share your "staying on track" tips

I just blogged about this!

If I am mindlessly snacking / craving something sweet, I eat a piece of hard candy. It takes a long time to dissolve and usually curbs my desire for something higher in cals and heavy in fat.

I also have been drinking a glass of water or tea before I eat, especially when I walk in the door to my house. I have been cramming my face as soon as I get home lately, half because it takes 10-15 to prepare food and half because I am starving after work! The water helps take the edge off the hunger and allows me the time I need to toss that veggie burger in the oven or pan fry that soy bacon for my sandwich / wrap.

My best tips are: Schedule your workouts like a meeting. Don't make them optional, they are MANDATORY!!!! Whatever it is you're working toward, make a plan and stick to it!

Pre-log your food for the day. If you get in this habit it is much easier to turn down treats and such temptations when they come up. You can just say "this isn't in my plan today!" and eat what you've planned instead! I have a lot of tempations and treats at my office, so if I plan my day in advance I find it much easier to stick to my plan. Doing this has helped me IMMENSELY!!!!!

I track my food for the day in the morning - this eliminates that last-minute I'm-starving bad-choice-making scenario. I don't consider any foods off-limits because this is not a diet, but a conscious choice to regard food as fuel for my body. If I really want something, I will eat it if I can make it fit into my daily calorie needs. Any other choice would not be sustainable for me.

I have a bag of high-quality dark chocolate chips, and eat a few if I'm craving sweets. It takes the edge off without being a huge calorie "waste".

I have "helpers" to keep me accountable - I have two workouts per week with a personal trainer, and I never even consider skipping those (but if I did, the gym is IN MY APARTMENT BUILDING, and my trainer has my phone number, email, and twitter account, so I wouldn't get away with it ). For the workouts I do on my own, I schedule them in advance, then send the schedule to my mom. Nothing like the possibility of a maternal guilt-trip to motivate you to get your butt to the gym!

Perhaps most importantly, I remember my LONG-TERM GOALS. In the end, I have to want to be fit and healthy more than I want to skip one workout/eat 1000 empty calories/whatever. If you're making excuses, you don't want it bad enough.

I've been pre-logging my meals so that I can see what my intake will be and it helps me stick to it. I think I will do the same for exercise too, then if I have to remove it I will guilt myself haha.

I've taken a picture of myself front view and side view and if I feel like giving up or having something I shouldn't I'm going to look at it. Also looking at people's before and after pictures help me, I look at them and think if someone else can do it so can I!

1. Set small achievable goals, and when you hit a goal, set another and press on i.e. fitting in an old piece of clothing
2. Keep a group of MFP pals for mutual support (remember that you get back what you put in)
3. Accept that on a few days you are going to go off track and don't beat yourself up about it
4. After a while, mix things up i.e. change your exercise routine
5. Don't rely on the scales for your sole measurement of success and don't weigh yourself too often

I am sure there are plenty of others, but these work for me.

1. Drink lots of water, Water is the best way to get the full feeling with No Calories, if youre not a fan of water try lemonade with water,lemon and splenda, or even diet soda, black coffee, or other no calorie beverages

2. When i crave something sweet i eat a hard cand, have a couple m&m's, or have a tea with honey, that usually does the trick. I also am finding that since i've been eating really healthy i dont crave the junk i use to eat.

3. Throw away all the junk foods in your house, keep em away. Out of sight and out of mind. It wont give you the option to over indulge.

4. Always try your best and if you slip up a little bit dont dwell, tomorrow is another day so dont give up. Make being healthy a lifetime commitment not a phase

5. I dont have any friends being healthy with me so i love MFP my friends here are so supportive, and i always peek in peoples exercise and food diaries for inspiratin. it really helps.

good luck!

This!

Log everything... if you have to account for it you will be more willing to avoid the bad stuff. It is pretty difficult to log a slab of chocolate cake in your food diary on MFP and then complain when you don't lose any weight for the week...

1. Drink lots of water, Water is the best way to get the full feeling with No Calories, if youre not a fan of water try lemonade with water,lemon and splenda, or even diet soda, black coffee, or other no calorie beverages

2. When i crave something sweet i eat a hard cand, have a couple m&m's, or have a tea with honey, that usually does the trick. I also am finding that since i've been eating really healthy i dont crave the junk i use to eat.

3. Throw away all the junk foods in your house, keep em away. Out of sight and out of mind. It wont give you the option to over indulge.

4. Always try your best and if you slip up a little bit dont dwell, tomorrow is another day so dont give up. Make being healthy a lifetime commitment not a phase

5. I dont have any friends being healthy with me so i love MFP my friends here are so supportive, and i always peek in peoples exercise and food diaries for inspiratin. it really helps.

good luck!

I have a packet of wine gums and have five every evening. Plus i took photos at the beginning and every time I feel like giving up I just take a look.

Wine gums?

log BEFORE you eat.