I can't believe this got cut! Have sex with the lights on. VERY MOTIVATING.

Well I completely believe in eat less and move more, as simple as that sounds. However, that was easier said than done for me for about 5 years. I was moving, I have worked out consistently for years ... but I was still gaining ... because I wasn't eating less OR even eating a rational amount. So I decided to do Weight Watchers online (have several friends that swear by it) ... and it has worked! I've lost 30 lbs in about 4 mos and have 10 to go. For me it is about the accountability, the portion control and making healthier choices. I plan to get the last 10 lbs off, do the maintenance for a few months and then try to go it on my own by keeping a daily food journal and using the knowledge I've gained from WW.

I have to agree: eat half. Ask for a smaller portion in restaurants, eat one instead of 2 sandwiches, take smaller portions at home... Feel ok with leaving something on your plate! Leftovers are a GOOD thing, freeze em, use them the next day, or take them to work! I currently live in Germany, and while the portions are still quite large, I now am horrified with how huge they are in the US in comparison. And then you think you want to cook/order a meal with appetizer, main dish and dessert? I just can"t do it anymore. Another thing is that eating slower helps, especially slowing yourself down if you are just sooo hungry and need to stuff something in your mouth right away. It can take around 15 minutes for your brain to go "oh, yeah, food is reaching my stomach, turn off the EATEATEAT alarm". And hey, you can always eat something smaller a little later if the alarm is still clanging. I still have trouble with that last one. Hell, I still feel bad with leaving something on my plate. But you know what, I want to feel good about me, and not worry if the cook/waiter/whoever is not feeling good about me leaving something. AVOID FAST FOOD. That is all I can say on that. I really like Susheela's quote. Yeah, make it yourself (from scratch, no cheating), then you know what is in it, and appreciate the work that went into it as well!

Eat half is a great tip...I'm going to apply that today. As for gluten, when I went gluten-free I lost 8 pounds in under two weeks. And I felt a lot better. I'm still gluten-free but I'm sure I've gained back those 8 pounds (especially since discovering some tasty gluten-free backed goods).