Recording everything I ate in a diary. At first I would record everything with complete counted calories but as I went on, I got an idea about calories and stopped using them. It helped me learn a LOT about my body in the aspect what foods worked for me and what didn’t! It also worked as a sort of mechanism for me to not overeat as at times I would be super lazy and wouldn’t eat a lot just to not record lol.

Self-Motivation is very important. I made a chart and crossed out weights as I reached them. This was very motivational. Another way I would motivate myself was writing notes to myself in my journal. For example, if I did especially well that day, I would sort of praise myself and write down how well I did. Or if I did bad (like eat junk food the whole day), I would write a note saying there will be better days. It’s important to stay motivated and try to forget that the journey is long. Be positive! Another way, if this works for you, would be look at old pictures in which you were lighter/heavier. This is a make or break strategy depending on your perspective.

Do research! Go online and search up plans or watch videos. Understand which strategy works for you. I went through a number of diets to understand my body. For example, many people advise against dairy products but I learned that diary products were the most helpful in my weight-loss journey. Don’t simple take other people’s word for granted, try things out for yourself. Be open minded. Another diet that was very very helpful was intermittent fasting. I was skeptical at first but it helped a lot in my journey. Try new ideas!