"......I try to stress to not worry how long it takes you to "lose weight" or get to a goal number on the scale. That's not the big picture. In fact, that number so many people get obsessed with is actually a very tiny part of it. The big picture is the journey - making the changes, learning about yourself, doing things you've never done, experiencing things you never have, becoming a person you never thought you'd be - and yes, celebrating the new you and your success all the time."

"..... whenever you make a *better* choice than you would have previously - that's a success. Any progress, no matter how small you may think it is, is a success."

"..... Even if it's a 'small' victory, or one good decision, that's a success and it's important to acknowledge that. And you have to realize it's all those small victories, all those tiny decisions that add up and bring you to the big milestones."

"I will track it before I start eating it. For one thing, I am being accountable by tracking. For another it will give me a moment to reflect on why I am eating that thing at that time."

“I do not allow myself to feel guilty for any of my decisions……I keep things in perspective - I know that feeling guilty about eating something or about any of my decisions is not going to help me in any way. Instead, I need to accept what I did, learn from it and move on. The sooner the better. Guilt is not going to help me. It will make me feel worse and can keep me in that downward spiral, punishing myself for one bad decision with another bad decision. It's totally unproductive, so I simply don't do it. I forgive myself, accept that I will not be 'perfect' and I move on. That's it. It's really that simple.”

"When I started eating more naturally I saw that it was *worth it* to me to 'spend' 2 points on a banana instead of 1 point on a VitaTop - because the banana satisfied me more, was real food, and didn't make me crave more processed food."

"…..it's important to be aware of when you are eating, why you're eating and what you're eating."

Bitch Cakes on binge eating.....

"it's NORMAL. You can and will get to goal without being perfect. None of us are perfect. None of us should try to be perfect because it's unrealistic and you'll be disappointed and likely 'quit' when you get frustrated about not being perfect. Persistence, remember? Not perfection"

"I never 'starve' myself to punish myself for overindulging/binging or make up for extra calories consumed. My body still needs protein and nutrients. Especially since I probably just consumed a lot of empty calories. I make sure to give it a real meal."

"I am reminding myself how truly physically awful I have felt the last few days while my eating has been out of control…… I feel sluggish and my clothes are already noticeably tighter. I do not like this feeling. I do not want this feeling and I do not want it to continue. I also remind myself that no taste and no food is worth all the physical and mental repercussions of those calories."

"I tell myself that I didn't come this far to slide back into my old habits long term. I didn't do all this work and achieve everything I did just to turn around and gain weight back. I'm fine with normal daily fluctuations at the scale, but putting actual weight back on is just not an option for me."

"food is not going to solve my problems at work or love me. It's only going to compound the problems with new problems."

"Remember that every single choice you are presented with after a not-so-great choice is a chance to move forward, a chance to choose better, a chance to just get back up and start over. You don't need to wait for the next week, the next day, or even the next meal - every choice counts. And every choice is a chance to choose differently and better. Every choice counts"

"It's not all about that 'number on the scale'. It's about the JOURNEY. It's about learning what you need to learn and it's about changing your life"

"I just focused on doing what I needed to do: make healthier choices, tracking my food, taking my vitamins, planning, moving my body a little - basically staying on program as well as possible"

"I know not to beat myself up or feel guilty about a bad choice/day/week/weigh-in. I know I just need to get back on plan. And I know that even though I'm at goal - a lifetime member - I accept that this is forever - the tracking, the meetings, learning new things. I don't resent that. I accept all of that, and I'm fine with it. Because I know those are the things that will keep me successful. And the alternative - going back to my old habits, old life, old ways of doing and thinking about things - is just not an option for me"

"You'll get there when you get there. Accept that it's a process and it's forever. Remind yourself that it needs to take time so you learn everything you need to learn. It *should* take time so that you have the chance to build the healthy habits that will keep you there once you get there. And lastly, believe in yourself and remind yourself that you are worth it - no matter how long it takes"

"This time was SO different for me. This time I really made huge, drastic changes - including the way I think about food, to what I've eliminated from my diet, to figuring out what my triggers are and having strategies to deal with them, to changing how I feel about and manage hunger - emotionally and physically"