Name one thing...

Think of the one crutch food you have and be willing to cut it out cold turkey. For me it was bacon. I loved making bacon and eggs, breakfast sandwiches, bacon and toast... You get the idea. I'd eat like 6-8 strips in one sitting, and they're packed with sodium and fat. Delicious? absolutely! But it's been about a month now since I've had any bacon and I'm doing really well.

For me it is all mental. I decided it was time. Emotionally I prepared as well as nutritionally. 31 lbs down since Jan 2nd. Still don't see or feel results but I am doing it. Changed my whole outlook and then my lifestyle.

In my case, part of my depression was caused because I was obese. I wanted to change and be happier and it hit me that what made me the most depressed was my weight and how out of control I let it get. I also want to have a baby in the next 3 or years or there abouts and have always experienced menstrual and hormonal problems that worsened when I put the weight on. Then, there was the fact I was 29. (31 now so trust me, it's taken time. About a year and a half. I also still have 22 pounds to lose.) I knew that in my 30s and as I got older, weight loss would be harder. So, I researched weight loss success and discovered cico. I also knew that unless it was slow and progressive that would be what worked best for me. Jumping in full throttle would only overwhelm me and I would give up. So, I liked the idea of mfp since it lowered your calories automatically as you lost weight. Then, I started by just cutting out soda and back on fast food. (( apart from cheating on the weekends at that time)) Every 10 pounds I have chosen something else to cut back on, replace in my diet, or added more exercise. Now I rarely eat fast food, and work out 6 days a week for 40-60 minutes a day. When I started, I walked a mile a day and only did the cut backs mentioned above. The progressive route has worked for me because I see results and it keeps me motivated to push harder. I could have sped up the journey but, I am not perfect and have given into temptation and reverted back to old ways many a time. I refuse to give up because this is a lifestyle change and something I want and need. The closer I get the harder it gets to accomplish but I love the challenge and love being pleasantly surprised by what I accomplished and am capable of. I will always enjoy any food I want. I just have developed the ability to recognize when it's justified and when I just want a cheeseburger. Even a want is justified sometimes. As long as I didn't want a pizza the day before. So, my advice is to take it slow and don't give up.

You just have to be prepared to do it for yourself. You have to be ready to make the change. It is about making the big changes, nutritionally and physically. I have been down and up and down and up. This time it is not just driven by my weigh goals but cleaning my diet up has drastically helped my migraines. I changed my diet in the middle of November and have not had a migraine since and was having them 3 to 4 times a month in the years past so I think this will be a life change for me. I do not deprive myself but anything with sugars and processed foods are treats which occur monthly and not daily any longer. Water is my drink of choice and alcohol crosses the lips once or twice a month now. Do I miss it, yep. Is it worth it, yep. So to your original question...you have to do it for yourself!!!
Remember, we can do anything. Surround yourself with the positive!!!

I have been maintaining for a year now and this is also my second serious go-around on the weight loss train. This time, things are sticking because everything I have done has become a permanent lifestyle change. The main thing I did was ease myself into things. A lot of failure stems from people going gung-ho immediately and not being able to sustain things.

In January 2014, I started off by making simple substitutions. First, I cut from two teaspoons of sugar in one cup of coffee to one teaspoon and one packet of monk fruit. I slowly transitioned from sugar sweetened tea at home to tea sweetened only by monk fruit. Then I cut out bottled salad dressing and started spritzing my salad with olive oil, adding flavored vinegar, some seasoning and a little sprinkle of monk fruit or raw honey to cut the acidity of the vinegar. The salad dressing switch alone was HUGE in terms of healthy calories. I transitioned away from low fat milk to unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I just took my time making food swaps for a number of things and eating at a calorie deficit.

By April 2014, I joined a gym and spent a few months doing my own thing in terms of cardio and weight machines. I lost a few more pounds. In July 2014, I thoroughly invested in myself (by this time having the confidence to do so) and entered the world of personal training. It was then that my weight loss became a steady stream of results. Now, people can lose weight on their own, creating their own workout plans, and many do so successfully. However, I KNEW my limitations and knew that left to my own devices too long, I would start to slack off without proper motivation.

Early spring 2015, I hit my goal of 125. I thought that was it ... it was maintenance time. However, I continued to lose "doing my thing" until I got to 117-118 ... there, my body found its happy place. So I have been maintaining a range of 116-120 for a year now, fluctuating due to hormones and effects from my ulcerative colitis and proctitis inflammation.

Small changes can turn into a major lifestyle change. I didn't jump in but rather followed that old Aesop fable about the tortoise and the hare. Slow and steady wins the race ... time is going to pass by no matter what so why not do it right and take your time to ensure your efforts are going to stick. I am faithful about measuring and logging food and I have gotten better with estimating servings if I am away from home. I don't make excuses for myself and simply start anew if I screw up one day. I am still doing the personal trainer thing and for the first time, I have noticeable arm muscles; I am in a size 4 pants which I have NEVER worn before; I am getting stronger despite some nagging (non-critical, but ever present) body inflammation and I feel good after a session at the gym even though I don't like cardio.