One step to take, if you can, is to get on as many weight friendly medications as possible. There are more of them out there than people realize, and sometimes a medication that is not weight friendly for one person is weight neutral for another. It also concerns me when some people demonize a medication because of weight gain. I fully understand people being upset in those cases, but I fear it prevents some people from trying the medication, when it might be extremely helpful and, for them, weight neutral. Lithium was always weight neutral for me, while it isn't for others. Seroquel XR is somewhat weight neutral for me.

I know that if I want to lose weight consistently I must track my eating and know what it consists of. I must stay within eating goals at least most of the time, and when I go over, I try not to go over exceedingly or let occasional binges knock me completely off track.

I confess that I have not been combining enough exercise with my dieting as I should. I can still lose weight without the dieting, but I know that extra calorie burning helps. I know it helps burn calories faster, make my body leaner looking, and increases my metabolism a bit more than without exercise. Also, when I spend adequate time exercising, I spend less time within quick reach of the fridge or pantry.

Support in weight loss is so important to me. I can't do it 100% alone. I don't go to any kind of in-person meeting, but I do participate on online weight loss forums. I know that with dieting and/or exercising, having a buddy helps. The time I lost a lot of weight pretty quickly, I was walking long distances a few times per week with my old friend, and chatting about diet friendly cooking the whole while.

I have to keep junk out of the house. Or if I want a "regular" sweet, I try to only have access to one serving of it, max. Or if I do bake something (I love to bake), I bake a "lightened" version of a dessert, or a low-fat low calorie dessert that's naturally so.

Throughout the years, I have found that when I get hungry in between meals, that fat free dairy fills me up. That's my personal secret. Fat free milk and low or no sugar cappuccinos, lattes, frapucchinos, yogurts, or cottage cheese, are my go-tos. They help me reach my daily recommended allowance of calcium, too.

I must be held accountable when dieting. It's not good if I stop weighing myself every week. I have to know what is happening so I don't become complicit about overeating. Tracking my weight is important for me. Telling someone how much I lost/gained (but not necessarily my weight itself), is helpful. I have a "Friday Fitness and Weight Loss Update" blog post series that includes my weight changes, reflections, and interim goals. When I reach/achieve an interim goal, I reward myself with something small or large, if I've reached a significant one.