I just focus on my goal.  Take a walk, clean up something or find something to do.  It's a little easier knowing that we get to eat every 2-3 hours.  So I just stayed busy until that time.  As for getting a workout in, doing it first thing in the morning has worked for me.  I had to change my whole routine to do it and become a morning person (which I am not).  My routine in both cases was to read the forum.  It help get me through the weak moments and got me going in the mornings when I didn't feel like working out.  Reading about everyone's successes and struggles motivated me.  The successes because I had an inner competition going on and the struggles because they reminded me of why I was doing this.

You dig deep inside yourself and figure out exactly what it is in that behavior that YOU need to change.  Whatever has happened in your past contributes to who your are, but it doesn't dictate your future.

For every single small victory, even putting down that "one little bite won't hurt me" you EMPOWER yourself to make bigger changes.  

You manage food, food does not manage you.

I remind myself of my goal as well. But I have also written a letter to myself that I pull out and read in those moments to remind myself how I felt with the extra weight on and hiding behind clothes. Even avoiding people. So, write a note to yourself and be tough. I also use the BFL journal and can go back to my Dreams page. It always helps me!!!

I pull out my ace-in the hole.

Literally, it is an Ace of Spades with a small before picture glued on one side and a motivation "body I want" glued on the other side.

As the wise Champster says, each small victory builds upon itself.  I used that card more than once in the first week, less in the second and haven't had to pull it out yet this week.

BCbill great idea.  I have the before and after pics from my profile hanging on my bulletin board here at work.  

I visualize my friends on here working out and how hard they are pushing themselves so that gets me into the mindset of "get off your rear and get to it".  I also look at the dreaded before pic and tell myself that I NEVER want to go back there again!

But if you end up indulging (which I have before), don't let it derail you entirely, just isolate it and get back on track! =)

wow...I like that!

All great ideas everyone!!  I really like the Ace idea. I was reading the "End of Overeating" and in that book it talks about in order to change an old behavior you have to put something in its place. My problem is that I use food, going out to dinner, hitting the donut shop as a way to escape. Ever since my pregnancy 5 (6) years ago, I was going through a bad divorce so I used my pregnancy as an excuse to eat everything in sight and use it to comfort my feelings of being alone. I have found I have continued that even when I am not alone. My habits have grown into something and I know its going to take work. I think my thing is because I am not overweight, I say "Going to get donuts sounds too good right now, I will work on this problem tomorrow".. But the problem is all that sugar and mess is going to ruin my health.

So my plan of action now is to come up with a list today of things I automatically do when this happens. The book also says as soon as you start bartering with yourself whether or not to go get that particular food you have lost the battle. In order to make this real and to overcome it, I have to use those plans of action to make new habits.

Exercising your "NO" muscle just makes it stronger.

look at your before picture; read your goals.

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b4lexperiment.blogspot.com

I had a F it moment yesterday.

I was feeling a little light headed and sat down to do ab crunches, and said F it, there's no way I'm going to get through all of that up down motion.  So I quit.

I did however go back today and do the full ab work out, and lower back, and then did the full cardio.

So, saying F it one day may lead to a better day tomorrow. (but probably not)