Things that have helped me.

[justgamma]

I'm now down 83# since March, 2008. I did it by making little changes. Like switching from 2% milk to 1%, to skim milk. Using low fat ground beef. When I want chocolate, I eat a low cal chocolate pudding. Eating really, really slow. Planning for desserts. I make sure that I have the calories left for dessert, before I have one.
I have to cook 2 basically different meals because my hubby needs to gain weight. Meals are fast and easy. Mostly microwaveable. Butter buds. They really do tastes like butter on squash and baked potatoes. I keep black grapes in the fridge for grazing.
One day, I was standing in front of the vending machine thinking about a snickers bar. As I was walking away, patting myself on the back for resisting, it hit me. I stood there thinking about the taste and realized that I wasn't trying to talk myself out of it, I was trying to talk myself into it. I won't let me talk myself into eating something that I shouldn't.
I weigh in each morning and write down my weight in a notebook with maybe a short note. I can look back and see what I weighed a month ago and see the progress I'm making. I can look back 6 months and see what I weighed the last time I saw my son. It really helps.
I joined http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/mysparkstart.asp to track my food and exercise. I joined the end of July and had never tracked my food before. I stay between 1200 and 1500 calories. It tracks nutrition. so I make it a game to try to get the nutrition that I need, like getting more fiber and things.

I was in such bad shape that getting from the car to the house was hard. My back would ache. I started by fidgeting. When I'm sitting at my desk, my legs are dancing or keeping beat to the music. Waiting for the microwave, I'm doing a little dance. Waiting for the toaster, I'm doing push offs at the sink. Driving down the road, I'm holding my stomach in working those muscles.
When, I go to the store, I walk all over the store, even when what I want is at the front. Pushing the cart is just a little more support for my back. I won't let myself lean on the cart anymore. I don't need to because my back pain has mostly gone away.
I started using dumbbells. Arm curls and things like that. I sit on my chair and do leg lifts. One leg at a time, no pain and it builds up the leg muscles. When I got strong enough, I started doing squats and other things.
Muscles burn more calories so it's good to build those muscles.
As my back got better and I got stronger, I started wearing a pedometer. My goal is to walk 10000 steps a day. I drive a forklift and instead of jumping on the lift to go check things out, I now walk around the plant. Any extra step you take helps.

Enjoy the process! Make it a game! Remember to build up your strengths gradually. You don't need to hurt to lose weight.

We can do this! Change is coming! Yes We Can!!! Here's to a new us in 2009!! Go team!! Together we can do anything! If it is to be, it is up to me!

Now get out there and be a loser!!

[Longhorn]

1. Great information!

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. And congratulations on your success! :yourock: