Changing the mindset

I think having a different mindset about losing weight has been my biggest block.  After a few weeks, I always fall back on this little gem:
"I've lost this much weight, I can cheat."
The problem with that?  I keep on saying it to myself until the bad habits are right back in place.  I'll start looking for any justification to start eating what I want, instead of what I should - I compare myself to other heavy people and decide I look better than they do so I shouldn't feel bad, I use food to soothe myself when I'm stressed out, it's just easier than chopping up all those veggies all the time.  I've done this enough times now that I'm realizing that I need more positive reinforcement going the other direction.

Before I went on this plan, and knew that I would be starting it soon, I would think about seeing myself in pictures.  I haven't wanted anybody to take pictures of me for a few years now, because then I really have to face the fat.  Not denial, just....OK, it was denial.  Then I would feel bad, and feeling bad is a one way trip to a container of donut holes.  Fat pills, Dave calls them.  No shit.  But in the last few weeks, I've been paying attention to the way I move around at work.  One of my co-workers had commented that I don't seem to let being a few pounds overweight (a few pounds - she's so sweet) keep me from cranking my projects out at top speed.  Which is true, although it definitely wears me out sometimes.  And then it suddenly occurred to me that there's a link between that and those pictures.  I don't FEEL like a fat person.  I don't move like one, either.  And despite a rather negative self-image, I don't carry myself like a fat person.  At least, I don't think I do.  And that has been pretty key in changing my mindset for this journey.  I'm a person of normal weight in an overweight body.  I get irritated by the limitations that extra weight puts on me.  I don't want to be worn out when I get home from work, even after a somewhat physical day.  I want to have the energy to do fun stuff with my family in the evenings.  I want to be able to paint my own toenails without discomfort.  For the love of Pete, I want to look straight down and see my feet!  Ok, that one might not happen - that was tough before the weight gain, thanks to genetics.  :)  I want to be able to wear a bathing suit without feeling terribly self-conscious.  I have a lake two blocks from my house, and I never go down there and go swimming because of my weight.  How silly is that?   I would like to wear a tank top without worrying about how fat my arms look.  I would like to not be the heaviest person when we get together with friends.  The list goes on and on.

So for right now, I keep pushing away the negative thoughts and justifications, and focus on these things:
I am a normal weight person in an overweight body.
I feel so much better when I eat this way!
I don't feel so pervasively guilty all the time about my eating, which is a huge load off my mind.

This is working.  I'm also looking for input from friends and family, posting on Facebook for accountability and support, and getting ready to turn the wall above my desk into an inspiration wall - dreams, goals, anything that keeps me on the right track.  This is the most positive I've been in a long time.  I intend to stay this way.