by DianeR » Tue Oct 31, 2006 7:32 am
I found a diet/exercise journal to be particularly useful in getting rid of those last pounds. I am continuing it because I don't want to gain the weight back. At least I'll do this for a bit until I know what I can and cannot do and still stay where I'm at.
I weigh myself each morning and put that down. Then I list what exercise I do that day and roughly what I eat (no calorie or fat counts). I found that the last 20 pounds or so can go slowly, so averaging over a week's time can let me see progress. Once a week weighing I wouldn't, because my weight can bob up and down. (It really seems to depend on sodium, for one thing).
With seeing the progress, however slow, it is easy to keep doing what you are doing. It also kept me from doing what I shouldn't, because then I'd have to put it down!
A journal might also help you see when you have problems. Perhaps some days you don't eat enough early on and thus you are hungrier at nights? Or you have more simple sugars or refined grains and that fuels your appetite? Anyway, a journal can help you refine your approach, too.
Good luck! I found the hardest thing was really committing to losing the last bit of weight. Of course, I WANTED it off, but it took a while to have the commitment. (Also, I learned to only take second servings because I was still hungry, not because I like my own cooking ... and to only eat half of what I'm served in restaurants.)