Here are mine:

1. No carrying debit/credit cards around
So far I think this is the best change I've ever made. Carrying limited cash (my $60 biweekly allowance) means I can't eat out much at all. If I want sushi more than once or twice in those two weeks, I can only get one or two rolls at a time.

2. No shopping when hungry
If I make sure I have a snack before grocery shopping (or preferably, a full meal), I stick to the list a lot better and only get the stuff I need. "Make a list" might also be an important rule for some people; I'm a list-making sort of person so this comes naturally to me.

3. I judge my success by how well I'm logging calories
Initially I set weight-loss goals at a specific number of pounds, until I went for a DXA scan to find out my body composition. Now some of my goals are based on body composition (for example, when I get down to 30% body fat I get a prize), but for the most part I am rewarding myself for every 2 months of consistent logging in MyFitnessPal. I think this works well because I won't be discouraged by gaining weight. If I'm logging (and not going crazy-high on calories), then I'm doing alright. I plan to lose my weight slowly, gradually - so weighing myself often isn't useful anyway.

4. No food obsessions
I can have whatever I like. Now, it helps that I've decided to take a whole-foods path and I'm bothered by the chemicals in a lot of processed foods. But that isn't going to stop be from going out for a slice of pizza now and then, or getting cookies from Artisan Bakery (their white chocolate emmer cookies are amazing). I think the main thing is, I work them into my day and plan my other meals more carefully so I can fit in the calories. I've been eating a LOT of dark chocolate, for example, because I love it, but today I'm not having any (or maybe just one piece :P) because I'm having sushi for dinner and I want to have the calories freed up for that. I can have more chocolate tomorrow.

Actually, I should add something that's really helped us:

5. Buy the more expensive stuff if it will help

We buy pre-chopped fruits and vegetables (trays from costco) and just toss out the dip (or my husband eats it but I don't), for example. This is because I know I'm unlikely to eat veggies if I have to chop them up myself, but if I buy them pre-chopped they're actually a really convenient snack and I like them well enough to grab them and munch.

Yes, you can save a lot of money by chopping your veggies yourself. But if you've historically been too tired or too busy to do it as soon as you get home from the store, and veggies and fruits rot in your fridge, try buying pre-chopped. Also put them at eye-level (or as close as possible) in your fridge so you remember you have them.

There are other ways that buying expensive helps, too. For example, the cookies I like are about $8 for 6 relatively small cookies. But they're REALLY good, and they're more filling and take longer to eat than a lot of other cookies - not to mention, I only get 6 of them at a time. So yes, I could probably get two bags of Oreos for the same price, but I won't enjoy them as much, and they just don't feel "worth it" to me. I'd rather have a little bit of something amazing than a lot of something good.

And then of course there's quality. Higher-quality foods will typically make you feel more full, have more beneficial vitamins and minerals, and be easier on your system overall.

You usually get what you pay for.

I agree so much with spending just a little bit more if you know it'll help you eat it-- like with pre-chopped veggies. You just have to know yourself, you know? Also, often that is just a first step. I used to buy frozen, preseasoned fish to cook because it was easy and I knew I'd pop it in the oven and eat it (rather than going through the steps of "properly" cooking "icky" fish. Well, guess what? Now I buy fresh fish and prepare and cook it myself. Never would have gotten there if I hadn't started with the "easy" frozen stuff.

1. when i think i'm hungry, i drink something with FLAVOR in it [not plain water] - could be tea, crystal light, fruit flavored water]
2. after fixing a meal or a snack, wrap EVERYTHING up and put it away before eating

Funny thing is, with all the changes I've made, I've been spending less money overall:

Buying chopped veggies and fruits has resulted in less waste - we no longer have stuff going rotten in the fruit bowl or the back of the fridge.

Buying more expensive items in smaller amounts means I'm buying fewer treat items overall.

Setting goals and giving myself pretty big rewards for achievements and consistency is keeping me on track, and the cost of rewards is more than made up for by keeping the credit cards at home so I don't eat out anymore.

I've saved more money in the last 2 months than I have the rest of the last 2 years. o.o;;

Thank you all for your fantastic guidelines... This is a wonderful thread with a lot of really practical guidelines. Thank you, again, for sharing.

1. I don't keep too much cheese in the fridge, I can eat a block of cheddar like it was an apple. NO CHEEZE-WHIZ, I could eat spoonfuls.

2. I don't keep chocolate in the house, haven't in over 6 years now. NO NUTELLA - again, spoonfuls.

3. I don't keep any convenience foods in the house either. All of our food requires planning, prep and cooking from scratch.

4. No coffee before I exercise in the AM - or I won't do it.

5. On my fridge, a printout that says "Hungry? Eat an apple. You don't want an apple? You're NOT hungry." This changes my mind frame away from wanting to eat for reasons other than hunger.

Doing the following has made maintaining my 80 lb. weight loss quite easy and I can do everything for the rest of my life. Also it's not preventative, they are apart of my daily life:

- My job is very sedentary. For this reason I work out every day. However, I've learned I do not have to kill myself with workouts to get results, nor do I need a gym membership. I put in between 25 - 35 exercise power walking miles in every week for my cardio (outdoors and I use Leslie Sansone workouts), I get on my Pilates Reformer a few times a week for core work, stretching and balance, I lift weights at home 2 - 3 times per week for weight-training and I use Youtube workouts to mix things up. Lastly I use my mini-stepper for 20 - 30 minutes while watching a tv show sometimes.

- Pre-planning my meals the day before and writing down what I eat in my notebook helps me keep my eating under control. See what I am eating in black and white helps me to make sure I am hitting my macros and it saves time since I know what I'm eating the next day.

- I'm an intermittent faster. I eat all of my calories between a certain window everyday and has literally changed my life. Food no longer has power over me, it has helped me to stop my nighttime binge snacking (I would eat even when I wasn't hungry!) and it has helped me to identify when I am truly hungry. There's a lot of other things, but that is just a few.

- I do not snack. I eat 2 - 3 medium to larger meals and I'm done for the day. Snacking and small meals made me more hungry and never kept me satisfied so this works great for me.

- During the week I save some calories for the weekend. I eat a little lower than my calorie intake and during the weekend I eat over. It all tends to balance out and I don't gain or lose. I'm not a hardcore calorie counter however, but I know an estimate of what I'm eating since I make almost all of my meals at home except for Friday and Saturday night's dinner and the occasional lunch out.

- I don't follow a diet and there are no off limit foods. Withholding foods worked for a short time, then I would end up binging and feeling defeated. I would either make substitutions (make a small one serving apple crumb instead or buying a whole apple pie) or make room for something by saving some calories or watching my portion size. For example even when I was losing every Friday night we get from our favorite pizza place. I was not giving up my pizza! I've learned instead of having 4 or even 5 slices, breadsticks and a coke like before, I'm happy with 2 slices, a big salad and a water.

- I rarely drink my calories. I'm a water and an unsweetened herbal tea girl. I'm not including my homemade shakes/smoothies and freshly squeezed juices, but more like pop, store-bought juice and alcohol. This alone saves me hundreds of calories per day that I can put towards food, plus it has made my skin look and feel great.

- Having a sweet tooth I look forward to ending my day with a treat. Whether it's a small pudding, homemade sorbet or a homemade mug brownie I never feel deprived.

- I rarely weigh myself. Even when I was losing weight I was more focused on getting stronger, physically fit and losing inches not the number on the scale. I measure myself often and I go by how my clothes fit. I know my body enough to know things like after eating a meal out with a lot of sodium I will gain some temporary water weight, but it will go away in a couple of days so I don't get alarmed.

- I sometimes forget how much weight I have lost and kept off and at times I don't recognize the reflection I sometimes catch in a window. Visiting weight loss websites and seeing transformations really keep me motivated.

It took a lot of hard work and trial and errors to get to this point and I'm not perfect, but the above works very well for my lifestyle and it's not a struggle.

Good luck to everyone!