taking that first step?

Set mini goals! If you aren't drinking a lot of water now start with that as a goal for the week. Try to get in say a cup more each day than you did the day before until you drink enough.

1) Make lunch at home and don't buy while at work. So easy to do if you cook extra dinner the night before than pack up and put into the fridge.

2) Get all the junk food out of the house. If it isn't there you can't eat it. We get one thing as a treat each week when we go grocery shopping.

3) Make a list of your favourite unhealthy meals. Research ways to make them healthy/healthier. It can be done with most meals!

4) If you normally ate a lot of junk set a goal to swap out one "bad" food each day. I usually got a chocolate bar for break at work... I started bringin veggies and dip instead.

There are tons of things! Get measuring cups, measuring spoons and a kitchen scale if you don't have them already. Get some healthy cook books or research online if you aren't much of a cook. Things made at home are much healthier than store bought and pre-packaged. When you grocery shop, wash and cut up the veggies when you get home and have enough for a few days. Easy to grab and eat quickly when needed. Do the same for fruit. Set weight loss goals at 5lbs... makes it seem much better when you aren't focusing on the long term goal.

I think the most important step, before you DO anything, is to make up your mind that you are doing this. It's not something you want, it wouldn't "be nice", it's WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO.

When you DECIDE to lose weight and you make it a priority in your life you don't let other things get in the way, and that's what makes you successful.

Without that mindset it's very easy to let any small setback throw you off course, and it's harder to make the right decisions when temptation comes along.

Well, that's what worked for me anyway. Good luck!

Small changes are easier to stick with the a huge diet overhaul and will all add up. I started by logging everything, then substituting good choice for bad (whole wheat for white, lower fat milk for whole, iced tea and water for soda, etc) Using websites like skinnytaste.com to change recipes that were unhealthy has been great. I also began measuring food so I could get a grip on actual portion size. I started walking in the evenings and worked up to doing videos and jogging (something I would have NEVER believed 6 months ago). You just have to commit to the changes you decide on and be patient...its not always easy, but so worth it. Joining groups is also a good idea. I love knowing I have a weekly weigh in and have people who support me, even in the bad weeks.