Cheat

Current Weight: 229 lbs.
Change 4: Enjoy the things that bring you pleasure.

If you restrict yourself from all the things that bring you pleasure, you will become miserable, and it won't matter how much weight you lose. Happiness is a key to healthiness. Take one day a week and let yourself cheat. Eat those high sugar foods or drinks that you enjoy so much, but in moderation.

The more you restrict yourself, the more you will want the things you are restricted from. In my opinion, this is one of the main reasons most diets fail: you become so strict with yourself that you are unhappy and give up entirely on your diet. If you can have a day to just relax and enjoy the good things in life, it makes the rest of the week's work more worthwhile.

This isn't an excuse to go overboard, if you consume more calories than you can burn off in the rest of the week, then you won't have any gain. Have appropriate sized servings of your favorite ice cream, a slice of cake, a glass of soda, etc.

I chose Monday as my "cheat day" because it gives me a reason to look forward to Monday's. Most people stress about Mondays, more heart attacks happen on Monday than any other day. Also, if you allow yourself to cheat on a weekend when foods are more readily available, you have a greater tendency to forget the key word: moderation.