Judy, thank you for posting this! Here's my personal take on the 20 items. YMMV, of course!

[QUOTE=Judynyc]20 Tips for Permanent Weight Loss
03.01.2009

<<1. Exercise 30 to 60 minutes each day. If time is limited, exercise for several brief periods throughout the day for example, three 10-minute sessions rather than one 30-minute session.>>>

This is tough for me, with my health issues, but I find I can sometimes do a little strength training, and that helps even if I can't do the aerobics. I'm starting to realize from hanging out on this site that weights are actually preferred by a lot of LC'ers.

<<2. Eat three healthy meals during the day, including a good breakfast. Skipping meals causes increased hunger and may lead to excessive snacking.>>

I eat more like 6 to 10 very small meals per day. I average about 80 calories per hour. This is much better for me to keep my blood sugar steady and keep me from overeating.

<<3. Focus on fruits and vegetables. Top off your morning cereal with sliced strawberries or bananas. Stir berries or peaches in yogurt or cottage cheese. Liven up your sandwiches with vegetables, such as tomato, lettuce, onion, peppers and cucumber.>>

Bananas are so high in sugar! I have to really watch them. For me, it would be more like: eat EITHER 1/4 C of low-sugar cereal (and no more) OR a little fruit.

I can have a little banana (like 1/4 of one) accompanied by fat, protein, and fiber.

<<4. Weigh yourself regularly. Monitoring your weight can tell you whether your efforts are working and can help you detect small weight gains before they become even larger.>>

My experience is: weigh yourself weekly, but not daily. And don't weigh yourself when you're pre-menstrual.

My tendency is to lose 2 to 3 pounds a month. I think that's a healthy rate. If I weigh myself daily (or when I'm pre-menstrual), the fluctuations drive me crazy and depress me. But if I weigh myself weekly, I can see how the scale slowly moves downward, one pound at a time.

<<5. Don’t keep comfort foods in the house. If you tend to eat high-fat, high-calorie foods when you’re upset or depressed or bored, don’t keep them around. Availability of food is one of the strongest factors in determining how much a person eats.>>

I mostly agree with this. But I also believe in eating the foods we really want. I'd rather eat 2 tablespoons of whipped cream that I really wanted than the fat-free cheese I didn't. But I know it can be hard to stop sometimes.

The happy medium is to keep (sugar-free) treats around that are self-contained. For example, keeping a few individually-wrapped sugar-free pudding pops in the freezer--which I will eat only one at a time--works better for me than a 1/2 lb. container of sugar-free vanilla ice cream, which will tempt me to overeat.

<<6. Plan a family activity. Get the family together to go for a bike ride, play disc golf or kick the ball around in the yard.>>

I've heard of more than one study that says your spouse (or other family members) being overweight helps determine whether you are. I think there's something to it. It helps if the whole family decides together to make changes.

<<7. Eat healthy foods first. Eat foods that are healthy and low in calories first so that when it comes time to enjoy your favorites sweets or junk food, for example you won’t be so hungry.>>

I'm ambivalent about this one, because of what I said above about eating the things you really want. If I really want a piece of my low-carb pie, but force myself to eat a salad first, I might end up eating the pie anyway. The trick for me is making the things I like fit into my reduced-carb and other nutritional requirements.

<<8. Pay attention to portions. Serve meals already dished onto plates instead of placing serving bowls on the table. Take slightly less than what you think you’ll eat. You can always have seconds, if really necessary.>>

Absolutely, postively agree with this one. And use very small plates, not huge dinner plates.

<<9. Create opportunities to be active. Wash your car at home instead of going to the car wash. Bike or walk to the store. Participate in your kid’s activities at the playground or park.>>

I do this when I can but it isn't always possible because of health issues.

<<10. Sit down together for family meals. Avoid eating in front of the television. TV viewing strongly affects how much and what people eat.>>

True, though I can eat in front of TV if I've pre-measured my food onto the plate.

<<11. See what you eat. Eating directly from a container gives you no sense of how much you’re eating. Seeing food on a plate or in a bowl keeps you aware of how much you’re eating.>>

I agree.

<<12. Vary your activities. Regularly change your activity routine to avoid exercise burnout. Walk a couple of days, swim another and go for a bike ride on the weekend. Seek out new activities karate, ballroom dancing, cross-country skiing, tennis or Pilates.>>

I agree with this too. Also, do what you enjoy! It is so much more pleasurable if you're doing something you find fun, like dancing, and it's easier to get motivated to do it and to stick to it that way.

<<13. De-stress your day. Stress can cause you to eat more. Develop strategies that can help you relax when you find yourself becoming stressed. Exercise, deep breathing, muscle relaxation techniques and even a good laugh can ease stress.>>

I agree. And get enough sleep!

<<14. Eat at home. People eat more food in restaurants than at home. Limit how often you eat at restaurants. If you do eat out, decide what and how much you’re going to eat before you start and have the rest boxed to go.>>

Here's what I've been doing about restaurants (which I don't do more than once a week):

I plan to go to the restaurant. (More on that below.) Then, I order a small meal of what I want, generally trying to keep the carbs in balance.

When I get home, I write it all down and estimate the carbs and calories. Then I get right back on my diet. By the end of the day, I'm not over by too much.

The important thing is getting right back on the diet, and not using the restaurant meal as an excuse to continue eating high-carb, high-calorie food the rest of the day or week.

Also, by *planning* to do it, I don't feel a sense of having been out of control, with the attendant shame and the "what the hell, I may as well overeat the rest of the day" feeling that inspires.

It goes something like this: "Okay, I'm going out to breakfast. I will probably eat more than I normally do. I can fit that into my diet this week. As long as I write everything down and go on as normal." Then I do it, and I'm fine. I can enjoy a decent meal without overstuffing myself, and I don't feel the shame of not being able to stick to my diet.

The one thing I make sure of at a restaurant is to totally avoid sugar, and not go really overboard on the carbs in general. (And if that means making my own dessert at home so that I won't have a restaurant dessert, I do that.)

<<15. Plan healthy snacks. The best snacks include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. Fruit smoothies, sliced fresh fruit and yogurt, whole-grain crackers, and carrot and celery sticks with peanut butter are all good choices.>>

Agreed, planning ahead is the best tool to keep you from standing at the fridge or pantry randomly overeating things.

<<16. Start your day with a high-fiber breakfast cereal, such as bran flakes, shredded wheat or oatmeal. Opt for cereals with “bran” or “fiber” in the name. Or add a few tablespoons of unprocessed wheat bran to your favorite cereal.>>

Hmm, well, a small amount of cereal. I love my cereal, but most cereal, in what is considered one serving size, is way too high in carbohydrates. I eat 1/4 C or less of a low-sugar, high-fiber cereal, and I add protein powder to it and use 2% milk.

<<17. Walk for 10 minutes over your lunch hour or get up a few minutes earlier in the morning and go for a short walk.>>

In general I think the idea of many short bursts of exercise is a good one. I have a problem with endurance because of health issues, but I can do a lot of things for very short periods of time.

<<18. Plan a week’s worth of meals at a time. Make a detailed grocery list to eliminate last-minute trips to the grocery store and impulse buys.>>

I swear by this. Each week I plan the week's dinners, lunches, and snacks/breakfasts. It helps me tremendously.

<<19. Look for a distraction when you’re fighting a craving. Call a friend, put on music and dance or exercise, clean the house, pull weeds in your garden, or run an errand. When your mind is occupied with something else, the cravings quickly go away.>>

Another thing I do, and this obviously won't work for everyone, is eat a sugar-free hard candy or a flavored drink (I normally drink water) when I know I don't really need to eat yet but I am wanting something. Especially the fluids, because we can often mistake thirst for hunger.

<<20. Reward yourself. Losing weight and keeping the pounds off is a major accomplishment. Celebrate your success with nonfood rewards, such as new clothes or an outing with friends.>>

I did this as well. I found clothes work especially well as a reward. They don't have to be new clothes if money is tight. They can be old clothes from your thin days, clothes from a thrift shop, or you could even just borrow a friend's outfit. Wearing that smaller size and feeling it on you really cements the fact that you have reached each weight goal.

Thank you for posting!