I just pinned a post with a video link that discusses how to determine what kinds of foods do not cause glucose spikes. I recommend it.

I've posted about my own success. The most difficult part was changing the things I eat. Even today I sometimes eat the wrong things, but when I first started I often ate the wrong things.

You eat the foods you like because you are habituated to them. You can change your habits, but it is hard and took me years to get to the point I am now. When you like the things you know are good for losing weight, the foods you now want to give up will not be as appealing, because your habits change. Keep trying.

Motivation is a big part of it, IMO. I've been "large" since I was a child, with occasional, albeit brief periods of less me. My most recent weight loss efforts began a little over 2 years ago and I have lost 65 pounds, putting me currently at my goal weight, give or take 1-2 pounds. It will be a constant battle for the rest of my life I think, to keep my weight at this point. If I let my guard down, the old habits will immediately reassert themselves.

The big difference between this time and previous efforts to lose/maintain weight is that this time it was motivated by a health issue that scared me. An attempt to prevent "intermittent Afib" becoming a chronic condition, I decided losing weight was one of the things I could do to help, so I began a diet. (I also gave up asthma inhaler, a move that has worked for me) I have not had an episode of Afib since, although there are occasional skipped/PVC beats.

I certainly would not wish for anyone to have a medical issue in order to lose weight but my point is you have to find a strong motivation for losing to help you stick with the diet over an extended time. Over the years, my reasons for losing tended to be more aesthetic, "I will look better if I'm thinner". My most determined dieting effort in the past was when facing my 20 year HS reunion. Having been pretty much an invisible person in high school, I decided I would "look better" than when I was there by losing weight for the reunion. I did stick to it and got down to 135 for that event.

Sadly, once the reunion was over, my reason for losing was gone as remaining at that weight was not part of the goal. I did not intentionally set out to regain, I just stopped paying attention and of course the old habits returned in short order as did the weight. I am well aware this time that I will never be able to just cruise along, not taking regular weights and curtailing my calorie intake on a regular basis. On maintenance I don't have to track my eating as intensely but if I gain more than 2 pounds, I will resume strict monitoring until I am back down. By setting a limited range, I lock into not letting my weight get out of my control again.

Spend some time thinking about the most important reason for YOU losing weight. Is it to live longer, to allow you to do things that extra weight interferes with, to be more appealing to potential partners or just to be healthier. It doesn't matter what the reason is, whatever is important to you can become your motivator. Even if it feels a bit "silly" at first, find your motivation and EMBRACE it. If you need to, write it BIG and post it on your fridge and make it a declarative, "I WILL FEEL BETTER", "I WILL FEEL BETTER ABOUT MYSELF" "I WILL (run, dance, play ball-insert your own activity) AGAIN!" and remind yourself regularly that this is what you are working for.

Aside from that, take support wherever you can find it. This group is a good place to start, when you need some encouragement, advice or just empathy, holler out and someone will respond. Even if the group is not real active, a lot of members read the posts and I think most of them would be happy to help whenever they can.

Don't be too hard on yourself. It is not simply a matter of willpower. We overeat for lots of reasons, many of them deeply seated in our personal emotional history. If you find you do well for a while then fall into 'bad' habits, one way to change this is to keep a food and eating diary. Write down what you eat, when you eat it, where you are ast the time, how you are feeling. Treat it as a research project and try and work out what the triggers are that are making you lose your good habits. It's good to exercise for general health and mood, but the food you are eating is the main factor in weight gain.If you can use this site regularly, it can be a great help in supporting you if you are trying to keep to a planned diet. What sort of shape are you in - how much overweight are you, for a healthy size?