What small changes are you making to lose weight?

I have done several things but the first was the most important....I told myself I" I CAN DO THIS ! Then I gave up drinking anything but water. I do not put anything in it either, just good old water. I pretty much eat anything I want, just not all in the same day. If I want a steak and baked potato for dinner I eat it, but I don't eat heavy earlier in the day. If I go out to lunch I have the waiter or waitress bring me a box when they bring my food and I put half away before I start. I also go to the pool 6 days a week instead of 3 and I ride my bike if it's to windy to be in the pool. Living in Arizona I can be outside almost everyday so it makes it easier. I absolutely hate going to the gym so I only go when all else fails.

I am avoiding artificial sweeteners and even most "natural" sweeteners such as sucralose. So...no more diet soda or flavored waters. Just straight up water for me.

I would have found this suggestion absolutely repellent six months ago, and I would have replied that it wasn't really necessary since there are no calories. However, since I have cut this out of my diet, I find that I am so much less hungry and crave sugar so much less. It makes sticking to healthy eating so much easier.

It was a very difficult thing to give up at first--VERY difficult. I loved me some of that diet pepsi. But I've been off of it for four months now and so when I do have a sip, it tastes very odd and metallic to me. I've lost not only my cravings for it, but my taste for it as well.

Believe it or not, what was harder to give up was the non-fat Greek yogurt--they are loaded with these sweeteners. I've been trying to get used to the taste of Siggi's, but it's not quite the same. Still, once you have cut these sweeteners out of your diet, you really do become exceedingly sensitive the artificiality of their taste.

I cut waaaaaaaay back on fast food! I don't even like most of it anymore :happy:

Physically measuring my food helps me a lot. I've guesstimated and eyeballed a cup of rice or a tablespoon of peanut butter. Now I actually measure it before I put it on my plate. It clears my conscience because I know I'm eating the exact amount of calories I say I am eating and helps me understand portion sizes a little bit better.

-Husband and I started to force ourselves to walk 2-3 nights during the week and then take longer walks on the weekends.
-Forcing myself to stick to portions/log my food.
-Giving myself a break once a week. I still log but I eat what I REALLY want to eat. (Yeah, I'm talking to you pizza and ice cream.)
-Limiting the purchase of foods that I will binge on (why oh why evil salt n vinegar chips) and sticking to my second point, if I'm going to have salsa and chips, I take out a serving right then and there and put the rest away.
-Never keeping snacks from myself. I always have something around so that I feel like I'm getting my daily dose of junk. (Popcorn, pretzels, ice pops, fun size candy, etc.)