Going to lose 50 lbs!!

Plan your meals through the week

All about mind over matter! But I'm sure you got this! Good luck!

You got this!! For sure keep snacks around. I like protein bars for the ease and because they don't require refrigeration or anything. A lot of people love nuts but just make sure to not over-do it. They're super healthy but also high in calories. Something I did wrong last time around was I was too strict with myself (eating too little, too boring, exactly at certain times, etc.). It's good to be religious about logging and everything but it's not good to do something you won't be able to maintain. That's what I'm learning now. I restarted last week and my goal now is to eat (mostly) healthy, log my meals, and stay under my calories. Before I wasn't eating nearly enough and I had no variety. Variety is key in maintaining this lifestyle. If you keep eating the same boring things over and over again, you'll get sick of it. Ummmm..... Don't keep temptations in the house. You're much less likely to eat something if you have to go out of your way to get it. Make a list before grocery shopping and stick to it. Let people in your life know you're trying to be healthy so that they're less likely to try to tempt you. Hopefully this is helpful.

I don't prepare my meals in advance, exactly, but I do think ahead about vegetable dishes I can make in bulk and add to the meat/starch-heavy dishes my husband favors making. That way I can eat small portions of his rich rood but fill up on the broccoli, carrots, salad, and so on that I made. What I am very consistent about is pre-logging food, so there's no eating a giant pile of stuff and then finding out to my shock that it put me over budget. Staying on budget day after day, week after week, is what produces the results. It's getting so automatic that I don't have to put any violence on myself to eat reasonable portions and to avoid mindless snacking, it just feels normal. Some meals are standard enough that I can eat the usual thing and log it afterwards, but I still approach my big evening meal with caution and planning. If a cup of something squeezes the budget, I knock it down to 1/2 cup. I was surprised to find that 1/2 cup of something is enough to let me enjoy it thoroughly.