Three Years of Maintenance after Losing 200 Pounds

As of today, I'm 6-0, 214 pounds and have maintained a health weight plus or minus a few pounds for nearly three years. Each day is still a struggle for me after being over 200 pounds for nearly a decade. I try to get regular exercise 6 days a week. I also try to eat healthy most days and use the 80/20 rule to eat healthy 80 percent of the time. I still have the occasional ice cream but try to keep my portions in check. I eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, grains, and lean protein. I now have four children and they are my motivation to continue to stay healthy. Here are some of my tips. Perhaps this will be helpful for others.

Tips:
1. Drink a glass of water before a meal to not overeat.
2. Get regular exercise. I try to exercise at least 1 hour a day 6 days a week
3. Look for ways to get more exercise throughout the day such as doing body squats and lunges while pumping gas, push ups or chair dips. Sometimes, people look at my funny but hey - at least I'm not 400+ pounds anymore.
4. Eat at least 8 portions of fruits and vegetables each day.
5. Get lots of sleep.
6. Eat slower, check your food, and stop eating when you feel full. I know this sounds so basic but it's something that I have really tried to teach myself.
7. Limit or avoid drinking diet soda. I'm not saying the occasional can of pop is going to kill you but now I just drink water and milk. Diet Dr. Pepper was my favorite.
8. Think of your reasons why you want to live healthy. Write them down and look back on those reasons.
9. Prayer. I am a man of faith and have found prayer to be a huge help. I am not alone.
10. Keep a journal. I try to write weekly entries for a time of self reflection on how I am doing in terms of my overall health with proper nutrition and exercise.
11. Don't lose the weight too quickly. It took me nearly 2 years to lost over 200 pounds using diet and exercise. I found that going slow has helped me in my quest for maintaining a healthy weight. I learned a lot through that journey of weight loss.