Weight Loss Lessons Learned Along the Way

Well, I have been on this weight loss journey almost  a month now and I have learned a few things I thought I  would share with you:

* You will encounter doubters and /or negative people.  They may come at you with big smiles. They may seem to be well-intentioned.  It is possible that they may not realize what they doing.   But be careful, because their negativity will be like throwing water on your fire of enthusiasm.    Try to avoid mean or negative people like the plague.  Seriously life is just too short!!

*The less I eat, the less I need to eat to feel full.  For those of you who have been on the journey longer, these tips are probably basic knowledge.  But for someone like me, this is all new.  It seems as though my stomach (organ, not tummy so much) has shrunk.  In other words, I don't really have the capacity to eat the volume of food like I used to do.  I suppose this is similar to the effect achieved from the lapband surgery.  Whatever it is, I'm loving it!

*Do a diet that you enjoy?!?!  Sounds silly right, but I mean it.  If I don't like it, I wont do it.  It's that simple: I know myself.  I know I have about zero willpower.  I have all the respect in the world for those that do the various fasts and really strict diets.  I wouldn't last a day!!  I knew I had to keep my diet simple, because I am lazy!!  So I eat the same foods as before, just less...simple.

*Exercising is about 20 percent--Dieting is about 80 percent.  Of coarse this is just my opinion, and just based on my personal experience so take it with a grain of salt.  In the past I have tried to eat the same portions, and just burn it off with exercise.  It didn't work.  Unless you are doing something extremely physicial like mountain climbing all day, there is just too much energy (calories) in food to simply burn off with normal exercise.  I have come to think of my weight loss plan as simple math:  bring in less calories + burn more calories = a lighter me!!

*Make a Lifestyle Change!  This goes back to the idea of sustainability.  I don't want to lose a bunch of weight on a overly strict program so that when I eventually quit that program,  I gain all the weight back.  I have personally seen this happen and it is so sad.

* Substituting soup broth for a meal late at night is helping.  Yep, it is hot, filling, almost no calories, and tastes good.  I did a video on it here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H49XUXff91I
Be sure to watch the blooper at the end.

Have you learned any lessons along the way?  I would love it if you would share them with us in the comments.