8 Mindless Habits to Break if You Want to Lose Weight

[Lunar]

I've lost my sweet tooth as well. Used to like chocolate, candy, cookies, etc. I gave them up totally after realising I wasn't very good at having just one piece of chocolate. It seems easier to decline/refuse before you have any, rather than having some and then trying to draw a line.

My tips:

1. Try to avoid chocolate, candy, and cakes completely. Do not rely on having a small piece and then refusing further servings unless you know you have really strong will power.
   
2. Avoid compensatory behaviour. You tell yourself you'll have the donut now and exercise tomorrow - but will it really happen? How hard to you need to exercise to burn all those calories anyway? Could be more than you think... If you have to compensate, switch it around the other way. If you know you have an event to go to, moderate your intake in the days before hand. (But don't skip meals before an event, the food will probably be more calorific and if you drink alcohol on an empty stomach...!)
   
3. Food diary. You might be eating more than you imagine. People's recall is notoriously bad. Write it down. All of it - even the little snacks.
   
4. Do not diet. A diet is the wrong psychological framework. The psychology of dieting is all about denial. It is also short term and often goal orientated ("I will lose 14lbs before the summer"). Almost all diets fail in the long term (the test is whether the weight is still off five years later). Instead go for a lifestyle change. You are after something permanent that you can sustain. (N.B. There are exceptions to the above, e.g., if you have T2D or a doctor has put you on a rapid weight loss diet prior to major surgery)
   
5. Plan your meals. Never go shopping while hungry. Set a budget and buy the essentials first.
   
6. If going low carb, give quinoa a try (pronounced "keen-wah"). It is a seed but can be used in place of a grain. It is a complete protein which is unusual in plants, so good for vegetarians/vegans. It is expensive, but remember it is protein and you'll get quite a lot from a 1lb bag. (Wash well before cooking, season with lemon juice or mint to freshen the flavour. Google a recipe - don't just boil it up and expect it to be nice.) If you are rolling your eyes at the thought of quinoa, blame the hipsters for making it fashionable. 
   
7. Green tea
   
8. Use chilli generously. If your food is well flavoured and you eat it slowly, you will notice yourself consuming it rather than just swallowing huge mouthfuls. Avoid sweet chilli sauce or you'll just be adding sugar. Use real chilli (fresh, frozen, or dried). Do not drown food in yoghurt, cream or cheese to cool down the chilli, that also defeats the point!
   

Will post others as I think of them. Not all the above are suitable for everyone. Please use common sense.

Er, that's it for now. Good luck!

Another that would fit nicely on your list is Drink Lots of Water.

As a rule of thumb you are supposed to drink .66 times your body weight in ounces of water a day.

This will not only keep you hydrated, which is key to maintaining optimal health, it will stave off hunger, reducing the craving to snack between meals.

The first and most often mistaken symptom of dehydration is hunger. More often than not when hunger is felt you are actually just thirsty.

In these modern times of sugary caffeinated beverages, dehydration is more wide spread than ever before. The symptoms of dehydration are many, and many would surprise you. Headach? drink water. Dizzy or light headed upon standing? Drink water. Chapped lips? Difficulty pooping? Seizures? Drink water.

Yes seizures are a symptom of dehydration. Someone very close to me was diagnosed epileptic in her early twenties. The docs could not figure out what was wrong, so they drugged her up. The side effects of the pills ruined her life. For over ten years depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and a pervasive and complete lack of will or drive to live crippled her. Even though the dosage was routinely increased the seizures never stopped. Finally with the help of her family she discovered she was, and had been for some time, suffering from severe dehydration. Growing up she just never drank that much, and when she started on the pills she drank even less. For her, not drinking, was a hard habit to break but as soon as she was able to overcome it and hydrate the seizures stopped and she got off the meds. Now her life is great. But for more than ten years it was a nightmare and all because she didn't drink enough water.