With people wanting to start losing weight and so on- I thought it would be a good idea for everyone who has lost weight, in the process of losing weight, or in general want to be healthier, to post their tops tips for beginning this journey! I thought this would be a great reference for anyone wanting to start this journey yet afraid to ask!

What are your getting started tips?

Ooh, I love this idea! I'm definitely going to be keeping a close eye on this post!

Eat breakfast! It's so simple, but also so hard to do (at least for me). Eat something with fiber and protein, it's also a great time to get some calcium. Example: high fiber cereal with milk (1% or NF), egg or egg white (there is new research that shows that the cholesterol in eggs isn't all bad, there is a lot of the "good" cholesterol, so one egg a day isn't bad for you)

Take a multivitamin. I take mine when I give ds his gummy vites, helps remind me.

Some people will say I am wrong, but if you can, don't eat after 7. For me, I don't eat after 8, sometimes dh gets home late and we eat dinner at 7:30.

Don't drink your calories! Cut out soda, alcohol, juice, etc. It's okay to have one glass of wine, but not 3 I also think it is good to avoid diet sodas, a research study came out recently that says the sweet taste without the calories actually makes your body crave the missing calories and you end up filling that void with food.

Water, water, water. It flushes toxins, keeps you hydrated and curbs hunger. Many times when our bodies feel hungry, it is actually thirsty. So, drink a glass of water first and see if that's the culprit. I try to drink 2 liters of water a day. I fill a pitcher in the morning and leave it in plain view on the counter. When I walk by, I'll pour myself a glass. By the time I go to bed, that water has to be gone. I have been known to drink 3 glasses of water before bed so I finish the pitcher

Don't forget to eat, your body needs fuel to be able to burn calories. I have a perfect example...after ds was born, I started training for my first half marathon when he was 6 weeks old, I only had 5 weeks left to train I was BF and pumping, and walked 60 miles in one month. You would think I would have lost a ton of weight, I didn't. I was not eating enough, especially since I was BF. I did a second half marathon 3 months later, so I continued training and not eating enough. After almost 5 months of training and 2 half marathons, I had only lost 5 pounds!! (I am a size 16 girl, so I had plenty to lose) DON'T FORGET TO EAT!!!

Okay, it is maggie's annoying mantra again... KEEP A JOURNAL!!!! Keep a log of what you are eating and how much exercise you are getting. Even if you can't do this every day, do it for a few weeks to get a grip on how much you are eating. You won't believe how quickly those handfuls of goldfish add up.

I have kept a journal for 2 years now and it is my saving grace. I have one day a week that I don't keep track (Saturdays for me) but the other days I use it religiously. I round up and down a little, but it works great for me. There are lots of free online sites that will do it for you like sparkpeople and fitday if that is more your speed. I am a paper and pencil girl and I really like lists in general so it works great for me. I use Bob Greene's Get With the Program journal because I love checking off all the little boxes.

I agree with what everyone else has said -- JOURNAL every day (or give 1 day off - which I do); eat breakfast; use breakfast & lunch as your biggest meals; drink water; eat every 2-3 hours; listen to your body - if you are hungry, eat.