A good first step, and a simple one at that, would be to cut sodas. Even if you only cut your weekly intake in half, it'll help tremendously. Don't let "diet" sodas fool you. They may be lower cal, but check out the sodium/ sugar levels on bottle.
I'm good at keeping new years resolutions (one way to quit cursing, and its been about 3 years) but this year my new years resolution was to quit drinking sodas just cause I wanted to be healthier
I lost 10 lbs in a month just by swapping soda for water. I'd gained a little weight over the holidays and just by doing that I lost the 10 lbs. I still don't drink soda, I drink lots of water and sometimes ill add some crystal light in there. My only real indulgence is the occassional sweet tea, but I'm southern, so I can't give up the tea but I don't drink it much
I'm not obese but I'm not a size two and I've been working on just eating healthier in general. I've lost about 20lbs just by eating better. I eat home cooked meals a lot, try not to eat out much. And I snack on trail mix.
By avoiding sodas, and fast food, even if I've not been dropping a lot of weight, although I'm very happy with the 20, I feel so much better. I'm more energetic (which helps with my gazillion jobs, right spoons?). I just feel like I have more "go" power and higher energy levels. And in a way I think my moods have been better and more positive.