Stolen from others over the time spent on my way to better health :)

Portion control is an absolute must. Learning it is harder than you
think, applying it is worse but the outcome is amazing.

You don't have to follow your cultures time schedule. Noon does NOT mean
you HAVE to eat lunch. 7am does not mean you have to eat "breakfast".
Eat when you're REALLY hungry, not when the clock strikes a particular
hour.

Foods don't *have* to match/compliment one another, yes we were raised
on the standard: meat, potato, veg and bread mantra. That bowl of
oatmeal you had for lunch is fine. That patty/veg/cheese "hamburger" you
had for breakfast is just fine. That avocado mashed up with sunflower
seeds is an OK snack.

Logging your intake is the freshest breath of knowledge you can ever
give your body.

Compliments are OK. Enjoy them as you get to your goal. Savor them the
same way you savored that 1/2 gallon of ice cream when you first got
addicted to food. If someone says to you "gawd.. you look great!" say
"Thanks!" and move on. If a man/woman glances at you in an appreciative
way in the mall - enjoy it! instead of thinking they are nosey/weird.

The food industry really *is* evil and the grocery stores really *are*
out to get you (lol)
Crazy as that sounds. It's big business for them. They could care less
about your health.

Not all Dr.'s know what the hell they are talking about all the time.

No matter how fat/overweight you are.. Exercise is key. Even if you
don't feel like it, even if their are thinner/fitter women there that
you might feel intimidated by. Even if it costs you some money to access
help or resources. It's worth it. Even if your health is so poor you
"can't" exercise. MOVE SOMEHOW.

And last but not least.. It's OK to be hungry. We do NOT have to have
that sated feeling 24/7. You WILL get the next meal. You're not dying,
your simply hungry. Big deal. Just be patient for it.

Susan(who likely needed these reminders more than ya'll)
260/193/140