It's a lifelong struggle

After a more than two-year hiatus from the blog and from faithful allegiance to Weight Watchers, I've made the decision to re-commit to a healthier lifestyle. I've had quite a few starts and stops in the past two years. While I'm frustrated (and embarrassed) by my failures, I've decided it's time to take control of my life again.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how my journey began. I had no expectation of success and no long-term goal. I was simply happy each week when I saw the number on the scale go down. Any movement downward equaled success. It's difficult not to focus on how much weight I've regained, but I'm really hoping I can focus on one pound at a time.

What I also know is that as I lost weight, I had more energy. And more energy meant I felt better. And feeling better meant I enjoyed more activities. That's the goal!

Today is the first day of my new journey. Here are five pieces of advice I have for myself:

1. Be accountable. Keep track of everything you eat and drink. Use all of your Weight Watchers points, but don't go over except on holidays.

2. Exercise. Get 30 minutes of dedicated exercise at least four times a week. It makes you feel better!

3. Think before you eat. If you're going to splurge, make sure it's on something you really want to eat.

4. Ask for help. You're lucky to have a boyfriend who wants to be supportive of your efforts. Use that to your advantage. Talk to him about your feelings and your food choices.

5. Money doesn't matter. You can afford to buy healthy ingredients and to order healthy options when eating out. Don't eat poorly simply because something is cheaper.