you guys can do it! just focus and try to make the better food choices. its ok to be stressed over the holiday weekend coming up, i am too! but remember to keep the snaking to a minimum until the holiday arrives. i am one to say that holidays are a time to spend with your loved ones and not to stress over calories but until a holiday reaches, i count calories and do exercise religiously! lowering caloric intake is NOT something you want to do! your body will go into a state of shock and go into starvation mode and not want to let go of the fat and in some cases, gain fat. when your body goes into starvation mode its sending signals to your brain that your body is starving and your brain is telling your body not to let any weight go because its reserving fat for when your body will need it most like when you are starving. i am on the what is most known as the eat less diet. burn more calories that what you are taking in. my net calories are anywhere from -200 to a +200 and i keep on a 1500 cal diet. which is a huge improvement for me because before when i was over 300lbs, i was taking in anywhere from 2200 to 2500 calories a day! i dont eat my calories back that i work off. if you do that, you are defeating the purpose and you are maintaining your weight instead of losing the weight. keep it up guys and you will see the results that you want! it took me over 2 months to really start seeing a change so dont get discouraged. in fact, i am so pleased with my progress that i cant wait to see how far i can really go with this and prove to myself that i CAN do it! remember, healthier options, portion control and everything in moderation! if anyone wants, i do have quick healthy meals that are lunch box friendly and quick for dinner! and cheaper in the budget too!