Note From a Doctor

A friend of mine is a doctor and heard about what I'm trying to do...he wrote me a note and I thought it was worth passing on...

I personally have lost 50 lbs since medical school, which was a most unhealthy time for me (ironic). These are few things I've learned along the way personally, and that I learned in medical school (while I was gaining weight) and working with patients as I started my own journey.
Looks like you are cutting out all carbonation, which is good. The research is mixed, but I personally think that even diet soda stimulates the appetite. If the water isn't doing it for you, you can always try the gatoraid/poweraid powder add-in stuff to flavor the water, just a few calories (check the label) and makes it not so boring.
One thing I tell all my patients is to think of your daily calories like a bank account. You start the day with 2500, and you can spend it any way you like. But when the money/calories are gone you are done. Stop by Krispy Kreme on your way to work, and 2 doughnuts later and you have 500 calories less in your account (or worse-- McDonalds-- check out their breakfast nutrition facts-- you'll easily use up over a 1000 calories with a hotcakes meal). Go to the gym and put in some good cardio, and you'll add 500-1000 calories (or more) back into your bank.
If you cut out 500 calories a day, you will loose a pound a week without increasing your activity level. Of course, increase your activity and you'll loose more. You shouldn't loose more than a few pounds a week. I remind all of my patients to have some patience, since the weight didn't accumulate overnight and it won't come off overnight. It's normal to loose, then plateau; you may need to change up your routine if that happens.
In order to keep track of your calories, you'll need to look at labels and maybe spend time on the internet. Most restaurants (chains) will list their nutritional information, but often it's buried. You may like the websitehttp://www.fitday.com/, which lets you track your calories and your activity for a more accurate calculation of where you are at. There are a million helps out there-- if you have an android phone, you might try CardioTrainer. I use the Nike+ application for my iPod touch because it keeps me honest with my runs and tracks my progress.
You'll be amazed at food that sounds so healthy, but is really full of carbs and calories. (Marketing)
Changing your mindset: Portion sizes are often a big problem. There is a great book that I would highly recommend called "Mindless Eating" (http://www.mindlesseating.org/). It will change the way you look at food and make you think about the unconscious things that we do that will add hundreds of calories more into our daily diet.
That's the short and condensed version, much more if you want it. Looking forward to following your successful journey.