Weekly Weigh In and Tips for Newbies

Weight= 155 lbs.

Back to square one. But I am okay with this. I know exactly what I've done wrong, and I know what to do to get back on track. I have 12 weeks until I move which means I have 12 weeks to reinforce the postive life changes that I have made.

A woman I work with was just told by her doctor that she needs to lose 50 lbs. We are the same age, and she is just about the same size I used to be, maybe a little smaller. I didnt' give her any advice, because she did not ask me for any, and that would have been rude. But it did make me think about what I would tell her, if she asked.

I would not suggest she go to the weight loss doctor I went to. I would give her the contact information, but suggest she try my other suggestions first.

Tips to lose weight over time:
-Track your foods, even on terrible days. Even though it is hard to look at sometimes, tracking food is essential to knowing where you went wrong, when you did excellent, and when you are allowed to give yourself a little treat. Sparkpeople is an excellent free and simple calorie counter. Obviously WW points are a great way to track as well.
-Make exercise a daily ritual and track it. Every single day of your life needs to have exercise as a component. Whether it is walking, doing a dvd, climbing stairs, cleaning house...doesn't matter. Although people say 30 minutes a day, I suggest 1 hour. And lose your fear of weight training! I've gone from a size 12 to a 10 yet stayed the same weight.
-Strive to eat 8 servings of vegetables and fruits. Mostly veggies, very colorful.
-Drink Water! Water is so important, and it fills you up, keeps you hydrated, and drinking more gets rid of bloating. I drink at least 64 oz a day. Then I drink more.
-Find strength with your friends/acquaintences/faith. Find someone to talk to about your weight issues. It helps keep you accountable. I found that I had no one to talk to about weight loss, so I started to blog. First on myspace, then I switched to blogger. It is extremely cathartic to have a place to share your thoughts. You can also 'meet' great people who are doing the same things you are and encourage them, in turn they will encourage you. I'm not religious, but I know a lot of people are, and some who have lost large amounts of weight find that their faith is a tremendous help.

So. Although this year has not been the best for me in regards to weight loss, I have been using all of these tools to maintain a 70 lb loss. Which is something I need to be more proud of than I am. In fact, that should be the last tip: Be proud of yourself and the fact that you are even attempting to become healthier.