I started dieting and working out almost a month ago and I'm STILL learning things and tweaking both my diet and exercise.
I've drastically cut how much I eat out at restaurants and fast food joints. Eating at home ensures accurate measurements when preparing your food. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a cook by any means, but I know the basics and you don't have to be chef in order to prepare your own meals.
Also, start looking for healthy alternatives to the stuff you already eat--low fat/cal versions. My favorite examples of this would be flavored cream cheese spread on toast instead of butter and jelly, avocado instead of salad dressings/mayo/Miracle Whip, flavored water instead of soda. One of the best (and wasteful, I won't lie) things I did was overhaul my fridge, freezer, and cabinets. Just going through and throwing away the sweets and fat-loaded foods and shopping for healthier things. This removes temptation.
As for exercise, I've mainly been sticking to cardio (fast-paced walking, biking--pretty much anything to get my bpm up and sustained over a period of time). I've kind of shied away from the weights (muscle mass weighs more than fat and so I won't see that progress on a scale as fast as I'd like) but everyone is different. The more muscle, the more you burn...or so I've read.
Just keep reading around on this forum for tips and tricks you otherwise wouldn't ever think of. I've found several since joining last month and it's been super helpful.
