Planning to start again

Take it in steps.

Tweak one meal at a time. Example - measure & log breakfast. How do the numbers look? Is breakfast contributing protein, fiber and fat to your diet? Tweak that meal to get "more bang for your calorie buck."

Do you exercise currently? If not, start by walking. A pedometer (phone app) will count your steps. Make a goal to bump up your daily average 1,000 steps at a time.

Small changes can reap big benefits.

Suggestions: Go slow, make goals, monitor progress. You didn't get to where you wanted to lose weight in a month or a year, so don't expect to lose it quickly. Make good decisions and be consistent - STICK TO IT and DON'T QUIT.

Spend some time looking at the "MUST READ POSTS" at the top of the GETTING STARTED category where you posted this. Look at other categories too.

The first step is to just start logging what you eat now. Use the food diary here. Every single thing you eat or drink. Completely 100% and honestly. Don't try to change anything yet - you are just doing data collection. You might as well also weigh every day and track that. Get a spreadsheet and look at a ten-day rolling average.

After a few weeks, look at the things you've been eating. Look at what has more calories and think about what made you feel more full for longer. Only then start making changes.

Create some goals. The goals should be specific. They should be measurable. They should be challenging but attainable. They should have a deadline. Then develop some strategies to meet your specific short- and long-term goals. Keep logging your food and your weight. After a few more weeks, see if your weight has changed the way you expect. If not, you can tweak that too.

Pro tip: Go slow. Don't try to lose several pounds a week unless you have a really lot to lose, like 100 pounds. You might have that much; I have no idea. If you're looking to lose 40 pounds, aiming for one pound a week is more than enough. Twenty pounds? Try a half pound a week. Check this out:



Assess from time to time. As you lose weight, you have to adjust your goal because it takes less fuel to power the smaller you.

Most important, don't quit. Stick to it. If you have a bad day, so what. Just keep going. Don't wait until next month or next week or tomorrow. Start now. You only have this moment to make any decision.

You don't have to exercise to lose weight. If you do some exercise, you'll get to eat a few more calories. Exercise is good for your body. If your reason to lose weight is to be healthy, consider starting an exercise program. Walking is awesome, and it's easy. It doesn't even require much in the way of equipment. All you need is some decent shoes, but please also wear pants. The sign says no shoes, no shirt, no service - I always wanted to go in without pants.

Celebrate your successes.

Is that enough suggestions?