Weight loss and perseverance

One of the things I have learned over the past 16 months is staying focused on the plan and the goal when I hit a weight plateau as my body tried to fight back and keep the weight. Several times I would only lose a pound in a month, but staying with the plan pushed me through and I made up for it in the following months as my body readjusted. I also learned not to feel guilty about the times when I might eat extra like parties and holidays...just made sure to get back on the plan the next day.

For me, there was no one part of my diet that was an issue, it was just total overall intake being more than I was burning. I focused on just reducing 50-100 calories at each meal and 25-50 calories on any snacks. I figured out quickly that shaving a few calories here and there wasn’t hard, I just had to stay focused on doing it. It’s too easy to eat a couple of extra bites at each meal and fall off the plan.

I also weigh myself every morning. It’s not because I expect changes overnight, it’s to make sure I remember to stay focused on the plan for that day.