A few points I have gathered on my own journey:
1) Losing weight is "80% nutrition and 20% exercise," meaning that seemingly, about 80% of the effort in losing weight is just eating right. You can exercise like a madman (or madwoman) and still look fat if you don't get your diet under control.
2) Make a lot of small changes that are habit-forming. This is because permanently losing weight hinges on life style, not 10-week diets, "Master Cleanses," or overly-ambitious work-out regimens. Permanent change requires a new life style, nothing less. No one can make this kind of change without preparing themselves mentally for what that entails.
3) You want quick change, but bear in mind it is in the interests of almost the entire diet and exercise industry to offer you that, falsely. The best change is long-lasting and permanent. Therefore, you should think in terms of months and years, not days and weeks, and only choose diet and exercise routines that encourage you to establish a new life style.
4) There is no secret to losing weight. In fact, it is one of the simplest things, ever: You either consume fewer calories than you burn, or burn more calories than you consume. Energy in, energy out.
5) Never let discouragement stop you. Your body is a habit-loving machine. Change WILL happen.
6) Throw your scales away and never step on them again.
7) Focus on real foods and whole foods, and don't get side-tracked by organic culture. Organic foods are great, but there is a lot of "nutrition advice" that comes from the hippie quarters that is just plain wrong (e.g. that people don't need much protein).
8) Re-train your tastebuds. Less sodium, less starch, less sugar, more protein, more greens, more whole grains. Make as much of your food from scratch as you can. It will be healthier and will taste better and be cheaper.
9) For a few days at least, log everything you consume, just so you can take an objective look at what you eat. This can be the very first thing you do to change your life.
10) Finally, don't obsess over anything! Don't obsess over your image, and rise above the guilt the media wants you to feel about it! It's okay to go out and eat a cheeseburger once in a while. It's okay to eat chocolate, candy, soda, etc., just in moderation. Moderation is a boring word no one likes, because it means that we make long-term, life style choices, and those are the ONLY choices that can permanently change your life and body.
