1. Improve your health
First step -- make sure that you are eating whole foods. Any food that isn't man-made will be highly recommended to improve your health. Avoid foods that are processed and cut back on fast foods.2. Watch your calories
To lose weight you need to expend more calories than you are consuming. A great way to keep track of what you are eating is to keep a food journal. A lot of times, we tend to forget about the little snacks we consume along the way, but they all add up throughout the day! When you are watching your weight, you can still indulge in your favorite foods -- just leave out the condiments and toppings. Sauces and dressings such as mayonnaise and syrup are very high concentrated sources of calories. Some alternative additions that will add flavor without the calories are lemon juice, low sodium soy sauce, salsa or your favorite spices. What you drink during the day can also have a major impact on the number of calories that you consume. Water is the first drink of choice as well as green tea. Limit all sodas to one a day or less.Cutting calories drastically is one of the most common mistakes dieters make. Your body will respond by slowing your metabolism and your weight loss progress comes to a halt. A better guide, say experts, is to multiply your current weight by eight, and keep your daily caloric intake at that number. Keep in mind that when your weight drops, so does your caloric intake. (It is not recommended that anyone ever drop below 1200 calories a day).