Don't deny yourself anything - just deny yourself having it all the time.

When you go out to eat, wear really tight clothes...you'll probably stop sooner. Ha.

Keeping positive sayings in mind and empowering statements like "don't eat your gains" and I "don't" eat that versus I "can't" eat that.

Journal, journal, journal. I'm sometimes horrified when I'm sure I've been good, then reality hit once I wrote it all down and calculated calories.

I agree with positive statements. I love "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels" and "One should eat to live, not live to eat." I really try to pay attention to when I'm actually hungry verses when I just feel like putting stuff in my mouth.

And chewing gum... gum has been a life saver.

Take care of your emotional self. It'll make it easier to break from past bad habits. It will be such a struggle to change "on the surface" food and health habits if you don't address the root causes (what's going on inside). Not such a concrete tip but one that's working for me!

Also, write it down. I write down calories, feelings, meal ideas, reactions to food, etc. Might not work for everyone but it's helped so much to be able to go back and re-read. Also keeps me accountable.

I know its been said, but it bears repeating by as many people as possible: WRITE IT DOWN. Every bite, every time. Even if you know its been a really terrible, no good, very bad day, lol. The only person you're cheating is yourself - and you'll be surprised how much less likely you are to have that bad day again when you've seen it in black and white...

...but also, don't beat yourself up. We are all human and this is a process that takes patience and, most of all, time. It's ok to go off plan occassionally, real life goes off plan occassionally

Educate yourself

I have several. First,...don't punish yourself. You have to care for yourself and start loving yourself, even when you don't feel like you deserve it. Go outside of yourself and care for yourself like someone who really loves you would. Second, JUST DO IT. Third, if you mess up, its not over. Don't have an all or nothing attitude. Even if you are 50% better than last year, it will eventually show!

The top 4 things that worke for me:

Keep a food journal/track calories on my fitness pal or daily plate

Cut out all drinks except water

Find healthy food that you really enjoy eating

Eat plenty of fiber and protein

Don't look at obstaining from unhealthy food as deprivation.

Look at eating garbage as deprivation to your health!

Oh and I have to agree with everyone else who said journal. I count my calories religiously. I have no concept of what eating normally is like. I MUST do this. Its just a way of life now and habit and I don't even really think about it anymore.

one that i'm currently learning.

don't push yourself. don't over aim. if you need a break? take it. if you're exhausted? nap. if you're hungry? eat. if you're upset- cry.

Why? because if you ignore all of these, they come back five fold. I ate too little calories for too long? Started Binging. Exercised too hard and pushed too far? Injured spine (WHICH SUCKS), Was exhausted and went to work out? Didn't give it my all. Didn't eat when I was hungry? Binged.

Self respect and moderation are the keys.

yes, yes, a thousand times yes

I would add, be self-aware. Don't lie to yourself, don't cheat yourself, don't bury your head in the sand. And be aware of the good things too, how you feel and how your body is changing. I think a lot of us become overweight by closing our eyes to our own actions.