Secrets to your success?

I was thinking today about how I have managed to lose weight and what my own secrets to success are. I wanted to give this some thought because I have tried to lose weight before and failed, but this time around, its working....and the why's are clear.

Here are mine, and I'd love to hear yours!

- I weigh everything - if the option is there for the food, I measure grams, not ounces. Its huge the difference this makes.
- I have many sets of measure spoons and cups so that I always have clean ones around. I bet I have 5 tablespoon measuring devices and at least 3 sets of cups, 1/2 cup and such.
- I plan the "next" day in the evenings the day before. No more winging it. I know what I am going to eat, and eat accordingly.
- I tweaked my ratios and calories to 30/40/30, and 1100 to 1400c, bouncing back and forth, and do not eat my exercise calories. Its what works for me after many many trails and errors.
- I eliminated all forms of sweeteners such as splenda, sweet and low, equal, etc... and all foods with them in them such as diet coke, crystal light, jello, candy, gum, and so on
- I eat mostly all whole real natural foods and try to avoid chemicals as much as I can. If I can't pronounce it on the package I don't eat it.
- When I travel I carry food with me such as wraps and snacks, and water.
- I rarely drink alcoholic beverages anymore. This has been major in my weight loss. Before I counted my calories for whatever I drank, but only till I stopped drinking 99% of the time did I actually see the scale move consistently.
- I stopped eating out as much as I could (I travel a lot so its not possible to totally eliminate it) but I have managed to only eat out on rare occasions
- I have one free, eat whatever you want, free meal once a week most weeks (not all weeks, but most). This has helped me tremendously to feel normal.
- I cut wayyyyy back on caffeine....well I am cutting back, I still have 2 cups of coffee (black) but that is all for the day most of the time. Unsweetened decaf iced tea with lemon is my best friend these days.
- I try desperately to be content with a slow loss of 1 pound a week. I am 47, I can not lose weight fast anymore. I might as well accept that and be content with losing slow as a turtle. It may take me a year but I WILL lose the weight slowly and steadily if I stick with it......I tell myself this speech daily, sometimes hourly. I even bought myself a silver bracelet of turtles that I wear daily now to remind me that its ok and to accept the slowness.

That is all I can think of at the moment. I am not perfect, I slip up a lot but I have found that this has become habit for me and I hope will be the secretes to my long term success.

What are your tips and tricks and secrets to your success?????