accountability

I had to be ready. I wasn't going to succeed at weight loss (never mind maintenance after weight loss) unless I decided that I was ready and determined to do so.

Other people can be helpful and supportive but they can't do it for you. You have to be prepared to say "No, thank you" when people offer you foods or drinks that don't fit with your goals for the day.

When you are ready, a good place to start is logging your food and caloried drink intake. I log right before I eat so that I can decide whether or not I really want to eat something and how much I should/can have within my weekly calorie goal. Be honest with your logging so that you can go back and see where you might eat smaller portion of calorie-dense foods and/or make satisfying substitutions.

Adding people with a similar goal from MFP can be a big help. Personally my family and friends are not where I get my accountability.

Agree with honest logging too. There are days when I eat more than my goal but I log it an move on.

Remember the reason why you wanted to shift the weight in the first place! For me it's to do with a back injury from a fall, if I don't lose weight, it's going to keep costing me a fortune at the chiropractor and I'm going to be in pain.

I have really specific goals: fitting into a cute clothing collection and airplane seat for an upcoming cruise, showing up at my high school reunion looking all suave, looking down and seeing my feet. So yesterday I was in a store with my favorite candy bar staring at me longingly. I told it I was on a mission and walked right past! 15 lbs gone since January 1, all because I think about cute clothes, looking suave, and feet! Now, my walks are so long that my mind keeps coming up with new trips and new exercise venues.... whatever works!