Paula – Thanks for stopping by, I always LOVE hearing from new readers! I don't know if you have a blog yourself because you didn't link to one, but it is just a really cool feeling to know that someone like yourself could be out there, happen upon my blog and jump into my journey.

It's particularly cool when you find someone who has great insight, like you offered.

I sort of used a food journal when I first started and what it really gave me was immediate feedback on how many calories were in my normal market basket off food and meals and where I needed to make drastic changes. From the beginning I have been cautious with putting in place processes that were not sustainable, and writing down every calorie for me is not sustainable. However, I do agree it is essential until you figure things out for yourself. For some that might take longer than for others.

Thanks, and come back again!

As I read your description of your good day gone bad, I thought about a couple of things that I do to keep from overdoing it. One (you've probably heard this before) is to keep a food journal. Write down everything you eat and the calories/fat/carbs it has. In order to do that, you have to weigh or measure all of your portions so that you can calculate calories and fat. It helps me because I have to look at the nutrition facts and see what the portion size, etc. is…sometimes after I do that I don't even want to eat the food any more! Not tasty enough to risk the sabotage. I don't do it every day at this point but I do keep the journal periodically to make sure I'm staying on track.

The other thing is along the lines of what you said about eating in front of the tv. I always eat at the table, with my food served on a plate. It's a visual reminder of how much I'm eating. (And if I snack a lot I end up with a LOT of dirty plates!)

Basically this approach just works on the "head" part of weight loss or maintenance. If you really make yourself think about and visualize what you eat, it slows you down and helps to reinforce your committment to improving your health.

Good luck with your journey!

But understanding the tipping point, that is the key for me. I think part of it is convenience. I've talked about leftovers before causing trouble, this may be something I need to understand better. Planned leftovers like when I make extra baked chicken breasts where I have specific planned usage and there is a controllable portion are manageable, but bowls of leftovers seem to give me trouble. Something for me to watch.

Scott – I've heard that tip before and I have tried to follow it a little bit. It would be so much easier if it was just me in the house! But I have a wife and 2 kids and they have certain needs. True, we would all be better off just eating veggies and fruit, but we aren't that strict. Also, I'm trying to build a plan that will work for life and life has a way of throwing temptations in front of you, whether it is at home, the hotel minibar, the breakfast buffett or the boxed lunch at the conference. I've got to develop healthy strategies for a combination of pure avoidance, but also moderation in a sea of temptations.

another thing that seems to work – remove all of the unhealthy foods from the house. Obviously you can still grab a handful of fruit or nuts, but things like the ice-cream bars would require a bit more effort