How to successfully lose weight (and never find it again)

Summer's coming up in a few months, and everyone is scrambling to get beach ready.
When I started working out and dieting in November, I was around 140 lbs.  Almost three months later, I'm down to 127 lbs, I've lost three inches off of my waist, half an inch off each of my thighs, and three off my hips.
The biggest, and hardest, change I made was my diet.
I cut out soda (except for the occasional sprite or something equivalent), candy (Except maybe one piece of chocolate every few days; don't want that valentine's box to go to waste!), and fast food.  I pay so much more attention to calories (4 chicken tenders at Chick-Fil-A = ~500 calories.  Dang!), and what I put into my body.

• Whole grains/wheat
• Fresh, not canned fruit
• Vegetables (which I hate, but am trying!)
• Lean meats
• Water, water, water.

You have to pay a bit more to get the good stuff, but don't think of it like that.  Consider this:
While you can go to Mc Donald's and buy a full meal off the dollar menu, and you'll be full, what will you be full of?  Grease, fat, sodium, and preservatives.  Don't get me wrong, I. Love. Fast. Food.  I do.  But I'd rather go to the store, spend $40 on groceries, and buy whole wheat bagels, Kashi Go lean cereal, extra lean meat, whole grain spaghetti, and organic ragu, and be able to have breakfast lunch and dinner for a while.
Your body's like a car.  Put crappy, icky mucky gasoline in it, and it'll run awful.  Put premium gas with ethanol, and it'll run much smoother.

Now the easy part: Working out.
I run (almost) every morning for two miles.
I don't run the entire time, probably about a third of it all together.  But while I'm not running, I'm doing lunges, working out my arms as I walk, and things like that.  I give myself walking breaks on easy parts of the trail, and make myself run up the hills and whatnot.  I've never seen faster results.
Good luck <3

The best fashion statement:

There's something everyone can do to look their best, no matter what they're wearing, no matter the body shape or size.
It's wearing clothes that fit.
It doesn't matter if you're a size 00 or a size 18; no one can read the labels on the insides of your jeans or shirts!
No one is going to look at you, size you up with their eyes and go, "Huh, they're a size 12!"
However, people can look at you and think, "Oh, their jeans don't fit."
Everyone wants to look and feel good, there's no doubt about it.
Some days I'll get dressed and just hate what I'm wearing.  I don't feel good about how I look, I don't feel comfortable.  My jeans are too tight or too loose, my shirt is too short, whatever it is, I'm uncomfortable.
The best fashion advice I can ever give you is to try on everything, and buy the size that fits.  And don't be upset about what the size is.
I'll be straight up honest with you.
I'm currently wearing a size nine pair of jeans, and they're comfortably snug.  A few months ago, I was in a size thirteen.  I'm not ashamed to say it.  I'd rather wear a size thirteen than a size 9 when I ought to wear a thirteen.    Because at least I'll be comfortable.
As a society, we need to stop squeezing into the smallest size we possibly can, and put on a shirt that fits!
No one can read the label of the clothes you're wearing.

No scales and all smiles,
Lissy

Diets & You.

First off, I want to put in my two cents on fad dieting/crazy calorie restrictions etc. Do not do anything that will put your well being in danger. Those 'weekend cleanses' where you only drink lemonade and hot sauce for three days, not. good. Please be smart about any and all diet choices you choose to make.

The secret to clear skin, more energy, a slimmer waist line, and so much more? WATER. It's good enough for the plants and animals, so it's good enough for you. Think about how much water you drink a day. Chances are, if you're anything like me, it's little to none. And the reason for that is we are constantly on the move. Invest in a reusable cup with a double liner to keep your ice in cube form, that way you'll be on the go, and still getting your water. Go slow, don't force yourself into drowning. Start by replacing one beverage a meal with water. Pretend you're at camp! They always make you drink at least one cup of water before you get the good stuff ;)