Originally posted by Cheshirekatt
Eat less fat and exercise more. That's the only thing that really works long term.
Actually just eat less CALORIES and excercise more.

I have lost about 30 pounds since I moved into our apartment. I think it was just the lifestyle change that did it. Now I have to buy food and cook it and clean up. (I was living in a dorm before.) I eat different things now, cheap things, easy to make things. I am eating a lot more pasta and rice, a lot less meat and potatoes. In general I am just eating LESS.

Counting calories worked for me in high school. I kept a journal of everything I ate and drank (remember the latter because juice and soda is VERY high in calories). At night, I tabulated how many calories I took in. The keeping of the log helped me lose more weight than anything, because I had to make a mental note of ALL I ate. There was no impulsive snacking. I had to write how many chips I ate, so I didn't just much away without any thought to the amount...

Oh, and get a time-killing hobby. Snacking can be recreational, which is a major problem. Nowadays, I sketch while watching TV or keep my hands busy with something else rather than nibbling on snack food. The only junk food I eat is the bag of M&M's I use for studying for exams.