I thought today would be a good day for a mental pick-me-up. So, your homework is to take a look at the baby steps that you've employed to help you make changes in your lives. It doesn't matter if you've lost 1 pound or 100. What are five baby steps that you implemented are the most meaningful, and why? How can you bump up whatever baby step that you are currently working on?

For me, I'm glad that I implemented the following, in no particular order:

1. Exercising regularly (it's fun)
2. Portioning everything (I actually lose weight)
3. Getting involved on this board (support from people who understand my struggle and determination to keep off the old weight)
4. Those days that I get brave enough to try a new food (I found collard greens, KD's beef and asparagus recipe, and brown rice)
5. Looking at my food day one meal at a time (keeps me from getting overwhelmed)

I am currently working on cutting back on my portions, even though it means I'll probably eat one more meal a day than I already do. I've been adding more whole grains in order to consume an overall smaller amount of food.

Have a great day!
Laura

1. Throwing out everything I couldn't control myself around--if it's not here, I can't binge on it

2. Getting a workout partner--when I don't want to exercise for ME, there's someone else I don't want to disappoint

3. Getting high-quality non-stick cookware--it's more fun to cook with good stuff, and I use a lot less oily stuff

4. 3-week-long eating-out hiatus--after not eating out for 3 weeks, I realized just how much better my food is, and was able to let go of some of my cravings.

5. Keeping healthy things ready to eat out of the fridge & pantry--if the quickest thing to grab is an orange, then that's what I eat.

D

1. Got support here!!!

2. measure and portion control - oil, cheese, meat, cereal, pasta - measure/weigh all the stuff that I used to eat REALLY big servings of.

3. more vegs and fruits

4. Remove all the "dangerous" food from the house: Ice cream, cookies, chips, sourdough bread, certain crackers. Replace with fruit, pita chips and bean dip, low fat/air popped popcorn

5. cooking at home - no more fast food

6. exercise

1. Drinking water, water and more water. It helped me feel fuller and helped with water retention.
2. Exercise - helped me burn calories, build muscle, helped with my resting metabolism, helped me sleep better and with stress
3. Cutting down on my use of olive oil - helped save tons of unneeded calories
4. Switching to whole wheat/whole grains - helped me feel fuller and it's just healthier
5. Upping my servings of fruit - just better for me.

Biggies for me:

1) Increasing veggie intake
2) Cooking at home more often
3) Really limiting soda and other sugary drinks
4) Trying new foods and recipes
5) Finding exercise that I loved

My five are:

1. Eating more frequently throughout the day, so as not to overeat.

2. Watching portion sizes on "heavier" foods.

3. Drinking water and drinking less Coke.

4. Working more activity into my day.

5 Exercising on a daily (or almost daily) basis. This is one I need to do, that I did in the past and got away from. It does make a huge difference!

Dawn

1) Portion control and realizing that I don't have to clean my plate. Portion control really helps me when I am in situations where there aren't many healthy food choices.
2) Drinking more water and practically cutting out diet soft drinks. I'm protecting my bones, aiding my weight loss and keeping my energy level high.
3) Eating more fruits, veggies and whole grains. Eating less sugar and bad starches.
4) Doing different forms of exercise so that I don't get bored. This also helps me work different muscle groups.
5) Making sure that I have some "me" time.

Things to work on:
I am an emotional eater. I know this about myself, but I still loose control of my eating sometimes when I become angry, upset or depressed. I want to have a better control over this.
Even though I have been exercising fairly regularly, I still make excuses sometimes. In another thread someone posted the phrase "Excuses don't burn calories!". I want to adopt this montra.

Good morning everyone! My top 5 list would be:

1. Buying a treadmill and using it!

2. Yoga once a week

3. Cooking in MUCH more than I ever have

4. Having positive people in my life

5. Bringing my own dinner 90% to class with me

I am working on having a food journal again. But without those 5 baby steps, I would be lost.

Baby steps that have helped the most:
1. Plan
2. Plan
3. Plan
4. Plan
5. Plan

Seriously, I found that when I have plan for food, exericse, shopping, water and everything all goes so much better. Sometimes I need to shift my plan and to get advice and support aroudn that. When I did not plan, I overate and did not "have time" for exercise. I never had a water bottle with me and was always hungry. I stopped at the mall for pizza and certainly would not find whole grains there.
Enough soap box. I have two more job applicaitons to complete...

I think the 5 baby steps that were most crucial to me at the beginning of my journey were:

1. Increase intake of fruits & veggies.
2. Increase intake of fiber.
3. Exercise regularly and include variety.
4. Eat 5 times a day to keep blood sugar/metabolism on an even keel.
5. Make/bring my own lunches to work.

Visiting and participating in the board daily was (and still is) also a crucial part of both my learning process and my success.

As for the "why" of each baby step:
1. I have always loved fruit but didn't eat it regularly and have never been a veggie lover so I rarely ate them (or, when I did, it was corn, potatoes, etc.). Reducing the starch component of my meal and increasing the veggie component helped me a lot, not only in weight loss but I think in cholesterol reduction as well.
2. In years past, I was eating a lot of processed and fast food and not getting nearly enough fiber. Increasing my fiber also contributed, I'm sure, to my reduction in cholesterol.
3. Well, exercise is just necessary! Not only for weight loss but for endurance and overall good health.
4. When I eat something every 2-3 hours, I keep my blood sugar and metabolism on an even keel, so I almost never get that afternoon energy slump I used to get, nor do I experience hunger very often.
5. Going from eating out every day in a restaurant to making and bringing my own healthy lunches has probably had the most substantial impact on my health and weight loss. I control how it's cooked, what's in it, and what it is. It takes planning and some work, but it's SO worth it!