welcome serenityh.

As someone who has changed over 100 lbs and maintained that change for a few years I can offer one piece of advice that just came to mind. The change has almost zero to do with what you put into your mouth and approaches one hundred percent of what you put into mind and practicing that what you put into your mind.

What came to my mind was an analogy about putting on a seat belt before driving a car.

I'm old enough to remember my folks throwing us into the "way back" of our old white Ford station wagon with red seats. 3 brothers would fight for that spot in the car. Unencumbered and able to "roam the cabin freely". Our other car didn't have a "way back" and we hand to wear seatbelts in it. House rule.

Long story short, I was raised to not wear a seatbelt, I'd try not to wear it any time I could get away with it. Then it was imposed on me It felt funny. I didn't like it. It limited my moment. It limited my freedom.

After practicing putting on a seatbelt for many, many years it feels weird for me NOT to put it on. Not that it will hurt me not to wear it - it's just part of driving a car or being a passenger (actually less so there as the new restraint takes a bit of getting used to - but I still put one on unless impossible)

I have not died yet but I don't account it to putting seatbelts on. Putting a seatbelt on is simply just part of driving a car. It's likely not to change anything for me today, maybe never. But its easy to do and I'm convinced it may have some long term benefits - perhaps not for me today but certainly for the husband and wives, brother and sisters of ones lost because they did not put one on.

To boil it down, my advice is to approach changing what you eat dispassionately. Do some research and find a plan that you think you can stick to for 18 months without variation (Diet Doctor website has some good one's I'm sure). You may rebel at first, like I did with seatbelt imposition, but with practice over many many months or years you may change your body weight by 100 pounds - and reap some of the side effects of that like increased mobility, medical markers approaching a "normal" range (whatever that is) and an ability to perhaps help others do the same thing.

Putting a seatbelt on is nothing to be proud of (well maybe for a first timer it's a thrill) - it's just something you do every time you EAT.