Weight, weight, weight!

I thought I would share something with you, your weight does not matter. Not losing 1lb a week won't make or break you. If you plateau it is not the end of the world. It will be ok and the lbs will eventually come off.
I have been roughly 158 since the middle of march, I have lost a whole pant size and a half, and have stayed the same weight. People who haven't seen me proclaim that I have lost so much weight. When I tell them I haven't lost any they scoff at me.
What's my secret? I lift weights, eat healthy amounts of food, go on long walks, play with my son, and enjoy every activity I do.
Here are a few tips from me to you about how to enjoy your new lifestyle (because it shouldn't be a diet).

1. Find an activity you LOVE (hiking, bike riding, roller blading, backpacking, swimming). Do this activity instead of something you hate (walking on the treadmill at a hot crowded gym).
2. Find foods you love and eat them frequently. I eat pancakes 3-4 times a week for breakfast, they are multi-grain protein pancakes that taste better than buttermilk pancakes. They fuel my body and ensure I have the energy I need to go about my morning. They are nutritious and delicious. I am in love with brazil nuts, I eat them almost every day. I HATE hate hate hate beets, I never eat them. I wouldn't eat them if you told me that they would make me lose weight faster.
3. Make it a family/social event. Take your children/husband/girlfriend/friend/roommate with you when you do your activity. Since I have found a lifting partner, I lift harder and work out more efficiently because we push each other. I hike with my son and dog, they both beg me to go. My son is only 13 months and he will go to his baby backpack and try to get into it if we have not gone in more than two days.
4. Don't set weight loss goals. Set fitness goals. A goal of losing 1lb per week is a great lofty goal and can often lead to disappointment. Set fitness goals. If you can only hike two miles without being completely exhausted set the goal to hike 4 miles by the end of the month. If you can only swim for 10 minutes set a goal to swim for 20 by the end of the month. These are goals you have complete control over(assuming you don't hurt yourself). Weight loss is sometimes out of our control, because of hormones etc.
5. Most importantly do an activity that is going to build muscle. Lifting weights is a good idea, and there are some really great programs. Don't worry about bulking up because eating at a deficit you won't be able to. Strength training will however, prevent you from losing lean body mass when you lose weight. We all want to lose fat, and not lose muscle. Doing something to preserve your strength will help you not lose as much lean body mass as you would had you avoided the strength training. 

Do those five things for a month and you will be down in inches. You may weigh the same as you do right now, but your body composition will change and you will be healthier for it.
Remember the scale is a tool, if it is depressing, demotivating and deterring you than you should throw it out and get a new tool. A tape measure and body fat calipers are just a few of the many tools out there to help you assess your body composition. You are more than a number so don't let a number define your entire outlook on healthy eating and activity levels.