erbear117 wrote: »

H...
General tips:
- Plan, plan, plan!
- Use containers that fit your meals/snacks nicely. Measure and prepare the day's food and place into containers. I use a drawer in the fridge just for that day's food. If it's already prepared, I have no reason to graze/overeat. Plus, smaller bowls makes the meal seem more filling.
- Calculate recipes BEFORE you start making it. You'll probably be surprised at how quickly the ingredients add up.
- Reduce stress! Even drinking some Tulsi tea can reduce boredom/stress/emotional eating significantly. I add Tulsi (holy basil) and lemon balm to my French press to soothe the coffee adrenal spike.
- Sit down while you eat. Every time. No standing in the kitchen, no driving, no walking. Sit down and savor it.
- Put effort into making solid meals. If you feel like the meal is a full treat, you will feel emotionally more satisfied and less compelled to snack later.
- Use a shopping list. Plan, plan, plan!
- Make meals in bulk. The containers come in handy again here. Plus, tracking is easier, and you save time.
- Get rid of the crap in your kitchen. Say goodbye. Toss it.
- Don't let yourself get ravenous. Eat a small snack if you must. You'll prevent overeating later.
- Identify your triggers and find solutions. Do you always eat in the car? Put your groceries in the trunk.
- Drink water!
- Use positive psychology. Cherish your successes, however small they are. Believe in yourself. Write down your wins, your strengths, and positive affirmations.
- It's easier to add minutes to a workout than to aim too high in the beginning. Once you've hit your goal, you might feel a sense of victory, which is motivating. The added minutes are a bonus!
- Save your favorite work out song for the end of your work out. It will keep you going!
- Understand that weight loss and chronic condition management are long-term goals. What if you don’t see results in one week, one month, or even one year? Long term trends are most important. You will have days when you overeat, or don’t work out. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about patience and persistence.

• Be honest with yourself and others. This is actually the hardest thing to do. No fudging numbers, no bargaining, no "white lies" about what you have eaten or tracked. The truth is the truth. One of the best posts I have read on MFP was someone finally giving up lying to themselves and everyone else.
  http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10469664/i-lied/p1
• Drink water (save calories for meal times)
• Snack as little as possible (save calories for when you can have a full and satisfying meal)
• Don't eat distracted (ie. not at the desk, not on the phone, not watching TV (or a movie), etc..). Think about what you are eating.
• You do not NEED to finish everything on your plate (irrespective of what your parents taught you as you were growing up).
• Track what you eat (you can find "sneaky" calories and plan how to avoid them).
• Record how you feel. What foods make you tired? What foods make you energised? What foods make you moody? What foods seem to put on weight?
• Forgive mistakes. Don't overcompensate. (We are all human, and this is a long game. If you mess up one day, learn from it and try not to do the same the next day. Do not try to exercise the mistake out or cut calories to compensate. This can lead to a downward spiral if you fail to make an elevated goal.)
• Balancing your macro's is a hidden secret to success.

• I feel great.
• I am middle of my healthy weight range (BMI 21.8 as of this morning) and have been for the last 3 months.
• I have more energy now than at any other time in my life.
• My moods are better.
• It is not a struggle to eat the right foods.