I'm now down to 90 lbs lost and have turned the corner to trying to gain muscle. Eating a lot of protein and shakes etc. Also- GREAT job Digmenow for both you and the lady. Having a fitness buddy must be great! That was the only thing that was really lacking from my weight loss journey and there's nothing quite like a shared goal to keep a relationship strong.
I second the cooking remark but I would say, as far as kicking the junk food habit, that there are two considerations:
1. Strategy beats willpower any day. The easiest way to stop consuming is to stop buying it. Don't get it at the grocery store, don't keep it in your house, don't put yourself in situations where you'll be repeatedly expected to eat junk food. I don't care what anyone says, we have a finite amount of willpower and we typically overestimate exactly how strong it actually is. The only way to consistently succeed at this is to have long-term strategies in place that make it the path of least-resistance. That is, it has to be HARD and INCONVENIENT to go against your dieting goals.
2. I cook almost the exact same thing every day- I found a couple foods I really liked and I make them consistently so I have predictability and ease of calorie counting. I know that doesn't work for everyone, but it sure does make shopping for a single guy easier if you just buy the same thing every time in regular predetermined amounts. Since I consume a high-protein diet, I've picked up grilling as a way to make a lot of food that fits into my diet and that I really enjoy. I grill up four split chicken breasts (almost a pound each) every Sunday and eat them during the week for my snacks, all while giving me an excuse to throw some lump charcoal in the chimney starter and fire up the Weber. So not only are good choices the path of least resistance, but I get to do something I really enjoy along the way.
Anyhow feel free to ask me any questions if you want with regards to weight loss.. I highly recommend anything by Lyle MacDonald (
www.bodyrecomposition.com) as well to understand the science behind nutrition in a way that seems geared to the iGent crowd.