Top ten weight loss tips! (and weigh in)

Weighed in yesterday!  I was down 1.8 lbs for a total of 46.4 lbs!  Pretty good for it being Thanksgiving and all :-)  I sometimes get frustrated by the little losses and the little gains but I guess it's bound to get slower the closer I get to my goal.  Only 17 lbs away now.  It hardly seems possible.  I WILL get there this time I have no doubt in my mind.  I've been thinking a lot about what it's taken to get to this point.  I wanted to share my top ten tips (advice).  I sometimes feel like no one is reading this but here goes.....

Kim's top ten weight loss tips

1. Never doubt that you can do it.  Believe in yourself.  I swear this is the best advice I can give.  It's not "if" I get to goal, it's "when" I get to goal.  You are your own biggest fan and biggest supporter.
2. Learn to deal with life's food situations in a healthy positive way.  By this I mean don't deny yourself something if you really want it.  Count it in your daily plan and balance it out by eating lighter that day or exercising more.  But, don't deny yourself!  That is what really get's you in the "diet" mode.  The old feelings of "I am on a diet, therefore I can't have that".  It truly makes you want "that" all the more.  It doesn't work.  Life goes on and there is going to be food related events for EVER.  Learning to deal with them now is what I believe is going to help me to have success in the future too.  
3. Get moving!  I can't explain how great it feels to be active.  I want to shout it from the rooftops!  I realize that not everyone can afford a gym membership but there are many other ways to become active.  And, when I think of the money I used to spend on junk food and fast food all the time I'm pretty sure it would be much more than $46/month.  That is what I pay for mine.  Go for a walk, get a DVD, but just DO IT.  I love this quote "a year from now you will wish you had started today".  So true.  Start slow....I sure did.  Jan 2011 I couldn't even walk after my surgery.  I had no choice but to start slow.  It's not "The Biggest Loser" here, we don't need to start with 4 hours of cardio and 2 hours of weight training a day!  Every little bit helps.
4. Tracking.  It's what us Weight Watcher's call "writing down everything you eat".  It really is the secret.  When it gets written down, you can see what you have eaten and what you still can eat for the day.  It may seem tedious but it really does work.  I found another cute saying "even if you don't write it down, your body knows you ate it".  So true.  Writing it down just puts it out there, keeps track and keeps you honest.
5. Drink lots of water.  I know it's a pain if you aren't a water drinker but it really does help.  Makes me feel fuller and I find in order to drink all my water I'm not drinking other drinks that aren't healthy.  I try to drink 2 liters a day.  500 mls at breakfast lunch and supper and then another when I work out.
6. Eat often.  I sometimes feel like I eat more now than I used to.  I am always snacking.  Of course now it's healthy snacks but I do eat often.  Stock up on healthy snacks like fresh fruit and veggies.  Also good are 100 calorie portions.  I have a hard time with a whole big bag of something but if it's in small portions I'm fine.  I usually have something to eat at every coffee break when I'm working and I always save something for an evening snack as well.  
7. Learn to love vegetables!  Enough said.
8. Watch less TV.  I have found lately that I am watching less and less TV.  I am busy being active.  The thing is, I don't really miss it.  I have a few shows that I really like so I DVR them and watch them when I have time.  This is advice from my very active friend Shauna :-)
9. Eat breakfast every day.  I eat a lot of oatmeal  I love it.  I have never really had a problem eating breakfast but I have certainly changed what I eat.  I was always a muffin and coffee at a drive through or a huge bowl of cereal girl.  It's true though, if you eat a healthy breakfast it leaves you less hungry later on and less likely to eat the wrong things when you do finally eat.  So get up and have a good breakfast every day!
10. Give yourself time to do this.  I have to take my own advice here.  It's been a slow journey but one that is so worth it!  You or I didn't gain this weight overnight nor will we lose it overnight.  Slow and steady is the best.  Be patient with your body.  Even if it takes a year or even two does it really matter?  No, what matters is getting healthy not how long it takes to get there.