my simple rules...(im no doctor though)

*red meat once a week...IF EVEN THAT MUCH.

*water, water, water.

*choose to eat your calories, rather than drink them.

*cut out sodas. they are pointless. the first week is the hardest. it gets easier.

*cut out bistro bought coffees. brew your own. you'll get the caffeine fix without all the sugar and fat.
and save money!
its easy to order a Venti White Chocolate Mocha...or even a Grande non fat white choc mocha and pretend its not bad for you. its still over a few hundred calories at times!
black coffee typically has 0 to low calories. add some splenda and you got it good!

*non fat milk. for cereal...and also for post workout rejuvenation. (not for babes though, they need the whole stuff)

* keep 100 calorie snack packs on hand. nothing will make you ditch eating healthy more than munching on cardboard for snacks. but still...eat these sparingly.
its easy to justify eating 2 or more packs because "their only 100 calories".

*same with skinny cow. see above. i make a goal that when i DO buy skinny cow...i eat no more than one every 4 days or so. not cutting out dessert entirely...just moderation on the kind so i dont binge.

*dont diet...just eat better. and stay within your calories fat protein and carbs.

*sparkpeople.com. catapulted me into healthy eating. and i still love it.

*snack.
i snack daily. between breakfast and lunch (which is a 4 hour stretch at work) and between lunch and dinner (at work usually a 6 hour gap.
and my snacks are healthy 99% of the time. i use my snacks for something just to keep me going. granola bars, light n fit yogurt. FRUIT. vegetables that have been cooked.
seriously. once i started snacking to keep my body fueled, i felt better and i started losing more weight, more consistently.

*water water water water

*more water. (dont OVERDO it by drinking gallons a day...there IS such a thing as "overdosing" on water...but that takes quite a bit. dont drink it til you vomit lol.
talk to your doctor about any of these tips before trying them. your needs may need to be adjusted by a doctor. not by a silly 23 year old blogger.

:]

any other tips to share?