Keep a food journal.

SteelySunshine

I think that I might be the only accidental dieter on the planet. Possibly not, but anyway I started this by accident in October. I started eating more fiber. Then I started a journal. The journal turned into a food journal after a couple of weeks. Then I started to be more aware of calories and what kinds of foods made me less hungry. So, long story short journaling led me to make some positive changes and that led me to losing some weight (approx a pound a week without knowing I was losing for a while) and then 6 mos later I landed here. So without further ado the article that should be required reading for anyone who is trying to lose weight.

http://healthland.time.com/2012/07/13/the-secrets-to-weight-loss-keep-a-food-journal-dont-skip-meals-eat-in/

What I like about this article is that it shows my theory of not punishing yourself and learning to eat well will lead to great results and it shows the importance of being aware of what you are eating. So, if someone suggests that you aren't suffering enough send them this article.