Instead of working for a year trying to reach my goal weight, I will make my first milestone within 10 or 20 pounds of where I am today. Just as a frog jumps many times to the finish line, I too, will take smaller more achievable leaps. I want to make these changes lasting and I feel that if I discipline myself to do maintenance stops at strategic milestones; I will make better, longer lasting progress.
I want to purposefully create resting points where I bring my caloric intake up to a maintenance level and hold it there for a short amount of time. Rather than becoming discouraged and worrying about plateauing after several weeks of dieting; I can take planned stops, making sure that I'm not falling back into my old habits and gaining back all the weight I had lost plus more. Yo-yo dieting is just a plan I cannot live with anymore!
When searching for a long term solution, I find it necessary to institute a multitude of great ideas. I don't stick to just one diet plan, but use the best from many ideas and then add my own flavor to them. In my search to find accountability partners on line I came across a helpful website to keep track of my caloric intake and daily exercise at: Everyday Health. There I found it easy to sign up and use the tools they have there.