FOOD (again)! and stuff

I was sending an e-mail to my sister today describing this lifestyle change I've been undertaking, and a few things came to mind. I thought I'd share with you:

1. I am not depriving myself of food. At all. I am eating when I'm hungry - every time. I'm not going hungry at all. I LOVE that!
2. The difference with this lifestyle change and a so-called "diet" is that I am changing my life so that I eat healthier as a HABIT. I am not going on a crazy, can't-eat-this-can't-do-that diet.
3. I'm making sure I get 5 servings of fruits & veggies every day (which is actually a LOT of food), and eating normal dinners with my family. We're a meat & potatoes type of family.
4. My snacks aren't always fruit / veggies, but more often than not, they are, which is what I believe to be the major difference.
5. I don't drink anything except milk and water. Now, I totally understand about not really enjoying drinking water, because I don't like bland taste unless I'm thirsty. But, by cutting out soda, tea, pop, everything else, I am making sure I'm hydrated. For now, it's what I need to do to keep within my daily calorie range.
6. I think about food differently. It's not a reward. It's not something to do because I'm bored/sad/unhappy. It's fuel. Simple as that. My body requires fuel and I need to make sure I put premium brand in, or it won't run properly.
7. I am by no means putting anybody down who has tried the things I'm trying and still hasn't lost a pound. I am worried just as much as anybody that I will stop losing and hit that plateau and become discouraged. I know it's coming. When it comes, I have a plan, though. I will continue to eat healthy and exercise. I will go to the doctor if it doesn't work and have a checkup to see if anything is wrong.
8. When I make the choice to eat something that is unhealthy, my self-talk has changed. I eat less of it, if I choose to eat it at all. For instance, my daughter and I made fudge the other day. Yesterday, I had very little motivation to do anything. I was tired and my hip is out of place and I'm in pain. Now normally, I would have sat down and eaten half the pan of fudge without a thought because I was pretty bored. Instead, I ate my normal breakfast and lunch, and really enjoyed that piece of fudge in the afternoon. It was so delicious. But I only had 1 piece, not half the pan. And now, I get to enjoy a piece each day for more days!

Okay, I know that's a lot of random thoughts, but I wanted to write it all down. I'm feeling so much more energetic than ever before. I am generally sleeping better at night. I wake up rested and ready to start the day (usually). It's working and I'm really glad I decided to make this change.