to your calorie deficit. You don't have to cut any foods out of your life, just eat smaller portions, and less of the foods you like so that you are meeting your calorie goals. As long as you are eating at or under your calorie goals, you'll lose weight.
For more information, please read the first post in this thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here

There is no way to out exercise a bad diet...and knowing that is your first step in the right direction. There are already lots of good ideas on this thread. The main one being don't keep foods that you have no control over in your house. I cant keep ice cream, there is just no way that I wont eat the entire half gallon, whole gallon or whole box within 24 hours...Ive tried, but its not happening. So, I don't buy it, ever! Same goes for stuff like cookies, cakes, brownies....anything that I tend to not be able to stop eating. I always plan my meals, with a family to cook for I have to sit down and plan what we are going to eat for dinner two weeks in advance and then shop for just those ingredients. There are lots of ways to save time with this...one is that keep my meal plans saved with grocery lists so that if Im pushed for time I can just print one, check the pantry/fridge for what I already have and shop for the rest. No one seems to mind eating the same things over again, since everything is good. I try and plan for times when I need to grab something....packs of pistachios portioned into servings, quick protein shakes I can make and take with me, freezing meals in advance so I can grab something out of the freezer and take it to work. Really, the key is to plan and then stick with it. I am not perfect at this, and there are times I totally suck at it but this is what works for me so I only have myself to blame when I am not on task. I hope that you can find a way to make something work for you. Willpower is hard to find at times...but you got this, being a success is in your mind anyways, you are a success regardless of what you do!!!!

Food scale, don't deprive yourself of foods you love- just make them work with your calorie goals (which should mean eating healthier overall too, but weightloss is purely calories in vs out). And I agree with the above poster- don't buy foods you know you can't not eat.
I once got a tin of powdered donut holes thinking I'd eat 1-2 a night for a sweet snack (60ish cals each). Nope, ate all 20 in one night. Couldn't stop. Powdered donuts are no longer allowed in our house, haha.

What mostly helped was changing my attitude towards food. Eliminating the on/off, good/bad value judgments. The other thing that helped was to get a life instead of making food my all-consuming activity.

This site is good because ultimately you have to decide for yourself how you will live your life - all the tools in the world won't help if you never make the decision to take action.