Help- I'm a Newbie

Me too, downloaded it before Christmas started using in the new year after eating my own body weight lol

The most best way of eating is the one that you'll be able to stick to into maintenance. If you're thinking of cutting out certain foods to lose weight and you don't see yourself giving them up forever, you'd be better served eating them in moderation.

For example, I knew that cutting out desserts was a non-starter. I wasn't going to be happy with an apple if everyone around me was having apple pie. But I decided that I was going to only make desserts at home that came in at 200 calories/serving or less (I just did an apple crisp this week; the week before that, it was cinnamon donut mini-muffins) and I was going to mostly avoid bakery desserts if it wasn't a special occasion. (I still make room for a single frosted shortbread cookie once a week.) I find it easier to keep on track when I know that I can still have treats without derailing my progress.

That being said, there are some treats that I don't keep in the house because I know I won't be able to keep from eating too much too fast. Generally anything with custard or caramel. Lemon meringue pie. Packages of cheese—though I can handle string cheese and have a bagel with Munster once a week, so long as I don't actually go out and buy a packet of Munster. But my main problem isn't what I eat at a meal. It's the leftovers in the fridge. If I'm out with friends and I have the calories for a piece of lemon meringue, I can have it and not ask for seconds. If I'm alone in the kitchen with the rest of the pie... well, give me an hour and I'll just be alone in the kitchen.

Everyone is different.

And the other thing is, a treat is not necessarily a cheat. It's a choice. And sometimes that moment on the lips is absolutely worth it. (And it won't be a lifetime on the hips, either! Maybe an extra day or two. Probably not even that.)