[Mrs. Strutt]

What a great thread, with lots of inspiring stories!

After some on-again, off-again yo-yo dieting over the past five years when I gained 80 lbs. having my daughter, I'm up to a 50 lb. weight loss. I have another 30 to lose to get to where I was when I got pregnant, and then probably another 20 on top of that to get down to a healthy weight for my height and frame.

After a lot of time and tears spent on wondering why I kept "failing" on diets, I decided to sit down and really think about the whole process. Over the past year, I've come to the following conclusions and I hope they might be helpful for someone else.

1. "Diets" always fail. It's lifestyle changes that win in the end.
I do not have a count, weight and measure personality. I can follow a prescribed program for a period of time, such as Weight Watches or Body For Life, but I will never be able to sustain that type of program over the long haul. So I figured out how I thought I could eat for the rest of my life and came up with a weight loss plan that is just a portion-restricted version of how I will always eat from now on...what I know I can live with forever.

What I came up with was this: each meal I eat consists of 1/3 protein, 1/3 "slow" carbs (such as low-sugar fruits and green vegetables, and 1/3 "fast" carbs (such as whole grains, pastas and breads). I eat three meals a day, plus two snacks, and I do not limit any type of foods...I eat whatever I want, I just make sure they are in those proportions and in modest portions. The proteins and "slow" carbs minimize the effects of the "fast" carbs, even if they are sweets or pasta, and I have averaged a 1-2 lb. weight loss each week this way. And I don't feel one bit deprived since nothing is "off limits".

2. There is no escaping the importance of exercise in weight loss, so I exercise for at least 10 minutes every day.
I like weights and cardio, but I'm really busy and I don't always have time for those...yet I know how important exercise is. I have recently gotten into yoga and the DVDs I have contain routines that range anywhere from 10 to 60 minutes. Even 10-15 minutes of yoga is pretty damned effective and has given me some great muscle definition and flexibility, plus it helps me to burn more calories.

3. I refuse to beat myself up for "falling off the wagon".
One stressful day, I grabbed one of Mr. Strutt's Moon pies and ate it, then spent 10 minutes beating myself up about what a failure I was. And then I decided that was ridiculous and forced myself to put my "failure" into perspective. It takes 3,000 calories to gain a pound and that damned Moon pie was 130 calories. Oh freaking well, huh? So it wasn't the best choice, but why should I negate a 95% success rate over the rest of my week because I made one slip? Acknowledge a not-so-great choice and then just move on!

4. No more "event-driven" weight loss goals, ever.
Stories from my friends and experiences of my own have convinced me that the best way to fail is to concoct an "event-driven" weight loss goal...like, cousin Suzy is getting married in six months so I have to chuck 50 lbs. so I can dazzle everyone at the wedding. Every single time I set a weight loss goal based on a future event, I am miserable...the pressure to "succeed" leads to unrealistic expectations and there is no way I ever make it. Once I learned to let go of goals and pressures and just focus on getting healthy, one week at a time, with no set deadline, I can't tell you how much more relaxed and happy I became with the process. And how much more successful I've become as well.

And yep, I have days where the "one slip" becomes a bit more than a 130-calorie Moon pie (those enchiladas verdes at Carmelita's, damn it), but overall, it has worked for me

You all rock...thanks for the additional inspiration!