What's the single most effective change you've made?

Portion control is a biggie plus I gave up potatoes. I didnt feel like the potatoes were worth the calories so I quit eating them.

Breakfast = every day...... This helps me start the day in a more healthy manner,...before this change, I'd tell myself I couldn't face it and would wait 'till much later to eat and then be so starving hungry, that I'd stuff myself full of all the wrong things!

^^^^ mine too

learning how to cook creatively. which lead to trying new foods. HEALTHY ones that tasted delicious! Everything doesn't need to be covered in butter and salt to be just as satisfying.

Cutting out all sweets (still get sugar from fruit and veggies) and drinking almost a gallon of water a day!

Getting out of a 7-year relationship that was no longer serving either of us. I lost 35-40lb because I had the time and energy to care more about myself than my failing relationship. I also stopped stuffing myself with food instead of going after those dreams that were passing me by. Leaving him changed my entire life, in addition to improving my health.

I bought a lunch bag (the Lock&Lock one) and pack all my food from morning til right up to dinner for the day in that. I bring breakfast, lunch and all my snacks so I have no excuse to hit the vending machine or cafeteria and no opportunity to make poor decisions for most of the day since it's all planned out.

avoiding drinking my calories

food tracking...it keeps me aware of what goes in my mouth...

Giving myself some slack. I find that if I allow myself to mess up without beating myself up, I can stay on track. Weight loss is the one thing in life that I don't see as just black and white! I refuse to get angry at myself when I make a mistake or have a bad day!

The other thing that helps me as far as motivation (and especially as a math teacher) is technology and numbers! MFP tracking, fitbit walking numbers, Map my walk gps tracking, seeing numbers change, and setting numerical goals for steps, time working out, etc.

Finally, walking my dog. She loves going for walks and it's a lot harder to say no to her than to myself!

Best of luck everyone!

Since I have only been on MFP for 2 1/2 weeks I hesitate to say I have made changes. I consider them modifications. Maybe after 3 months I can claim them. But here goes. I stopped eating fast food. I loved driving through McDonalds and getting breakfast or a burger as I drove too and from work. I know it is very fattening, but darn they make stuff I like.

I have made several other changes, but I am certain that single change has reduced my calorie intake by a huge amount.

Take Care

Practicing portion control & measuring everything!!

^^^^ This^^^^

Mixing up my workouts (strength and cardio)--has made a big difference in how I look and feel.

Cutting gluten. I feel like a whole different person.

For me, it was taking a pot of porridge to work and having breakfast later, rather than eating a breakfast that I didn't want at the crack of dawn...it seemed to make me hungry all day! Now I have breakfast around 9.30am and don't feel hungry between meals, so no snacking.

Awesome!! Great tips in this thread!

For me, the biggest change was scrapping the raw-vegan diet for one that incorporates healthy protein. FINALLY not hungry.

Nothing hurts like a hunger pang after eating 7 cups of salad and others telling you "there's no way you should be hungry." An egg, some meat, beans, etc goes a looooooong way toward feeling full.

Measuring and tracking my calorie intake has made a HUGE difference for me.