I promise I'm really not trying to brag, I just know that toward the beginning of my wedding diet I would spend so much time on this site and others looking for inspiration or ideas from other people that I could see working for me. The way I've managed it is really pretty simple, and nothing that surprising.
First off, I've started drinking 8-9 glasses of water a day or more.
Second, I started counting calories
religiously. It sounds daunting, but if you register for free on
livestrong, it's so easy and if you do it for about a week it becomes second nature. I can't stress enough how important tracking your calories is because a bite here and there can really add up, and I think I misbehave more when I don't have to hold myself accountable for what I eat. Also, livestrong takes your age, weight, height and activity level into account when prescribing a calorie goal for you. Since I work a desk job and exercise not super often, mine was "sedentary" with a goal of losing 1lb per week. If you log your weight daily or weekly, the calorie goal will adjust to keep you at your goal of weekly weight loss. You can also track calories burnt though fitness, but bear in mind the site overestimates quite a bit.
Third, I started eating in a LOT more. Breakfast at home, pack a lunch, and cook dinner almost every night. We eat out like once every two weeks now. It's also free and easy to register at
allrecipes which has a ton of great meal ideas with the calories all figured in for you, it really takes the guess work out of it. Also, by spending time cooking each night I found that keeping busy helped me to not eat out of boredom. Not to mention we're saving a ton of money this way.
I really believe that losing weight is 80% diet, 20% exercise so I still tried to exercise 3-5 times a week, usually just a quick 20 minute 30 day shred workout, or stationary bike for about 30 minutes. My fiance and I also go golfing together which is a great workout when you add up all the walking, but I never beat myself up when I couldn't fit in a workout, I just made sure to very carefully track what I ate.
Skinny Cow. I am one of those people who NEEDS a treat every night, and these suckers are about 140 calories a pop. I would factor mine in at the start of my day so it would be built into my daily calories.
Don't beat yourself up if you have to have a "cheat day" but don't have one any more than once a week tops. My fiance and I had a few weekends out of town with friends, and during those times I'd try to make healthy choices for breakfast and lunch and then let myself go a bit at dinner. Just don't binge...don't worry, but don't use it as a free pass to go hog wild.
Just follow these guidelines (especially the calorie counting) strictly and the weight will come right off. I am 5'3'' and weighed 136 in March...my wedding is October 9th so I knew I wanted to crack down and get in shape. I weighed in at 119 today and my clothes are very baggy. I even wore the "skinny jeans" that I had given up hope of ever fitting into again just the other day. I do weigh myself every day, which some people disagree with, but as long as you bear in mind that your weigh fluctuates a pound here or there, I don't think it's detrimental. Just weigh in at the same time each day (I prefer the morning, before doing anything else). Anyway, that's what's working for me and I hope it works for you. Good luck!